Spirit Bound - Christine Feehan [58]
“Autistic.”
Stefan tried to imagine what that would be like. What kind of fucking worm would stoop so low as to use an autistic woman to hide behind? Damn his brother. Rikki had to have been out in the ocean when the yacht Lev was working on had gone down. She must have picked him up and being trained in the art of survival, Lev had adapted quickly, persuading the poor unsuspecting woman that he loved her. Stefan was furious with his brother for marrying her.
“Is her husband autistic as well?”
A shadow passed over them and he glanced up to see a flock of birds wheeling overhead.
“Why would you ask that?”
“I don’t know much about autism,” he admitted. “I just thought maybe two people who have a similar difference might find each other.”
“Thank you for not saying disability. Rikki is different, but she’s whole, complete, and she’s wonderful. Fortunately, her husband thinks so as well. He isn’t autistic, but he’s very protective of her. He helps her stretch her comfort zone a little, so that’s good. Levi dives as well. They’re a good match.”
Levi. Stefan almost said the name aloud in disgust. Lev, you’re such a hound. I just might have to beat you within an inch of your life. He found himself furious that his own brother would commit such an atrocity. There had to be a code didn’t there?
“Do all of your sisters get along with her new husband?”
The wagon bumped over rough road. “I didn’t say he was new.”
He shrugged as casual as ever, but she was sharp, there was no question about it. He had to be careful of her probes. “I presumed from your earlier remarks that only you and your sisters bought the farm. You didn’t mention him working it or building with you.”
Faint color stole into her cheeks. She pushed at the long fall of hair, a gesture betraying nerves. She didn’t like talking about good old Levi. Bastard.
“I guess I didn’t.”
Which told him nothing and yet everything. She wasn’t going to tell him when Levi had come into her life. And that meant Lev had drilled it into all of them that his life was in danger and they believed him. Ivanov had come sniffing around this farm; he wouldn’t miss Rikki being a sea urchin diver. Somehow she’d put the exterminator off the scent long enough that he’d filed a report and set Stefan up as bait to ferret out his brother.
“And Blythe?”
“She’s a spinner. She owns a yarn shop in Sea Haven. She makes the most beautiful quilts as well as sweaters and all sorts of amazing things. Her yarn is sought after all over the world.”
Once again enthusiasm and love poured into her voice. He was a man for detail, and Blythe was respected by Judith. It would be Blythe’s approval that counted the most with Judith.
All around him were rows and rows of vegetables. He caught a glimpse of a house in the distance, but she didn’t volunteer any information about it, so he ignored the structure as well. The road curved around and a lovely little meadow lay in front of them. He could see a large irrigation pond several yards away from the meadow. One side had been sectioned off and a shiny John Deere tractor sat invitingly out in the open.
“The attachment is a plow,” Judith said helpfully. “Lexi’s cultivating this area.”
“How does it work?”
She stopped the trail wagon right there on the dirt road and hopped out. “The plow breaks up large lumps of earth much faster than we could ever do by hand.” She glanced up at him. “I don’t know how much you want to know and I don’t want you to be bored.”
He slid out of the wagon and walked around to get to her side. Leaning in close he caught a fistful of that inviting silky black fall of hair and tugged gently until she took the inevitable step into him. His mouth descended on hers and he had the distinct feeling of coming home. Her body melted into his, her soft breasts pressing into his chest,