Rings On Her Fingers (Psychic Seasons

by ReGina Welling

  "Count on it," she said ignoring Julie's exasperated sigh and the exaggerated shake of her head. "Want me to pass the word? He hasn't made many friends in town."

  "Sure." He was still grinning and also ignoring Julie as her gestures of protest became more emphatic.

  Tamara, eyes twinkling moved behind the counter to pull out the copy of the map she had made and pass it across to Julie.

  "I hope this helps. All joking aside, if he truly is dangerous, I don't like the idea of you being in that big old house alone."

  "Well, that's not a problem since this one here and Gustavia have taken it upon themselves to provide rotating guard duty whether I want it or not." Julie feigned exasperation until she saw Tamara's knowing smile and then her annoyance turned real in spite of her gratitude toward her friends.

  Thanking Tamara and promising to keep her posted, they left the shop. Julie wanted to stomp away in a huff over his inclination to over share her personal business with someone he had just met, but knowing Tyler's motivations were pure made the act seem childish so she contented herself with a narrow-eyed glare and crossed arms. Her stance did nothing whatsoever to put a dent in his good humor, so she was unable to maintain any level of annoyance. What was she going to do with him? The devil on her shoulder whispered a few choice answers to that question, and her face flamed red. Tyler's eyes widened in question, but Julie just shook her head and walked across the street to the grocery store.

  She held her silence for about two minutes. "You realize she is the worst gossip in town; and by the time we get to the checkout, the grapevine will be humming, right? Look, over there," she bobbed her head to the side to indicate a woman busily texting, "That's Emily Snowden, Tamara's next-door-neighbor; and I'd put money on us being the subject of that text."

  Sure enough, Emily hit the send key and, looking up, caught sight of Julie. With the guilty look of someone caught in the act, she grasped her cart and scurried down the next aisle. Waiting a few seconds then gesturing for him to follow her, Julie spun right and then left, and there was Emily, busily typing in another text. She grabbed Tyler by the arm and backed silently around the corner then strode down the next aisle over and looped back for a full frontal assault on Emily and her cart.

  "Hello, Emily; how's it going?"

  "Fine." Shame written all over her face, she tried to bluff it out. "And how are you?"

  "I feel fantastic. Make sure you say hi to Tamara for me, okay? See you later."

  She turned to Tyler.

  "What were you thinking we should have for dinner? I'm in the mood for chicken." She turned and made her way purposefully toward the meat counter. Glancing over his shoulder, Tyler saw Emily furiously thumbing away at her next text and snorted.

  With each passing day, it became clearer to him that Logan had not had a clue what kind of woman he was dealing with. This was not a woman who needed or wanted a man to handle the details. She may not be as flamboyant as Gustavia; but she didn't shrink from a confrontation, and she also didn't feel the need to belittle anyone. She'd clearly made her point to Emily, the texting gossip; but without meanness or prevarication. It didn't hurt that she was sexy when she was mad, either. He realized he was already falling for her, but he didn't see any reason to try and stop himself. Getting her to fall for him, well, that might take some doing, but he was up for the challenge.

  Julie made her way through the store, greeting each person she met by name, but not stopping to make conversation. As predicted, when they got to the checkout, the cashier, Amanda, according to her name tag, glanced pointedly at Julie's left hand noting the absence of an engagement ring, offered a sympathetic smile, then gave a speculative look at Tyler, which did nothing to lighten the mood. He followed her out to the car and helped her transfer the groceries into the back seat. She got points for not slamming the door before she slid behind the wheel.

  "Well, wasn't that just a thrilling experience?" Julie twisted the key to start the engine.

  Tyler chuckled. Julie glowered. Tyler laughed harder. The corners of her mouth began to twitch. Just a little at first and then a little more until, finally, they were both laughing too hard to breathe.

  "Did you see the look on Emily's face when she saw me standing there?"

  "Caught her red handed. Or would that be red thumbed since she was texting?"

  "It isn't funny."

  "One thing you can count on, you set the tone for what people will be saying about you. No one is going to say you're moping around broken hearted over the ending of your engagement."

  "Once Tamara passes the word about Logan, he'll find it hard to sneak back into the area without someone seeing him. You're okay with most of the town having your cell phone number within the hour, right?"

  "If it keeps you safer, that's fine with me."

  "I know. It's hard to stay mad at people for gossiping when you know they have your back. It's frustrating when everyone knows your business; but, at the same time, it's also comforting to know they care. Small towns can be a lot like a family, I suppose.”

  * * *

  It hadn't seemed like a big deal to have Tyler stay the night until it was actually happening. Now Julie was surprised to find herself feeling just a little bit nervous. She'd only known him for a matter of days; and even if he fit into her ever-widening circle of friends like he'd always been there, it was still weird how he felt the need to protect her. Even weirder that she didn't mind all that much.

  For the second time, Julie and Tyler prepared a meal in her kitchen, moving around each other as though they'd had years of practice. Her tension quickly melted under his warmth and humor. It amazed her how comfortable she felt with him. Not well-worn-shoe comfortable but warm-fuzzy-blanket comfortable. It was nice.

  "Should I sleep in Julius' room again?" Tyler asked.

  "Um, sure, if you're comfortable there. Or, you could use one of the other bedrooms. You never know, he might decide to visit you again."

  "Listen, I don't mind admitting that it was a strange experience. Interesting, but strange. I don't think it much matters which room I'm sleeping in; if he wants to talk, he'll just show up."

  "Tell me about it. My life has become a series of strange experiences lately, and it's a bit overwhelming. I mean, here you are, basically a stranger, sleeping over in my great-grandfather's bed."

  Dramatically, Tyler clutched his heart as though mortally wounded. "A stranger, she says. Well, I feel like I've known you forever."

  "That's just because this week has felt like an eternity. Do you really think Logan would dare to show up here?" She changed the subject before she was tempted to tell him it felt like forever to her, too.

  "Your grandfather does, and that's good enough for me. I don't trust the guy and not just because I know he's a crook. He was going to hit you yesterday, and he wanted to hit you the other day, too." Tyler's eyes sparked with indignation. Hitting a woman was right down there with the lowest of the low things a man could do.

  "I know." She shook her head. It was difficult to comprehend that Logan had not been the man she'd thought he was; that he would even contemplate violence just proved how far off her perceptions of him had been.

  Reaching across the table, Tyler laid a warm hand on hers. It was a simple gesture, one of friendly support, but the jolt it sent through her system didn't feel friendly at all. No, it felt red hot and charged with intention. Julie gazed across the table. Tyler gazed back; both lost in the connection of hearts and souls recognizing each other. Hand still tingling, Julie felt as though the universe took a breath then settled into a new rhythm: one that had her heart beating, fluttering against her throat as she saw the mirror of her feelings in Tyler's eyes. Her hand began to tremble as, without letting it go, Tyler stood, then walked around the table, gently drew her to her feet and, still gazing into her eyes, lowered his lips to hers.

  The tingle she'd felt when their hands connected was nothing compared to the shock of lips meeting lips. Julie pulled back for a
moment; then, sighing, poured herself totally into a kiss that set Tyler's knees shaking. She hadn't expected this. Fire ran through her veins; molten streams heated her skin and left her breathless.

  The taste of her, the texture of her lips filled him until he could think of nothing else, just this experience, this one moment. If it lasted a lifetime, it would never be enough.

  He cupped her face tenderly in his hand, caressing her cheek with his thumb then moved his lips up to gently kiss each eyelid as she breathed out on a sigh. Julie's hands slid into his hair, teasing through the silky strands until she whispered more and pulled his mouth back to hers in a second scorching kiss. He gathered her closer and closer until he could feel the thunder of her heart against his own. Finally, though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Tyler gently pulled back and rested his forehead against hers.

  "If we keep that up, Julius will be visiting me in your room, and it's too soon."

  "Oh, I think I could be persuaded." Julie was surprised by how easy it would be. He'd undone her with a kiss; and she wanted to see what else he could do to her, what she could do to him. "Why is it too soon?" Then Julie leaned back and looked at his face. He was blushing; she quirked an eyebrow. Something else was going on here. She might not have known Tyler long, but she darn sure knew he wasn't easily embarrassed. Then it dawned on her.

  "Oh my God! You think Julius or Grams might be around, and you don't want to do it in front of a ghost." The idea of it made her laugh. Realizing he might just have a point only made it worse. Trying to maintain an air of injured dignity and failing miserably, Tyler waited until she got hold of herself.

  "I can see why you find this amusing..." he protested, then trailed off as Julie wiping the tears from her eyes held up a hand for him to stop.

  "No, it's not you; it's just this whole situation. For the last few days it's felt like I took a wrong turn into crazy town. Kissing you was the first thing that's felt completely right in longer than I even realized. The idea that we could easily have had sweaty, jungle sex right here on the kitchen table with my dead grandmother watching is just...well..." Julie twirled a finger at her temple.

  Without saying a word, Tyler drew her into a warm embrace, resting his chin on her head as she snuggled closer. Both were thinking this felt right, like coming home. It didn't matter that they'd only known each other for a short time; he didn't care if they never found her family heirlooms; as long as she kept him around, he would be happy.

  Then he whispered, "Julie. Look."

  Turning her head, she saw Grams standing by the door, grinning from ear to ear. Then, she was gone. Julie face palmed. Tyler grinned. Vindicated.

  "Looks like we'll need to set some boundaries if we ever want to be alone. Or find whatever is hidden." Tyler led Julie into the living room and opened his laptop to start going over his notes again.

  Chapter 20

  Zack stood on his sister's front steps, loathe to knock on the door. He looked at the outside of the house trying to get some clue about what he might find on the inside. A carefully tended garden filled the front yard. Artfully arranged to look as though it had just sprung up naturally, it was obvious a lot of care had gone into its planning. Weathered cedar shake siding gave the compactly built home a cottage-like feel. He found it charming, not that he would ever come out and say that to his sister.

  He raised a hand, but before he could knock Gustavia swung open the door. "Were you planning to stand on the step all night?" she asked.

  "No, I was just getting ready to...never mind. Are you going to let me in?"

  Gustavia wasn't sure how she felt about his being there. No one from her biological family had ever visited before. Deep inside, she was sure there was a kernel of happiness that should be sprouting; but, right now, she felt she was being invaded. He was going to leave his vibes of disapproval all over the place; and, when he was gone, she'd have to sage the whole house. Too bad, she thought, stepping back to let him in.

  "Yeah, I am."

  Eager to get this over with, he barely looked at the living room. Gustavia had a knack for blending items of different styles into an eclectic mix that actually worked together. The walls were lined with her own artwork, some of Julie's photos, and a couple of Estelle's paintings. It was a cozy room, warm and welcoming. Not that Zack seemed to notice as he handed her the file he'd amassed on Logan.

  "It's bad." Then, he waited, watching her closely while she scanned through the documents.

  "Yeah, I can see that. She's not going to be safe until he's caught, is she?" Gustavia looked up at her brother with concern. Zack shook his head. Problem was his gut was telling him Julie wasn't the only one in danger.

  "I don't think so. Think he might come after you, too?"

  "Kat said there was danger for both of us."

  "Kat?"

  "She's my friend, the psychic." Zack snorted and rolled his eyes. Gustavia narrowed hers.

  "Don't start in on my lifestyle," she sneered and made air quotes, "I know you don't approve of me; that's nothing new."

  "Let's not get into our twisted family dynamic, and I don't want to hear anything about your psychic friend. You know the man, I don't. What does your instinct tell you? Are you safe?"

  "He doesn't like me. In fact, I think he hates me, and I wouldn't put anything past him. But I can take care of myself."

  "Oh, what are you going to do if he comes after you? Throw a crystal at him? Chant? Jingle those bells in your hair?"

  Gustavia contained her fury, just barely.

  "I can take care of myself," she said through gritted teeth resisting the temptation to throw down some Krav Maga on him right then and there. Oh, she'd chant while she kicked his ass, then he'd see whose bells got jingled.

  "I'm thinking you're probably safe enough until he realizes I'm onto him. Then he's going to do one of two things: he's either going to run or try for revenge."

  "He knows there may be something valuable in Hayward House. He'll go for that and for Julie long before he gets any ideas about coming after me. We need to come up with a plan to catch him."

  "Does Julie's house have a security system? I can see this one doesn't."

  "No, but Tyler's with Julie. Tomorrow night will be my turn; we're alternating nights so she won't be alone."

  "That's a start." Gustavia had a few plans of her own for setting up a sort of alarm system: trip wires and booby traps that she wasn't going to tell her brother about. He sneered at her enough as it was.

  "Okay then, I guess I'm out of here." Even in this state of perpetual annoyance with his sister, Zack didn't feel right about leaving her alone.

  Sensing his reluctance and that he was leaving something unsaid, Gustavia followed her instincts and invited him to dinner then was surprised when he accepted. Was there any safe topic for conversation? Probably not. Just breathe, let the tension go, she thought, while making an effort to unclench her jaw. Give him a chance.

  Maybe after all these years, they could find some kind of common ground, something to talk about that wouldn't devolve into the same old fight. She wasn't living up to the Roman standards, blah, blah, blah. She could do so much more with her life, yada, yada, yada. Whatever. Gustavia was happy with her life, her work and her friends; why was that never enough for her brother? Giving herself a little mental shake, she let go of the tension that had crept back into her body again.

  What in the world was he thinking? This was either going to turn into a fight or an hour or so of awkward silence, same as always. Zack admitted to himself that he'd always wished things could be different, that he could have a better relationship with Eloise. Even in his thoughts, he refused to use her crazy new name. Taking a deep breath, he finally looked around at the home his sister had made for herself. He was thinking, from what he could see of it, it seemed comfortable and homey. A far cry from the somewhat sterile place they'd grown up in. Not going to open that can of worms, he thought. One particular painting drew his eye.

  "Who
's the artist?" Zack pointed to the watercolor abstract. Bold washes of blue and green tones shot through with a glittering gold line that bisected the canvas diagonally produced a piece with a visceral impact. It made him think of swimming up toward the surface of the ocean.

  "That's one of mine."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah, really. I'm so flattered by your obvious surprise."

  Really? Ten minutes in and he'd already screwed up, and this time he wasn't even trying to tick her off.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't know you painted. I thought you wrote books for kids."

  "Well, I do lots of things, I'm a woman of many talents." Her dry tone of voice helped spread a thin veneer of annoyance over the ache of once again knowing she hadn't measured up, he hadn't believed in her. Not wanting him to see the pain in her eyes, Gustavia concentrated on the sauce she was stirring.

  Silence.

  Finally, she looked up. Was that an apologetic look on his face? Be easier to tell if she'd ever seen one before. She dropped the mask of anger and let him see the sorrow that had lived in her for so many years.

  Quietly he spoke. "I've read your books, all of them. They're good."

  Gustavia ducked her head to hide the tears that had welled up at his simple acceptance of at least this one thing about her.

  "Really good," he repeated.

  She only nodded. The urge to hug him was strong but she'd been burned in the past by expecting acceptance from the people in her life that should have loved her and didn't seem able to do so. "So is this painting."

  "Thank you." Gustavia sighed. Now what, she thought. Say something. No, don't speak, if you do, it will somehow be the wrong words.

  She stirred the sauce then dropped pasta into the now boiling pot. The silence lengthened to the point of awkwardness. A quick glance told her Zack had turned back to gaze at the painting again, so she did a quick shoulder roll to loosen the tightness that seemed to return every few minutes.

  "Are you doing any painting these days?" He shrugged.