Psychic Series Boxset: Books 1-3

by Lisa Freed

  Driving home my feelings swung between joy for Manny and weepy depression for the poor cats that had been harmed just because of the color of their fur. My promise of several days ago came back, to do some good. Paying their vet bills was all fine and dandy but putting an end to this nonsense was what really needed to be done. But I didn’t know how. Maybe Ashley had some answers.

  Knowing that she had just been put through the wringer caring for the injured cats, I knew now was not the time to call. My attention switched over to who else I could do something for. The couple that was adopting popped back into my head.

  With a smile, I looked over at my purse slumped on its side on the passenger seat. I still had the copy of their letter John had given me in there, having forgotten to take it out the other day. A nice donation to their adoption or a big, fun gift? I would have to think on that some.

  My phone began ringing but unknown came up on the dash display so I let it go to message. Now, who else? I pondered as traffic slowed and we came to a red light.

  Several ghostly vehicles puttered by as I sat and stared. One of them was a vintage Thunderbird that caught my eye. Joey! The teenage spirit that had latched onto me at the fire hall’s carnival had been killed by Angelo when he ran Joey over with his Thunderbird. Not that Joey had been completely innocent as he had been crouched down near Angelo’s tires to slice them. What a mess that had been! But Joey’s body was finally recovered thanks to my tip and hopefully, he now rested easy with his body being buried near his parents’ graves. I wondered if his sister had gotten him a headstone, perhaps I could gift one to the punk.

  My phone beeped signifying a message. I knew I shouldn’t since I was driving but I pulled it out of my purse and hit listen.

  “Teresa, how sad we didn’t even have your number!” a hard, female voice shrilled like nails on a chalkboard, my spine tingled in protest.

  My mother continued on, “I had to get your number from Megan!”

  I’d be having words with my sister!

  “We wanted to visit you,” both my parent's voices chimed in on that, though my mother’s voice still managed to overpower my father’s weaker one. “And you live in Rehoboth now?” my mother continued, “You hate the beach.”

  Wrong again, Mom, I love the beach, always have, always will. But you wouldn’t know that because you never cared enough to find out. And that would be a big hell to the no on them coming here.

  My hands clutched at the steering wheel and I almost missed my turn, which told me how shaken up the unexpected call from my parents had made me. Going directly into the garage I didn’t even bother glancing up the street to see if Lance and his bride were home, though once I put the SUV in park that thought did come barreling out. Nah, I would know when I got another text from Lance.

  In the kitchen, I dumped my purse down and grabbed a water from the fridge, pacing the length of the room as I gulped it down. If I didn’t call my parents back maybe they would forget all about this, they had never visited me before after all, so why should now be any different.

  But what if they didn’t? that thought nagged at me. No way could I let them see my house. If they knew I had money they would try to get me to invest in one of their lame businesses. Like their soap balls that smelled of lye and crumbled after one use. No way.

  Perhaps John would let me borrow his place. Yes! Brilliant! I still hoped it wouldn’t come to that but if it did, I felt better having a vague plan in place.

  Snatching my phone out of my bag, I hit my sister’s number then stomped through the house waiting for her to pick up. When she finally did after seven rings, I didn’t bother with greetings and instead launched right into her. “Why did you give them my number?” I wailed.

  Apparently, Megan didn’t even need to ask who I was referring to as she immediately countered back, “Why should I be the only one to suffer?!”

  She had me there. “Why are they suddenly interested in us? You have Amber, I have cats.”

  “One of them is dying, needs a kidney or something,” Megan said. “I don’t know! I told you before I don’t trust them.” She paused then continued in a softer tone, “I’m sorry about Lance, by the way.”

  I stopped my endless pacing, then realization hit. Oh right, Amber probably told her. “It’s okay, obviously just not meant to be.”

  “But so soon! What a jerk, I’m so sorry I was so gung-ho on him, T.”

  My eyes rolled around the room even as my shoulders slumped forward. Gung-ho? Talk about understatement. If Megan had been single, she would have tried for him. The way her eyes bugged out and how she had blushed around him, it was almost comical.

  Then I frowned, a thumb lifting to my mouth to chew on a nail. My sister would have been a better match for him than I had ever been.

  “Yeah, well, whatever…Back to our parents. You don’t really think they are dying, do you?” My voice caught and I gave myself a mental shake. “They weren’t the greatest parents…”

  Megan cut me off, her voice appalled, “Gosh no! I was just joking there, get a grip. They looked fine when they were here. Ate everything in sight,” she muttered. “And did I tell you they stole the leftovers too?”

  “Several times,” I said fighting back a case of the giggles.

  “But who steals Tupperware out of someone’s fridge? They’re like the human version of raccoons.” She began cracking up on the last word and I joined her.

  “Did you really just call our parents trash pandas?! Megan, that’s hilarious!”

  “I guess I did!”

  Our laughter tapered off and I grew serious. “So, what should I do?”

  “Let them visit but hide your Tupperware?” Megan offered.

  “But I don’t want to,” I whined back as only a younger sibling could.

  Megan snorted into the phone. “You think I wanted to? Let them visit and hopefully, they won’t darken our doorsteps for another several years.”

  With that parting bit of wisdom, my sister said she had to go and disconnected without another word.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  My night was restless, far too much reality interfering with my dreams, and I woke up feeling hungover. Maverick jumped when I put my foot down too close to his tail and took off for safer floor space as I shuffled my way to the bathroom. Even Lotte’s fabulous color and cut couldn’t save me, I looked as rough as I felt.

  What I needed was a peaceful day at home to recharge and do some pampering. Or a long beach walk if the weather was decent enough. I hadn’t been on a beach since my time in Greece when Mateo took me Milos Island so we could search for sea glass. Going to the boardwalk was great but walking on the sand, being close to the ocean, now that was calming.

  My hand rose to my neck to touch the red sea glass pendant that Lance had gotten made for me, all my fingers encountered was bare skin. A sob quivered in my throat but I refused to let it out. The dry whack of my palms hitting the sink’s marble vanity in the bathroom pulled my eyes downward. The sight of my bare ring finger didn’t improve my mood.

  Had I wanted to marry Lance?

  That thought repeated in a slow, endless loop as I dashed back into the bedroom and jumped on my bed to cuddle a pillow to my chest. I had dated a few different guys over the years, but nothing had felt like the rush I got when with Lance. The man had basically moved in and we had rarely been apart though, so much compressed into a short amount of time. And our time together had been nothing like the friendship I had with Victor, or like we used to have. I missed that friendship.

  I hugged the pillow tighter as tears leaked out of my eyes forming a wet splotch on the pillow under my head. So much loss and heartache over the last two months, it was simply too much! I sniffed loudly before turning and burying my face into the pillow letting my sobs be muffled by its softness.

  My tears dried up as anger began to take over. Victor, the jerk, had ruined our friendship with his foolish body jumping. I accepted a little blame for letting him get away with us
ing Lance’s body the first time but this whole Adrian thing? Nope, none of the blame was on me, this was strictly him. Yes, we might never have a traditional relationship but we’d had each other, why couldn’t that have been enough?

  I punched at the pillow, venting my frustration on the helpless goose down inside.

  As for Lance, I needed to be rational. Yes, the sex had been great and it was nice having someone, but his superior attitude toward me had begun to grate almost as much as his casual attitude about my things and the rescue. The biggest thing I needed to remind myself every single time I felt a stirring of jealousy over not being his wife and the fact that he moved on so quickly, was just that. He moved on fast. Obviously, I hadn’t mattered that much to him despite what his mouth had said. A marriage between us would have been just as shallow and I deserved better.

  A final sniff and I rolled over on the bed reaching across to the tissue box on my nightstand. Several tissues later I not only was in control again but actually felt pretty good. Apparently, I had been overdue for a good soul-cleansing cry. Dang PMS!

  Agnes must have thought the same thing because she appeared next to me with a tiny meow of greeting only after I had pulled myself together.

  “Hey, girl.” I rubbed a hand down her soft, multicolored fur as she settled down next to me, her little motor running almost immediately. Unlike what many tortie owners claimed, Agnes was pretty low-key and super sweet, not possessing the ‘tortitude’ cats with her distinct coloring were known to have. And I was grateful for my friend’s love. Giving her a kiss between her eyes I got up off the bed, heading downstairs for breakfast. As I was reaching for a bowl the phone that I had placed on the table started to go off. Without hesitation, I set the bowl down and grabbed at the phone.

  “Teresa, I need to head back to Greece for a week or so before I return to the US again. Is it possible for me to see you today?” Mateo’s smooth voice sent shivers down my spine. Odd how he had that effect over the phone but in person, things weren’t as rosy.

  “Why don’t you come to my house?” the words tumbled out of my mouth even as my heart seized up. I guess I wasn’t fully over my crush on him as I had thought.

  “I would like that very much.”

  I gave him the address and then after only a slight hesitation the access code. I had been meaning to change it anyhow and would first thing tomorrow.

  After the phone call, I zoomed around the house cleaning up. I visited with the foster cats and my heart broke for Jill who seemed so sad to see me go. Billy and Jean were indifferent to my presence but Jill had climbed all over me, giving head bumps and purring her little heart out. No idea how to break the news to Maverick but it looked like he was going to be getting another sister.

  “And we’ll fatten you right up, huh, girl?” I cooed to the skinny cat. Running a hand over her fur, it did seem we were already heading in the right direction. Her ribs and spine weren’t as prominent as they had been.

  Once done it was time to concentrate on myself. I gulped a bowl of cereal before racing upstairs to shower. I really didn’t need to hurry too much, DC was a good two and a half hours away.

  I told myself that again when the doorbell rang less than an hour later, that it was okay because it couldn’t be Mateo already. Padding to the door in bare feet, my wet hair dripping cold water down the back of my pale gray shirt sent a shiver through me. Though that abated when I opened the door to reveal Mateo, a bouquet of roses in his hand and a smile on his face that warmed me in all the right ways.

  “Mateo,” his name but a breathless sigh on my lips as I held the door open and stepped aside so he could enter. As he walked past me, I caught a whiff of his cologne, strong and exotically spicy smelling. My nose itched. Reaching up to rub at it a drop of chilled water splashed on my hand. My hair! No makeup!

  My thrill at seeing him promptly took a nosedive and I felt horribly self-conscious. Even worse, when I looked up, he stood there staring, a bemused expression on his handsome face.

  Wordlessly, he held out the flowers.

  “Thank you,” I managed to get out at a normal volume and accepted them from him. “Let me put these in water.”

  He followed me into the kitchen and laughed when I had to dig an empty ice tea gallon jug out of my recycling can to put them in. “I don’t get many flowers.”

  Stepping closer, he pushed back a few wet strands of hair away from my face. “Teresa, somehow I don’t believe that.”

  “Believe it,” I said shortly, moving away from him. The air fairly crackled with our combined energy leaving me feeling very nervous. “Would you like a drink?” I offered, heading to the fridge to get myself water.

  “No, no thank you.”

  I grabbed a single bottle and then led him into the living room. I caught him looking around as he went, his dark eyes missing nothing. I had never let on in Greece much about my financial status and honestly, I don’t think it’s anyone’s business. John feared Mateo was after me for my money and I had countered that he didn’t know.

  Neither had Lance and that relationship had fizzled out. Mateo knew my main secret, should I reveal another one to him? That we could live quite comfortably together? But still, I held back.

  “I wasn’t expecting you so soon,” I said then immediately wished I hadn’t. I sounded peevish and a tad whiny.

  Sitting down on the couch next to me, his warm thigh rubbed against mine as he flashed me another of his smiles. “To be honest, I was already on my way when I called you.”

  “You were? What if I had been busy?” I found myself leaning closer to him, my hand coming to rest on that hard thigh.

  “Then I would have gone to the airport instead, confused and sad.”

  “Stop!” I laughed giving him a soft poke in his hard side with my index finger.

  “Seriously, I would be sad. We didn’t see nearly as much of each other as I had hoped.” His eyes regarded me as the smile left his face and I was left feeling like I had somehow wounded him.

  Pulling back, I regarded him, my emotions all over the place. How could feelings over a man be such a roller coaster? It didn’t seem healthy.

  “Maybe when you return, we can make a point of getting together more often?” I offer.

  My ears filled with the sounds of static as a queer smell of ozone filled my nose. The painful prickly burning in my nostrils was too much as I sneezed repeatedly. Coming up for air, stinging tears dampened my eyes which I tried to blink away as Mateo offered me the tissue box from the coffee table.

  Snatching several, I dabbed at my eyes first then my nose. “Sorry, I don’t know what came over me.”

  “Hope you’re not allergic to me.” His dark eyes flashed, a wicked grin revealing his white teeth in a display not unlike a shark’s.

  “No, it’s not you.” I tried to laugh it off but something was wrong here.

  “Good, then you won’t be opposed to this,” Mateo stated coming closer, his handsome face filling my vision before his lips captured mine.

  My eyes closed, it’s just what happens when I’m kissed and he was an amazing kisser. Yet when his hands came up to grasp my arms, I peeked open a bit through my eyelashes. As his tongue tried to duel with mine, I pulled back, his harsh panting breath filling my ears.

  “I have time before my plane takes off,” Mateo said, his voice eager and higher than normal.

  For some reason, my gaze dropped to his pants and I noticed the absence of something. I hadn’t been around the block a lot but usually, after a make-out session, it was pretty obvious it was having an effect on the guy. Not with Mateo. Despite his breathing, I grew more certain that he didn’t want me as much as he claimed. A bit of a blow to my ego but it didn’t sting as much as I thought it would as I found my consuming interest in him had waned somehow.

  “But I don’t. People are expecting me at Whisker Kisses.” The lie easily rolled off my tongue and I prayed he couldn’t tell. Both of us were psychics and he’s by far the stronger of
us but I’d picked up a few tricks.

  “Then I guess I’ll get going,” he said in a tight voice.

  Part of me wanted to apologize even as another part tugged my body up, a smile pulling at my suddenly tight-feeling face. I grabbed at his arm urging him up as well. He misinterpreted my actions and suddenly I was in his arms, his mouth crushing my lips into my teeth. As I struggled to get free, his hands flew away as if I was a hot potato.

  “I’ll see you soon, beautiful,” he said, his eyes deep and unreadable.

  We walked together out the door and I hugged my arms to my chest as I watched him get into his rental and drive away. The breeze chilled me and I realized I stood outside in my bare feet with wet hair, so I hurried by crazy butt inside. Closing the door, I locked it and leaned back against it trying to sort out what just happened.

  Now that Mateo was gone my reaction to him seemed so silly. He was clearly interested. So what if he didn’t get a hard-on from a simple kiss? Maybe he was a more hands-on kind of a guy.

  I grinned at that thought and began to walk away from the door intent on drying my hair when a hard knock sounded.

  Mateo!

  And just like that my crazy heartbeat picked up and I rushed back to open the door to find Adrian on my porch, the ghost of the old man from Greece right behind him.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Adrian marched in, the ghost creeping steadily behind him, without a word he slammed the door closed and glared at me. His thin nostrils flared wildly as he snorted like an enraged bull. I had seen the movie Ferdinand with my niece Amber a while ago and Adrian was no docile creature like the movie bull, I was thankful to not be wearing red.

  While Adrian continued trying to control his temper, his mouth moved silently, biting back all types of curses. But he didn’t hold my attention long as my eyes zeroed in on the ghost who was ranting and raving behind him. His beefy arms moving all around as his crooked fingers pointed in accusation at the two of us.