She Shall Have Music (The Psychic Seasons Series Book 3)
Page 19
Kat, who carried a tearful Estelle inside her, walked down the aisle behind Gustavia and took her place before turning to watch Julie enter the room. Once the ceremony ended, Estelle would have to leave because after being present for the pre-wedding preparations, her energy was flagging. Since Julius had been dead long enough that none of the wedding guests would recognize him, he took a seat at the back of the room. Kat could see him, proud face beaming, from where she stood. Julie had tried to talk him into walking her down the aisle but, knowing he was not supposed show himself to people on that grand a scale, he declined. It was one thing to sneak in at the back of the room and quite another to parade himself down the aisle.
Watching Julie walk toward Tyler, Kat was ashamed that one of the emotions running through her was envy and even though she tried, she could not entirely shut that feeling down. It saddened her to think she might never experience this for herself. The feeling persisted throughout the ceremony and even after as she allowed Estelle the change to give Julie a hug before the spirit had to pull her energy away. When darkness settled back over her vision, she prepared to withdraw into the background as much as she could and still perform her bridesmaid duties with a smile.
It was not to be.
Anticipating Kat’s plans, Gustavia had made some of her own. As soon as the dancing started, she pulled Kat from her seat. “Come on. It’s time to dance.”
“I don’t dance.”
“Tonight you do.” Gustavia dragged her over to where Zack sat. “You, get out of that chair and dance with Kat. Leave the cop behind and just have some fun.”
“Gustavia, let the poor man alone. I’m sure he doesn’t want to dance with me.” And he didn’t but not for the reasons Kat had built up her mind. Shooting daggers at his sister for putting him in this position, he had no choice but to answer, “Of course I do,” and take her hand.
As he reluctantly paced toward the edge of where everyone was dancing, he thought, at least she won’t see what she is stuck dancing with and shaking his head, began to move.
If two people had ever been more self-conscious on the dance floor, Zack was sure he had never seen them. Even carrying full gear, he could outrun most perps but dancing required rhythm and some indefinable bit of coordination that he just did not possess. His favored move was little more than shifting from one foot to the other and never in time to the music.
Kat had danced before losing her sight and enjoyed it but, now, she was always on hyper-alert in fear that she would bump into someone and cause a scene. Consequently, she tried to occupy as little space as possible, which ended up with a very similar style to Zack’s only with a bit more grace and in time to the music.
Now, the thought that preoccupied her mind was what to do when the song ended. Gustavia had dragged her to Zack and he had led her here so quickly she hadn’t been able to count her steps or orient herself directionally. At this point, she had no idea how to get back to her seat and she felt uncomfortable asking Zack. Maybe he would offer to take her back to Gustavia or maybe she would just end up standing here like an idiot while he walked away with no idea he should.
When the song ended and a slow number came on, Zack thanked her for the dance. Instead of walking away, though. He asked, “Another?” Kat nodded. He pulled her in close.
From her spot in the corner, Estelle smiled and faded away as she saw the thought she had planted in Zack’s head take hold. There, she thought, her part in this wedding was over, time to go recharge her energy for what lay ahead.
Kat put the surge of energy bursting through her down to the fact that she wasn’t used to being held in a man’s strong arms. Plus, he smelled really good. She felt her face flaming red. This was Gustavia’s brother and she probably shouldn’t be thinking about him that way.
“I never had the chance to thank you for your help in finding Gustavia.” The words grated but he owed her them. In his opinion, their finding her had less to do with psychic phenomenon than just plain luck. That she had been in a remote enough location that luck could not explain her rescue was ignored.
“Amethyst did that, not me.” If he thought he was hiding his attitude toward anything beyond the mundane behind a thin veneer of politeness, he was trying that with the wrong person because Kat easily felt his disdain for those with certain abilities.
“This situation with Ellis is beyond ridiculous. He has had a run of uncanny good luck.” So, that’s what he wants to call it, she thought.
“He’s had some help from the other side.” Her voice was dry as dust.
His snort of derision shot her head up as she readied to level him with a cutting verbal defense. The words died in her throat, though as somehow, her unseeing gaze reached his face. For a moment, her vision cleared and she found herself looking into eyes brown and warm as melted chocolate.
And now…
Keep reading for an Excerpt from Wherever She Goes, Psychic Seasons Series Book 4
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If you are enjoying the Psychic Seasons series, I’m excited to tell you about the Fate Weaver series. In Earthbound Wings, we met Lexi Balefire and her faerie godmothers who were such fun to write, we decided to give Lexi her own series.
Lexi Balefire is a matchmaking witch with a certain something extra. Her story is full of magic, romance, and intrigue.
The Fate Weaver series:
A Match Made in Spell
All Spell is Breaking Loose
To Spell and Back
To be notified a new book by ReGina Welling comes out or when one of her books goes on sale, you can sign up for ReGina’s Newsletter.
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Other books by ReGina Welling
The Psychic Seasons Series
Rings on Her Fingers
Bells on Her Toes
She Shall Have Music
Wherever She goes
Earthbound Bones
Earthbound Wings
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You can find Erin on the web by clicking here, and also follow her on Facebook or Twitter.
Also by ReGina Welling and Erin Lynn
The Ponderosa Pines Mysteries
Cat Killed A Rat
Crafting Disorder
Caught in the Frame
Bait and Snitch
***
From Wherever She Goes
In the space between one breath and the next, the music stopped, everything slowed and the only thing Kathleen Canton could hear was the sound of her own heartbeat as she gazed into eyes the color of melted chocolate. She blinked, then blinked again but nothing changed.
She could still see him.
Feet dragging, she tried to keep dancing. The music faded to a buzzing noise that vibrated through her head in waves while she fought against panic to take the next breath. Her heart lurched in her chest then started to race, each beat sounding like a metronome. Face tingling, Kat felt it when the world started to tunnel down into the fading distance and caught herself just on the brink of fainting in Zack Roman’s arms.
Chapter One
Another hour, Zack thought. Just one more hour and then he could slide out the door, go home, and get out of this monkey suit. He glanced around the room alert to that vague tingle that always warned him of trouble. Sworn to protect and serve, he wore the mantle of responsibility 24/7.
Satisfied all was as it should be, he turned his attention back to the woman in his arms and realized the source of that tingle had been right here all along. Her annoyance was an electric thing, pulsing and sparking at him.
Nothing like anger to bring out the best in a woman. Like right now for instance. Her head thrown back, shoulders squared off as she prepared to take him down a peg or two. She opened that gorgeous mouth to treat him to a scathing retort for his ill-timed comment about her psychic ability, then snapped it shut again
and turned her head away.
Just about to ask her if something was wrong, he felt her body loosen up as with a sigh, she lowered her head to rest on his shoulder.
Something was wrong. His cop sense screamed it and he instinctively gathered her closer. Bending his head to see if he could get a closer look, he inhaled deeply when the scent of her rose up to tickle against his nose. Zack did his best to ignore the spark of interest that flared in him and instead tightened strong arms around her and slowed his steps to give her a chance to regain her composure.