anywhere, even in the airports in Tampa and Spokane, with auras like that. Only one other time.” She stared out the window.
“Aaand?”
Should have known he’d ask. Damn lawyers are almost as bad as witches. “I walked away from him,” she quietly admitted. “And I shouldn’t have.”
“Okay. So blue aura is really good, right?”
“Not just blue. I can’t explain it. It’s different, but in a good way.” She looked at him again.
“I have to side with Mandaline on this one. Call them. Can’t hurt to at least meet with them for dinner or something. See what shakes out.”
“That’s not helpful,” she grumbled.
“No, it’s not the pat, neatly tied answer you wanted. We’re proof that it can work, however. And it should give you hope that it might work, but you have to meet the opportunity head-on, or at least halfway.”
“There you go using logic on me again.”
He smiled. “That’s us damn lawyers for you.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
* * * *
With both of them sharing the driving duties, it took them right around three days, with only one overnight stop, to make it back to Florida. Her dad and Brad were waiting for them at her house when they pulled up.
As she crawled down from the passenger side of the cab, her dad took one look at her and pointed at the house. “Bed. Now. You’re exhausted.”
“We’ve got to unload.”
“I’ve got that handled,” Brad assured her. “Grover’s sons and sons-in-law will be here in less than an hour to help us.
She was too tired to argue with him, even if his logic hadn’t been sound. Fortunately, she couldn’t and wouldn’t argue. “Deal. Thanks again, Tarzan.”
As she grabbed her backpack and headed up the sidewalk, she heard her dad ask, “Why does she call you ‘Tarzan,’ anyway?”
She smiled as she closed the front door on whatever Brad’s reply might be. But a shower first, then she collapsed onto her bed.
As she closed her eyes, she tried to recall what day it was.
That was when she remembered the day after tomorrow was the scheduled do-over date for the next part of Tammy Evans’ investigation.
She groaned. Now that her dad was, for the most part, moved, she’d have to face that business head-on.
Face the two men head-on.
Face her fears head-on.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Sachi knew she wouldn’t get a moment of peace from Mandaline unless she asked the guys out.
Not that Mandaline would actively bug her about it. It would be more of a case of what her friend didn’t say than what she did that would get Sachi’s goat.
Damn witch, anyway.
With her heart in her throat, she called John’s cell phone, figuring it would make more sense to call him than Oscar.
She almost hung up after the second ring when his voice came on the line. “John Evans.”
“Hey. Um, it’s Sachi.”
“Oh, hi. What’s up?”
She closed her eyes. Nut up, kiddo. “I was wondering if you and Oscar and I could get together for dinner, maybe tonight? Nothing fancy, maybe just meet up over at the Golden Corral or…something.” She mentally groaned. Wow. That…sucked. Even I wouldn’t go out with me.
“Is everything okay?”
No, I’m an idiot. “Um, yeah, just wanted to go over some stuff before we get started tomorrow night.” She hoped the Goddess would forgive her that since, technically, it wasn’t a lie.
Technically.
“Okay, sure.”
She felt like she needed to add something, anything, to not sound like a dumbass. “I mean, I wanted the three of us to be able to talk. Alone. I mean, together, but alone. I mean—”
“Without Aunt Tammy there.”
“Yes, that.” She wanted to jump through the phone and rip the last fifteen seconds of conversation out of his memory and start over.
Hopefully not sounding like an idiot in the process the second time around.
But since that’s not an option… “I’d just like to get your impressions. Both of you. About her. Uh, I mean about the
“Aaand?”
Should have known he’d ask. Damn lawyers are almost as bad as witches. “I walked away from him,” she quietly admitted. “And I shouldn’t have.”
“Okay. So blue aura is really good, right?”
“Not just blue. I can’t explain it. It’s different, but in a good way.” She looked at him again.
“I have to side with Mandaline on this one. Call them. Can’t hurt to at least meet with them for dinner or something. See what shakes out.”
“That’s not helpful,” she grumbled.
“No, it’s not the pat, neatly tied answer you wanted. We’re proof that it can work, however. And it should give you hope that it might work, but you have to meet the opportunity head-on, or at least halfway.”
“There you go using logic on me again.”
He smiled. “That’s us damn lawyers for you.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.”
* * * *
With both of them sharing the driving duties, it took them right around three days, with only one overnight stop, to make it back to Florida. Her dad and Brad were waiting for them at her house when they pulled up.
As she crawled down from the passenger side of the cab, her dad took one look at her and pointed at the house. “Bed. Now. You’re exhausted.”
“We’ve got to unload.”
“I’ve got that handled,” Brad assured her. “Grover’s sons and sons-in-law will be here in less than an hour to help us.
She was too tired to argue with him, even if his logic hadn’t been sound. Fortunately, she couldn’t and wouldn’t argue. “Deal. Thanks again, Tarzan.”
As she grabbed her backpack and headed up the sidewalk, she heard her dad ask, “Why does she call you ‘Tarzan,’ anyway?”
She smiled as she closed the front door on whatever Brad’s reply might be. But a shower first, then she collapsed onto her bed.
As she closed her eyes, she tried to recall what day it was.
That was when she remembered the day after tomorrow was the scheduled do-over date for the next part of Tammy Evans’ investigation.
She groaned. Now that her dad was, for the most part, moved, she’d have to face that business head-on.
Face the two men head-on.
Face her fears head-on.
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Sachi knew she wouldn’t get a moment of peace from Mandaline unless she asked the guys out.
Not that Mandaline would actively bug her about it. It would be more of a case of what her friend didn’t say than what she did that would get Sachi’s goat.
Damn witch, anyway.
With her heart in her throat, she called John’s cell phone, figuring it would make more sense to call him than Oscar.
She almost hung up after the second ring when his voice came on the line. “John Evans.”
“Hey. Um, it’s Sachi.”
“Oh, hi. What’s up?”
She closed her eyes. Nut up, kiddo. “I was wondering if you and Oscar and I could get together for dinner, maybe tonight? Nothing fancy, maybe just meet up over at the Golden Corral or…something.” She mentally groaned. Wow. That…sucked. Even I wouldn’t go out with me.
“Is everything okay?”
No, I’m an idiot. “Um, yeah, just wanted to go over some stuff before we get started tomorrow night.” She hoped the Goddess would forgive her that since, technically, it wasn’t a lie.
Technically.
“Okay, sure.”
She felt like she needed to add something, anything, to not sound like a dumbass. “I mean, I wanted the three of us to be able to talk. Alone. I mean, together, but alone. I mean—”
“Without Aunt Tammy there.”
“Yes, that.” She wanted to jump through the phone and rip the last fifteen seconds of conversation out of his memory and start over.
Hopefully not sounding like an idiot in the process the second time around.
But since that’s not an option… “I’d just like to get your impressions. Both of you. About her. Uh, I mean about the
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