Remembrance (The Mediator #7)(36)

But sending me roses the morning after an attack on my life?

That was exactly the kind of thing he would do. No wonder I was marrying him. How could anyone think there was an evil bone in his body?

There was a card tucked inside the waxen petals. I plucked it out and peeled open the stiff, expensive envelope, eager to read whatever amazing, romantic message Jesse had written.

But when I saw the message on the card, I realized it wasn’t amazing, much less romantic. The flowers weren’t even from Jesse. All my excitement drained away, and I was filled with cold, hard dread instead.

Counting the hours until tomorrow night.

Thanks for saying yes.

You won’t regret it.

Paul



I dropped the card as if it had burst into flames in my fingers. “What the hell?”

I didn’t realize I’d spoken aloud until the door to Father Dominic’s office was thrown open and he came hurrying out.

“Susannah, is that you? Oh, good, you’re here at last. I thought I heard your voice.”

I jumped nearly out of my skin.

“Oh, hi, Father D.” I scrambled to find the card I’d dropped where it had fallen upon the floor. “I didn’t realize you were here.”

“Yes, of course. I wanted to wait to leave for lunch until after I’d spoken to you. Oh, I see you got the flowers.”

“Yes, I did.” I swallowed. “When did these arrive?”

“First thing this morning,” Father Dominic said. “They caused quite a stir. I assured everyone that they were most likely from your fiancé, and not a grateful parent. People around here get jealous so easily.”

A muscle in my face must have twitched, since Father Dominic raised a snowy eyebrow and asked, “They are from Jesse, are they not, Susannah?”

“Yes, of course, they are.” I crumpled the card into a ball, then threw the ball into the trash can beneath my desk. “Wasn’t that sweet of him? He shouldn’t have.”

“After what happened last night? Of course he should have.” Father Dominic must have noticed my dumbfounded expression, since he said, “I just hung up the phone with him. He told me what happened at your apartment. What a frightening experience. Thank goodness you’re all right.”

“Yeah, thank goodness.” Thanks, Jesse. “Did you, uh, mention the flowers to him?”

“No, why would I? You know I dislike involving myself in your personal affairs, Susannah.”

When I couldn’t resist a snort at this, he added, “Any more than I already am, of course. Susannah, what on earth are you wearing?”

I looked down at myself. “What, this? It’s a skirt.”

“The length is very immodest.”

“Are you kidding me? This length is not immodest. And these are leggings I’ve got on underneath. You might be familiar with them, they’ve been around since you were born, also known as medieval times.”

“Nevertheless, you’re probably going to have to change. Sister Ernestine isn’t going to like it one bit.”

“Change? Into what, Father D? I barely made it out of my apartment alive last night as it is. I don’t have anything to change into. Plus, when Jesse sees me in this, there’s a chance he might change his mind about that whole abstinence-until-marriage thing of his.”

Father Dominic rolled his eyes. “Why can’t you stop bedeviling that poor boy, Susannah? He’s suffered enough for one lifetime, let alone the two he’s been granted.”

Me, bedeviling him? Yeah, right.

“So that’s why you skipped lunch today, Father D, so you could not get involved in my personal affairs?” I headed over to the chair behind my desk so I could sit down and hide my too-revealing skirt. “You’re doing a heck of a job of it already.”

“You know perfectly well why I skipped lunch today. We need to talk about this spirit that attacked you.”

“Yeah,” I said. “Well, first things first. Did you get my message about the—”

“Susannah, I want to apologize to you.”

That got my attention.

“Apologize? What for?” I couldn’t remember the last time Father Dominic had apologized to me. Possibly never. “About not returning my message?”

“About what happened last night.” Father Dominic lowered himself into the same mission-style chair across from my desk in which Becca had sat the day before, while I’d bandaged her arm. He had to lean at an odd tilt to see me behind the enormous bouquet. “Jesse gave me quite the earful about it, and I can’t say I blame him. Sister Ernestine gave me her version, too, earlier this morning, but as you know, Sister Ernestine doesn’t know the full story. I simply don’t know how I could have missed it. I gave a welcome speech a few months ago to the entire student population. I stood in front of each grade and addressed them personally. How I could not have seen that Becca Walters was being victimized by a—”

I interrupted before he could go on further. “She’s a lurker, Father. A real little pilot fish of a ghost. She hides until she decides Becca’s in trouble, and then she attacks. I barely noticed her at first myself, and I was in this office alone with the kid. I had no idea how powerful she was until she got me alone, at home, in my own pool.”