Instinctive - By Cathryn Fox Page 0,76
sat across from her mother and father at the café. Outside, heavy rain beat against the plate-glass window in a quick, steady rhythm that matched her heartbeat. She was antsy and wanted to get her parents out of town before they started noticing the strange goings-on. She practically scarfed her food down in record time.
After glancing around at the other patrons, her mother leaned in and whispered, “Have you made any friends? The people here don’t seem too friendly.”
“It’s a small town, Mom.” Jaclyn shrugged and brushed off the comment. “They’re just cautious of outsiders.”
Her mother’s head wiggled from side to side like one of those bobblehead dolls. “Well, I certainly wouldn’t want to spend any more time here than I had to.”
Precisely.
“And what about that gate?” her mother probed. “Don’t you think that’s odd?”
“Coyotes,” Jaclyn explained. “Plenty of coyotes.” Good Lord, weren’t the lies just effortlessly flying from her mouth? “It’s for our own protection.” Jaclyn bit back a sardonic laugh. It sure hadn’t taken her long to start justifying things and protecting the town. She took a big bite of her pie and finished it off.
Marie placed her hand over Jaclyn’s and frowned. “Jaclyn, darling, you need to slow down before you get digestion problems.”
“I’m fine, Mom.”
Keeping her hand there, Marie went on to say, “Oh, did I mention that Caroline’s daughter, Katherine, is getting married next month to a nice young doctor?”
How they went from digestion to Katherine getting married was beyond Jaclyn. “Yes, Mom, you did.” Jaclyn eased her hand away and reached for her coffee.
“So what does this boyfriend of yours do?”
Smooth, Mother. Real smooth.
Jaclyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “He owns a nightclub.”
Her mother starched her spine, disapproval apparent in her body language. “Oh.”
“He’s also on the town council,” Jaclyn added in his defense, then realized she didn’t need to defend Slyck to her mother. He was a wonderful man—a man with integrity and honor. Not only that, he was intelligent, capable, and thoughtful, and she was damn proud of him.
Just then Vall walked into the restaurant, looking and smelling like a wet dog. Jaclyn resisted the urge to crinkle her nose in distaste, then blinked quickly, trying to dispel the vision of his attack on Sunray. But the memory sparked vividly, and she feared the image had been permanently etched into her brain. She noted that there wasn’t a trace of softness to be found in Vall’s arctic eyes as they catalogued the café. They were as cold and bleak as a Chicago winter. His curious glance went from Jaclyn to her parents, to Jaclyn’s formal business attire.
Jaclyn crossed her arms across her chest and leaned into the table, but her efforts to camouflage her staid clothing were too little, too late.
Harmony and a few of her coven sauntered in behind Vall. They slid into the booth behind Jaclyn, but not before she caught the inquisitive look in Harmony’s violet eyes.
“I need to get back to work,” Jaclyn said lightly. “Can’t help get those numbers up if I’m not there,” she added.
“That’s my girl,” her father piped in, and threw his napkin down onto the table.
“Can we have a tour of your house first?” her mother asked, and Jaclyn knew she was stalling. It was her not so subtle way to hang around longer in hopes of getting a glimpse of Slyck.
The rain had slightly lightened as Jaclyn hustled them back to her place and gave them a two-minute tour. After guiding them back to her front room, she glanced at her watch. “I guess you’d better get going if you want to make good time before nightfall.”
In no hurry to move, Jaclyn’s mom picked up the pretty blue vase and carried it from the coffee table to the windowsill. Jaclyn followed the movement and smiled. Like mother, like daughter. It must have been the socialite instilled in them both. Always adjusting the little things and striving to make their home perfect.
Her mother turned intense blue eyes on her and Jaclyn knew she was getting right to the point. “So do we get to meet this man of yours before we leave?”
Without thought Jaclyn moved her gaze from the vase to the damp sidewalk. The sight of Slyck passing by drew all her focus, and she found herself walking to the rain-splashed window, drawn to him like metal to a magnet.
“Is that him?” Marie asked, stepping up beside her. Jaclyn didn’t miss her disapproving glower as she took in Slyck’s wet,