Shadowlight

“There. We’re even.” He set her back on her feet and dodged her swat. “Take care of yourself, baby girl.”

“Bastard.” She gave him a hard hug before she stalked off.

Matt had insisted on buying her a new bike to replace the one she’d ditched in Atlanta, and she hadn’t refused. She was never going to be a car chick, and she needed to be on the move again. The boss had already set up a guest room for her, and Jessa had practically begged her to stay with them, but while Rowan could be a good sport, she wasn’t a masochist.

Somewhere out there is someone for me, she thought as she straddled her bike. Someone who doesn’t want a goddess. Someone who will never, ever eat a Filet-O-Fish in front of me.

“Yeah, right,” she answered herself. “But how will I know for sure?”

Drew pulled to a stop by her bike in time to hear her. “Know what?”

“How does someone like me know if any guy really cares?” she said without thinking.

“That’s easy.” He smiled. “When he holds your hand, you won’t change into Angelina Jolie.” He waved and took off.

She watched his taillights disappear, and laughed all the way to the interstate.

Rowan rode through the night, and arrived in Tennessee just after dawn. She made her way across fields and down dirt roads that didn’t exist on any map except the one in her head. Another hour passed before she arrived at the gates to the sprawling grounds of the farm.

Matthias had planted so many trees around the house she could hardly see it from the road. A small intercom next to the locked gates invited her to press its buttons, but as she looked out over the acres of good, rich soil waiting to be planted, she dropped her kickstand and got off the bike.

Before leaving Savannah, she had gathered a few things for them and bundled everything up in her favorite tablecloth. Now she tucked in a hastily written note and left it at the foot of the gates. With one last, long look at her friends’ home, she strapped her bundle to the back of her bike, got on, pressed the call button at the gate, and took off, heading north toward her future.

Jessa woke to the sound of Matthias getting dressed. She stretched with the pleasure of a cat before she pulled off the covers and joined him.

“Someone is at the gate,” he said before he kissed her. “It is probably Rowan. Go back to bed.”

“I spend too much time in this bed already,” she teased as she went to the closet they shared and took out a pair of faded jeans and a suede blouse. “You are going to talk her into staying with us, I hope. She won’t listen to me.”

He nodded. “I will bribe her. She cannot resist organic plums.”

When they walked down to the gate, Jessa saw no Rowan, only an oddly shaped red-and-white-checked bundle sitting outside the gates. Matthias opened the doors and then picked up the heavy bundle, untying the knot to reveal a blue teddy bear, the bronze sword from his library, and a folded piece of paper.

He read the note and then looked out at the road. “She said she could not bring herself to tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

He handed her the note.

Matt and Jessa,

The bear is for the baby, not the blade. I wish I could stay, but I have to find someone. Drew told me how to look for him. I’ll be in touch.

Jessa, I have a bigger surprise for you. And we’ll talk about it the next time I call. Just remember, whatever names we use, we’re still friends. No matter what.

Love,

Aphrodite

Jessa felt shocked and confused and elated, all at the same time. “Rowan is my best friend,” she said helplessly.

“And mine.” He kissed her brow.

“We have to find her. I mean …” She made a frustrated gesture. “How could she write this and then just leave?”

“She will return someday, when she has found what she is looking for.” He looked out at the road again, and put his arm around her. “Now come. I have not spent enough time in that bed with you.”