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He nodded. “I don’t see why we couldn’t travel off the farm on occasion.”
She smiled and stood, leaning across the table to plant a grateful kiss on his lips. “I love that idea, Christian!”
He grinned, pleased they found yet another compromise. Taking another sip, a burst of sweet, chilled strawberry cream filled his mouth, and his eyes widened. Some things were worth the extra effort.
After lunch they walked to an establishment that rented moving trucks. Delilah had spent the morning packing up her apartment, sorting items into piles she called keep and toss. Her electrical possessions would not be of any use on the farm, and she had quite a few, so they would be donated.
They entered a small office building located at the front of a large lot that had various-sized vehicles and trailers. The counter was unattended. Delilah rang a small bell, and a woman appeared from the room in the back.
“Can I help you?”
His attention instantly pulled to his mate when she tensed at his side.
“Oh, my God,” the woman said, looking at Delilah. “Morticia? Is that you? Holy crap. I thought you ran away or died or something when you dropped out. What happened to you?”
He frowned as a wave of discomfort radiated from his mate. Who was this woman? And why was she upsetting Delilah? He scanned the area for danger, but sensed no immediate threat.
“We are here to rent a vehicle,” he said, taking over the situation. Delilah squeezed his hand in an unbreakable grip.
The woman looked up at him and smiled. “Oh. Yes. Of course.” She turned her attention to the computer screen. Her lashes fluttered as she twirled her hair around a finger with a claw-like nail painted in bright pink polish. “What size were you looking for?”
“The largest available.” He didn’t want Delilah to feel limited in any way.
“Let me see what we have on the lot that isn’t reserved. This is for today?”
“Yes.”
While the woman checked their inventory, he pressed deeper into his mate’s memories. Visions of a younger version of the woman at the desk were at the forefront of Delilah’s mind. He sensed his mate in her youth as the other female taunted her.
“What’s wrong, Morticia? No one wants to go to prom with a freak show?” The girl laughed cruelly, and Christian felt how deeply her words wounded his mate.
Though Delilah was only a young female in the vision, she still had a fire about her. “Bite me, Meghan.”
Christian’s eyes moved to the nameplate on the desk. The woman’s name was in fact Meghan.
The memory shifted to another one. This time in Delilah’s childhood home. “Please!” she begged. “Everyone else is going.”
A wrinkled female Delilah recognized as a maternal figure named Nanna, looked at her and said, “I don’t have fifty dollars for your ticket, Delilah. Maybe if you didn’t dye your hair every color of the rainbow and wear all that black makeup, you could have found a date to treat you. Boys don’t want to date girls who look like you.”
Shame and sharp heartache bit into him. He sifted through her memories, to her experience with the girl named Meghan.
The memory of the bullying blonde returned. “It’s better this way anyway. Prom’s a classy affair. No trash allowed.”
“You’re lucky I don’t steal your date.”
Young Meghan scoffed. “Yeah, right. Joey wouldn’t even look twice at you. No hot guy would. Maybe try the burnouts and losers.”
Christian saw enough. His eyes narrowed on the woman behind the counter. She was nothing particularly special to look at, and now, knowing that she was unkind as well, he found her grotesque.
He glanced at Delilah, who stood oddly silent at his side. It bothered him that this human could trigger his feisty mate into silence.
“Did I ever tell you about the first time I saw you,” he asked softly but kept his words intentionally clear for the other woman to hear. “You were sitting next to that man at the bar. He wanted you. They all did. You were the most beautiful female there.”
The clicking of computer keys slowed as Meghan glanced up from her computer and frowned. He kept his stare on Delilah. “I’ll never forget how your eyes shined when you looked up at me that first time. I knew, in that moment, my heart was gone.”
She looked up at him now, much the same way as she had done then.
“I was enchanted by every part of you.” He traced a finger along the line of her jaw, sliding his hand under her hair, his thumb lightly caressing the soft spot where her pulse raced. I’ve seen many fine things in my life, Delilah, but nothing ever as beautiful as you. You were perfect.”
Her cheeks flushed pink and she smiled up at him. The sorrow that emanated from her moments ago was replaced with great pride and gratitude.
