He took a seat in a booth near the window. A slim, olive-skinned waitress approached him after a minute or two and handed him a menu.
“Hi there. Can I get you started with a drink?” She had a pretty smile, but she wasn’t half as attractive as Jilly Livingston. Whom he couldn’t get off his mind.
“Iced tea.”
“Herbal or green?”
Should have known they wouldn’t have any normal food and drink. “Green, I guess.”
As she strode away, he caught a glimpse of a woman in a black leather miniskirt entering the restaurant. Damn it. She was the one person he didn’t want to see—who happened to be the person he wanted to get to know more than anyone.
Jilly stepped inside the café, her head swirling with questions. Why couldn’t she quit thinking about Zander? No, it wasn’t him so much as the girl he was searching for, Hannah Saxon. She had to do whatever she could to bring the teenager home, get her away from whatever danger she was facing, though working with the police was probably a bad idea. What if they ran some sort of background check on her?
She’d covered her tracks well—changed her name to a combination of the first and last of her two best childhood friends, lightened her hair and cut it above her shoulders. Once she’d purchased a fake birth certificate on the internet the rest had been relatively easy. But since Jilly Livingston had only come into being a year ago, she had no history—no school records or credit score.
Now that she’d found a home in a spiritualist community, she’d hoped she could relax, quit worrying that Jamal would come after her. But lately every tarot reading she’d done on herself hinted that danger was headed her way. And then there were the dreams.
She crashed into Taryn, knocking the drink her friend was carrying right out of her hand. The hard plastic cup bounced on the wood planks and the clear green liquid splashed onto the floor. Jilly’s ankles and feet also got a soaking but at least Taryn jumped out of the way in the nick of time. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I was totally zoned out.”
Taryn grabbed a rag from a bus stand and started mopping up the damage. “No worries. I spill at least one drink a day. Everyone knows I’m a much better psychic than waitress, right?”
Jilly chuckled as she accepted a stack of napkins to clean the mess from her legs then used the extras to help Taryn finish drying the floor. “I hope that drink was unsweetened or I’ll be sticky the rest of the day.”
Taryn stood up and smiled at her. “It was that guy’s green tea, unsweetened.” She tipped her chin to her left.
Jilly followed her friend’s gaze to one of the booths and gasped.
“Somebody you know?” Taryn took the damp napkins from her and waggled her eyebrows. “Lucky you. He’s hot as hell. Go sit down and I’ll be right with you. I have to get him a new drink.”
Jilly’s face burned as she closed the distance between her and Zander. “Well, that was embarrassing.”
He skimmed his gaze over her as if he had no idea what she was talking about. Maybe he hadn’t noticed her klutzy move. “Miss Livingston. This is a coincidence.”
She took a seat at his table without waiting for an invitation. “Not much of one since we’re right next door to where I work. And I eat here just about every day.” Since he hadn’t objected, she settled into the booth. “Maybe the universe gave you a little nudge since it knew I’d come here and that you hadn’t given me enough of a chance to prove I can help you with Hannah Saxon.” She laced her fingers together on the tabletop to stop her hands from jittering.
“You wear smug very well.” His smile was irresistible.
Why did he have to be so damn good looking? She thought about raising the shield she usually kept around herself to keep people at bay but she didn’t want to alienate him, because of Hannah, of course. Had nothing to do with those broad shoulders or that sexy smile. “Does that mean you changed your mind?”
He flattened his lips. “Sorry to disappoint you.”
Maybe the universe was trying to tell her something. She’d instantly forged a connection to Hannah and she desperately wanted to help her, but she couldn’t deny Zander’s affect on her. Just sitting with him seemed to make her pulse spike. All the warning bells in her head went off at once.
Don’t trust him. Don’t trust anyone.
Taryn arrived with a fresh drink for him. “Want your usual, Jilly?”
“Just peppermint tea for now. Where’s Kendall?” It was rare to find Taryn waiting tables rather than doing readings.
Taryn rolled her eyes. “She called out and honestly, it’s been pretty slow. No biggie. Since I’m not making any money with my tarot cards today, I might as well earn something in tips.” She turned her attention to Zander. “The garden burger is on special today. What can I get you?”
“Garden Burger, huh? That’s fine. Don’t suppose I can get cheese on that.”
Taryn nodded. “Vegan or dairy?”
“The real stuff, please.” As soon as Taryn left, he leaned toward Jilly. “Maybe I should have ordered my food to go.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “I have a feeling you’re going to bug me about my case until you break me.”
She allowed a flicker of hope to spark to life inside her. “See, you’re psychic too.” The gods were giving her another shot at her mission. She couldn’t let the girl down. “So what do you say? It’s a sign that we both ended up here.”
He let out a chuckle. “I’m not that much of a pushover. In fact, I’m one stubborn son-of-a-bitch. Just ask my family.”
“Your grandmother speaks very highly of you. She says you’re totally dedicated to your job and that you’re one of those cops who really cares.” Although she suspected Nell’s assessment of her grandson was biased, he did seem like a decent guy. She didn’t get any bad vibes from him. Being near him seemed to make her palms sweat, though, but she suspected that was purely based on his overabundance of sex appeal.
She leaned her elbows on the table. “You came to see me to find out if I could help. I did get something from Hannah’s necklace. Maybe if I could have a look at more of her things I might pick up on some information that’ll bring her home safe and sound.”
He winced and she instantly knew he didn’t hold out hope that Hannah would ever be coming home alive. Tears stung the back of her eyes for a girl she’d likely never meet. But as long as there was a chance she had to do whatever she could to help. “Can you tell me where you got the necklace?”
He shook his head. “That’s confidential.”
Okay, so he wasn’t going to share any information with her. Not a problem. She stared hard at him, trying to figure him out.
The man looked completely out of place in the casual restaurant in his suit and tie. She picked up on his scent again but reminded herself that Hannah’s safety was her motivation. In spite of that zing of awareness Zander inspired in her. She couldn’t seem to escape that damn heat. She didn’t want to be attracted to him. After all the shit she’d been through her whole life, she was way too damaged to connect to anyone in that way. Look where her last relationship had gotten her.
Shrugging off the thought, she eyed him. “Do you have any leads?”
He leaned his head back and let out a loud sigh. “Can we talk about something else?”
His aura appeared yellow-orange, which was consistent with the detail-oriented nature she’d sensed in him.
“I’m sorry, Detective. I can’t get Hannah off my mind now.”
He raked his fingers through his hair. “Look Jilly, it’s my case, my leads. It was a mistake to discuss it with you. I promised my grandmother I’d speak to you about it. I did. End of subject. Now, let’s talk about something else.” His gaze slid over her and the fine lines around his eyes smoothed out. “Like you going to dinner with me.”
What? “No, sorry. I don’t date.” The second the words tumbled from her mouth she wanted to reel them back in. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt. “I mean, I think we sh
ould stick to discussing the case.”
He gave her a blank stare.
As good looking as he was, she sensed rejections of any kind were foreign to him and he didn’t seem to know how to deal with one.
Finally, he spoke. “Okay, how about this. You agree to have dinner with me tonight and I’ll hear you out about why I should let you work with me on the case. But I warn you, I don’t often change my mind. When I say no, it’s usually final.”
“How brutish of you.” She mulled over his offer as Taryn dropped off Jilly’s drink and Zander’s lunch then quietly slipped away.
Jilly shifted in the seat. The prospect of going out with a man—especially one so attractive—gave her pause, but how else was she going to convince him to let her help find Hannah? “Fine, have it your way. But I’m considering this a business dinner and I plan to pay my own way.” She poured agave sweetener into her tea from the decanter on the table then took a sip. The mint calmed her stomach.
“Not in this lifetime. When I take out a woman, I pay. Period.” He folded his arms over his chest.
If it weren’t for the grin playing at the corners of his lips, she’d have told him to take his macho attitude and go to hell. But she suspected his insistence was more his southern breeding than sexism. “You’re awfully stubborn.”
“Takes one to know one.” His features darkened with an intense stare that went way past friendly.
Tendrils of desire unfurled inside her but the notion of dating anyone—even being attracted to a man—made her shudder as much as the possibility of Jamal catching up with her did. Maybe someday she’d feel differently but for now, getting involved with a guy was out of the question.
When she’d first met Jamal, he was nice enough. But he’d changed like a ingrown hair that starts out perfectly fine then turns in on itself. She was no good at judging men. Still, there was no denying Zander’s effect on her libido.
He had to be at least half a foot taller than her five feet, eight inches and he had the most adorable dimples when he smiled. And what woman wouldn’t kill for those long, eyelashes? “I’m flattered, Detective.”
“Zander,” he interrupted.
“Zander. Why can’t we discuss the case now since we’re both here.”
He shook his head. “You heard my terms. Take it or leave it.” He picked up his burger and bit off a big piece.
She huffed. Apparently that was the only way she could convince him to let her help. “Fine. I’ll see you tonight. You can pick me up at the store at seven.” Suddenly her appetite had withered. She set a five on the table. “I should get back to work.”
Zander grabbed the bill and caught her hand, placing the money in her palm. The contact instantly flared the heat that had been simmering inside her since she’d met him. The air between them crackled with electricity.
She couldn’t break free of his gaze. The last thing she wanted was to be rendered powerless by a man. Again. She dug deep and somehow found the strength to pull away. “I have to get back to work.”
Zander’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You ought to speak to your boss about these short lunch hours. I expect you’ll be good and hungry by dinnertime. I love to watch a beautiful woman eat.” He pinned her with his eyes. “You definitely qualify as a beautiful woman, by the way.”
She gulped. How was she supposed to ignore the guy’s sex appeal when he was so damn charming? She’d deprived herself of male company for so long, instead choosing to woman and join a coven with only a few men.
I have to ignore it.
She dragged her stare away. “Thanks…for the tea.”
He stood, blocking her exit. Sucking in a breath for courage, she climbed out of the booth, brushing against him as she did. Why did he have to smell so great? His warm breath landed on her shoulder and it was all she could do to extricate herself from him. Before he could lodge another protest, she hurried out of the café, giving Taryn a quick wave goodbye.
She practically ran the short distance back to the bookstore. Eloise glanced at her over her reading glasses as Jilly barged through the door at Mind’s Eye. “That was a quick lunch.”
She shrugged, tried to catch her breath. “I…lost my appetite.”
“Hmm. You know, when I first met Charles I hardly ate a thing for weeks. Once we got engaged, though, I made up for it. I barely fit into my wedding dress.”
Jilly distilled her boss’s meaning then shook her head. “This is nothing like that. And how’d you know I saw Zander at lunch?”
“You’re all flushed, obviously hot and bothered. I don’t have your level of psychic gift—not that anyone I’ve ever met does—but I’m a little intuitive.” Eloise started filing some vendor order slips in a drawer behind the counter. “Plus I watched him go inside the café before you left here.”
Her love life—or the lack thereof—was the last thing she wanted to discuss with her boss. She headed into the small room where she did readings and within minutes, had a client come in, then another. She barely had a break until evening shadows had stolen the last of the afternoon.
Eloise knocked on the open door as Jilly blew out the candles. “Got a minute?”
“Sure, what’s up?” She stashed the money her last client had given her in a pocket.
The older woman sat opposite her and exhaled an audible breath. “I need to speak to you.”
She swallowed hard at Eloise’s tone and the lemon-yellow hew of her aura. Her boss appeared to be struggling to maintain some sort of professional control over a difficult situation. Jilly wracked her brain to think of something she might have done lately to upset her boss but she couldn’t come up with anything. Their relationship had always been pleasant, maybe a little distant.
“Okay.” She shuffled her cards more out of habit than anything else, but she’d have loved a minute to do a reading on her boss so she’d have a heads up on whatever Eloise was going to tell her.
Eloise fiddled with the chain that held her glasses around her neck. “I couldn’t help but overhear part of your conversation with that police detective earlier.” She clamped her lips together like an unhappy schoolmarm.
“Well don’t worry. He doesn’t want my assistance. He was just appeasing his grandmother by meeting with me. Nell Parsons, that white-haired lady who always wears a big hat. She’s a doll. You know who I’m talking about?” She ran her fingers around the edge of the deck, felt the worn ridges.
Eloise gave her a half nod. “Ever since we established Freedom Moon Camp and opened the businesses and the cottages, we’ve had a sort of uneasy truce with the town. Having a bunch of psychics, witches and other pagans right in their backyard is a bit uncomfortable for the townsfolk. This is a fairly conservative area. And knowing this, we’ve tried not to rock the boat, to cooperate with the powers that be, but at the same time keep a safe distance from them.”
She took the tarot cards from Jilly and placed them on the table. “I know you want to help find that missing girl, but how much do you want the police in your life? Did you ever consider the responsibility you’re taking on with something like that? What if you send him one way and not another and it costs that young lady her life?”
Jilly slumped in her seat. “Um, no. I hadn’t considered that.” Not only was Eloise her boss, but she was also the high priestess of Freedom Moon Coven and Jilly respected her opinions. But Eloise wasn’t a psychic. She couldn’t know what it felt like to have someone reach into her mind, someone who needed her help.
“His grandfather is the county mayor, you know, a man who could make all our lives a whole lot more difficult if this doesn’t pan out the way you hope. Government people can easily come up with new rules, special assessments or whatever. It would be easy for them to make our lives here so hard that we’d be forced to close down the camp.”
Eloise had to be exaggerating. No one would do that to the camp. “I guess I never thought about it like that. But that girl reached out to me. Detective Parsons let me hold her ne
cklace and I felt something. Hannah wanted my help, I think.” A headache started between her eyes. She couldn’t explain to her boss the nature of the kinship she felt with the teenager because she’d kept her true identity from everyone she’d met since she left New Orleans. No one here had any idea about the abuse she’d suffered as Lauren or that she’d been born on the wrong side of the blanket to a single, drug-addicted mother. Hannah was in danger just as Lauren had been. How could she ignore that?
Going against Eloise’s wishes wouldn’t be smart though. If she lost her job she’d be forced to move. Wasn’t as if she couldn’t disappear again and quickly. She kept a suitcase filled with a few outfits, some cash and a wig stashed in her closet at all times. But she liked it here. She’d joined a coven she loved, had made friends and rented an affordable, homey cottage less than half mile from work.
Silence stretched between them for a long moment.
“The gods have given you some very special gifts, dear. You’re the most talented psychic I know. But the stakes are so much higher in something like this.”
Jilly chewed at the corner of her mouth. “If Hannah Saxon were your daughter or niece, wouldn’t you want to call in every resource possible to get her home safely?”
When Eloise’s face fell, Jilly knew she was thinking about her own daughters. “Just remember what I said. Your decision, of course. You have to go with what your heart tells you. I need to finish counting out the day’s receipts.” She stood, gave Jilly a motherly hug then left the room.
Jilly thought about her own teenage years again, the time when she was the same age as Hannah. Her mother had been in and out of jail and county-run drug treatment facilities. Every time her mother went away, a pasty-faced woman from the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services had picked her up from school or their apartment and taken her to a foster home.
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