Page 228 of Castings & Curses

Now, why did I think that horrible thought?

I gasped as hot liquid ran off the counter, hitting the floor and splashing onto my ankles.

“You all right?” Arlo was suddenly right beside me, grabbing the tea towel from my hand and sopping up the scalding liquid.

“Yeah, fine. Sorry,” I mumbled, taking the wet rag from his hand, and tossing it on the floor to sop up the liquid.

“I’ve got it, Jade. You sit,” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder.

I had to squeeze my eyes tight lest he see the helpless longing in them. He just called meJade. My heart was threatening to pump right out of my chest. Usually, it wasMiss Montrose. But right now, it wasJade, and he was cleaning up the mess I’d made without complaints.

I took his full teacup and placed it on the table as he finished mopping up the spill. Without asking, he tossed the wet towel into the sink, rinsed it, and hung it over the faucet to dry.

I was so busy staring, I did not see Rio gesturing wildly at me. She had to pull a lock of my hair for me to look at her, and when I did, I could not believe my eyes. The usually sophisticated water witch was shimmying and shaking her boobs and hips like a crazy person.

“Girl, your man is domesticated. YASSSS! Get it! Get it!”Rio mouthed the words rather than say them.

Thank the Goddess.

I could have died right there. One, he was not my man. Two, he really was domesticated. Three, I’d never been more turned on than when he touched my shoulder and said he got it—wait, I don’t think that was how the counting thing was supposed to work.

Oh well.

Another Jade-ism.

I guess I should probably admit the real reason I’d been avoiding my follow-up appointments at the clinic, even if just to myself. The truth was horribly embarrassing, but maybe once I said it, it would go away.

Okay, well, here goesnothing.

I was in total lust with Arlo Glenn, and apart from an obligatory checkup, the man didn’t know I existed.

Squeak.

CHAPTER2

The week passedby in a rush of warm weather, crazy thunderstorms at the south end of campus, and a wonderful crop of cherry tomatoes from my window boxes I was in the process of canning. I’d been banned from taking Earthquake Anatomy II, but I had other courses for my summer semester and was looking forward to completing them.

My parents sent a care package that had only just arrived, knowing my penchant for canning. They sent me a brand new pressure canner with a set of sparkling stainless steel tools to help speed up the process. They meant well. I know they did, but I preferred older methods.

There was something deliciously therapeutic about doing things the tried-and-true way. Although, I was probably being silly. Old methods were notoriously unsafe, and people often got poisoned from bad canning.

Crap.

Maybe the new pot was worth a second look.

“Whatcha doing?” Tana asked, coming into the kitchen with Brandon on her heels.

“Morning. Just canning some tomatoes,” I muttered, reading the instructions on the pressure cooker.

“Yuck. Why?”

“Tomatoes are an entirely underrated fruit,” I replied, miffed at her derisive frown.

“Not for me. I can’t underrate them enough. Anyway, we are off,” she told me, waving goodbye.

Ugh.

Typical fussy eater.

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