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Maybe it was the soothing water, or the long sleep, or that she’d actually succeeded in getting Kiara out of her hellhole, but her mind grew very open and relaxed.
Like a mist moving through her thoughts, Frank’s voice was suddenly there. I’m at peace, Sweetheart, you can let me go now.
Frank?
It’s me, but I can’t stay for very long.
His presence in her head was very distant and faint so she knew he wasn’t actually near her. She could also tell he wasn’t permitted to get any closer or to reveal himself to her in a physical sense. He could only communicate through telepathy.
But here was one aspect of Five Bridges that rarely occurred in the human world. Sometimes, ghosts returned to lend a hand. This time, it was Frank and he’d come to her.
Tears once more streamed down her cheeks. I miss you so much.
I know. But it’s time to move on and more than anything I want you to know some happiness as an alter witch. Alpha Braden can do that for you. Please tell me you’ll try to let him in.
In some ways, the prior eighteen months since Frank’s death had been building to this moment. She had to let him go. Maybe now she could. I’ll always love you.
And I, you. But our hearts were designed to love well and to love again. You can do this, Maeve. Be at peace.
He left, just like that. He was no longer present in her mind and she doubted he would ever come back.
The brief exchange, however, had brought more comfort to her soul than anything else could have. A heavy weight at the bottom of her heart suddenly gave way. All her pain and grief rushed out in a flood of relieving sensation. Then her heart resumed its normal shape but felt as though it was about a hundred pounds lighter.
She really could let go now. She could turn toward Five Bridges and begin building a life and not just her hole in the ground here at the Landing.
There was something else she wanted to do as well.
Damn. More tears. “Braden? Want to join me?”
As she listened for a response, she thought she heard a banging sound. She definitely heard Braden let loose with a couple of choice words. “Coming.”
As he appeared around the corner, he hobbled just a little. “Did you stub your toe?”
“It hurts like hell.”
“Well, why don’t you come here and let me make it feel better.”
A look of intense relief swept over his features. “You sure?”
“Yes.” She held out a bar of soap. “Besides, I need you to wash my back.”
Chapter Nine
The end of the shower stall, where Maeve waited, was open to the entire bathroom. It wasn’t a big space but it could definitely hold two people, even if one was the size of a small mountain.
As she watched Braden get undressed, and all those muscles appeared, her body started to heat up. She hadn’t understood until this moment just how much she’d needed this time with Braden, the physicality of sex, the pleasure, but mostly the closeness with another person.
When he finally got rid of his clothes, he still hobbled a little. She stepped aside for him. “Get under the spray.”
As he backed up, and dipped his head beneath the spout, she bent down and saw he’d really jammed up his big toe on his right foot. He’d been hurrying to get to her. The least he deserved was a little healing, something she could do even without a special potion in hand. It was one of the best gifts of her witchy life.
She grabbed a nearby towel, dropped it to the shower floor, then eased down on her knees. She placed her hand just above his toe, formed a picture in her head of healing waves flowing from her hand and just like that, the space between warmed up.
“Damn, that feels good.”
“I wish I’d been able to do this for you in the Graveyard but your condition was way past my abilities.”
After a minute, when he wiggled his toes then arched his foot, she knew he was good to go.
