Read Online Whispering Minds by A.T. O'Connor - Free Book Online Page A

door handle.
    Brutus didn’t budge.
    “Fell, make him move.” Indie caught Fell’s eyes and put her hands up in a gesture of prayer. “Pretty please. I just need a little air.”
    Fell nodded slightly. Brutus stepped aside. “Just don’t go causing any trouble.”
    Indie giggled as she sashayed from the room. “Of course I won’t.”
    * * *
    “What are you doing?” a voice boomed out from behind me.
    I shook my head like a dog shaking off water after a swim. The library shot into focus. Collin next to me, looking slightly rumpled. Papers strewn out on the table. Travis, fists balled by his side. “Jesus, Travis, you scared me half to death.”
    “If you’d been studying your homework instead of your partner, you might have noticed me walk in.”
    The thought of me hitting on Collin was laughable. “I wasn’t flirting.”
    “Looked like it to me.”
    Collin settled into his chair, arms and legs relaxed. Indifferent. “Better check your eyes, dude. I don’t do freshies. Especially ones who haven’t graduated from high school yet.”
    Men and their testosterone. They were both so ridiculous I could hardly stand it. I gathered my papers, stuffed them in my messenger bag and left them to fight it out.
    It took Travis a second to catch up. When he did, his hand on my back wasn’t warm and light, but intense and proprietary. “Relax, Travis. I’m not going to date him. He’s just my project partner.”
    “He had lipstick smudges on his collar.”
    “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t wear lipstick.”
    “He had his hand on your thigh.”
    “Collin’s a pig.” I slid my arm around Trav’s waist, reminding both of us that I wanted to take our relationship to a new level. “Besides, I only like your hand on my thigh, so take your man jealousy somewhere else.”
    Travis softened his grip and pulled me closer. “How about I take you somewhere else?”
    Warm heat flooded my body. I could get used to this.
    “How does the Dairy Barn sound?”
    Definitely not what I was hungry for. I swallowed my disappointment. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind.”
    “Well, what were you thinking?”
    Your bedroom.
    A new thought pushed to the surface. “How about we visit your grandpa now?”
    Travis consented, but only after we ran through the drive-thru for ice cream first. He drove to the outskirts of Prairie Flats, taking me on streets I didn’t know existed and parked in front of a brick building with a giant feather carved into the wooden door.
    Despite the hot air blowing from the vents, I felt chilled. “Why haven’t I seen this place before?”
    Travis helped me out of the truck. “Ancient Indian secret.”
    I brushed aside my unease in favor of Trav’s teasing. “You’re impossible.”
    “I know, and that’s why you love me.”
    We’d kidded a thousand times, but this was different. This time I really wanted his words to be true, and that scared me in a nearly physical way. I pushed my feelings aside. “You’re shameless.”
    “Shameless and impossible.” Travis guided me into the building. “I like that.”
    “You would.”
    The inside of the building appeared to be a store and museum rolled into one. Photos and drawings lined the walls. A plaque with detailed descriptions hung under each print, while the counters held ornate carvings of animals, feathers and spearheads. A small, red bear drew my attention. I wrapped my fingers around it, letting the cool stone settle into my palm. Instantly, my nerves calmed.
    Travis touched my arm, and I reluctantly put the bear back on the glass cabinet. He ushered me through the store to an office at the end of a hall. The door stood open, revealing Clarence’s bent head. Travis knocked lightly and nudged me forward. Clarence looked up from his desk, his wrinkled face breaking into a grin. “Gemi, I’m so glad you came to see me.”
    He stood and stretched out his hand. I shook it and felt that same electric energy from the hospital. A