Limitless Love (Lotus House #4)(53)

Crystal’s arms wrapped around me tight, and I stiffened as pain rippled down my spine. Her eyes widened, and she released me as if I’d burned her. “Oh my, I knew you’d gotten hurt, but I had not been informed of the extent. Are you okay?”

I squeezed her hand and held on. “I’m fine. I just had the stitches removed today. My injury runs along most of my back.”

Both women’s mouths opened then tightened into firm white lines. Crystal’s hold on my hand eased and she lifted it between both of hers at her heart center. “I’m going to pray very hard that you heal quickly. We miss your presence at the studio.”

“Me too. And as soon as I’m able, I’ll be back taking classes. Right now, I need to be careful not to tweak anything.”

“If there is anything we can do to help you heal, you must let us know. Perhaps I can do a chakra realignment using the singing bowls or crystals?” Jewel pressed her glasses farther up her nose and focused on my face.

Singing bowls. I grinned. “That’s very kind. Maybe I’ll take you up on that, if the need arises.” Of course I wouldn’t be taking her up on that because I didn’t think my chakras were out of alignment. Not that I really knew one way or the other.

Jewel clicked her tongue and put her hands out in front of me. “Give me your hands, my darling.”

I smiled and placed both of mine into hers. A sizzle of magnetism shot through my palms from hers. She closed her eyes, right in the middle of the bakery, not caring who might be watching. Crystal followed her lead and came around behind me and placed her hands next to the spot where my shoulder and neck met. Clayton’s spot.

“Close your eyes,” Crystal whispered into my ear.

“Right here?” I glanced around but couldn’t really see much of anything but Jewel standing in front of me, holding me in place.

“Yes. We’re off to the side. No one’s paying any attention anyway. Just let everything slip away for a single minute.”

Not wanting to hurt their feelings, I played along and closed my eyes. I had no idea where Clayton was or what he thought might be taking place, but I imagined he’d ask about it later.

“Breathe in through your nose and let it out your mouth,” Crystal instructed.

Following her orders, I inhaled fully, closed my eyes, and exhaled until all the air had left my lungs. I did it a few more times until everything around me completely faded away.

The sounds of the bakery, gone.

People moving around me, gone.

Jewel’s presence, gone.

Crystal behind me, gone.

For one single minute I connected with my true self. Relief. Stress. Anxiety. Fear. All those things left me while I breathed, grounded by two women I truly believed must have a direct line to the Man Upstairs.

A simmering wave of love and solidarity speared through my body, welcoming me, tethering my spirit to the moment, and filling me with a love so intense I thought it might burst from my chest in a rocket of blinding green light. I opened my eyes. “Whoa!” I gripped Jewel’s hands to keep upright.

Jewel’s serene smile greeted me. Crystal chuckled from behind, gave my neck a little squeeze, and then let me go.

“Feel better?” Jewel grinned.

I blinked a few times, realizing I actually did feel a ton better—lighter somehow. Either it was the power of suggestion or these women were spiritual healers of the highest degree.

“I actually do. I’m not sure what you did, but I don’t know”—I ran my hand through my hair and looked down—“somehow I’m lighter.”

Crystal grinned. “We helped ground you. Sometimes when we’re stressed and situations are controlling our every thought, we lose our footing.”

Made complete and perfect sense. Only, in the medical and psychiatric community, “grounding” had a different description. In my world, grounding was a coping strategy that helped the patient immediately connect to the present. I personally used it a lot when dealing with my post-traumatic stress patients. Some of my veterans needed grounding therapy to help with flashbacks and dissociation.

“And your heart chakra is hurting right now.” Jewel frowned and ran a finger from my temple to my chin. “I sense that you’re working on it, but there’s still much more to be done.”

“My heart chakra? How so?”

Jewel smiled. “In order to have a healthy heart chakra, darling, you must love yourself and be able to forgive yourself and others. I’m sensing there are some things you are not letting go of. Perhaps a person who wronged you. One you allowed in your life. Someone who continues to hurt you? Could be a variety of things piling up.”

Nail on head, anyone?

I opened my mouth to speak but the anvil pressing down on my chest wouldn’t allow for it.

She patted my hand the way my mother used to. Another brick added to the emotional baggage weighing me down.

“No worries, darling. You’re going to find the way. I suggest you attend Dara’s meditation classes for a bit. Become more in tune with your inner self. Hmm?”

I nodded numbly, not sure how to respond. Thank God I didn’t have to or I might have burst into tears. Clayton picked that moment to curl his hand around my neck in the possessive way I’d become obsessed with. “You good, beautiful?” He had eyes only for me, and they were an assessing darker blue.