Page 65 of Joshua's Mistake
“You two had better get some rest. Your brother and Will are looking pretty wrecked too. We’ll start tracking Banta. I expect he’ll lay low for a few hours and we’ll need to be ready when he surfaces. If he’s smart he’ll try to get out of the country as soon as possible.”
She hated that more people were putting themselves in danger. “Be careful, Jess.
You saw what he did to me. You don’t want to go there.”
Jess smiled. “We’ll be careful.”
Tessa looked around. There were several wounded and they were being taken care of by the very pretty woman who had been guarding the sweat lodge with Will. “Who is that woman?”
“Rain. She lives here on the reservation.”
“She’s got a lot of psi ability. I can feel it from here.”
“I know. She and Lucy helped me get you to eat.” He pointed at a dark-skinned woman with short hair who was talking to Will and Kane.
“I’ll have to thank them.” How many other people had been instrumental in saving her life? She was overwhelmed.
“Come on. Don’t think about it now. We both need to sleep, find Banta and then finish this.”
“Jess is right, he must be heading out of the country. He’d be a fool to stay with this many people after him.” She wanted it to be true, wanted to believe they could forget about Troth Banta for a long while.
Joshua shook his head. “He won’t go. His goal is to get to me and he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. In most people determination is a virtue, but in Banta that’s his flaw.”
She took his hand and let herself be led up to the porch. Adianca sat in an old rocker and watched the mess in her yard being cleaned up. Joshua stopped in front of Adianca. “Shaman, this is my woman, Tessa Clark.”
Everything inside Tessa tightened as if she were a rubber band pulled too tight.His woman, was that what she was? He’d said he loved her. She knew she felt the same, but he hadn’t asked about her feelings. In the spirit world she’d told him the truth, but that had been so surreal.
Adianca took her hands. “I am glad you found your way back, child. Only a very strong person could have gone so deeply into the spirit world and then returned and it will take such a woman to make Lakeland happy.”
The old woman stood and tugged gently on Tessa’s hands to bring her low enough so she could kiss her forehead. “I wish you a very good life.”
Joshua leaned forward and she kissed his forehead as well. “Thank you, Teacher.”
“Now go and sleep. You will have much to do once you have rested.”
The two women, Rain and Lucy, forced her to eat and drink something before she was allowed to go to bed. They were right of course, but she could barely lift a fork to her mouth. Her body had not been active, but she had had no rest either. All she wanted was to lose herself in sleep and pray she would not dream.
Even as badly as Tessa needed to sleep she wanted a shower. She managed to step into the stall and let the warm water beat down on her for a long time. She didn’t move, too tired to lift the washcloth and soap.
Joshua’s mind caressed hers as he stepped inside the large shower stall. She never opened her eyes only let his loving thoughts slip through hers. She allowed his hands to move over her body soaping her. He didn’t miss an inch of skin, soaping and massaging her sore muscles as he went. He washed her hair with strong yet tender fingers. When the last bit of soap was rinsed away he turned off the water.
She wanted to protest, to insist she needed more of the pounding water. Yet she didn’t. Her eyes opened and she found him tugging the towel down from the rack. He dried her face, shoulders, neck and arms. He made his way down her body, slowly and methodically drying every inch of her. It might have been erotic if she hadn’t been so completely exhausted.
Lifting her into his arms, he carried her into the next room and placed her on the bed. She made no objection to being treated as if she were a child. Even that would have taken too much energy. She sat cross-legged in the middle of the large mattress, her eyes slid closed and she dozed until she felt the tug of a brush through her short hair. Once the snags were pulled away the motion soothed her and she never felt the last brush stroke.
She didn’t know how much time had passed. It was dark outside when she woke to find herself tucked close against Joshua’s warm body. She didn’t remember being moved to lie on the bed or having the covers pulled up over her. It was a bit sad to have missed such loving moments of Joshua taking care of her.
“Go back to sleep, beautiful.” He kissed her shoulder.
Giving the pillow a plumping, she complied, letting sleep pull her back under.
* * *
It was even darkerwhen she next opened her eyes. Joshua’s arms still held her. She could see a tray of food on the nightstand.
“How do you feel?” he asked.
“Strange.” It was true. She didn’t feel pain or fear. Her body was a little stiff and suddenly being in the real world was odd. Had she cheated death?
