It warmed my heart to know she’d seen something I hadn’t.
“And then we have you.”
Oh, shit.
“What do you mean?”
She chuckled. “You went out of your way to pretend you weren’t totally in love with him. You’d sit there and stare at him, then someone would cough or make some kind of noise, and you’d find other things infinitely more interesting, but your gaze always went back to him.”
“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “Yes, I was into him, but?—”
“You weren’t‘into’, you were in love.”
Damn it. No one was supposed to have seen it. I’d thought if I tried really hard, I could ignore my feelings, but that never happened. If anything, it got worse as time went by. I think that was probably where my itch had started, always in the back of my brain, where I couldn’t reach it.
“Okay, I was in love. Happy now?”
“As long as you are, yes. I amsoglad the two of you are working things out.”
“Me too. So, what did you need on this fine day?”
She chuckled. “Youarehappy.”
And I was. Hell, I was already planning the next fifty years with Kip.
Then I heard a loudsnap,and the hair on the back of my neck rose. I lurched to my feet, my heart pounding. I couldn’t smell or see anyone, but my arms erupted in a carpet of goosebumps.
I don’t like this.
I thought quickly. “Mom? Do me a favor and call Kip, would you? Tell him I need him home right away.”
“What’s wrong?” she demanded, her voice like steel.
“Maybe nothing, Just call him, please?”
The click of the phone was loud as Mom disconnected. Then a shadow slid through the yard. My heart hammered as I raced for the door to get inside. I’d almost reached it when something struck me in the back of the head.
And again.
My vision began to darken as they continued to rain blows on my head, neck, back. Each one was agony.
Fuck, no. I couldn’t die, not when I was finally figuring things out.
Kip, I need you!
Kip
One second I was in the middle of a conversation with Miguel, our foreman, and the next, my temples exploded in pain so intense, I dropped the stump I was carrying and clutched my head.
“Kip? Dude, what’s wrong?” Miguel demanded.
I tried to answer, but I couldn’t form any words. All I knew was overwhelming pain and fear and…
Mase.
I wasn’t sure how, but I was feeling him in my mind, and he was panicking, a white-hot panic that sent fear barreling through me. I turned to get to my truck when the phone rang. I brought it to my ear.
“Hello?”
