Reckoning Read Online Free PDF Page B

for it, actually,” I admitted.
    “ Good…” Eran breathed, thankful.
    I think he had a sense that delivering messages would help me recall what it felt like to be my more innocent, remedial self.
    I followed him to my bike already parked outside the shed and just a few minutes later we were weaving our way through tourists to reach Rufus and Felix. They each had customers but they’d gone the extra effort to set up my area for me beforehand.
    Two folding chairs and a sign announcing that I could deliver messages to those who had passed on to the afterlife were already waiting for me.
    Mardi Gras had just ended so I was surprised to find so many people filling The Square. Typically, tourists returned to their normal life but this time a few appeared to straggle behind. It didn’t take longer than ten minutes before my first customer approached me. By the time I was through taking down her message a small line had formed. By the end of the day, I had memorized almost thirty messages. Tonight I would deliver them and they would keep me busy until morning.
    Eran, who had mingled around The Square, keeping an eye on me throughout the day, came through the dissipating crowd as the sun set. He strolled like the confident walk of someone who had seen everything and through innate abilities had survived it. Glancing up at him, his eyes locked on me and my heart skipped a beat. This was the image of Eran - the conceited, calm, alert man that captivated me - I’d intentionally tried to ignore those weeks on the road. This time, I allowed myself the time to enjoy it.
    The t-shirt he wore was tight enough to cast shadows across his chest, distinguishing his protruding muscles, and the jeans seemed to be custom made to his body, moving easily in some places and fitting snugly in others. As always, he looked casually stylish. I openly appraised him and when I found him smirking at me I knew he’d seen.
    He bent down so that our faces were inches apart before whispering, “You’re nice to look at too.” His gorgeous aqua-blue eyes smoldered with his announcement, taking my breath away.
    “ Tease,” I whispered softly in return.
    “ Yes, I am,” he admitted brazenly.
    “ And you aren’t sorry for it, are you?”
    “ If it keeps you interested, not in the least.”
    Before I could respond, he stood and started collapsing my sign.
    “ Was it a good day for you too?” he asked Felix and Rufus. While receiving a brief shrug from Rufus, Felix launched in to story after story about his most interesting customers’ futures. As both a tarot card and palm reader, Felix took his work very seriously.
    At home, dinner was much easier than breakfast had been because we avoided the topic of me and further hunting. Rufus flatly refused to allow Felix to cook, declaring that my first dinner back should be something familiar. Instead, Rufus grilled steak and vegetables, which was incredibly appetizing. Felix, not allowing Rufus to take away his fun, defied him with dessert – good old fashioned bread pudding. It actually smelled perfect…before he poured creamed carrots over it. I didn’t care much, though. It was nice simply to be surrounded by those I love.
    As was my duty, I washed and dried the dishes, with Eran’s help. Unfortunately, he kept his distance, skirting me at times when we may have bumped against each other. That, I found, was extremely irritating. Other than innocent rides on my motorcycle in which there was no way for our bodies to avoid touching, he had not made one move to come in contact with me. Typically, I could read his emotions and identify when he was interested or not. Not this time. He had mastered the ability to hide his feelings when needed, a trait required for someone in warfare, and he was using this ability now.
    By the time we were upstairs and preparing for bed, I was thoroughly annoyed. Having been away from him for so long – at least while I thought I had been – had caused my emotions to