Chapter 8

Deborah couldn’t stop looking at the ring on her finger. She was engaged and about to go talk to Reverend Cayden about getting married as soon as possible. But first Heath wanted to go by her parents’ place and see about getting her clothes and stuff. The only thing she really wanted besides her clothes was her guitar and keyboard. If she had those two things and her clothes, she’d be happy. She didn’t figure she’d have a lot of time soon to do much else, but she could still play and write music. Even if she couldn’t go to college like she’d planned.

They pulled up in front of her parents’ house and she noticed right away that her father’s car was gone. She also saw what looked like chopped up pieces of her bedroom furniture stacked beside a large amount of black trash bags on the curb. She looked at Heath. “I think we may be too late, Heath. That looks like my bedroom busted up on the curb there.”

Heath cursed under his breath. “You stay in the car, honey. Let me go see what your mom knows about this.”

Deborah nodded as her stomach churned. She opened the zipper baggie of cookies Heath had insisted she bring with her. She needed to calm her stomach or breakfast was going to paint the street in front of her old home. Heath went up to the door and knocked. She could see her mother come to the door and the way she tried to shut it in Heath’s face. He blocked it open, and she finally talked to him for a few minutes. Then, when he looked back at the pile of garbage, she forced the door shut. He walked over and opened the bag on top of the pile, and pulled out what looked like a pair of her pants. Only they’d been reduced to shredded rags. He went and opened another couple of the bags and then stalked back to the car.

“Looks like we’re going to Salida, honey. You need a new wardrobe. Let me swing by Mysti and Lex’s place first. We’ll let him know what we want, and set a time to talk to him about the wedding. Then I’ll take you shopping.”

She quickly opened the door and retched. Her own father had destroyed every reminder of her life with them. Heath quickly climbed out of the car and came around to help her out to the edge of the grass. He held her as she tossed the breakfast they’d just finished, and kept her on her feet when she started to shake and heave, with nothing left to come up. When she’d calmed finally, he scooped her up in his arms and gently carried her back to his car. He carefully sat her in the seat and buckled her in. He wiped her hair back from her face and smiled at her. “I know it hurts, honey. But you have me now. We’ll build a new life together. You, me, and the peanut.”

She couldn’t help but laugh through her tears and smacked at him. “Stop calling the baby that, Heath. I will not let you name this child Peanut. Not even as a nickname.”

He winked at her. Well, what do you want me to call him, Lumpy?”

“No, and what if HE is a girl, huh?”

“Then I’ll call her Princess Peanut, my dear.”

He shut her door on her giggles. He might not be in love with her yet, but she was pretty sure she was completely in love with him. She just hoped he would come to love her, too.

He got in and quickly drove over to his cousin’s shop. Deborah had never been inside Mysti’s Crystals and Gifts Tea Garden. The strange little shop fascinated her, but she knew her parents would never let her explore it since they had been so outspoken about it being a den of demonic influence. Now Heath pulled up in front of the pretty blue shop. He came around and opened her door and helped her out of the car. She had a moment to realize her fiancé was a true gentleman. He’d always opened doors for her and walked on the outside, keeping her safe from traffic. Somehow, she’d just never realized it before. Not only that, but she’d realized at breakfast he could kiss better than she’d thought anyone could. She had no other guys to compare him to, but his kisses woke a passion in her that Nick had promised sex with him would, but didn’t. What other passions Heath could unlock for her? She wondered. She shuddered at the delicious thrill of that thought. “Are you cold, honey?”

She smiled and blushed. “No, I’m fine. I’ve never been to your cousin’s store before. Is it weird?”

He grinned. “You mean, does she have an enormous cauldron full of bubbling evil potions and pentagrams hanging everywhere? Then the answer is no. Is it strange? Yeah, but no more than Mysti herself is.”

With that, they entered the shop to the sound of wind chimes being brushed by the door and sending their melody through the store. “Hey, come on in. I’ve got tea for Deborah ready.”

Deborah looked around. The store looked friendly and inviting. There were boxes of tea and bottles of pills of some kind or another, colored crystals and rocks, and more chimes, gongs, and bells sitting or hanging around. Back by the register was a small table like you’d find in a coffee shop, and behind that a neat old stove with a quaint china teapot sitting on it, steam coming from its spout. “How did she know it’s us?”

Heath laughed and whispered to her. “She’ll try to make it sound like she got some message from the spiritual world. But don’t believe her. Really, she has a mirror that points at the parking spots and front door. Don’t tell her I told you.”

Heath took her hand and walked back toward the little table. Mysti popped up from behind the counter and smiled at them before her hand flew up to her chest. “OH! OH MY! Look at you two! That’s amazing.”

“What?” Deborah looked between Heath and Mysti.

“Hmm? Oh, never mind me,” Mysti said and pointed at the chair in front of Deborah. “Sit and I’ll pour your tea. You’ve gone and upset your stomach again.”

Deborah sat and Mysti poured her a cup of ginger tea and placed a plate of gingerbread in front of her. “This will help more than the gingersnaps.” Then she looked at Heath. “Will you run upstairs and tell my husband to come down here, please? Your fiancée doesn’t need to be worn out going up and down my stairs.”

Heath nodded and gave Deborah a quick kiss before heading through a door in the back of the shop. As soon as he was gone, Mysti turned to Deborah. “Girl, you are already in love with him. How is that even possible? I mean, I know you ‘dated’ for years, but neither of you were in love then. But I can just see your love leaking all over the place. It’s rather invigorating.”

Deborah blushed. “I don’t know how it happened, but I can tell you when. It started last night when he told me he wanted me and the baby. Then today when I agreed to marry him, he pulled me onto his lap and kissed me. When he did, Mysti, something happened. It was like our souls melted together. I know, it sounds crazy.”

“Oh, Debbie honey, it doesn’t sound crazy to me. Did you forget who you’re talking to? I can see the soul tie between you two. It’s brighter than anyone I’ve seen except one. My grandparents’ connection was that bright. I’d almost forgotten.” She picked up Deborah’s hand. “And he gave you her ring; good.”

Just then Heath and Lex came through the doorway that led up to the apartment Mysti and Lex lived in. Mysti looked at Lex and smiled. “Don’t even offer your alternatives to Deborah, Lex. It’s too late. Spiritually, they are already married. You just need to make it legal.”

Lex frowned. “What are you saying, Mysti?”

“They have already tied their souls together. It’s the brightest soul tie I’ve ever seen. Even more than Harry and Glenna’s.”

He sighed. “You’re positive?”

“Lex Cayden, have you known me to ever be wrong?”

“Alright. I’m sorry for doubting you.” He looked at Heath and Deborah. “How soon do you want to have the wedding?”

Heath looked at Deborah with a question on his face. She knew what he wanted to ask her, and she smiled. “Tomorrow after church. The sooner the better. But if you announce it at service in the morning, we could do it that afternoon. I don’t think Mother or Father will be there. They, umm, seem to have erased me from their lives.”