Page 6 of New Nebraska Home

Or were they just friends like they said they were? There were two separate bedrooms downstairs. I didn’t know, and I wasn’t sure how to politely ask.

“So, how’s the job search going?” Callum asked, taking a seat in front of me, having recovered from his little choking episode.

“Bad enough. I’m reading an ad looking for a ‘blood minx,’ and actually trying to figure out what it means instead of just flipping the page.”

“Yeah, give me that.” Callum took the paper, grabbed my red pen and scribbled over that ad, even scratching out the number so I couldn’t call even if I wanted to. “Trust me, that’s not what you’re looking for.”

“What about you?” I snatched the paper back—before he could cross out anything else—and took a sip of my o-neg free coffee. “What’s your plan?”

“I don’t know. This is the first time in a long time I haven’t had a plan and I’m kind of enjoying it. With things as they stand, Brock and I both have enough money in savings that neither of us need to work, and we are both getting out of long-term… situations. I think for a while we’re just going to play it by ear.”

“What kind of situations?” As comfortable as I felt around him, sometimes I completely forgot I barely knew this man.

Cal raised an eyebrow at me, and a wave of warmth colored my cheeks.

“If you don’t mind me my asking, that is,” I said, trying to cover up my rudeness.

“I was in a relationship not too long ago. With a woman whose family headed up one of the most powerful covens in North America.” He shrugged his shoulders as if that was no big deal. “The breakup was amicable, but still a little…”

“Messy?” I prompted, but wasn’t sure what a vampire breakup might involve.

“Something like that. She and I are fine, but her family is very opinionated.”

That I understood, so I gave him a nod as I took a sip from my drink. Then what he said sank in.

“Her?”

“Yes? Does that surprise you?”

For just the flash of a second, I swore I could see amusement cross his eyes before his attention went back to his coffee. I was thankfully saved from answering by a knock at the front door.

“I’m just going to—” I got up from the table and practically ran to the living room. I opened the door to see a pretty woman with a white headband in her straight blonde hair wearing a pink sweater set, despite it being August and unbelievably hot outside. She looked like she was supposed to be a homemaker in a 1950s movie. I half expected her to be wearing a pink hoop skirt, though I supposed the bright white slacks were close enough.

Brock’s power obviously had limits, because the second I opened up the front door, I was hit with a wave of humidity that made my stomach roll.

“Are you okay, sugar?” she asked as I took a deep breath.

“Yeah, sorry, just a humid one today. Can I help you?” I asked.

“Well, I sure hope so.” She gave me a sugary sweet smile that showed a slight sharpness to her bright white teeth. “My name’s Karen, and I’m going around to all the newcomers in the neighborhood to see if they want to join a picnic.”

“A picnic?” I repeated, not even remembering when the last time we had a town event like that. They happened all the time when I was a kid, but it’d been a while.

“Yeah, in the town square. It’s nothing fancy, just a get to know you for all the new members and a chance for people to find out more about the Temple and join up. Building a strong close-knit community is so important, don’t you think?”

Her smile was going to give me diabetes. It would be one thing if it wasn’t so fake that it set me on edge, but something about this woman made me want to run. Too bad for her cornhuskers didn’t run.

“It is,” I agreed, trying to get a read on her.

“What’s the Temple?” Cal’s voice came from behind me and a moment later Brock was there, too, dripping wet. I was going to say something until I noticed the water puddling mid-air about a foot off the hardwood floors.

“Oh, it’s kind of new. Just a place for like-minded individuals to congregate and talk about issues facing our community. All are welcome.” She tapped the button on her blouse. It read, ‘The Temple, the home of purity and prosperity.’

She took another long look at the men behind me and then back at me, her smile faltering a little.

“I’m so sorry to be nosy, but I just have to ask, what are you exactly? I know you’re not a wolf. Are you some type of other shifter or…”

“No,” I said, smiling. “I’m human.”

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