Page 29 of Special Agent Raven
Lord have mercy, so many victims and many still missing. Fucking hell of a shame to a community that didn’t deserve the nightmare. Resorting to cussing over the fact that Mother Nature was demanding payback for messing with her world, she felt overwhelmed by the knowledge that the answers and the fixes weren’t at all simple… but very necessary. They neededto take this situation seriously so it could never catch them so obliviously unaware next time.
Because if there was one thing she’d bet her bank account on – this wasn’t the last nightmare. It would happen again… and again.
Finally drained, she swore to become an advocate in the future to help her Nana in her quest to make a difference. Once out of the shower, she dressed in her favorite silky pajamas, dried her hair as much as possible with the towel and hand dryer before making her way back into her room, only to find Cane passed out on her bed.
Not expecting this to happen but realizing she should have, and rather than waking the exhausted man, she snuck in beside him. Pulling a blanket over both of them, she closed her eyes. The last thing that passed through her mind was just how perfect it felt to be close to the man who’d most needed a safe haven.
Chapter Twenty-two
Noah’s heart had finally settled back into its rightful spot rather than staying stuck in his throat. Seeing his Josh and Ami alive had turned the sun back on, giving him a reason to live.
Once he’d been forced to release their wriggling bodies, he didn’t have to pretend to pay attention to their excited comments like he often had in the past. Today everything they said and did mattered… they mattered. More than life itself.
Like children with normally limited concentration, especially little Ami, they’d moved on from the shared moment of sheer joy to tell him all about their day’s activities and cookie creations.
Though Josh clung longer, he finally joined in with his sister’s exuberance about how well they’d behaved for Nana and how they now held new titles of No. 1 Baker’s Assistant and No. 2 Pastry Chef.
Laughing from the sheer silliness of the ordinary conversation after such blood-curdling experiences, Noah looked up whenWinona approached. His expression surged with pure gratitude as he spoke shyly, “How can I ever thank you for taking care of my babies?”
Josh interrupted. “Da-d.” The disgust at having been called a baby was obvious. Winona smiled at Noah, but turned to Josh, taking him seriously. “Son, he’s allowed to think of you as his baby… in fact, for all your life he’s allowed. You see, it’s the truth. You’ll always be his baby just as he’ll always be your daddy. Just maybe he won’t use it in public again.”
“Jeesh. Fine. Okay. But just say it when we’re alone. And I’ll only call you Daddy till I’m… ahh, till I’m in high school. Then it’s Dad, okay?”
“Works for me, son.” Noah laughed out loud. “Just don’t ever call me late for dinner.”
Josh broke up at the old joke they’d often used in the past and suddenly curled into his father’s arms like one would see a toddler or a baby do. Once Ami saw that Josh was getting extra hugs, she left the cookies and held up her arms to be lifted on his knee too.
Winona began scurrying around the kitchen, setting a kettle on the stove for coffee and preparing the platter of leftover fried chicken she had taken from the fridge. “I’ll make some lunch, and we can talk. You kids can help me by putting our cookies in some bins, okay?”
Amazed at how quickly the kids listened to her suggestion, Noah stood and almost fell again. Dammit, he felt as weak as a kitten. Comes with refusing to eat until he saw for himself the wonder of his kids being alive.
Noticing him trying to hide his discomfort, Winona pointed to where her bedroom was and said, “There’s a bathroom with hot water and towels, soaps, whatever you need. The kids will help me get the food on the table. Then we’ll take care of those wounds you’re trying to hide.”
An hour later, showered, fed and happy to see the kids settled into a game of fish that Winona had taught them, he allowed her to lead him to her sanctuary where she did her healing. Shocked at the beauty of the room, the smells and sights, he let her work with her magic potions on his hands and the parts of his body that screamed with pain the most… his stomach and back.
By the time she’d rubbed in all her antibiotic remedies, he had to admit that he felt much better. The sting he’d ignored up till then had faded a great deal, forcing him to comment, “Seriously, Winona. You’re a witch, right? One of the good ones. You can tell me.”
“No way, Sheriff. And have you arrest me for making magic potions and performing sorcery.”
“I promise not to do so unless your spells involve human sacrifices.”
They both laughed before Noah sat up on the massage-like table. “Seriously, how can I ever repay you for stepping in and helping my family? I honestly have no idea what our next step is, I really don’t.”
“Understood, my friend. But be assured that you’re all welcome to stay here with me and Raven… and I suppose Cane will be joining us also since there’s not a lot of places for him to camp, especially since he’s lost all his gear when his car got washed away. This is a big old house, and we have plenty of room, in fact there’s two bedrooms upstairs that hardly ever get used, and they’re all yours.”
“We’ll be glad to rent them until I can find us new digs. But maybe Cane needs one of the rooms.”
“Not to worry, we have space on the main floor for that haunted soul.”
Her words caught Noah’s attention. “What’s his story? As helpful as he’s been, there’s a sadness about the man that I recognize and sympathize with since I’ve had my ownchallenges.” He told Winona about his wife and their earlier struggles and appreciated that she listened without interrupting.
Reaching out to touch him – one human being to another – in compassion of his heartache, she took her time answering. “It’s his pain to share, but I can tell you one thing I’m most certain of. He’s solid gold. Anyone who steals my granddaughter’s heart is a pure champion. But, as you say, he’s lost in his past and needs time to break loose.”
“You think Raven is in love with him?”
“Not that she knows just yet, but her heart suspects.”
“You’re a very wise woman, Winona. And I’m overjoyed that you’re now in our lives. I have a feeling we’re going to need you desperately in the future.”