SEDUCTIVE SUPERNATURALS: 12 Tales of Shapeshifters, Vampires & Sexy Spirits (214 page)

She needed to talk and she desperately wanted to tell her father—even though she knew it had to be a mistake—that she was falling in love.

How could she let herself fall in love? She didn’t even know Jackson. All she really knew was that he had chosen a path of murder that she was compelled to stop.

“Love is never a mistake, Taylor. Believe.”

She wished with all her heart she could believe...believe with all the conviction Jackson had in his own plans. But it was getting so complicated. And she had a growing, nagging feeling that time was running out.

Did her father know how much time she had?
Dad?

The silence was deafening as Taylor waited for her father’s reply. She whispered into the wind, “Dad, can you tell me how much time I have?”

“Time is running out, Taylor. Ask for the help of others— choose those you can trust, confide in them. Much as you think you can, you can’t always fix things by yourself.”

As her father’s presence disappeared into the breeze, Taylor winced in recognition of her most painful trait. She invariably hesitated to ask for help, and it was her hardest lesson in life to learn. Who should she trust, though? Where should she place her confidence? With Ida? With Jackson?

Lost in thought, Taylor didn’t even notice Jackson’s approach until he was right beside her.

“Rose, I want you tell me why you’re here. Did you run away from someone? Something? It can’t be so bad that you can’t share it with me.” Jackson’s voice brimmed with resolve.

Taylor hesitated, torn by conflicting emotions. A flicker of apprehension coursed through her as she chose her words carefully.

“Jackson, I think I have been sent here to prevent you from killing Wyatt Earp.

Forever Rose: Chapter Eighteen

The shock of her statement siphoned the blood from Jackson’s face. His luminous blue eyes widened in astonishment, then blazed azure fire. Jackson faced Taylor and glared at her with burning, reproachful eyes.

Biting her lip, Taylor turned away. Every fiber in her body warned her, heightening the awareness of her mistake as icy fear twisted around her heart.

“Who sent you?” Jackson spat out the words contemptuously.

“It’s not what you think.” Taylor nearly choked on the words. She felt suddenly weak and vulnerable in the face of his instant rage.

“You are despicable! You used me…”

The force of his seething reply took Taylor off guard. “Jackson, I—”

“Answer me. Who sent you?”

Taylor’s eyes filled with tears of frustration. How could she make him understand? It seemed like the most important goal she’d ever had. Trying to swallow the lump that lingered in her throat, she unsuccessfully searched for words that would make it all make sense.

“Who else knows?” he demanded.

“No one. Only me. Jackson, you have to believe me...I...”

“So, it
was
you who followed me the other night, wasn’t it? Wasn’t it?” His voice was quieter now, yet it held an undertone of cold contempt.

“Yes. I overheard your conversation with those two dreadful men at the bar. Jackson, you can’t do this.”

“It’s none of your business!” Anger lit up Jackson’s eyes as he grasped Taylor’s arm roughly to force her to look at him.

The misery she felt was like a steel weight. How could she have thought he would believe her?

“I should have known. Did you enjoy taunting me with your body? Did you think I would confide in you? Is that it?”

“Jackson, no...that was real. How could you think that?”

* * *

He loosened his grip on her arm, fighting for control as he looked past Taylor to the horizon. She was vile, and, worst of all, she directly threatened his plans. This knowledge twisted and turned painfully inside him as he chided himself for being reckless and irresponsible, allowing his attraction to her to place him in a perilous position. A renewed sense of urgency overwhelmed him. It was time, whether the McLaurey brothers were ready to carry out their part or not. His own path was clear. Crystal clear.

“Jackson. Look at me,” Rose whispered.

Jackson turned and his angry gaze swung over her.

“I know things...I have been told things,” she began awkwardly. “This isn’t going to make much sense to you—it barely makes sense to me. But, hear me out. I am here to find out something—something that will stop you from doing this...from killing—”

“Stop it! No more of your mysterious babble!”

“Jackson, please, please let me say what I have to say. I promise you, no one knows about this. Or why I’m here. I scarcely understand it myself. No one would believe me if I said you were conspiring to kill Wyatt Earp, anyway. Can you see that? Can’t you see that I’m no real danger to you?”

Jackson’s voice was cold when he answered. “You...you stay away from me. My life...and my plans don’t concern you. I won’t let anything or anyone interfere with what has to be done.” He paused for a moment. “Am I making myself clear?”

Taylor shriveled in response to his words and the look on his face.

“Yes,” she whispered. “But you must believe me when I tell you that no one else knows.”

Even in the storm of his anger, Jackson believed her. He just didn’t know why.

* * *

“Halloo...Jackson! Rose! It’s time to go!” Ida called out to Jackson and Taylor. She didn’t like what she saw, especially how roughly Jackson had grabbed Taylor’s arm. Out of earshot, she could only guess at their conversation, but whatever they were discussing, she had seen the immediate rage in Jackson. And she recognized the danger in his anger.

Jackson released Taylor and briskly walked towards the picnic area, quickly putting distance between them. Silently, he walked past Ida, heading back toward the hotel.

Taylor remained where she stood, rubbing her arm, then walked purposefully away from the water and towards Ida.

“Rose,” Ida said when she was within earshot, “what happened? What were you and Jackson talking about? What’s wrong?” Her stomach lurched with worry, and she sensed that the exchange between the two lovers was far more serious than she’d first guessed.

“Please, Ida, don’t ask me...not right now.” Rose’s lips were a tight line, a forced smile that didn’t fool Ida a bit.

Ida leaned forward and lowered her voice. “Did he hurt you?”

“No...no...it’s nothing like that. Please, Ida, let’s just go...home. I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

Scrutinizing Taylor’s face, Ida was even more certain that her alarm was justified. Something serious had happened between the two. Unhappily, she vowed to keep silent, at least for now. Convinced that Rose would eventually confide in her, she shook her head in frustration.

* * *

Taylor found her hat and then busied herself helping fold blankets and gathering the picnic remains.

Ida’s girls chattered light-heartedly as they began the trek back to the Ocean Beach hotel and Taylor placed herself in the middle of the throng of beauties, avoiding Ida completely. She was not looking forward to the ride back into town, knowing that sitting next to Jackson would be torture.

When they reached the hotel, Taylor saw that their horse-drawn bus was ready to board, but Jackson was not sitting in the driver’s seat. Instead, a handsome young man stood next to the rear horse, reins in hand. His eyes searched the group of women until at last his gaze locked on Taylor.

“The gentleman, Mr. Hoyt, asked me to take you back to the city. He said he had some...business to attend to...an appointment...that you’d know what he meant.” The words were delivered blandly, well-rehearsed but without interpretation.

Taylor nodded wordlessly. The sense of time running out threatened to engulf her. A part of her wished that she could just close her eyes and will herself to return to her own time, to forget the seemingly impossible task that faced her.

“Rose?” Audrey tugged at Taylor’s arm.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Rose, would you mind if I sat up front...with him?” Audrey blushed as she nodded towards the substitute driver, obviously smitten with him.

“I wouldn’t mind at all, Audrey, you go for it.”

“What?”

“I mean, get on up there and talk to him.” Taylor smiled at Audrey’s crush, sending her thoughts of encouragement, watching the young men help Audrey up into the seat. His grin convinced her that his feelings matched Audrey’s, and she was glad to see Audrey act on her impulse to get to know him. It was healthy. Normal. Her instincts told her that her father’s prediction about Audrey and Lizabeth was probably right, that they would indeed do great things.

At least maybe she had done some good. She could hope.

Taking a seat near the back of the bus, Taylor yawned and closed her eyes. She pretended to nap during the blissfully quiet journey back to Sherman House, hoping to avoid any more conversation.

She considered her options, frightened to her bones that she would not choose the right path. Gathering her thoughts, she searched for clues until her mind felt numb, and she drifted off to sleep.

Forever Rose: Chapter Nineteen

Ida gently shook Taylor’s shoulder to wake her. “Rose, honey, we’re home.”

Home. That’s exactly where I’d rather be right now.
When Taylor’s eyes fluttered open, she painfully realized that she still remained in the past—though at that moment the past no longer seemed quite as charming. Stifling a yawn, she followed Ida out of the bus.

“Why don’t you have a nice bath and soak the salt from your skin? You’ll feel better, I know you will.” Ida voice was overly cheerful.

“Thanks, Ida. Good suggestion.”

The sun had set and the air was slightly cooler, though the night still felt sultry. Adding to the dense summer air, Taylor felt an uncomfortable heaviness that threatened to deepen her blue mood. Convinced that a cool bath and a clean body would at least interrupt her inclination to dwell on the negative turn of events, she climbed the stairs to her room, undressed, and put on the red silk robe.

In the bathroom, she filled the tub, adding just enough water from the stove to make it lukewarm. Before she stepped into the water, Taylor reached to the shelf above the tub for one of the vials of scented oils. She recognized the bottle that Jackson had used when he’d taken his bath. It seemed like an eternity ago that she had peeked at him through the knothole in the wall. Her heart squeezed in anguish as she evoked the pain of their final conversation at the beach.

As Taylor pulled the cork from the bottle, she closed her eyes and breathed in the delicate fragrance of roses. Instantly, a picture of Jackson’s face appeared in her mind. The smile in his bright, clear blue eyes contained a sensuous flame, and his dark eyebrows arched mischievously as his mouth widened in approval. Taylor felt gooseflesh on her skin, and a sense of pleasurable anticipation. She noticed his lips moving, but heard no sound from the vision. A probing query came into his eyes as he seemed to study her with a curious intensity. As she strained to interpret the picture, his face faded to black.

Taylor blinked her eyes open, struggling to reconnect with reality. The vision had seemed so real, so painfully real. And though the swell of misery she felt was thankfully beyond tears, the effect of her sadness was sickening. Taylor breathed deeply, telling herself to just get into the tub, take a bath, and clear her head so she could decide what to do.

After pouring a bit of rosewater into the tub, Taylor gingerly returned the bottle to its place on the shelf.

As she soaked in the tub, her neck resting on its edge, she found the tepid water calmed her. What had she been thinking when she’d revealed her knowledge of Jackson’s assassination plot?
Obviously not thinking
. It had been a huge mistake, but there had to be a way out. Right?

Energized by the feeling that she was at least gaining control of her emotions, Taylor quickly finished washing her body and hair. She was suddenly anxious to be out of the tub, though not sure why. She intended to do some yard work in the much cooler evening air, knowing the distraction would do her a world of good.

A sharp knock at the door confirmed her notion to finish her bath.

“Rose, are you about finished in there?”

“Audrey?” Taylor called back.

“Yes, it’s me. I need to clean up a bit if you’re almost through in there. Guess what? The bus driver—Corey’s his name—he asked me to dinner. Can you believe it? He says he wants to court me.” Audrey spoke with an even voice at first, but her giddiness surfaced in an excited, high-pitched giggle as she knocked on the door again.

“Hold on, Audrey...give me a minute and I’ll get out and open the door.” Taylor stepped out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel. When she opened the door, Audrey walked in, nervous as a cat. Joy shone in her eyes, though, and a dazzling smile found its way through.

“I hope I didn’t rush you—it’s just that he’ll be here in a few minutes.” Audrey stripped down to her camisole and bloomers, and proceeded with her basin bath.

Taylor sat on the stool next to the tub, watching Audrey. She wished with all her heart and soul that it was she who was preparing for a date that evening, a date with Jackson.

“Rose, what if he doesn’t like me?”

“He already likes you or he wouldn’t have invited you to dinner, right? Come here, let me braid the sides of your hair back. Did you bring a ribbon with you?”

Audrey nodded, staring at her reflection in the mirror. “Rose, do you think I’m pretty? Pretty enough to make him forget...what I am?” There was a sob behind Audrey’s soft voice.

Determined to boost Audrey’s lowered self esteem before it plummeted any further, Taylor replied, “What if you and Lizabeth go talk to Ida right now. Tell her your business idea, get her blessing...and quit working for Ida right now...tonight. Then you could answer Corey honestly if he asks you any questions about what you do.”

Audrey’s face glowed with her newly awakened sense of life, an expression of satisfaction gleaming in her eyes. “I’ll do it. By gosh, this day starts a new life for us. Rose, hurry and finish with my hair so Lizzie and I have time to see Ida before he gets here.”