Page 8 of Cursed Touch
He wondered what the chances were that he had met her the same week his sisters had stepped foot into her store for the first time. There were so many questions he wished he would have asked before storming out of the family gathering, but he just could not stay. He sucked in a deep breath at the pressure on his chest.
If he was not a doctor, he would have been driving himself to the hospital. Then again, as a doctor he knew better than to drink his worries away. Sucking in a breath through his nose, he shut his eyes and willed the stress to depart his body. He was anxious and wound so damn tight, he doubted he would get much, if any, sleep that night. Good thing he was not on shift the next day.
Why did the first woman to intrigue him past a good lay have to be taken?
It wasn’t her looks. He had seen plenty of beautiful women. This one… Vanessa, he thought they had called her… “Shit, even her fucking name is beautiful.”Thiswoman was different… was special. He couldn’t help but wonder if she was his.
He wondered how Brandy, Ethan, and Max had known who theirs were. Junior and James were not technically with their soul mates, implying theirs had passed, but their women were perfect for them, and Edward did not bother speaking of such things.
The spark when he touched the frantic woman had dug deep within him and refused to release him of its sting. Why did she affect him so strongly? Was she a witch, a werewolf, or something entirely different?
Chapter 5
The large order Serena had placed left Vanessa in the best mood. Even days later, she woke with a smile on her face and a bounce to her step. Sure, the sexy dreams with Dr. Tingles she’d been having may have had something to do with her state in the mornings. Then again, her vibrator was getting a lot of TLC since the trip to the ER.
Tyler had completely healed, and she had a sneaking suspicion that if she peeked at the wound, there would be no signs of it. It was something she would add to the list of strange goings-on in her town. She saw him one other time after checking in on him, and if she did not know better, she would say he was trying to avoid her.
At least her Good Samaritan behavior had brought her tasty dreams. Too bad her mind would not let her stay there, in dreamland. Before she could think further on it, her cell phone vibrated violently against the glass counter. The name on the screen caused her face to split into a grin as she accepted the call.
“Hi!” she said excitedly. “Please tell me you’re back!”
Georgia chuckled. “Missed me that much?”
“Yes! How was it? You have to tell me everything,” she demanded, leaning back into the chair.
“Dinner tonight? I really could use a juicy steak,” Georgia stated, and Vanessa imagined her best friend drooling at the thought.
“I’ll close now if you want an early dinner,” Vanessa said, pushing to her feet.
The phone rustled before Georgia spoke. “No, no. I’ll meet you there at closing. I need to shower off my stink and do a tick check.”
“Ew…”
Georgia laughed. “Part of camping, Nessie.”
Vanessa rolled her eyes at the nickname but didn’t object. Georgia had been calling her Nessie ever since she’d met her in fourth grade. “See you at seven then, but we’ll have to order an appetizer because there’s no way I’ll make it until the entrees.”
Georgia laughed. “Eat a damn snack, woman. See you later.”
Before Vanessa could say good-bye, the call ended. She beamed with excitement at the prospect of seeing Georgia. It had been a few weeks since her friend had decided to go backpacking, and while she did it often, it did not stop Vanessa from missing her.
Vanessa liked the outdoors, but Georgia’s love of all things nature ran deep. She even went on to become a park ranger. As the years passed, they went in different directions but maintained the same tight-knit bond they always had. She could not wait to tell her all about Dr. Tingles.
***
“If your mother is more conservative, this one will be the better choice,” Vanessa told her customer. The woman thanked her as another customer stepped inside. She had been swamped for the last two hours, something she could thank Serena for. It seemed her customers had indeed loved what she had to offer and decided to come by and see for themselves what else Vanessa made.
“If you have…” Her words trailed off, then she squealed with delight at the sight of Georgia in her shop. “You’re really here!” she said and rushed to embrace her.
Georgia chuckled. “Missed you too, girl.”
When they parted, Vanessa noted the customer watching their reunion. “Sorry, this is my best friend, Georgia, and she’s been playing out in the woods for like three weeks.”
The woman laughed. “Welcome back to civilization.”
“Thanks,” Georgia replied before following Vanessa to the counter. “Shop looks great! I like the extra displays you added.”
“Thanks, I came up with a few more items, and well…” Vanessa shrugged and gave her a knowing smile. “Go take a look for yourself.”
