people walk in and think you’re a complete and utter nut.”
“I’m pretty sure they already think that. The psychic is always the nut, right?” I snorted.
Psychic Medium. As long as I’d been dealing with my gift, the title still seemed strange sometimes. I tried to keep my ability a secret as much as possible. Magnolia’s residents would now call me ‘special.’ That was their label for anyone who was unique. They already thought I was a little odd, I sensed it. Maybe they knew more about the paranormal than I thought.
My ‘special’ wouldn’t be considered the good special in their eyes. Yeah, now I’d be looked at with a suspicious eye. Whispered about and watched everywhere I went. Was being on TV worth all that? I wasn’t sure I was ready for the kind of attention this show might bring. But even if they did talk and give me odd looks, I would never leave Magnolia.
My grandfather had always encouraged me to embrace my talent. I spent many hours with him on that old fishing pond across town, and we’d talked the whole time. He liked to use colorful phrases. His favorite being: let sleeping demons lie.
I always asked, “Don’t you mean ‘let sleeping dogs lie’?”
“No, I mean demons,” he’d said with a wild-eyed look.
I still wasn’t sure I knew what he had meant, but I had my suspicions. Did he know more about the spirit world than he’d let on?
Mindy broke my reverie. “Do you think I’ll be possessed by a demon if I go on this investigation with you? ’Cause that could throw a kink in my plans.”
I patted her hand. “I really don’t think you have anything to worry about as long as you do what I tell you.”
I wouldn’t lie to her and say that having a demon become attached to her wasn’t possible. Possession was no walk in the park. I’d seen it before and it still scared the bejeezus out of me. I’d used a Ouija board once when I was young and hadn’t known any better. A nasty demon had come forward that night and it had stayed around me for a long time until one day it just went away. I’d always wondered and waited for the day it would return. Honestly, I’d known better than to use that darn board, but I’d tried it anyway. My world had been turned upside down at the time and I’d been in emotional upheaval, so it was no surprise. It was the teenage years, what could I say? Boy problems, school problems, and not to mention trying to get those little rubber bands attached to my braces on a daily basis. All of that was enough to make anyone a miserable mess, and therefore, quite appealing to demons.
Had that demon from years ago popped back up again like a nasty rash, only worse? There had to be some explanation for what I’d seen the other night. Perhaps getting involved in a show about demons wasn’t the wisest of decisions. It was like I was just asking for trouble.
“I’m getting a Diet Coke.” Mindy jumped from her seat, breaking me from my thoughts again. “Do you want one?”
“No, I’m good.” I stretched in the chair.
What was taking these people so long anyway? If this really was a joke, I’d be more than a little perturbed. I watched Mindy as she strolled toward the exit sign. Within seconds the door rattled, and Mindy hurried back in, allowing the heavy door to slam shut again. She panted and clutched her chest.
“My gosh, Mindy. What the heck? Are you all right?” I jumped up from my chair and rushed over.
“I ran,” she said between pants.
“Is something chasing you?” A fair question in my line of work. “Should I be concerned?”
Chapter Fourteen
“No, no.” She waved off my concern. “The producer is walking down the hallway now.”
“Is that all? No biggie.” Okay, my stomach flipped. I was a little nervous too.
Mindy leaned down, attempting to catch her breath. “You’re not going to believe who is with him. Go peek out the door.” She gestured with her hand.
I hurried over to the door and eased it open, trying to stop it from squeaking. “What!”
“Exactly.” Mindy joined me by the door.
“What is Cooper Garrett doing with him?”
Cooper ran the clothing boutique across the street from my bookstore. He’d taken over after his cousin Brianna had used the black magic on Callahan. I still didn’t know how he’d managed to keep the store