Riding the Thunder - Deborah MacGillivray [59]
Tommy cursed, “Damn . . .”
“Damn it, do you hear me, Asha?”
A pounding ache spreading through her brain, Asha blinked. Jago had the dome light on and was speaking to her in worried tones. The cat jumped around her, then stuck his wet nose against her cheek before Jago pushed him gently aside.
“It’s okay. She’s coming around.” He laughed derisively and then shook his head. “You’ve got me so upset I’m talking to the stupid cat.”
The cat whipped his head around as if he resented being called stupid.
“Asha—damn it, do you have epilepsy? I know some people don’t have full seizures, they sort of phase out sometimes. If that’s the case, I’d like to know so I can be prepared how I should handle these spells.”
“Sorry . . . just a little woozy.” Her head ached and her stomach suddenly was queasy. Maybe that part was the damn chili dog. “I phased out?”
“Yeah, just like you did at the pool.”
“I do not have epilepsy.”
“Don’t lie to me, Asha.”
“I’m not. Really.”
“Then I think you need to go see a doctor and have a physical,” he suggested.
No, it was more than a suggestion. Like all men used to authority, he just commanded and expected to be obeyed. Still, she smiled, knowing it came from concern. Reaching up, she stroked his cheek.
There was a growing pain in her head, but she knew there was nothing really wrong with her—at least, nothing a doctor could fix. Being Scottish, she accepted what she was experiencing. Somehow, she was picking up images from Laura Valmont’s life; however, if she told Jago that, he’d really push her to see a doctor—not an internist, but a shrink! She couldn’t begin to understand what was happening to her or why. Right now, to try and reason it for herself, let alone present a case strong enough to convince Jago, was more than her poor brain was capable of doing.
“I’m sorry, but could we go back to the motel?” she asked.
Jago nodded, already raising his seat back. He leaned over and fastened the seat belt around her, then started the car. His eyes were full of worry.
Asha almost laughed. If he was apprehensive now, it would be nothing compared to when she told him she was channeling 1964.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jago stepped from the shower—his cold shower—and vigorously toweled off. Picking up the pair of navy sweatpants folded on the commode, he tugged them on, trying his best to ignore the throb already returning to his groin. Yes, restlessness was back, a ravenous beast growling to be sated. This time, he didn’t bother going to the refrigerator to see what there was to eat; he knew precisely what he wanted and it wasn’t food—though he really wouldn’t mind another chili dog. He wanted Asha. And nothing but she could assuage the hot flames of hunger crawling under his skin.
The fat feline rubbed against his legs, clearly steering Jago’s steps toward the kitchen. “Guess one of us wants grub, eh? Sorry, I didn’t buy cat food in Leesburg—since I don’t have a cat.” He looked down at the shiny black beast with glowing orange eyes; the creature seemed to smile at him. Did cats smile? He shrugged. This one did.
“Colin—Oo-it—is right. You need a name, but damned if I know what to call you. I never had a pet before. You’ll have to be patient with me, Puss.”
While growing up, his brothers and he’d never owned a dog or cat. They’d been too poor and always moving about. Later, he’d been busy working. The bachelor’s life, a lot of it spent traveling, didn’t lend itself to having an animal needing you there to care for it.
He didn’t dismiss what his mother had gone through to keep the family together—what Des had gone through—but he’d spent too many damn years living with the same old heartache. He was just so tired of it all, wanted Des’ plans done, so he could finally move on. The bloody past consumed too much of the present, their future. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back all the memories of his mother; her pain and suffering, her constant living in fear; how the tragic death of their father and the fallout afterwards had molded the Mershan brothers into fiercely determined