Never Leave, A Human Mate - (Book 2 The Mist Series)

~Chapter 4 - A Whole Week~

~Dawn~

We strolled back through the town, bathed in the sun’s warm, golden embrace. The buildings seemed to glow, and the streets buzzed with a friendly energy. It was impossible to miss how beloved Reece was. Every towns person we passed greeted him with a warm smile and a respectful bow. He genuinely connected with them, radiating kindness and an undeniable aura of influence. In the short time I’d known him, I understood why.

The outer street came into view, and I could already make out the heat haze shimmering above my poor, broken-down car. Behind it, the Victorian mansion stood proudly, a majestic backdrop to my automotive woes.

“I can’t wait to finish that picture!” I muttered, my thoughts drifting back to my sketchbook.

But the memory of my sketchbook triggered another, more unsettling one: the strange jolt that had passed between Reece and me. Even now, the sensation lingered, a subtle hum just beneath my skin. I couldn’t quite define it—a tingle that burrowed deep, finding and pressing buttons I hadn’t realised were still there.

Buttons that haven’t been touched in years. A blush bloomed across my cheeks, and I felt the intense heat of someone’s gaze burning into me.

Rubbing my arms to quell the unexpected heat, my eyes flickered to my right. Reece’s eyes had deepened to that striking ginger shade that had unnerved me. Now, as they seemed to delve into the very core of my being, it only amplified the pressure on those long-dormant buttons.

“What kind of car is it?” Jack Whittle’s gravelly voice broke the spell, pulling my attention away from Reece. I focused on the friendly mechanic. He grunted as he shifted the weight of his heavy work bag from one shoulder to the other. “Is it… modern?”

“It’s a 1990, something-a-whatever…” I said with a shrug, feeling a little foolish. “Sorry, it’s a second-hand car. I don’t know… Maybe a Holden of some kind…”

Jack and Reece chuckled in unison.

“A something-a-whatever…” Reece jested, a playful glint in his fiery eyes. “That sounds like an interesting car indeed.”

His laugh was infectious, drawing a laugh from me in return. Our gazes locked, and we stumbled, crashing into the back of poor Jack.

“Sorry!” I exclaimed, steadying myself. The world seemed a little unsteady, anyway.

“It’s okay,” Reece chuckled, his hand catching me before I backed into a young couple strolling by. His touch sent a shiver through me that had nothing to do with balance.

My newfound clumsiness was something I wished I could change. I’d always been a little off-kilter, but since the diagnosis, it had only worsened. Between that and the ever-present brain fog that seemed to cloud my thoughts, I was becoming a walking disaster. A wave of nausea followed the dizzy spell, making my stomach churn. I paused, bracing myself on my knees, trying to ride it out.

“Are you okay?” Reece asked, his voice laced with concern as he assessed me. “You’ve gone pale…”

“I will be,” I panted, rubbing my temples, attempting to ward off the looming headache. “It’s just a headache…” A lie, of course. But what was I supposed to say? ‘Hey, the medication I’m on is making me feel nauseous and dizzy?’ No, that was definitely not something these virtual strangers needed to know. Once my car was fixed, I’d be gone, a fleeting memory in their quaint little town.

“Here, let me help.” Before I could protest, Reece scooped me into his arms, cradling me against his chest.

“Woah!” I squeaked, grabbing onto him as a wave of vertigo washed over me. “I wasn’t expecting that!”

“Sorry,” he laughed, a deep, chest-booming sound that seemed to calm my nausea. “I think you need food and a place to sit down. Let me carry you the rest of the way.”

Words bubbled up, ready to fight, but I swallowed them down. I needed solid ground, the reassurance of my own two feet firmly planted. Being swept off them like that, though kind, felt like an invasion, leaving me uncomfortably exposed. That feeling, however, faded when I met Reece’s amber gaze. A silent language flowed between us, hijacking my thoughts and stealing my breath.

“Ah, you have a Holden Camira,” Jack announced as we approached my stranded vehicle, his attention focused on the car. “You don’t see many of these around. And in such good shape, too.” Jack wandered around the car, his fingers tracing the lines of the red-flecked paint.

“Should we leave you and the car alone?” Reece teased, setting me back on my feet. The contact, even briefly, sent another unwelcome jolt through me.

Jack turned to us with a wide grin that stretched across his narrow face. “This was the first car I ever drove, back when I left the p-” He stopped abruptly, clearing his throat awkwardly. “When I left the town for my year away. That was going back twenty years ago, before the kids.”

“Can you fix it?” I asked, my anxiety rising. I began chewing on my lip.

“Sure,” he said, leaning in through the driver’s side window to pop the hood. He walked around to the front and pulled it open. His eyes widened. “Oh, dear… You’ve a blown head gasket…”

My heart sank like a stone. I began chewing on the end of my pencil instead, a nervous habit I hadn’t shaken. “Ah, what does that even mean?”

“It means I’ll need to order the part and have it shipped in.”

“How long will that take?” Reece asked, crossing his arms over his chest. I found my gaze flicking to the defined muscles outlined beneath his shirt.

“Might take up to a week…” Jack said, his voice muffled as he disappeared further behind the car.

“What?” I gasped, dropping my pencil in dismay. “A week? I don’t even know where I’d stay for an entire week!” The thought of being stranded here, even temporarily, was unsettling.

“That’s easily solved…” Reece said, gesturing towards the looming mansion. “You can stay with us. We have plenty of room, and you’d be more than welcome.” He reached down, scooped up the pencil, and offered it to me with a warm smile. “Jack will tow the car back to his shop and take care of it there. You have nothing to worry about.”

Nothing to worry about? I swallowed, the breath refusing to go down. I only had enough medication left to last me a few days, maybe. And in all my travels, I hadn’t found a pharmacy. The panic bubbled.

“You’ll feel right at home here…” Reece said, his grin widening, making the ginger flecks in his eyes dance.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I glanced from Reece to the mansion and back to my car. On the passenger seat, my sketchbook lay open, the medication boxes visible underneath. The mansion’s incomplete image flashed through my mind. I had started the outline, sketched in the trees, and begun work on the intricate window details. If I were to stay here for a week, I could finish it. And if I were staying at the mansion itself, I could come out here and work on it whenever I wanted.

This is a sign. I nodded slowly, taking the pencil and tucking it back behind my ear. “Okay, why not? This place has some nice scenery and houses I would love to draw while I’m here.”

“Great!” Reece replied, his enthusiasm palpable. “Let me help you with your bags, and we can get you settled in.”

I walked past him, the brief brush of my arm against his sending a shockwave straight to my stomach. I pushed the sensation away, focusing on the task at hand, and popped open the trunk of my car. My luggage was definitely not light. Reece’s eyes widened as I began piling my bags onto the ground.

“Sorry,” I said, biting my bottom lip. “I don’t want to leave anything behind. I’ve been on the road for almost two weeks. And planning to travel for maybe a month.”

“It’s no problem at all,” he said, recovering quickly. He reached over and gathered all my bags, except for one small overnight bag containing my essential medication and toiletries. “Follow me…”

I picked up the smaller bag, reached in through the passenger window, and grabbed my sketchbook, medication, phone, and sunglasses.

It felt like a comical rendition of ‘Heads, shoulders, knees, and toes’. The absurd thought made me chuckle.

“You have a delightful laugh,” Reece called from over the mountain of luggage. “I like the sound of it…”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, flushing, and hurried to join him, eager to escape the intensity of his gaze.

“I know where to find you once I’m done,” Jack called out, already rummaging around in the engine compartment.

I peered back at him over my shoulder. “Thank you…”

We started up the white stone driveway. The crunch of gravel underfoot was a counterpoint to the frantic thumping of my heart. The house was even more breathtaking up close, its grandeur even more imposing.

“Quite a few of us live here,” Reece said as we reached the massive front door. He turned to me, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “My son, Kingston, lives here too, and his…girlfriend.” He seemed to hesitate before saying the word girlfriend.

“Sounds nice,” I admitted honestly. “I have an adult son at home, too. He started at university and couldn’t travel with me.”

The heavy front doors swung open, revealing a pretty young woman with blonde hair pulled back in a neat braid. She greeted me with a warm smile and a sparkle in her brown eyes. In her arms, she cradled a toddler. The child was adorable, with pale skin and a thick mop of dark brown hair.

“I thought I heard voices,” she grinned, stepping aside to let us in. “Come in! I’m Louise.” she kissed the top of the baby’s head. “And this little cutie is my daughter, Charlotte.”

“Louise,” Reece said, giving her a slight bow as he passed through the doorway, carrying my absurd amount of luggage with surprising ease.

“I’m Dawn,” I replied, adjusting my sketchbook in my arms. “It’s nice to meet you both.” This unexpected turn of events was either going to be a disaster or the beginning of something new.