Forgotten (The Lost Children Trilogy Book 1) Page 16

  Instead, I watched him as he gazed at the stars. The feel and smell of him created a hot, heady feeling in me. My core still ached and yearned for more, but I knew now wasn’t the right time.

  Snuggling closer, I heard his heart beat strongly within. The sound, smell and feel of him so closely against me stirred something deep in my mind. I felt it happen. Like a book cover that cracked, revealing a deep, intricate story that promised to captivate. I knew without a doubt that something dormant inside me, buried deep within my subconscious, had come back to life.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  We lay on the blanket until the wee hours of the morning. It was only when I started to nod off that Flint gently picked me up.

  “I should get you back,” he said.

  I murmured something halfway intelligible. I knew I was somewhere between asleep and awake but couldn’t rouse myself completely. The feel of his arms around me, his scent and that ever present feeling of safety beckoned me to sleep.

  Rustling sounded and then the scratchy, wool blanket covered me. It tickled my face. I merely snuggled closer to him as he began to walk. I must have truly fallen asleep on the way back to the cabin. The next thing I knew, Flint was laying me on my top bunk. Soft snores from Mica filled the room.

  “Night, babe,” he whispered.

  Soft lips pressed into mine. I moaned and leaned closer. He took a deep breath and firmly, yet gently, pushed me back. A second later, a door closed.

  I woke to the smell of coffee and the sound of a distant shower. Groggily, I opened my eyes and sat up slowly. I was back in my bedroom.

  Rubbing my eyes, I tried to remember returning with Flint. It was hazy, like a dream that disappeared upon waking. The sights, smells and memory of it vanished. Only a good feeling lingered. It made me want to snuggle under my covers and try desperately to hold onto it.

  “Well, good morning, sunshine,” a voice called.

  My eyes snapped wide open. I peered below. Mica lay on her bed, awake. She grinned brightly. “Have fun on your date, last night?”

  I rolled my eyes and threw my pillow at her.

  “Hey, just asking.” She dodged the blow. “You were out pretty late. It’s only natural to be curious.”

  I yawned and stretched.

  “Gonna tell me about it?” she asked.

  I pictured Flint’s broad shoulders, strong chest and how he’d felt and tasted. A wave of possessiveness rolled through me. I didn’t want to share that with anyone.

  “Nope.”

  Mica made a noise that sounded very similar to an audible pout. “I’d tell you if Jasper kissed me.”

  “Jasper kissed you?”

  “Well…no, but if he did, I’d tell you.”

  I jumped down from my bunk. Sounds came from the living room. Di and Jacinda were talking. It was probably time to get going. All three of us were working again today. Like yesterday, Val had the day off.

  “Hmm, well that’s nice,” I said.

  Mica harrumphed. “Fine, don’t tell me.”

  When Di, Jacinda and I walked to work, Jacinda’s gaze was very similar to Mica’s. “You’re certainly in a good mood.”

  It was only then that I became aware of the ridiculous grin on my face. “What do you mean?”

  She winked. “I think you know what I mean.”

  I rolled my eyes but kept grinning.

  “What’d you two do last night?” she asked.

  A door banged. One of the guests stepped onto his porch, a steaming mug in his hand. I smiled and waved. He waved back.

  “Are you going to tell me?” Jacinda asked.

  “Tell you what?” I asked sweetly.

  She sighed and smoothed her perfectly ironed shirt. “All right, all right. I’ll stop asking.”

  “Oh!” Di abruptly fell to the ground. Both Jacinda and I careened to a stop. I winced when the sound of gravel crunched into Di’s knees. For a second, Jacinda and I just stood there, but then Jacinda kicked into action and rushed to Di’s side.

  She kneeled beside her as Di panted quietly. Alarm raced through me. “Should I get help?”

  Down the drive, the guest on his porch stood from the porch swing. He made a move like he was going to run to us.

  Di shook her head, panting quietly. “No, no, I’m fine. It was just a vision, but a strong one. She’s coming. Tomorrow!”

  I waved the guest back. “She’s fine!” I yelled. “Just tripped!” The guest sat back down.

  Jacinda and I helped Di to her feet. She’s coming. That only meant one thing. The new girl.

  “So you’re not hurt?” I asked. The knee in Di’s black pants had ripped. A smear of blood trailed along the fabric.

  Di shook her head furiously. She winced when she fully straightened her leg. “No. It’s just…that vision was powerful.” Di’s face was practically white as she rubbed gravel and dirt from her pants. “She just changed course. She’ll arrive in Colorado tomorrow. I’m sure of it. I saw a plane. She’s on it.”

  “Does that mean she’s flying into Little Raven?” Jacinda asked.

  Di shook her head and fingered her temples again. “I don’t know. Maybe. Or maybe not.” She groaned. “I hate when my visions are like this. So strong but still cloudy. It’s incredibly frustrating.”

  It was the most I’d ever heard Di talk about her gift. Laying a hand on her arm, I said, “Don’t worry. We’ll find her.”

  Di smiled weakly. “We better get to work. We’ll have a meeting to discuss it tonight.”

  Jacinda and I flanked Di’s sides and held onto her. Di walked steadily after a few steps, but I didn’t want her tipping over if another vision pummeled her. The three of us moved silently to the main house. However, the farther we got the more irritated Di seemed.

  “I’m fine,” she hissed. She brushed our hands off. Jacinda and I eyed one another but allowed Di some distance.

  THE DAY PASSED slowly. My thoughts meandered between Flint and the new girl arriving. When two o’clock finally rolled around, Jacinda and I went in search of Mica, the twins and Flint. They needed to know about the new girl, and they needed to know to return early tonight for the meeting. Di, meanwhile, returned to the cabin to try and see her.

  Jacinda headed off to the guest barn, and I trudged up the hill to the work barn. I knew I’d probably see Dean. I sighed heavily. Ignoring him wasn’t being fair. Even though I was looking for the twins, Mica and Flint, I should probably clear the air.

  Sure enough, Dean was working on one of the horses when I entered the barn. A grin flashed across his face when I stepped inside.

  “Hey, Lena.” He straightened and dusted his hands off. A leather apron covered his clothes. “I didn’t see ya yesterday. I think that’s the first time we’ve missed a ride since you started workin’ here.” He cleared his throat and smiled awkwardly.

  I stuffed my hands in my pockets and kicked at non-existent pebbles. “Yeah, it was a busy morning. I decided to stay in the cabin for the afternoon.”

  His eyebrows rose. “Err…sure.”

  I twirled a strand of hair between my fingers. “Have you seen Mica, Jet, Jasper or Flint?”

  “They’re at the lower barn with Jessie.”

  “Oh.” So Jacinda’s probably found them.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “Yep, everything’s fine.” Since I didn’t need to find them, I knew I should probably get this conversation over with. I stuffed my hands in my pockets. “So…about the other night. I…well…I just wanted to say that I really like you, but–”

  Dean held up his hand. He wouldn’t meet my gaze. “You don’t need to say anymore.”

  “I don’t?”

  His mouth tightened. “I get it.”

  “Oh.”

  At least ten seconds of awkward silence passed. I wrung my hands. “Dean, I really like you a lot. You’re one of my best friends.”

  He laughed humorlessly and turned back to shod the horse. “Best friend, huh?”


  I winced. “I’m sorry. I just don’t feel any more than that.”

  Scraping sounds filled the barn. “Does this have anything to do with Flint?”

  My cheeks flushed. “Why would you think that?”

  More scraping sounded. Dean continued to file the horse’s hoof. “I’m not an idiot, Lena. The guy goes crazy every time he sees us hangin’ out, but since you never said you two were together, I thought ya were fair game.”

  I awkwardly clasped my hands together.

  “So that ain’t true?” Dean asked. “You guys are actually together?”

  “Um, well, I don’t know. We weren’t before, or anything like that, but now,” I paused, thinking about last night. “I guess we kind of are.”

  “I figured as much.” He stood and grasped the horse’s lead rope. When he tried to walk by me, I grabbed his arm. His muscles bunched underneath my fingertips.

  “I know this is really cliché but can we still be friends?”

  For a second, I didn’t think he was going to reply. He stared over my head, his mouth a tight line. I shuffled from foot to foot.

  He finally met my gaze and sighed. A sad smile spread across his face. Pulling me into a hug, he sighed. “Yeah, of course. We can still be friends.”

  Embraced in his strong arms, his scent surrounded me. Horse, sweat and some kind of cedar deodorant. It wasn’t an intoxicating scent that made me want to close my eyes in bliss, but he didn’t stink.

  I hugged him back. He held me a bit longer than a “friend” would but I let him. When I finally pulled back, he let go reluctantly. I stuffed my hands in my back pockets.

  “Do you want to go for a ride today?” I asked.

  A wistful expression covered his face but with a blink, it was gone. He took a step back. “Yeah, of course. Just let me finish up in here.”

  BY THE TIME the evening rolled around, I felt better about everything with Dean. We’d gone on our usual ride. He’d been friendly and joking, just like he usually was. A few times I caught him watching me, his eyes soft, but each time he smiled and said something funny. I knew things would be weird between us for a while, but I hoped with time he’d see that Flint and I were serious about one another.

  At least, I thought we were serious.

  I frowned as Jacinda, Di and I walked back to the cabin following the supper meal. It was already getting dark. Surely Flint and I were more than friends now. Right?

  “What time are the guys and Mica done tonight?” Di asked.

  “Any minute,” Jacinda replied. “Flint said they’d come straight down from the barn. Have you had more visions of her?”

  “A few. Not as strong as the one this morning, but I’m feeling more and more confident that she’s arriving tomorrow.”

  “Do you know what time?” I asked.

  “No.” Di fingered her temples. “Let’s get back to the cabin. I want to try and see her again. Hopefully I can find out.”

  We reached the porch and climbed the steps. I sat down on the porch swing. “I’ll wait here.”

  “Waiting for someone?” Jacinda winked.

  I rolled my eyes.

  She laughed and walked inside with Di.

  I leaned back on the swing as the door closed softly behind them. The wooden seat boards were hard and not entirely comfortable, but I liked how the seat swung easily and the gentle creak it made.

  A few minutes later, Flint, Mica and the twins appeared in the distance. They were all talking and laughing as they walked down from the barn. Correction, Mica and the twins were talking and laughing. Flint wasn’t.

  Striding toward me, Flint looked so strong, sexy and serious that I actually stopped breathing. A feeling that was becoming all too familiar coursed through me. It was like someone had hooked me up to a generator. An electric jolt of awareness followed by a hot feeling of lust slid through me. It felt like my senses were on fire.

  Nobody had ever affected me like he did.

  He was about ten yards away when he finally realized I sat there, watching him. I felt his energy pick up. It rolled toward me in steady waves. A smile tugged at his lips.

  When the four of them climbed the porch, Flint walked over and sat beside me. The other three stopped by the door. Jet winked when I caught his gaze, a knowing glint in his eye. I would have blushed, but the envious expression on Mica’s face stopped it. She glanced at me and Flint and then Jasper. A hunger appeared in her gaze as she stared at the twin. It wasn’t the first inkling I had that Mica was interested in Jasper. Her look now, though, confirmed it.

  “How was work?” I asked.

  Jet shrugged and leaned against the door frame. “Nothing earth shattering.”

  A tapping on the window sounded. Jacinda beckoned everyone to come in.

  “The goddess calls.” Jet pushed away from the door and walked inside. Mica and Jasper followed. I made a move to stand, but Flint stopped me.

  “They can wait a minute,” he said.

  My heart rate increased at his deep tone. I lowered myself back beside him. He brushed a strand of hair from my face. The contact sent tingles along my spine.

  “Have a good day?” He leaned closer.

  My heart slammed against my ribs. “Um, yeah,” I said a little breathlessly.

  His lips were nearly touching my skin. Flint inhaled and then stiffened. I barely noticed. He was millimeters away from touching me, but then he leaned down and smelled my shirt. And then he smelled my shoulder.

  Energy exploded off him. “Care to tell me why you smell like Dean?”

  It took me a moment to snap out of my dazed state. “What? Dean?”

  A muscle ticked in Flint’s jaw. “Yes, Dean. You smell like him.”

  “I do?”

  Flint inhaled tightly. “It smells like he’s been all over you.”

  “Really?” I leaned down and sniffed my shirt. Lingering scents of horse, sweat and Dean’s deodorant indeed clung to my clothing. It finally clicked. “Oh, right. He gave me a hug this afternoon. That’s probably why I smell like him.”

  “A hug?” Flint’s nostrils flared. “Is that all he gave you?”

  I almost laughed but then realized he was serious. I bit my cheek to stop from smiling. “Yes. I promise. That’s all.”

  Flint leaned back, that unreadable expression on his face again. He took a few deep breaths, his strong shoulders rising and falling. If it hadn’t been for my gift, I’d have no idea how he was feeling right now. But since my clouds didn’t lie, I felt the anger pulsing off him. Anger he was trying desperately to get under control.

  After a minute, he sighed heavily and raked a hand through his hair. “You’re gonna be the death of me, woman.”

  Another shiver ran through me. Something told me I wasn’t going to mind Flint’s possessiveness at all. In a way, it was incredibly arousing. “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He took another deep breath. “Yeah, just give me a minute.”

  It seemed to take him at least that long to calm down. When he finally did, he rubbed his face in his hands. “I hate the thought of you with another guy,” he muttered. “Sorry for going all alpha male on you.”

  “I think I like it. It’s kind of hot.”

  His eyes darkened. “Kind of hot, huh?”

  I smiled.

  He shook his head and grinned. “Come on, let’s go inside. They’re waiting for us.”

  Heat cascaded between my thighs. “Right. Of course.”

  A knowing glint gleamed in his gaze when we finally stood to join the others.

  THE CHAIRS AND couches were all in a circle when we entered the living room. Flint and I sat on the free couch just as Di strode into the room. She wore clean black yoga pants and a long-sleeve black shirt.

  “She’s definitely coming tomorrow,” Di stated. “I’m thinking she’ll be somewhere in Gunnison.” Di sat on the free chair and scooted it closer to the group.

  “So we go to Gunnison,” Flint said.

  Di nodded. “All in favo
r?”

  Everyone immediately voiced their agreement. “Lena?” Di glanced in my direction. “Do you approve?”

  I sat up straighter. “Oh, yes.”

  “What time are we leaving?” Mica asked. “And how are we gonna all get off work? I don’t think Pete’s gonna like that.”

  “Or Val,” Jacinda added with a frown.

  Di glanced at Flint briefly before turning to the group. “I think it’s best if most of us stay here.”

  “What?” Mica said. “Why? We always go.”

  “This one’s different,” Di said. “She always seems frightened and is never talking to anyone. Not like Lena.”

  My mouth dropped at her teasing tone, but Di just carried on, her face serious again. “One interesting thing about this girl, is she always has an animal with her. At least a dozen times now, I’ve seen her with a stray dog or cat. Once, I saw her with an iguana.” Di shook her head. “I think two, three max, should get her. And we definitely need a woman in the group. I have a feeling if it’s all men, she’ll run.”

  “I’ll go,” Mica volunteered.

  “And almost blow it like you did with Lena?” Jet replied. “I don’t think so.”

  “I didn’t blow it,” Mica retorted.

  Jacinda patted Mica’s hand. “You were pretty close. A few times you almost gave us away.”

  “I did not,” Mica protested but not as loudly this time. I watched Mica’s growing irritation and thought back to what she’d said to me when we’d first met. I couldn’t recall exactly what was said, but I did remember others interrupting her.

  “So Mica’s out,” Di said matter-of-factly. Mica crossed her arms. “Jacinda?” Di added.

  Jacinda shook her head. “I think Lena should go. I mean, look at her. She’s about as innocent as they get.”

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “Good point,” Di said. “Okay, Lena, you’re going.”

  “I am?”

  “Yes,” Di replied. “Now, should another girl go? Or a guy?”

  “Since Mica’s out, and since Lena’s going, I think a guy should go,” Jacinda said. “Val won’t be happy if two of us disappear from the kitchen.”

  “That makes sense,” Jasper agreed.