Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnation #4)(66)
Secondly, Bella looked ready to drop. You could actually see that the woman had no energy. How she was remaining upright and cooking was a mystery.
Prentice, Fiona knew, was also tired. He hadn’t slept in two days. He hadn’t slept well in three weeks.
But, as tired as Prentice had to be, Bella was more tired it was plain to see.
And it wasn’t only from worry over Sally being knocked over.
Life, Fiona knew, was finally wearing Isabella Austin Evangahlala down.
Just what Fiona needed, something else to worry about.
Who said you could rest when you were dead? Whoever it was, they lied.
“Jace, give me a minute, I want to talk to Elle,” Prentice said to his son.
Fiona watched Bella’s shoulders get tight as Jason turned to give his father an assessing look.
Prentice held his son’s gaze and Fiona would have laughed if she wasn’t holding her non-existent ghost breath.
They were having a showdown.
The last time Jason was with Bella, her father walked into wedding reception and struck her so forcefully she went down to her hands and knees. After that hideous event, she’d disappeared for three weeks coming back looking like the walking dead.
Now, it was plain to see, Jason wasn’t leaving Bella’s side even at his father’s command, not if he thought something would harm her even if that something was his father.
Fiona had only nine years to raise her son right and she was pretty pleased with herself that she’d accomplished this feat (with Prentice’s help, of course, but, at that moment, Fiona decided to take all the credit).
“I’ll finish the potatoes, Jason. Do as your Dad says, okay?” Bella said quietly and Fiona looked to her to see she was watching the showdown and it had alarmed her.
Prentice’s eyes cut to Bella and his mouth got tight as Jason turned his assessing look to her.
Then Jason nodded and loped up the stairs.
Bella went back to the potatoes and started cutting.
Prentice moved in close (as did Fiona) and Fiona watched as he took the knife right out of her hand. Her body jolted, her surprised eyes turned to Prentice and she opened her mouth to speak.
Prentice got there first. “I don’t need your help making Jason mind.”
Well, Fiona thought, that wasn’t a good start.
Bella’s mouth stayed open not because she wanted to say something but because she was shocked.
“Go to bed,” Prentice ordered.
Bella’s eyes got wide, she closed her mouth then opened it to ask, “What?”
“Go to bed. I’ll finish this.”
Bella glanced with bewilderment at the potatoes then back at Prentice and, even Fiona had to admit, regardless of how drawn she looked, she was still adorable.
“But I’m cooking,” she replied, clearly confused.
“You’re about to pass out.”
Light dawned on her exhausted mind.
She looked away and started to turn from Prentice, saying, “I’m fine.”
Prentice stopped her by curling his fingers on her upper arm. Her head tilted back to look at him.
“Elle, I said, go to bed.”
Her cheeks flushed with anger as she returned, “And I said, I’m fine.”
Prentice moved closer to her at the same time he brought Bella closer to him with his hand on her arm.
Fiona watched Bella stiffen.
“Go to bed,” he repeated.
“I’m finishing tea.”
“Go to bed.”
“No!” she snapped.
His face dipped close to hers as he made his threat and, since Fiona knew Prentice didn’t make threats, it was more a promise.
“You can go to bed or I’ll carry you there.”
Bella’s mouth dropped open and so did Fiona’s.
He wasn’t joking.
“I’m very serious,” Prentice warned, sounding very, very serious.
There it was; he wasn’t joking.
“Prentice, I don’t see why –”
Prentice interrupted her, his voice harsh. “I have enough to worry about and so does my son, without either of us having to worry about you.”
Well, Fiona had to admit, that was true enough.
The color went out of Bella’s cheeks again and Fiona reckoned Bella agreed.
“Go to bed,” Prentice repeated.
Bella looked to the oven, her shoulders fell then she looked back at Prentice.
“The chicken has another hour to cook. It needs to be basted every fifteen minutes. The vegetables –” she began.
“Aye, I’ll do it.”
“The chicken has to be cooked through, if it isn’t –”
He cut her off by saying, low and rumbly, “Elle.”
She snapped her mouth shut.
Then she nodded.
Prentice let go of her arm, she started to walk away, stopped and turned back.
“Are you going back to Sally after tea?” she asked.
“Aye,” he answered shortly.
She hesitated and crossed her arms on her middle, fingers curled around her elbows. She licked her lips, stared at the floor a second then took a deep breath and enquired in a voice so soft, even Fiona, with extra-sensory abilities due to her ghost-dom, could almost not hear, “If I’m awake, can I come with you?”