me.”
She looked down. “I know. I just …”
“Are you involved with someone else?” he blurted out.
“No! It’s nothing like that.”
“A bad experience with a man?” he asked more gently.
She wanted to crawl under the seat and avoid his probing gaze. “I have reasons for acting the way I do. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me. Is it just a general distrust of the male sex? I’d feel better knowing it’s not personal.”
Dammit, why did he have to be so endearing? All right. If he wanted to hear the truth, she’d give it to him. “If I touch you, I’ll be able to read your mind. Everything you’re thinking.”
Nate didn’t reply for a few moments. Instead he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. Then he chuckled. “That’s a frightening thought.”
He didn’t believe her, of course. But at least she’d defused his question. Any more cajoling, and she’dhave given in, scooting across the seat to tuck up against him. Instead she fastened her seat belt.
They’d gone less than ten blocks, neither of them saying anything, when Tess heard a
whump
and a
flap-flap-flap
as the car listed to the right.
“Aw, hell,” Nate said. “A flat.”
Tess put her head in her hands. In one respect, she was relieved the curse had apparently followed them. Maybe the pressure would be off Judy now. In another … she and/or Nate was in the grip of a curse! She’d never been cursed before. For the first time in a long time she wished for Morganna’s guidance. Her mother was so learned in so many areas, including everything arcane or occult. But all of that knowledge was locked inside a brain that was no longer fully functional.
“Hey, Tess, you don’t think that statue is responsible for this, do you? ’Cause I’m here to tell you, my tires needed replacing a couple of months ago and I didn’t do it. It’s one of those things I put off even though I knew I shouldn’t.
That’s
why we got a flat.”
“I know,” she said, trying to sound convinced. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m just a little jumpy.” That was an understatement. “You do have a spare, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I’m not
that
foolhardy.”
“Then can I help you change the tire?” Keeping busy might prevent her from dwelling on unpleasant possibilities. “You’re injured.”
“You just stay warm inside the car. I’ll have the job done in a few minutes.” He got out and slammed the door.
Despite his assurance that he had everything under control, Tess got out too. The weather had turned distinctly unpleasant, cold and misty with a biting wind. Even wearing Nate’s jacket, she had to wrap her arms around herself and clamp her jaw firmly shut to keep her teeth from chattering.
Nate, seemingly oblivious to the cold in his shirtsleeves, had to open the trunk to get the tire and the jack. Tess averted her eyes.
Nate noticed, but he didn’t say anything.
I don’t believe in luck, good or bad, Nate told himself as he set about the task of changing the tire. All this was a giant coincidence. But he had to admit, discovering the statue in Judy’s apartment had made his heart jump into his throat.
One thing was for sure: Tess believed with all her heart that the statue really was evil, that it caused bad luck. The fear in her lovely blue eyes was too real to be an affectation. He didn’t believe it was a simple superstition, either. Her fear went deeper than that. There was something personal in her aversion to the stone cat.
She’d seen it before their encounter in the antique shop.
Whatever the story, he intended to find out more about it. Who knew, perhaps it tied in with Tess’s Moonbeam Majick history. Might make an interesting sidelight to his story.
It seemed to take him forever to change the tire.The jack was balky. Every single lug nut was a challenge, as if they’d all been welded on. The spare was low, too, though it would probably make it to a service station.
Since Tess hovered
She looked down. “I know. I just …”
“Are you involved with someone else?” he blurted out.
“No! It’s nothing like that.”
“A bad experience with a man?” he asked more gently.
She wanted to crawl under the seat and avoid his probing gaze. “I have reasons for acting the way I do. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me. Is it just a general distrust of the male sex? I’d feel better knowing it’s not personal.”
Dammit, why did he have to be so endearing? All right. If he wanted to hear the truth, she’d give it to him. “If I touch you, I’ll be able to read your mind. Everything you’re thinking.”
Nate didn’t reply for a few moments. Instead he put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. Then he chuckled. “That’s a frightening thought.”
He didn’t believe her, of course. But at least she’d defused his question. Any more cajoling, and she’dhave given in, scooting across the seat to tuck up against him. Instead she fastened her seat belt.
They’d gone less than ten blocks, neither of them saying anything, when Tess heard a
whump
and a
flap-flap-flap
as the car listed to the right.
“Aw, hell,” Nate said. “A flat.”
Tess put her head in her hands. In one respect, she was relieved the curse had apparently followed them. Maybe the pressure would be off Judy now. In another … she and/or Nate was in the grip of a curse! She’d never been cursed before. For the first time in a long time she wished for Morganna’s guidance. Her mother was so learned in so many areas, including everything arcane or occult. But all of that knowledge was locked inside a brain that was no longer fully functional.
“Hey, Tess, you don’t think that statue is responsible for this, do you? ’Cause I’m here to tell you, my tires needed replacing a couple of months ago and I didn’t do it. It’s one of those things I put off even though I knew I shouldn’t.
That’s
why we got a flat.”
“I know,” she said, trying to sound convinced. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m just a little jumpy.” That was an understatement. “You do have a spare, don’t you?”
“Yeah. I’m not
that
foolhardy.”
“Then can I help you change the tire?” Keeping busy might prevent her from dwelling on unpleasant possibilities. “You’re injured.”
“You just stay warm inside the car. I’ll have the job done in a few minutes.” He got out and slammed the door.
Despite his assurance that he had everything under control, Tess got out too. The weather had turned distinctly unpleasant, cold and misty with a biting wind. Even wearing Nate’s jacket, she had to wrap her arms around herself and clamp her jaw firmly shut to keep her teeth from chattering.
Nate, seemingly oblivious to the cold in his shirtsleeves, had to open the trunk to get the tire and the jack. Tess averted her eyes.
Nate noticed, but he didn’t say anything.
I don’t believe in luck, good or bad, Nate told himself as he set about the task of changing the tire. All this was a giant coincidence. But he had to admit, discovering the statue in Judy’s apartment had made his heart jump into his throat.
One thing was for sure: Tess believed with all her heart that the statue really was evil, that it caused bad luck. The fear in her lovely blue eyes was too real to be an affectation. He didn’t believe it was a simple superstition, either. Her fear went deeper than that. There was something personal in her aversion to the stone cat.
She’d seen it before their encounter in the antique shop.
Whatever the story, he intended to find out more about it. Who knew, perhaps it tied in with Tess’s Moonbeam Majick history. Might make an interesting sidelight to his story.
It seemed to take him forever to change the tire.The jack was balky. Every single lug nut was a challenge, as if they’d all been welded on. The spare was low, too, though it would probably make it to a service station.
Since Tess hovered
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