He turned off the water as they stepped from the shower, drying each other with the thick towels.
"Then I have been remiss, because I love you more than life." She dried her hair as he kissed her neck and rubbed her rose scented lotion on her back. She followed him back to the bedroom where he slipped on a pair of jeans and she pulled on a soft robe.
"Come. Let's check on Lorenzo. I told him we were on our way home. He'll wait to go to sleep until he sees we're back."
Walking quietly to his room, the door was open just a crack and Shade peeped in. Putting his hand over his mouth to not laugh out loud, he winked at bel. Whispering to her, "Someone is definitely playing games. Take a peek."
As Kate moved to the door, Shade stood behind her to watched Lorenzo trying to keep one eye open and the other closed. He followed Kate as she opened the door and went to their son’s bed, playing along with Lorenzo's charade of sleep. Warrior jumped off the bed and jumped up on Shade, as his hand went into his furry mane, and he scratched the dog’s ears.
Kate sat on the side of the bed and brushed Lorenzo's thick curls back from his forehead, where she kissed him. She whispered, “Lorenzo, are you asleep?"
He answered quietly, "I was sleeping, but Warrior got scared in the storm, so Uncle Luca let him sleep next to me."
Kate smiled at him. "Well, I'm sure that made Warrior feel much better." She tucked the blankets around him as he curled into a warm ball. "Mommy and Daddy are home now, and the storm has passed, so I want you to sleep." She kissed him again on the cheek as he yawned and nuzzled into the soft warmth of the blankets.
"Can Warrior stay?"
Kate patted the bed as the large dog jumped back on the bed, circling several times before lying down next to the small boy.
Shade watched bel do what she had always done best; provide comfort to everyone around her. How many times had she comforted him, taken his warriors in hand and made them feel the same? Her compassion and heart were so enormous. As she stepped back, he smiled at her and went silently to the side of his son’s bed, letting his hand slide along Lorenzo's back.
"Sleep, little warrior, Padre has everything covered."
35
Cory couldn’t get Madison off his mind. It was going to be a gorgeous Sunday and he wanted to spend more time with her. He gave her a call and she suggested a picnic. He liked that idea. He’d never been on a picnic with a mortal girl, or any girl for that matter. He checked with Luca to see if he could take out one of the motorcycles and Luca tossed him the keys to his Harley.
Cory retrieved the package wrapped in plain brown paper from his room and stuffed it in the saddlebag. He grabbed a few cords in case Madison packed a basket or something. He wanted to make sure he could accommodate everything. Grabbing an extra helmet, he strapped it on the back and headed into C’ville. The sun was beating down on his back and it felt good. It was going to be a great summer if he had Madison to spend it with.
Parking the Harley on the street, he pulled off his helmet and headed for her door, hoping she wouldn’t mind riding on the bike.
Madison couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this excited about a boy. She’d made a commitment to herself to stay focused at school, and not get sidetracked. It had been an easy promise to keep since she didn't fit it with the culture of this campus. She put a few bottles of wine, along with some cheese, a couple of pears and some fresh baked French bread into a basket. Grabbing a straw hat, she heard the roar of the engine in her driveway. She peeked out the window to see Cory straddling a Harley, pulling off his helmet, and throwing a long leg over the bike as he kicked the kickstand down with his booted foot. The motorcycle was an unexpected surprise. She ran to the door and opened it before he could even knock, greeting him with a smile.
Cory was surprised when the door flew open and Madison stood there in her usual boho style with a cute hat on her head. Leaning in, he kissed her cheek and then turned to look at the bike. "I hope you don’t mind taking the bike? You like to ride? I have a helmet for you."
She flashed him a broad smile. "I love to ride. I haven't been on a bike in a long time. I thought we'd just go up Observatory Mountain. It's not far." She tucked her hat in the basket. "You got room for my basket?"
"Sure do."
Grabbing the basket, he walked to the bike and tied it down. Handing her the helmet, he helped her adjust the strap tight and made sure it was comfortable before putting his helmet back on. "You’ll have to tell me how to get there." Straddling the bike, he kicked back the kickstand and looked at her. "Hop on!"
Madison climbed on the bike, sliding her arms around his waist, her chin resting on his shoulder. She gave him some initial instructions as they headed out. It was a beautiful day, and there were a lot of students walking or on bikes. Madison guided him through the campus to the small, winding road that led up the mountain. The mountain laurel was in full bloom. She pointed out a small dirt trail, as Cory left the paved road, slowing down as they entered the trail into the woods. They reached a clearing and Madison indicated this was the spot. He stopped the bike and she slid off, unhooking the basket and pulling out an old quilt that she laid out on the ground.
Cory was a little saddened when they got to the mountain so quickly. He liked the feel of her so close to him, her arms around him. He checked out the area around them and no one was anywhere around. As she spread out a patchwork quilt on the grass, he set the basket down on the quilt and flopped down, patting the spot next to him. "This is a great spot and good view. How did you know about this place?"
Madison shrugged. "It's right on campus, and the observatory at the top belongs to the university. It’s really more of a big hill than a mountain, and it's within walking distance, so a lot of the students come here. It's a quiet place, and it doesn't take long to get here. I come up here and read sometimes, or just sketch."
She opened a bottle of wine as she talked and poured them both a glass. "There's cheese, and some pears in the basket. Help yourself."
Cory took some wine and then pulled out a pear. Rubbing it against his jeans, he cleaned it off and pulled out a pocket knife. He carefully cut the pear and held out a slice to Madison, watching as her tongue wrapped around his fingers. He could feel his heart hammering in his chest. This girl had him enchanted. Cutting a wedge for himself, he popped it into his mouth.
"This place is so peaceful. So, what are you going to do when school is over? I mean, do you get the summer off? Are you going home?"
She shrugged. "I'll probably just stay here. I can work on my pottery and build up some inventory for the shops. Next year is my last year, and my class schedule is unpredictable. Besides, I don't like sub-letting my apartment. I don't like people messing with my stuff, you know? And I don't want to have to pack it all up and store it."
She let him feed her the small slices of pear as she sipped on the white wine. Lying back against the tree, she looked up through the branches at the dappled sunlight as it filtered through. "What a beautiful day. I'm so glad you called."
Cory thought about what she’d just told him, she’d be leaving school next year. He wondered if he could possibly hold onto her that long. What if things got serious, would she stay in C’ville after graduation?