Мишель Роуэн - Hot Spell

“That’s your opinion. I really like him.”

“ Like him?” Vicky repeated. “I’d hope that you’d feel more than ‘like’ for the guy you’re planning on changing your entire life for. But that’s just my opinion again. All I can say is he’s no Jacob Caine.”

No, he wasn’t.

How am I supposed to tell her I think I’m falling in love with her? Jacob’s thought still echoed in her mind.

It wasn’t true.

It couldn’t be.

FOR THE REST of the day and night she stayed as busy as she could and found that it was possible to push thoughts of Jacob to the back of her mind. She could function.

But when she did think of him, it wasn’t only about how much she was attracted to him and how he’d made her feel when they’d had sex. No, she was thinking about him beyond the physical. The fact that she liked talking to him, liked how he challenged her and made her think about things from a different point of view. She felt a strange companionship when they were alone together.

Also, this was a man who knew what it was like to be a psychic, and he didn’t have a problem with it. In fact, he thought her abilities were, how did he put it? Amazing?

She wasn’t mad at him for grilling her mother yesterday about the past. He’d made her all but admit that Amanda’s father hadn’t left only because he didn’t want to deal with Amanda’s psychic abilities.

Could it be possible? she wondered.

The thought didn’t make her feel that much better about being abandoned by her dad at such a young age, but it did make her feel… different .

After all, his shunning of her had led to a lot of self-image issues. Maybe if she’d had two supportive parents who’d loved her unconditionally no matter how strange she was, it might have made the cruel taunts from the kids at school a little more bearable—and the nickname of Amanda the Strange wouldn’t get that immediate knee-jerk reaction from her that had turned her off Jacob in the first place.

SIX YEARS at PARA. She looked around the office after she’d cleaned out her desk on Tuesday afternoon. Hard to believe so much time had passed. Everyone else had left to get ready for her party that night at O’Grady’s. She felt a strange twinge in her chest then. A sense of loss. She’d miss here more than she’d realized.

You don’t have to go , a little voice in her head reminded her. You can stay here with the people who accept you exactly as you are .

No, she’d go to the city with David. She’d make it work.

As far as she was concerned, the choice had already been made.

Besides, she hadn’t even seen Jacob since he’d mentally admitted to possibly falling in love with her in her office yesterday morning. He’d kept a low profile ever since.

It was better that way. It made things a lot easier.

And this magical pull she felt toward him that had reached near-painful proportions due to his very noticeable absence would fade over time.

She sure as hell hoped it would.

So, she’d go to the party. She’d try to have a good time with her coworkers and friends. And tomorrow her new life would begin. She clutched her heavy cardboard box filled with her personal belongings against her chest and tried to ignore the lump in her throat.

“Have to say, I’m sorry to see you go,” Patrick said.

Amanda jumped. She hadn’t even seen him wheel up to her office doorway.

“Thanks.” She smiled at him. “That means a lot.”

“You’re one of the best clairvoyants I’ve ever met, and I don’t feel any shame in telling you that I’m going to have one hell of a hard time replacing you.”

“I’m sure you’ll find somebody.”

“Maybe.” He gave her a half smile. “Everybody’s going to really miss you.”

He was such a sweetheart. “Are you trying to make me cry?”

“Depends if you’re swayed by sentimental statements or not.”

“Tissues may be required.”

He took a deep breath and leaned back slightly in his wheelchair. “I’m going to put this out there for you and you can do with it what you want. If you ever change your mind about this single-minded need to fit in with regular society, you’re welcome to come back.”

“That’s not necessary,” she said.

“Maybe it’s not necessary, but it’s still true.”

“You think I’m going to get to New York, find it’s too much for me, tuck my tail between my legs and run back here?”

“All I’m saying is that if you realize that there has never been anything wrong in your life to begin with, and that moving somewhere else doesn’t change who you are deep down inside, then there will always be a place for you here.”

The lump in her throat thickened and she had to swallow hard to get past it. She went to him, leaned over, and gave him a big hug which he returned. “I appreciate it, Patrick.”

His smile widened and he shook his head. “He’s right about you, you know. You are a very stubborn woman.”

Her eyes widened. “Who said that?”

“Jacob.”

She groaned. “Right. Well, everybody’s entitled to their opinion, aren’t they?”

“They are, indeed. Listen, Amanda, I wanted to tell you that I’m finished looking over the paperwork and everything’s in order for the Davis house. I am authorizing the exorcism and destruction of the clock. I already told Jacob, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“Oh.” A chill went down her spine. She’d expected this, of course, but it was still a bit unnerving to find out that everything was going to proceed right on schedule.

“I’ll send Jacob back this week to take care of things. Maybe Vicky can go to help with the exorcism itself.”

She shook her head. “I want to go.”

“You? But you’re through here. I’d thought you’d be happy somebody else is going to take care of it.”

“I’d like to help. There’s still time.”

“I thought you were leaving tomorrow.”

“I can delay my move for another day. David won’t mind.”

“He’s very understanding, isn’t he?” By his tone, there was no mistaking what Patrick was getting at.

Her face warmed. “I’d appreciate if you kept what you know about me and Jacob to yourself. There’s no need for any gossip to get around.”

“I totally agree.”

“Well…good.” She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. “Everything will be better once we take care of that grandfather clock.”

“So you’re completely convinced that the clock is the source of all evil in this situation, huh?”

“Of course I am.”

“It acts as a troublesome, magical aphrodisiac and that’s about it.”

“Exactly.” She frowned at his tone. “Why? Don’t you think that, too?”

He shrugged. “I have my doubts, to tell you the truth.”

“Such as?”

“Such as the fact that I found some information on Catherine Myles’s aunt in some PARA historical documents. She was a witch named Rose Embry who practiced her magic out in the open over near Albany at the turn of the century and died just before the Second World War, but there was no indication of her magic ever being black or malicious in nature. I originally had the impression she sold love potions, but that wasn’t exactly what it was. She specialized in spells that revealed secrets and pointed her clients to the truth in their hearts.”

“The truth in their hearts? What does that mean?”

He spread his hands. “Only that Rose’s wedding gift to Catherine in the form of an enchanted clock brings up a lot of unanswered questions. My guess is that she never would have wished ill on her. Perhaps she didn’t approve of her marriage to an overbearing man like her niece’s chosen husband, one that Catherine would have married mostly out of a need for wealth and security, but she wouldn’t have helped to set in motion the events leading to her death.”