Fatal Charm (10 page)

It was early morning, chilly with an overcast sky that loomed ominous in the east. Rain wasn’t predicted, but weather had a mind of its own, so I brought a hooded jacket, gloves, and an umbrella. Where we were going, over the Sierra Mountain pass, rain could quickly chill into heavy snow.

Dominic’s truck still had that sharp “new car” odor.

I reached across my lap to fasten my seat belt and my elbow brushed Dominic’s leg. A jolt like a stun gun blasted through me. I jerked my arm back, heat rushing to my face. Abruptly, I turned to the window and faked an extreme interest in scenery.

What was wrong with me anyway? Getting all weird over being near Dominic? We’d spent lots of time together before, so why was now any different? It wasn’t like he’d made a move on me or there was anything sexual about an elbow touch. This was all about me overreacting. He probably hadn’t even noticed or cared … not that I cared if he cared or wanted him to notice because that would be totally wrong.

Damn, I was seriously losing it.

If I didn’t get a grip on my emotions, this trip would be a disaster.

I put on a casual face like everything was normal. I was too aware of Dominic, longing for more than a brief elbow touch. I wanted … well, things that just couldn’t happen.

Admit it, Sabine, I told myself. You’re hot for Dominic and denying the attraction won’t make it go away—only confuse truth with lies.

I wanted to get closer to him, yet wanted to get far away from him. I wanted to touch him, but couldn’t risk where that would lead. I wanted to talk to him about everything, except I feared words could tumble into an avalanche I couldn’t handle. I was keenly aware of his strong, calloused hands, one poised on the wheel and the other casually resting inches from me. His jeans were frayed at one knee and he was missing a button on the leather jacket he wore over a blue cotton shirt. I noticed a tiny feather in his wavy brown hair, probably from Dagger, and resisted the urge to pull it out.

I’d be resisting a lot of urges today.

“Do you have a map?” I asked after long, silent minutes. My forced casual tone gave no hint of my inner drama.

“Map?” He looked startled, as if he’d been lost in deep thoughts.

“So I can navigate while you drive.”

“In the glove box, but don’t bother.”

“Why not?”

“Shrub Flats is so small it’s not mapped.”

“Then how do we get there?”

“I got it covered.”

I waited for him to explain. But he slipped into his annoying habit of clamming up and focusing on the road, not on his passenger. What was he thinking about or who he was thinking about? Not me of course …

“Do you think it will snow? The mountains are so beautiful, but the sky has turned to such a dark gray. It’ll be hard to find Horseshoe in a snowstorm.” Okay, I was babbling without giving him a chance to answer, which happened when I got nervous.

“Snow would be cool,” was all he said.

“Not if it storms while we’re on the road.”

“My four-wheel drive can get through anything.”

“Then yeah, snow would be cool. My family stays at a cabin in Tahoe every winter and we have a great time sledding and skiing. Do you know anyone in Shrub Flats? How will we find where the remedy book is hidden?” Babble, babble, babble. God, I was pathetic.

“The charms should help.”

“Once we figure out the fish, cat, and house. Maybe there’s a statue of a fisherman holding a cat or a house shaped like the charm. Do you have any theories?”

“A few.”

“Like what?”

“The house could be where Agnes lived.”

“That charm isn’t shaped like a normal house. It has weird angles; rectangular with a steep pointy roof and round windows. Maybe it’s a church.”

“Or a hotel,” he guessed.

“Would a small town have a hotel?”

“Maybe a boarding house—unless it burned down in the Pig Fire.” He flicked his turning signal and passed a large semitruck.

“Pig Fire?”

“I read about it in a history book.” Dominic had a quiet passion for reading and often went to the library; it was one of the things I admired about him.

“Nevada was rich in silver mines,” he explained. “Towns would sprout up overnight but then vanish when the silver strike ran out. Horseshoe had a lucky streak until 1913, when a huge sow broke out of her pen and knocked a lantern into hay. The fire took out half the town, leaving only stones and shrubs. Horseshoe became Shrub Flats.”

“What if the fire destroyed the remedy book? Nona won’t ever get any better … only worse … until she slips into a coma and never … ” My voice cracked. “Never wakes up.”

Dominic pursed his lips determinedly. “We will find the remedy.”

As he said this, my head went all dizzy and I had a flash of my great-great-great-grandmother Agnes kneeling outside in the dark of night beside a sturdy metal box, digging into rough ground with a small shovel. That’s all I saw, but it was enough to offer hope.

“You’re right.” I felt in my pocket for the small satin bag which contained the charms, letting my fingers glide over one. “The remedy is out there—we just have to decipher the charm clues. The fish could mean a fishing pond.”

“Or someone named Fish.”

“What about the house and cat?”

“House cat or cat house?” Dominic winked. “As in Nevada’s oldest profession.”

I knew he didn’t mean gambling. “No way! Not Agnes.”

“Desperate people will do anything when they’re desperate.”

“My great-great-great-grandmother would never sink that low. She was a devoted, respectable mother.”

“And accused of poisoning her neighbor.”

“She never poisoned anyone—her herbal medicines cured people. She was treated crappy by neighbors and forced to leave her little girls. By the time her girls received the charms, it was too late and they were split up into different homes.” I’d had visions of Agnes and her daughters, and ached with an overwhelming sadness for them. Losing people you loved was so hard. And I thought of Nona.

Dominic seemed to guess what I was feeling. “Don’t worry,” he said gently. “We’ll figure out the charms.”

“Over a hundred and fifty years later?”

“You never know.”

That was the problem, I thought with frustration. There were too many things I didn’t know. Everything hinged on possibilities and hopes, elusive non-tangibles. We were following a tiny clue of silver to another state on the slim chance of finding an old book that may not still exist.

Impossible.

Yet impossible things were normal when you saw ghosts, chatted with spirits, and had prophetic visions. Ironically, this was not the kind of “normal” life I’d hoped for when I’d started a new school this year. I’d strived to create a new and improved Sabine—and on the surface, I’d succeeded. But sometimes I felt confused about my own identity. Despite my cool boyfriend and popular girlfriends, I was still a freak … and maybe that was okay. I’d rather be unique than a clone of everyone else. Sure, my inner freak got me into trouble sometimes, but my abilities helped people—which made me feel good. And I realized that I liked myself.

I wondered if Dominic liked …
more
than liked me.

Of course, I’d never ask. Why did my thoughts keep coming back to Dominic? I should be thinking about Josh. A loyal girlfriend wouldn’t go on a road trip with a guy she lusted after. Although it wasn’t like we planned to stay the night together. We’d only be gone for five or six hours that did not involve anything romantic. And I’d been upfront with Josh, explaining that I would be gone today because of Nona’s illness. Okay, maybe I left out a few details … like who I was traveling with.

Did that make me terrible?

Don’t answer that, I told myself.

As we climbed higher into the hills, the temperature dropped. Dominic cranked up the heater. Outside, pine trees shivered from chilly winds, but inside, close to Dominic, I was warm. At the 8,000-foot elevation mark, snow piled along the steep, rocky hillsides and the traffic slowed, flashing red brake lights as we neared ski resorts. Lots of cars had ski racks and I imagined how much more fun this trip would be if we were going skiing. My family used to go skiing.

But that was before Jade threatened our family. I sighed, thinking of laughter and snow fights and warming our hands around a fireplace. Dad didn’t act like he wanted a divorce, yet he was hardly ever home and now I knew where he spent all that time away from us: with his other family, Jade and Crystal.

Was Dad willing to work to save his marriage? Or would he rather be with Crystal, who was as relaxed as my own mother was uptight? When he was home, he and Mom argued a lot. Not a good sign. How much longer would my parents stay together? A secret daughter wasn’t something Dad could hide forever, and when Mom found out … it was too horrible to imagine. There would be shouting and ultimatums. War would erupt and everyone would lose—except Jade.

My parents’ problems weren’t Jade’s fault, but she was undeniable proof that Dad wasn’t perfect. If Mom found out about her, my parents’ marriage was over. I had to make sure she stayed away from my family.

Dominic frowned at me. “Did I do something to piss you off?”

I shook my head. Traffic was moving again, although slowly as we curved around a spectacularly sharp drop. Far below, a beautiful emerald-blue lake shimmered with reflections of the frosty white-tipped mountains.

“Worrying about Nona?” he guessed.

“Yeah.”

Dominic’s expression softened. “Me, too.”

“I appreciate all you’ve been doing for her.”

“It’s my job.”

“You’ve gone far beyond your job description.”

“I care about Nona, and I care about—” He shot me a sideways look.

“What?” I held my breath.

“Sure you want to know?”

“I asked, didn’t I?”

Red lights flashed ahead and the truck slowed to a crawl. Dominic hesitated, studying my face as if searching for something.

“You,” he finally said. “I care about you.”

Fast breath, dizzy head, soaring heart. I couldn’t think—only feel an insane rush of joy. There was so much I wanted to say, but I couldn’t betray Josh like this. No matter how much I wanted to. That meant hurting Dominic instead … and myself.

He frowned and pulled away. “Sorry. I was out of line.”

I shook my head.

“You’re with Josh. I respect that.”

“Well … that’s … um … ” Sinking into his clear blue eyes, I couldn’t speak.

“I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s … It’s okay.”

“I’ve been a total ass. Once Nona is well, I’ll move on.”

“NO! You can’t!”

“I never planned to stay this long.”

“But you’re such a huge help to Nona.” I dug my nails into the armrest. “You love working for her and she thinks of you like family.”

“I have no family.”

The traffic moved back to posted speeds and Dominic slipped in a country CD, shutting himself off. He disappeared while sitting inches away, humming softly to a sad song. We didn’t talk again; as if words, powerful or casual, would expand and steal the oxygen in the truck. There was too much to say and so much that could never be said.

I care about you
, he’d told me.

Over and over I replayed these words, proving to myself they were real. I hadn’t been imagining the vibes between us. He liked me! I wanted to shout and laugh and sing and tell him I felt the same way. But how could I?

Ohmygod! What was I doing? I was committed to Josh—“committed” like being strangled in a straight jacket. I couldn’t believe that within twenty-four hours two guys had confessed to liking me. Be careful what you wish for, I thought miserably, because it might come true and mess up everything.

If only Dominic had told me how he felt
before
I’d vowed to work things out with Josh. If only I hadn’t promised to go on the horseback camping trip with Josh.

If only … damn.

My romantic timing totally sucked.