Page 102 of Feverburn

We all shared a smile, knowing this was the start of somethingpermanent.

It bummed me out they didn’t keep the IUD they pulled from my liver. I wanted to wear it as an earring. I knew that would be a deranged request, but it felt like a missed opportunity. Nonetheless, I washappyto leave the hospital.

Carson still treated me like a porcelain doll, trying to find anything off or out of the ordinary. After parking his truck at the cabin, he carried me in like a bride. I thought about fighting him on it, but I figured the guy had been through enough. Instead, I wrapped my arms around his neck, breathing in his beard oil, basking in his protective energy.

He helped me shower and got me all settled on the couch with Kiszka, who sniffed my torso but knew not to howl. He was such a good boy when he needed to be. In one of the rooms, I could see my rose dresser. I pointed to it in confusion.

He handed me a glass of water with a set jaw,“I don’t want you anywhere that’s not near me.”

“Okay?”

“You’re living here,”he said, turning to make his way to the kitchen.

Rushing to swallow my water, I squeaked out, “What?”

“You’re. Living. Here.”He looked over his shoulder and cocked an eyebrow.

My stomach flipped, but I fought thelust. “We didn’t even discuss it!”

“We don’t have to. You’ve always been welcome here. Even before all this happened, you knew that. I gave you a key months ago.”I stared at him, not knowing if this was superannoyingor fucking hot. A gravelly laugh escaped him as he knelt on the couch, wrapping me in his arms before kissing my head.“Woman, stop being so damn stubborn and let meloveyou.”

“But we hadn’t even told anyone about us,” I said to his back as he returned to the kitchen.

“It happened too quickly, out of order, just like everything else happens with us, mylove.” He put some bread in a toaster, then pointed to the couch with a butter knife, urging me to rest.

“You can’t just boss me around and feed me like some Capricorn.”

“Capdaddy,”he snorted at his joke, cutting into an avocado.“I can, and I will. You like it.”

I spent the rest of the day on the couch with Kizzy. His floofy body next to me made me feel instantly better. He wedged his snout between my back and the sofa as we napped.

The doorbell rang, waking me up. I looked over the couch to see a little puff of hair shuffling through the cabin.“Viviane!”

“Rosie! My sweet girl, I was so worried about you!”She plunked on the couch next to me with a big hug. Carson looked at us adoringly and whistled for Kiszka as he went outside.

“Here are some books for you while you’re taking it easy. And this Tupperware has some brownies that will help get some meat back on your bones. Some have weed in them.”

I eyed the container. “How do I know which ones?”

She gleefully shrugged. “Oh, no clue! Sometimes, thebestthings in life need to be kept asecret.” She winked at me.

“Is that an old Buddhist saying I should familiarize myself with?” I teased.

She opened her mouth, clearly amused.“Consider it a good exercise in accepting what the universe hands you. Speaking of, you’ve been quite a busy gal. Pine Bluff has handed your ass to you, hasn’t it, my little rose? First, the fire, then getting caught, and now your medical ordeal. Goodness me! My tits are tired just thinking about it!”

“It was a lot to handle, that’s for sure. But I wanted to thank you.”

“For what?”she asked, raising her denim eyebrows.

“For telling me about the lake. You said I’d find answers there.”I studied Carson playing fetch with Kiszka.“I certainly did.”

Viviane followed my gaze, her face creasing in even more wrinkles with a pleased smile.“Trulytremendous,”she whispered.“This past Yule, on the winter solstice, I prayed that somestrongwomen would come to this valley andlovesome of these men. Dating here is so hard. Maine is full of old geezers. We needed more life and potential in this valley. When Kaylee crashed a month later, my prayers were answered. Then, around the spring equinox, you came.”

“Wait, you summoned Kaylee and I?”

Her azure eyes flitted back to mine.“Someone has to keep themagicgoing in this place after I’m gone.”

I reached for her hand in concern. “You’re not going to leave us, are you?”How could I politely ask a granny if she was about to croak?

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