Dream - Dream Specter Part 16

"You need some breakfast."

Pulling her clothes on, Rosh.e.l.le considered Jared's idea. Her jeans slipped off her hips, causing her to reach for a belt to take up the extra fabric.

"I'm not really that hungry."

"Well, you should be."

Rosh.e.l.le simply shrugged her shoulders in response. So she had dropped a few pounds. It was no big

deal. Most likely it was due to the lack of junk food in her diet. What she wouldn't do for real ice cream!

"Come on. Shane claims your friend is driving him to drink."

A giggle escaped her lips as Rosh.e.l.le allowed herself to be pulled from Jared's house. Christina could

have that effect on men. But it was oh so much fun to watch! Her eyes took in the hand clasped about her own in shock. Jared was firmly holding her hand as he led her up to his partner's home. The simple gesture baffled her. Having Jared publicly expressing affection was slightly unnerving.

But the warmth that spread through her body almost brought her to tears.

Boy, she must be more tired than she first thought. So the man was holding her hand. It was no reason

to dissolve into mush. Confusion pa.s.sed across her face a moment later as Jared held the front door open for her. What was this? Civilized manners? "Where is Jared and who are you?" "Can't a man be happy?" "If we are talking about you, I reserve the right to question it." "I enjoy our debates." Pa.s.sing by him, Rosh.e.l.le stared at the grin sitting on his lips. His green eyes sparked in the morning sunlight as the pure lightness of his mood hit her. Jared was...happy. That emotion had never crossed her mind in connection with this man. Rosh.e.l.le found an answering smile crossing her lips. The world did seem just a bit brighter today.

The kitchen smelled normal for a change. Christina placed a breakfast of scrambled eggs in front of Rosh.e.l.le. It was the only dish she claimed any talent at producing.

Her eyes wandered over to Christina as the woman moved about the kitchen. Her movements were sharp as she closed cabinets with barely controlled anger. Christina never looked her way, but the blonde-haired woman was sending scathing looks at Jared. Turning her head about, Rosh.e.l.le investigated just what Jared could be doing to ruffle Christina's feathers so very much.

Propped against the far countertop, Jared stood with his arms crossed across his chest as he sent Christina a grin. It was really more of a smirk with a great deal of pride tossed in for some unknown reason.

Moving her eyes again, Rosh.e.l.le took in the last occupant of the room. Shane sat inspecting her from half-closed eyes as he lifted a coffee mug to his lips.

Confusion hit her in a thick wave. Just what had she missed? Her curiosity was going to have to wait, because the kitchen was stifling hot this morning. Nausea was even rising up due to the amount of heat in the room. Not wanting to complain, Rosh.e.l.le pushed to her feet to find some fresh air before her stomach worked its way into any more knots.

Christina could have killed the man! The change in her friend was easy to see. Christina knew that look that early pregnancy gave to a woman, half her friends looked just like that as they frantically planned their weddings. She took a moment to glare at Jared before stepping forward to follow her friend. Her feet took just two steps before Shane hooked one huge arm about her waist, scooping her into his lap.

"Let me go!"

Locking one arm about his squirming bundle, Shane turned his eyes to inspecting her. A blush stained her cheeks as she tried yet again to push their bodies apart. He had to resist the urge to grin.

"I think we should leave those two alone."

Snapping her head about, Christina noticed that Jared was no longer in the kitchen.

"Fine! Now... Let... Me... Up!"

The second he released her, Christina scrambled across the room. She had forgotten just how big he was. Safely beyond his reach, she contemplated the distance to the door. Shane slowly grinned in response. Giving him one more fuming glare, Christina turned back to the sink in defeat. She hoped Sh.e.l.ly would have better luck than she was today.

How had it gotten so hot? Raising a hand to her forehead, Rosh.e.l.le rubbed at the headache forming there. Despite coming outside, her body bitterly complained about the heat. Leaning over the porch railing, she tried to calm herself down. It was just a little heat. Her stomach twisted as her knees trembled dangerously.

Guns, explosives or a.s.sa.s.sins Jared could deal with, but being forced to stand by helplessly scared the h.e.l.l out of him. Rosh.e.l.le's legs began shaking seconds before Jared watched her knees buckle. Jumping forward, Jared caught her before she collided with the deck. Only a straightback chair stood on the porch. Striding forward, Jared sought out his own bedroom.

How long did a faint last? If the cause was heat stroke he knew how to treat it. The current weather didn't support that cause. Still, as he ran a hand over her face, Jared clearly felt the elevated body temperature.

She felt absolutely wretched! Forcing her eyes open, Rosh.e.l.le tried to decide just when she had taken so ill. A pair of green eyes hovered over her. She looked into their concerned depths. Searching for the reason behind their distress. Nausea claimed her full attention as she scrambled to her feet.

Jared was waiting for her the second she emerged from the bathroom. A bit shaky, Rosh.e.l.le still felt better.

"I guess breakfast didn't agree with me today."

"Just today?"

Jared's question brought up an interesting point. Food in general had not been sitting well all month. Just not as violently as today. She just wasn't a morning person. But getting sick in the mornings was...

Her eyes flew open as she mentally tried to count the days she'd spent on this mountain. The four boxes came to mind, which brought it to six weeks since they had first...

They had never used any protection. The stupidity of that action brought a flush to her cheeks. Pregnancy was the least of her worries in today's world, with all of the s.e.xually transmitted diseases out there, and it had never crossed her mind to suggest using a condom.

"I'm pregnant." Her words were flat as she rolled back onto the bed. Her head throbbed as her body tried to adjust to a flood of hormones. Tears slowly slipped from the corners of her eyes as she considered just how uncertain a life she would be bringing her baby into.

"Don't cry, Rosh.e.l.le." Her desolation cut Jared to the bone. His fingers brushed the tears away as he pulled her into his embrace.

His eyes sat open to her as she looked up into them. Not a single barrier prevented her entrance to his mind today. Mingling together she reached forward to grasp the joy he held for their child.

Jared continued to hold her despite the fact that her body told him she'd slipped into slumber. He turned her emotions over in his head, searching for a resolution. Settling her body, he smoothed the covers over her before turning to seek out his parents. Maybe they would have a solution.

Because there was no way he could ever let her go now.

Chapter Eleven.

"You raised this guy in a helicopter, didn't you?"

Grace Campbell took a moment to consider her before giving Rosh.e.l.le an answer.

"He was flying before he learned to walk."

"He's got the idea of 'hover' down."

A smile touched her face as Grace considered her son. Rosh.e.l.le was currently attempting to escape from his excessive concern. The young woman moved every few minutes as Jared placed different offerings of food in front of her. His newest offering rejected, Jared once again headed for the kitchen as Rosh.e.l.le moved away from the disturbing smell of food. The living room was becoming crowded with the untouched dishes. Grace's smile became wider as she contemplated just how much longer the girl would stay in the house before the scent of food became too much for her to ignore.

"Stop right there, Jared Campbell!"

Jared sent her a grin as he kept to his course. Another plate was set in front of her causing her stomach to protest. Maybe it was the added knowledge of her state of pregnancy, but just the sight of food was turning her green now. One week after discovering the tiny life growing within her and symptoms were shouting loud and clear throughout her body.

"Rosh.e.l.le, you need to eat."

"A common misconception. I'll eat next month."

"You'll eat tonight. That's my baby."

Jared ground his teeth together as Rosh.e.l.le fled the room in response. d.a.m.n! Every time he claimed any connection with their growing child, she got a spooked look in the corner of her eyes. She had placed a solid wall between them. Jared could break through it but was loathe to create any further distress for her right now.

Rosh.e.l.le came to an abrupt halt on the porch of the Campbell house. Some kind of aircraft came over the mountain peak like birds of prey. They were almost completely black, only green lights lit them.

The sound of their rotors rose to almost deafening as they hovered barely a hundred feet from the front door of the house. The door behind her flew open as Jared laid a firm hand on her shoulder and pressed her a step behind him.

A man jumped from one helicopter before the thing even touched the ground. He kept his head low as he moved away from the spinning rotors. He straightened as he approached.

Rosh.e.l.le gasped as she felt the unmistakable brush of mind to mind. What shocked her most was the familiar feel of it. This man had touched her senses before and she'd never really noticed that it had happened.

"Sweet G.o.d in Heaven." That man was her father. Emotions sprang up inside her but Rosh.e.l.le couldn't deny the fact that she knew him. In the deepest core of her mind, this man's touch was familiar.

And he'd left her ignorant. Anger boiled inside her chest as she considered the fact that he'd cut her out of his life. She wasn't weak! The fact that everyone seemed to be thinking for her made her step past Jared and right down those steps towards the man that had judged her without letting her speak her mind.

"Rosh.e.l.le."

Jared's hand stopped her in her tracks. She whipped around to glare at him.

"I am not your housecat, Jared. Believe it or not, I can face my own life just fine."

The hand on her shoulder didn't release. Instead, Jared slid it down her back until he found her belt. He

caught the strap of leather in a hold that cut enough into her waist to make her back up a step.

"Devon Ross is part of my world. This isn't the time to teach you about some of the harsher realities of my life." "Pup, you'd better get your hand off my little girl." Her eyes rounded as Rosh.e.l.le listened to the term. It wasn't sweet, instead it sounded like a label.

Jared's hand gave a quick tug that sent her stumbling back as he released her belt and stepped forward to confront her father.

"Your eyes must be failing, Ross, there're no kids around here."

Her father's face tightened as he considered her. Movement from the dark suddenly caught her eye. Her father's men crept through the night like shadows as they tried to get behind Jared and his men.

Rifles rose towards the intruders as Rosh.e.l.le felt a heavy hand fall onto her shoulder again. Shane Jacobs began to steadily pull her back from Jared and her father.

"Let's go, Rosh.e.l.le." Her father sent her a flick of his wrist with his order.

Go? Rosh.e.l.le looked at the helicopters with rotors still whirling at flight speed. Her father's men held their guns towards Jared's men as Shane continued to pull her back towards the house.

"Get back on your bird, Ross. Rosh.e.l.le stays with me now."

"When I'm dead."

"However you like it."

Her father grinned before sending a solid right cross at Jared's face. The two men immediately began an

all-out brawl. Fists flew as grunts told of impact. Rosh.e.l.le felt her temper explode. They were fighting over her like a sc.r.a.p of meat. She turned away from the display and Shane let her go because she headed away from her father's position. Grabbing a water hose neatly stored next to the front steps of the house, Rosh.e.l.le smiled. It wasn't a household hose. It looked like a small fire department model. Complete with bra.s.s nozzle. Giving a hard twist on the controls, she turned the full blast of icy water onto Jared and her father. Both men cussed as they jumped around to glare at her. Rosh.e.l.le hit the controls again and dropped the hose.

"If you two want to fight, that's just fine! But don't you dare use me as an excuse for your idiotic behavior!" She turned and took the stairs two at a time as she fumed over the display. Flipping around, Rosh.e.l.le looked at the man that she would have rejoiced over seeing ten years ago.

"Hi, Dad, nice to meet you."

She was suffocating. Rosh.e.l.le could clearly feel the steel claw as it wrapped around her throat. The very walls were pressing in on her. Her feet halted in indecision, the sentry in front of her was calmly observing her from his concealed location.

But she knew he was watching her. She could feel the man's eyes as they inspected her. Every step she took attracted the eyes of the watchful sentries. Moving back along the porch she settled into a chair. Surrounded by the night, she searched for the peace she craved.

She didn't understand it. Deep male laughter came from the front drive area now. Her father and Jared were clearly dealing with each other. She snorted briefly as two more men came to stand guard over her.

She didn't need them. But the fact that Jared intended to force her to stay with him brought too many emotions bubbling to her overtired brain. She did know one thing.

She wouldn't be trading the man she knew for one she didn't. This was between her and Jared. She would finish it that way.

Her father's aircraft lifted off the ground to leave the night as peaceful as it had been. Rosh.e.l.le tried to relax as she felt a wave of fatigue hit her brain.

Too focused on keeping Jared out of her mind, Rosh.e.l.le discovered that letting her walls slip away relieved a good deal of her exhaustion. It also let Jared back into her head. It wasn't the precise probing that the man was capable of; no, it was simply his presence as he tried to renew their link.

The light contact brought a smile to her face. There was a familiar confidence that spread through her body, as she once again became aware of him. Just why Rosh.e.l.le found his presence comforting, she wasn't sure.