Page 46 of And I Love Her

Callie rolled her eyes. “Do you use that line on all the girls?”

“Only Classics professors.”

“How many Classics professors do you know?”

“One.” He winked at her. “Where are you parked? I’ll go with you back to your house, and then we can head over to the boardwalk.”

She took her keys from her purse, and they walked to her nearby car.

“Hey, Callie.” Destiny Storm from Moonbeams came toward them, a shopping bag looped around her arm and her silver jewelry twinkling in the morning light. “Did Aria give you the rose quartz?”

“Yes, thanks.” Callie arched an eyebrow. “Did Joe bring you a croissant or a cherry danish?”

“Maybe.” A smile quirked the other woman’s mouth as she eyed Jake with interest. “Looks like the rose quartz is already working. Hello again, handsome. I didn’t know you and Callie were friends.”

“We went to high school together,” Callie explained. “We’re just going over to the boardwalk.”

“Have fun.” Destiny directed a high-watt smile at Jake. “Don’t forget I’ll honor the discount for the reading, honey.”

“I won’t forget.”

“Your heart chakra energy is looking a little less dismal at the moment.” She wiggled her fingers at them. “Live in the light, you two.”

After they passed each other, he ducked his head closer to Callie. “She wasn’t here when we were in high school, was she?”

Callie shook her head. “You’d have heard about her if she was, I’m sure. She did move here shortly after you and I graduated, though. She and my sister Aria are good friends. A lot of people claim her readings are really accurate. You should let her do one.”

“I’m a little scared of her.”

She chuckled. “You’re not the only one, from what I hear.”

She stopped by her car and unlocked the doors. Jake climbed into the passenger seat as she settled behind the wheel. As she pulled onto the road, he discovered how much he enjoyed being enclosed in the car with her—watching her slender hands on the wheel and smelling her fruit-scented shampoo.

“What’s the rose quartz?” he asked.

“Oh.” Callie waved her hand dismissively, even as a faint blush tinged her cheeks. “Just a stone Destiny thought I needed. She believes crystals have certain powers, like to help with stress or negative energy. All very New-Agey.”

“So what does rose quartz do?”

Her blush deepened. “It’s…well, it’s considered the love crystal for attracting love and romance. Both Aria and Destiny think I need more of that in my life, which is entirely silly because of course I have neither the time nor the interest for such things.”

She gave a little sniff, as if “such things” were beneath her. Jake rubbed his chest, where a strange discomfort had settled.

“Nice that they’re looking out for you,” he said.

“They mean well.” She turned onto a street in a quiet, residential neighborhood not far from Skyline College. “But they’d be better off focusing on someone else. Here we are.”

She pulled into the driveway of a gray Cape Cod bordered by a manicured lawn. They got out of the car and went inside. After putting her books and purse on a table, she told him to make himself at home and disappeared into the bedroom.

Jake was unable to stop himself from examining all the interior details of the house, as if he could gain more insight into her. Not surprisingly, everything was in shades of neutral—cream-colored walls, tan sofa with brown-patterned throw pillows, chairs upholstered in ivory fabric. Even the artwork lacked color—black-and-white prints, gray-tinted flowers, a few rustic farmhouse scenes.

But there were clues about her in the room. Amidst the Greek epic poetry books on her shelves, there were a number of well-worn romance novels and even a couple of erotica titles that stirred his interest. Framed photos sat on the mantel—Eleanor with a tall, bearded man who was gazing at her with intense devotion. Callie’s sisters—Rory from the bakery with her long black hair, and Aria in a flowered dress. Other people Jake didn’t recognize were in the photos, but they must have been extended family for Callie to give them a place of honor in her living room.

A couple of worn sketchbooks sat on the coffee-table, along with a box of pencils. Tempted though he was to look at her sketches, he didn’t want to invade her privacy any more than he already was.

He wandered into the pristine kitchen. A breakfast nook looked out on to a little garden. Checkered dish towels hung from a rack beside the sink, aCarpe Diemmagnet decorated the fridge, and a mug inscribed with the phraseTears of my Studentssat on the counter. A black-and-white photo of the boardwalk was framed near the door.

“All set.” Callie entered the kitchen in jean shorts and an open brown shirt over a white T-shirt. With her golden-brown hair and thick-lashed eyes, she was as delectable as a chocolate cupcake, even if she did still blend into her interior design scheme.

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