Page 7 of Undeniable Love

There was the tiniest bit of amusement in his voice.

“It’s a nice view.”

He huffed, shook his head, and with the smallest jerk of his head gestured for me to join him. “So wanna tell me what that was about down there?”

“I’m surprised Caleb never said anything.”

My brothers liked to whip out my gift, as they called it, like a party trick.

“He’s always said you’re awesome and a whole lot crazy.”

“He’s not wrong.”

I settled at the railing with him. Standing next to him, that same sense I had when I first saw him downstairs hit me again. It rolled over me like a warm blanket on a snowy Colorado night, but this time, I forced myself not to react.

Since he was still wearing that amused, only slightly irritated quirk of his lips, I continued. “The story goes, one day when I was six, I was at the grocery store with my mom. We passed a couple in the cereal aisle, a man and a woman. Out of nowhere, I said, ‘you shouldn’t be married to him.’”

“No shit?” Tuevo laughed and took a pull from his beer. “Why?”

“I have no idea. I just got this feeling.” I laughed, remembering the look of horror on my mom’s face. “My mom slapped her hand over my mouth and practically dragged me out of the store. We got to the car and she kept asking me why would I say that, and asking what had I heard. Who had told me. That kind of thing.”

“Can you blame her?”

“No, not now.” Their names were Marie and Bill Eckston. I’d never forget them. Mostly because ten years later, Marie showed up at my parents’ house to give me a hug. “What I didn’t know then because I was six, was that Bill beat Marie. Everyone in town knew, and her family had never wanted her to marry him. Kept trying to get her away from him. I had no idea, but I saw them, and I can’t explain it, but felt an ugliness about them. She left him six weeks later after he shattered her nose and broke two of her ribs.”

“Holy shit.” Tuevo tore off his hat, resettled it, and then twisted, settling his hip against the drinking ledge. “So what? As a kid you magically call out one abuser and now you have some gift?”

“I’m not always right. It’s not like I’m psychic. I just get these feelings. There’s no way to explain it and have it make logical sense.”

“And your feeling tells you we’re getting married.”

“Not tomorrow. I’m not psychotic either.” There was doubt in his eyes. Anger almost as he pushed his bottom jaw forward and ground his teeth together. His lips pulled back into a sneer before he sighed.

“And if I tell you that I have no intention of ever getting married? To anyone? Regardless of how beautiful I think they might be?”

A flush of warmth invaded my chest, then sent a flash of pain tumbling and twisting through me. The way he looked at me, the way his eyes dropped to my body and slowly rose again, forced me to keep my knees locked so I didn’t fall over. Or throw myself at him.

By the time he met my gaze again, there was no hiding the blush on my cheeks. But I wasn’t some simpering fool. I could have pushed him on the foolish thing I’d said. I never considered I’d meet someone and blurt it out like that, but I hadn’t been able to stop myself. I could also go on with my record of predicting perfect matches, but that wouldn’t mean anything to him.

And really, there was no point. Fate would decide the rest. The rest of the night should be about my brother and Tuevo and seeing my family again.

So with a laugh, I said, “So you think I’m beautiful.”

CHAPTER 4

Tuevo

Stunning and slightly psychotic in the head was what I thought of Meredith, but as we stood there, sipping our drinks, I couldn’t bring myself to pull away from her or suggest we go back downstairs. Whatever this was would end when the night did. Her wild pronouncement aside, she was wrong. Even if marrying into the Kelley family would be a thing of most people’s dreams come true.

Not mine, though. And definitely not while my hockey career was on the upswing. I had a decade most likely before I’d be forced into retirement and hang up my skates. Marriage wasn’t in the cards for me.

And even if I thought she was nuts, she’d been someone I wanted to spend time with since the first time I saw her picture. So what the hell. Let the crazy woman with her wildly incorrect predictions have her fun.

I’d have mine, right along with her.

“You know you’re attractive,” I said. She had to.

She wore that same mischievous grin. “It’s still nice to know others think so. How about we forget I ruined your last night with Caleb and head back downstairs? I’m pretty sure they’ll only give you shit for another minute or two.”

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