Mystic Hearts by Cait Jarrod Page B

the
time.”
    “No,
we don’t.”
    “Ever
since I joined the group, you have.” From the corner of her eyes, Charlene spotted
tears trembling on the end of Celine’s thick lashes. For several miles,
Charlene remained quiet, thinking of a way to make up for her curtness. “I know
you love each other,” she said tenderly, “but not everyone belongs together.”
Her life with Andrew flashed in her mind. “Fighting is not healthy,” she
spouted, her tone laced with anger. “How can you date when you argue? I can’t…I won’t stay with another man like my
ex. He yelled, manipulated, and didn’t trust me to make the right decisions.”
    “I
didn’t say I don’t trust Steve. He doesn’t yell or question my decisions.”
    Guilt
steamrolled over Charlene. She had no right to lecture Celine or make her doubt
her relationship. “No, that’s my hang up filtering its way into this
conversation. Sorry.”
    A
pop sounded and the car swerved.
    The
surprise sent a shock of adrenaline through Charlene. Her pulse raced and
breathing released in gasps. Had someone
shot at them?
    A
thud, thud, thud noise resonated in the interior of the car.
    “Crap,
I have a flat.” Celine white-knuckled the steering wheel until the car reached
the dirt shoulder and stopped. She put the gearshift in park and looked at
Charlene. “Hey, it’s okay. I blew a tire.”
    Charlene
unclenched her fists. “Sounded like a gun.”
    “More
like a cherry bomb, but—” The skin between Celine’s eyes wrinkled. “Blown tires
can create the same sound…sometimes.”
    Celine’s
attempt to reassure Charlene failed. Her mind whirled with someone trying to
harm them. “What if…”
    “No
one shot at us. Why would they?”
    Good
question, which made her wonder. Had her jumpiness since the kidnapping been
her imagination after all, or was there a reason for it? She thought back on the
last several months. Being taken against a person’s wishes would make anyone
jumpy. Still, the gut feeling that a deeper reason was behind it caused her to
have unsettled nerves. What the reason was, she couldn’t quite put her finger
on.
    “I
need to check the tire.” Charlene shoved the door open.
    “I
don’t have a spare.”
    Charlene’s
eyebrow shot up.. “You don’t have a spare?”
    “Didn’t
buy one. I figured, I’d be close to town and could call the auto service if I
needed.”     
    “For
the love of…” Charlene climbed out of the car, looked at the flat rear tire,
and shook her head. A minute later, she sagged against the seat. “Do you have a
jack?”
    “Um,
I don’t think so.”
    Charlene
swallowed the lecture she wanted to give Celine. “We need to call someone.”
    Celine
stared ahead. “I don’t want to call Steve. Do you have someone we could call
this time of day?”
    The
question didn’t require any thought. She yanked her phone out of her purse and
called Larry.
    “Hi,
Charlene,” he answered. His hot voice soothed her like a gentle breeze. She
pressed the receiver closer to her ear, wanting him near, and caught Celine
watching.
    “Hi,
Larry. Celine and I had a flat tire. She doesn’t have a spare.”
    “Where
are you?”
    What
she’d say next wouldn’t go over well. “Heading to Greenwood Manor.”
    The
silence that followed rang loud with his anger. He cleared his throat. “You
went? You ignored my advice?”
    His
tone along with the unspoken order from this morning got under her skin.
    Larry
didn’t yell. Still, memories rushed back: Andrew making demands, ordering and
manipulating her to do what he wanted. Larry’s tone made her feel like a heel,
as if she’d stepped over the proverbial line…the same manner Andrew had forced
upon her.
    “Charlene?”
Larry said, snapping her out of her deluge of thoughts.
    And
she’d believed he was different. “Sorry to bother you.” She moved the phone
away from her ear, waiting for a horn or some odd creature to appear and stop
her from making a huge mistake.