"You'll have to start talking about him, Freckles."

"I know he's dying, but..." I sighed. "I just don't want to talk about him as though he's gone. He might never cook for me or debate or go for runs, but... but he's still here."

"I know."

"And I hate saying 'Dad use to do this or that'. I want him healthy, yet I know it's never going to happen."

"Come here." Torin started to pull me into his arms, but I jumped back.

"You are just trying to get out of letting me take the first seat." I wagged my finger. "Not happening, mister." I ran into the garage with him hot on my tail. The look in his face said he knew I was running.

I wanted to be as far away from here as possible. Put as much distance between me and my problems. Yeah, I know. It was irrational. No one could outrun their problems, but I was going to try.

We grabbed helmets and goggles. His hair had grown long. I tucked in a few strands and got rewarded with a kiss on my nose. He pressed the keys in my hand.

"It's all yours," he said.

Grinning, I straddled the bike and turned the key. The purr of the engine filled the garage. I'd never get tired of feeling the power of the modified Harley engine. Or Torin curled onto my back with his masculine arms wrapped tight around me. Funny how I always felt safe when he did that even though I was the one controlling the machine.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

We only have an hour or so of daylight, but that shouldn't be a problem. "Uh, Portland? It's only an hour away and I can practice weaving between cars in a big city."

"Uh-mm, okay," he said slowly.

He was humoring me. I wasn't ready to drive at a super speed in a city. Mrs. Rutledge peered at us as we pulled off. Was she ever going to get tired of spying on us?

"Seriously, where are we going?" Torin asked.

"Don't worry. I'll bring you home in one piece," I teased.

He chuckled, but didn't push for an answer. I grew up in Oregon and knew every landmark, back road and hidden treasure. Dad often took us on long drives in the backcountry on the weekend, camping, biking and fishing. I could find most places without a map.

We left Kayville behind and headed toward I-5. The traffic was low. Typical Sunday evening. "Ready?" I called out "Ready," Torin yelled back.

We engaged our runes at the same time. The effect packed quite a punch, like a shot of dopamine. We shifted to super speed, zipping past cars and dodging oncoming ones. I took corners like an Indy car racer, laughing and whoo-hooing. Torin laughed.

We hit I-15 and headed south. I loved that he trusted me enough to let me take the front seat. If only he did it more often. Twenty minutes later, I exited the highway and used back roads until we reached the south entrance to Crater Lake National Park.

We parked by the gate and removed our helmets.

Torin looked around. "Where are we?"

"Crater Lake National Park. My family used to come here a lot. We'd camp or stay at one of the cabins." Funny I left home to get away from thoughts of Dad and we ended up at one of his favorite places. There was still snow on the ground, but in the summer, the place was spectacular. "We should come back here in the summer. The lake is breathtaking."

It was past five and the park was closed, but a few cars dotted the parking lot at the entrance. Some people drove past us and stared. I wasn't sure whether the attraction was Torin or the Harley. It was the same everywhere we went.

"Ready to go back?" Torin asked.

"Not yet." There was really nothing to see unless we went inside the park, but it was a nice resting place. Torin leaned against the bike and pulled me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around his waist and tried to enjoy the moment, but the vision I'd seen came back to haunt me. I lifted my head and studied his face. "Would you visit a Seeress if something happened to me and I disappeared, and you didn't know where to look?"

He stiffened. "What?"

"If something bad happened to me-"

"That's not funny." He glowered.

"It's a hypothetical situation, Torin."

"I don't care. Don't say that."

I sighed. "Okay, I won't. But would you visit a Seeress to see the future if a friend was missing and you didn't know where she was or whether she's coming back home?"

"Why is my friend a she? I don't have she-friends except you."

I wanted to deck him. He could be so impossible sometimes. "If a he-friend was sick, would you visit a Seeress to get some answers," I said through clenched teeth.

"Nope." He smirked, confirming he was messing with me.

I wiggled out of his arms and gave him you'd-better-answer-me-truthfully-or-else glare. "Why not?"

"I don't like witches."

My jaw dropped. "How can you say that? I happen to be one. A Seeress."

"Until we confirm your first vision, you," he stroked my nose, "are just a glorified Immortal and... my girlfriend."

I punched his arm. Hard. "Jerk."

"Witch."

I reached for him, but he engaged his runes and slipped past me. Then he had the nerve to laugh. There was only one truck left in the parking lot, so I figured no one could see us. I engaged my runes and went after him. I tackled him, or he allowed me to catch him and we landed on the snow. We rolled a bit until I pinned him down. I had snow on my hair. I shook it, spraying him.

"Cut that out," he growled, a playful light in his eyes.

"What do you have against witches?" I asked.

He cushioned his head on his arms and smirked. "The ones I knew growing up were horrible."

"What did they do to you?"

He pulled me down for a kiss and the conversation was forgotten, until I became aware of cold and wetness on my knees. Torin's pants had to be wet too.

"Let's take this home," I whispered.

"I like it when you lust after me."

"Shut up."

He studied me in the fading light. "Feel better?"

"Yeah." I got off him and pulled him up.

The drive home was shorter since speed junkie was in charge. The others were gone. Femi was in the laundry room, folding up laundry fresh from the dryer. The TV was on and a quick glance inside the den showed Dad propped up against pillows watching a basketball game.

"Hey, Dad," I said.

He looked up and smiled. "Hey, sweetheart. What happened? We were supposed to read this morning."

I frowned. One, he sounded coherent. Two, we'd read. "Uh, Dad, we-"

Torin shook his head and touched his lips, then mouthed, "He forgot."

Forgot? How could he...? Then I remembered my marathon reading on everything brain cancer after I learned about his illness. Memory loss was one of the symptoms of the cancer in his part of the brain. It was probably silly of me, but I was happy he couldn't remember this morning and what he'd said about me not touching him.

"Uh, we can read now," I said.

"After the game," Dad said. "The Grizzlies' in-your-face defense is killing us. Scott should call a time out and come up with a better play. "

Smiling, I closed the door. He sounded like his old self. Didn't know how long it would last, but I was watching that game with him.

"He's watching a Blazer game," I told Torin. "I'm going to hang out with him for a while."

"No problem. I'll just grab my food." Two boxes from WOTG-Wok on the Go-and chopsticks were on the counter. He peered inside. "Sweet & Sour or Beef & Broccoli?"

"Either." I got a drink, kissed him and shooed him out of my kitchen. "Go. Warm yours at your place. I'll see you later."

On a different day, he would have been insulted I was kicking him out. I got my warmed Sweet & Sour chicken on rice and hurried to Dad's room.

CHAPTER 3. BEWITCHING SONG.

My throat felt funny from all the yelling the next morning. Last night, Dad had acted like his old self, bringing back memories. He and Eirik used to watch games and yell at players. Eirik...

I missed him. Worried about him. I tried not to, but I couldn't help myself. I didn't care that he'd chosen to visit his parents in Hel. The fact remained it had been months and we still hadn't heard anything.

But worrying about him wasn't going to bring him back.

I jumped up and walked to the window. Torin was in his kitchen. He was shirtless. Those abs. That sculptured, endless chest. There ought to be a law against men like him and sweatpants that hang so low they bordered on indecency. He reached down and scratched his butt.

I giggled. Only Torin could look hot doing that.

He disappeared from the window. Dang it. He was supposed to glance out the window and check on me first. Now I wasn't going to get my morning coffee.

I turned to head to the shower and he walked through the portal shirtless and barefoot. He had the sexiest feet ever. I ogled him a little. Okay, a lot.

"You continue with that and I'll forget your mom is not here," he warned, putting the cup on my dresser.

I braced myself against his chest, went on my toes and kissed him. I couldn't help what I did next. I scratched his butt. "Still itchy?"

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around my waist. "I knew you were checking me out, you perv."

"How? Your back was to me."

"I have lustful-eyes-on-me radar." My feet left the floor as his lips claimed mine in a kiss that shot from warm to scorching in warp speed. Then we were rolling on the bed. I did what any sane girl would do when met with a force beyond her control. I soaked it all in and clung.

He tasted amazing. Coffee, vanilla, and stomach-curling goodness. He rolled again so I was on top. He knew how I loved that. My thick hair formed a curtain around us. He loved that.

"Good morning, Freckles," Torin whispered against my lips, his hand slipping lower.

"Behave," I warned, grabbed his hand and brought it back to my waist. He chuckled, the sound sexy.

"You scratch and I scratch back."

Now he was putting ideas in my head. "Sounds fair."

"I love it when you agree with me." He planted a kiss on my nose. "Last night must have been great. You had a smile on your face earlier when I stopped by."

"Watching me sleep is creepy."

"I like creepy, but I hate this new sleeping arrangement."

Me too. We'd agreed on brief goodnight and morning kisses while Mom was gone. No sleepovers. No risking things getting out of hand. Mom was my chastity belt, her impeccable timing just when things got interesting never failed to amaze me.

In one smooth move, he rolled us over, so he was on top. "Tell me about last night."

Was he serious? I couldn't think. "I, uh... uh..."

"Breathe, Freckles," he whispered.

Stinker. "I had Dad back and it was great, but we lost to the Grizzlies. A win would have made the night perfect."

"I'm sure having you there made it memorable for him." After another long kiss, Torin shifted. Cool air rushed in to replace him and I shivered. "Come over to the mansion when you're ready. I need to see Blaine about something."

"Is everything okay?"

"He wants to move out, but I want him to stay. We have to stick together despite our petty differences. He's an asset I don't want to lose." He ran a finger along my nose and stood.

Once he left, I sipped the coffee and smiled. It was scary how he knew what I liked. He paid attention to details. One of his many loveable qualities. The ding of my phone greeted me when I left the shower.

Cora. I texted her back, then got ready as fast as I could.

"Breakfast is on the stove," Femi called from the foot of the stairs when she saw me. She was on her way to Dad's room with a tray.