“Lucky me.” She hit him back.
Interesting. In the time they’d dated, he felt like he’d only scratched the surface of her complexity. Good to know he wasn’t the only one. “So, you can tell how I’m feeling?”
Eric chuckled and glanced at Sydney. “Yep.”
Fantastic. “And you get nothing from her?” He gestured toward Sydney.
“Not a thing.”
Damn. There went his one chance at finding out if she still had feelings for him. Now he’d have to do it the old-fashioned way and ask her himself. Wait. What was he thinking? Keep it professional. Don’t go there again. “Well, aren’t we an interesting group?”
Eric raised his eyebrows at Sydney, and her knuckles whitened as she clutched the edge of the table.
“I’m the only normal one here,” Jason said, and Sydney gave him a hard look.
“You have an ability too?” Blake asked, but she clamped her mouth shut and inclined her chin.
“She can see the future,” Eric said.
“Can she?” He glanced from Eric to Sydney.
Her annoyed expression made it clear she didn’t want Blake to know about her ability. “She can…sometimes.” Her tone was indignant. “Can we finish up this meeting? I’ve got two tours to run tonight.”
His curiosity piqued, he opened his mouth to press her for more explanation, but the door to the back room slammed shut, making him jump. His pulse sprinted, but the heat creeping up his neck came from the embarrassment of letting it get to him in front of a group of seasoned ghost hunters. Thankfully, the sound startled the others too.
Sydney shot to her feet and strode toward the door, running her hand along the jamb and opening and closing it a few times. “Does that happen often?”
“It started a few weeks ago, when I began bringing in the artifacts.” He shuffled to the back of the room, stopping a few feet away from her.
“But not before then?” She shrugged out of her jacket and laid it on a table. Her short-sleeved Foo Fighters t-shirt revealed a colorful tattoo sleeve covering her entire left arm. A white rabbit took up most of her bicep, and a pocket watch on a chain wound around her forearm, a blue and gold mosaic pattern filling in the empty spaces.
Blake stepped toward her and brushed a finger down her arm. “This is new.”
Her breath hitched as she looked up at him, holding him with her heated gaze. This was the closest he’d been to her since he last saw her in college, and the magnetism that drew him to her back then hadn’t weakened a bit.
The muscles in her throat worked as she swallowed, and she gave her head a tiny shake. “I got it five years ago.”
Lifting her arm, he turned it gently, admiring the artistry. The detail of the shading made the rabbit look lifelike, and the watch seemed almost metallic. Her skin was soft and warm, and as a hint of her floral shampoo wafted to his nose, he fought the urge to lean in closer. “It’s new to me. I like it.”
“I wasn’t looking for your approval,” she whispered as she slipped from his grasp, rubbing her arm where he’d touched her.
He chuckled. “You’ve never cared what other people think. I always admired you for that.” He needed to back off, but the longer he was near her, the hotter the embers grew.
She cut her gaze over his shoulder, reminding him they weren’t alone. “We should schedule the investigation. Are you guys free Monday night?”
So much for getting it done sooner. Blake shoved his hands into his pockets and stepped back. He’d been living with the activity for weeks; he could handle a few more days.
“Weekends are crazy busy,” Sydney said, as if sensing his disappointment. “We don’t run tours on Mondays, so that’s the best night to do an investigation, when everyone is fresh.”
“Works for me,” Eric said.
Jason nodded. “Do you have a manifest of all these artifacts? Something that lists where they came from so we have an idea who we might be dealing with?”
Sydney took her phone from her pocket and smiled at the screen.
“Not yet.” Blake couldn’t tear his gaze away from the joy on her face as she typed on the device. “I’m working on a database, but at the moment, it’s all up here.” He tapped the side of his head.
“Can you be here then?” Jason looked at Eric, who nodded. “Without Sean to make direct contact with the spirits, we’ll be relying on technology to gather evidence. It’s helpful to know the history so we know where to focus our investigation.”
“Absolutely.” If it meant seeing Sydney in her element, spending more time with her, he’d be there without hesitation.
She looked up from her phone, her grin lighting up her entire face. “Sable Lenore LeBlanc was born at ten fifty-seven this morning. Eight pounds, seven ounces.”
“That’s awesome,” Eric said. “Tell them congrats for us.”
“Let Sean know we’re doing the investigation on Monday too,” Jason added.
“Psh. I’m not telling him that.” Sydney typed a message and slipped her phone into her back pocket. “He needs to focus on his wife and baby right now. Anyway, he said I’m in charge while he’s gone, remember?” She fisted her hands on her hips.
“I have a feeling you’re not going to let us forget.” Eric crossed his arms.
“Damn right I’m not.” She grinned. “This meeting is adjourned. We’ll reconvene Monday night.”
“Aye-aye, Captain.” Jason tapped Eric on the shoulder and nodded toward the door.
“Thanks, guys.” Blake lifted a hand as the guys shuffled out.
Sydney grabbed her jacket and started to follow them.
“Hey, Sydney.”
She paused, inhaling a deep breath before turning around and flashing a tight-lipped smile.
“You and I still need to get together to discuss the logistics for the new tour. Sean said that you—”
“I know what Sean said.” She let out a breath, her expression softening. “Let’s do the investigation first. There’s a festival in town this weekend, which is going to make things crazy, and I need…I need a minute to think, okay? One step at a time.” She turned for the door, and a flush of panic surged through his chest.
“I’m sorry for the way things ended between us.” He clamped his mouth shut and fisted his hands at his sides. He didn’t mean to say that out loud, but watching her walk away unearthed a mess of emotions he wasn’t ready to deal with. It seemed his ability to keep things professional with her had slipped out the door before she could leave.
She sighed and faced him. “I suppose, since we’re working together now, I should apologize too. I’m sorry for ignoring your calls. I thought a clean break would be best.”
“It wasn’t clean for me. All it did was leave me wondering what I did so wrong to deserve that kind of treatment.” An intense ache spread from his chest to his throat, making it hard to breathe. “I was moving away, but I didn’t want to break up.” Because you were the one. He stepped toward her. He shouldn’t have, but when she didn’t move away, he reached for her face, cupping her cheek in his hand.
She closed her eyes, leaning into his palm, and for a moment, the years they’d spent apart disintegrated. It was just the two of them, together, and nothing else in the world mattered.
“What did I do, Sydney?”
Opening her eyes, she took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently before lowering it to his side. “It’s complicated, Blake, I…” Her eyes tightened, and she inhaled quickly. “I need some time to think. Please, just…I need to go.”
Chapter Five
Armed with a bouquet of daisies and a little stuffed rabbit, Sydney navigated the maze of hallways at Trinity Memorial Hospital toward the maternity ward. Her red Chuck Taylors squeaked on the polished tile floor, and the sharp scent of antiseptic overpowered the flowers’ sweet perfume. Fluorescent lights cast the entire hospital in a greenish-yellow tinge, and a woman with long, brown braids and a bright smile stood behind the nurses’ station.
; “Can I help you find someone?”
“I’m looking for Emily LeBlanc.” She wiggled the rabbit in her hand. “New baby.”
The nurse clicked a few keys on a computer. “She’s in two-oh-seven. Right down the hall.”
“Thanks.” Sydney paced down the corridor and knocked lightly on the door.
“Hey, Sydney.” Emily’s best friend, Trish, greeted her, stepping aside so she could enter the private room. “Perfect timing. They just brought Sable in from the nursery. Want me to take those?” She gestured to the flowers.
“Sure. Where’s Sean?”
“I sent him to the cafeteria. He’s hardly slept or eaten since Emily went into labor.” Trish carried the bouquet to a table by the window, her blonde hair glinting in the sunlight that spilled in through the glass, and she situated them next to an enormous arrangement of pink roses that made Sydney’s offering look like a bundle of weeds.
“Those are from my mother-in-law. She loves to go overboard.” Emily sat propped up in bed, a light-blue blanket covering her legs and a sleeping baby bundled in her arms. Her long, red hair was piled in a messy bun on top of her head, and though dark circles rimmed her tired eyes, her contented smile warmed Sydney’s heart.
“How are you feeling?” She moved toward Emily and the baby.
“Wait.” Trish held up an arm. “Wash your hands first. Doctor’s rules.”
“Right.” Sydney set the rabbit on a table near the bed. “The eyes are just thread, so no choking hazards.”
“Thank you.”
Sydney shuffled to the sink and washed her hands before returning to the bed and peering at the baby wrapped in Emily’s arms. Swaddled in a blue and pink blanket, Sable slept in her mother’s embrace, her little squished face a mask of peacefulness, a healthy peach tone flushing her cheeks. A mop of soft, dark hair fell across her forehead, and Sydney reached a hand toward the baby, glancing at Emily.
“You can touch her.”
“She’s beautiful.” Sydney lightly brushed the silky strands on the baby’s head.
“Sean says the hair runs in the family. He had a full head of it when he was born too.”
Sydney smiled and clasped her hands in front of her. “How are you?”
“Tired. A little sore, but otherwise good.” She looked at Trish. “Will you put her in the bassinet? My arms are about to give out.”
Trish gently scooped the baby into an embrace and laid her in the plastic bassinet. “She seems like she’s going to be a good sleeper.”
Emily laughed softly. “We’ll see about that when we get her home. How are you doing with the merger, Sydney? Sean said you and Blake might have some history.”
She groaned. “Don’t get me started.” She’d thought what they had was history, but after yesterday, she wasn’t so sure. His gentle touch had set off a chemical reaction inside her body, and she hadn’t been able to get him out of her mind since.
Emily lifted herself with her hands, wincing as she adjusted her position in the bed. “Are you going to be okay working with him?”
“Yeah. I mean, we dated eight years ago. It’s water under the bridge.” She bit her lip. That was a lie she couldn’t even convince herself to believe anymore. Seeing him again yesterday had stirred up so many unwanted emotions, she’d gone into defensive mode, mouthing off to him as if he’d been an ass, when he’d been nothing but kind. What was wrong with her?
Trish sank into a chair and leaned her elbows on her knees. “C’mon, Syd. You’re going to have to do better than that. I’m not the slightest bit convinced.” She wiggled her flawless eyebrows. “Is he hot?”
Sydney’s lips curved into an involuntary smile. “Smokin’.”
“What’s the problem then?” Trish asked. “Aside from the fact that you work together, because workplace romances can have a happy ending.”
Sydney glanced at Emily. “It’s complicated.”
“Did you see something?” A hint of fear glinted in Emily’s eyes.
“Yeah, I did…but I don’t know exactly what it means.” She chewed the inside of her cheek. Should she share her vision when she hadn’t been able to figure out any more details, no matter how many times she meditated on it? Maybe another perspective could help. “I saw a coffin.”
Emily’s eyes widened. “Who?”
“I don’t know. That’s the problem.” She lifted her hands and dropped them by her sides. “I can’t expand this one. The coffin was closed, and I was there with Sean. The second time it came on, Eric was with us, but everyone else is a blur, and I only see the backs of their heads.”
“Have you told Sean?”
“No, and I don’t plan to. Not until I figure out who is in the coffin, if it’s even a person. It might not be.” Please don’t let it be a person.
Emily swallowed hard and gazed at her baby.
“It’s not you or Sable. I’m ninety-nine percent sure of that.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I saw Sean in the vision. He was upset, but if it were you… He wasn’t devastated enough, you know? So, there’s no sense in telling him about this, because it will only make him worry like…”
“Like with Courtney.” Emily nodded. “You’re right not to tell him. We’ll keep this between us girls, right, Trish?”
“Absolutely.” Trish pursed her lips, furrowing her brow. “If you aren’t sure it’s a person, what do you think it means?”
“The first time I had the vision was right before Sean announced the merger. It could signify the death of the company.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “And with Blake coming in as his partner…” She locked eyes with Emily. “What if I’m the reason it fails?”
“Why would you be the reason?” Emily shook her head. “Are you even sure it’s the company the coffin represents?”
“It’s better than it being a person.” She lowered her gaze to the floor. Honestly, she had no idea what the damn thing meant.
“I agree with you there, but until you know for sure…” Emily tilted her head. “Sean has spoken very highly of Blake since they reconnected. We had him over for dinner a few weeks ago, and he seems like a great guy. You’re both mature adults. I don’t think you dating or not dating is going mean the end of Crescent City Ghost Tours.”
A weight settled in her chest. Her friend was right; her relationship with Blake—or lack thereof—wouldn’t make or break the company. “Then it’s going to mean the end of someone’s life.”
The door creaked open, and Sean slipped inside. His hair was mussed, but his tired eyes lit up when he looked at Emily. “How’s our little princess?”
Emily smiled. “Sleeping like a baby.”
Sean peered into the bassinet before sinking onto the edge of the bed. “How was the meeting?”
“Great.” Sydney plastered on a smile. “We’re doing a preliminary investigation Monday night. A door slammed for no apparent reason while we were there yesterday, so the guys are anxious to get started. I’ll meet with Blake to discuss the new tour once that’s done.”
He nodded. “Good. No other issues?”
“Nope. Everything’s under control.” She forced herself to hold his gaze, and the baby stirred, capturing his attention.
He scooped Sable into his arms and sat next to Emily.
“I have to be at work soon, so I’m heading out.” Trish slung her purse over her shoulder. “Call me if you need anything, Em.”
“I’ll walk you out,” Sydney said. “See y’all later.”
“Keep me posted on the progress.” Sean glanced at her before returning to the baby.
“Will do.” She followed Trish out the door and onto the elevator.
Trish’s pale pink nail clicked against the plastic as she pressed the button for the parking garage. “What’s the story with you and this Blake guy? How long did you date?”
“A few months when I was a freshman in college.”
“Wow, so it was pretty serious then?”
Sy
dney shrugged. “I guess so. I thought it was getting serious, anyway.”
The elevator doors slid open, wafting the scents of rubber and exhaust into the compartment. They stepped into the garage, and Trish turned to her. “What happened?”
Sydney dug her keys from her pocket. “It’s a long story.”
“There’s a coffee shop next door, and I could use some caffeine. Want to come?” Trish nodded in the direction of the café and headed toward it without waiting for an answer.
“Sure.” Sydney shielded her eyes from the midday sun as they stepped out of the garage and onto the sidewalk. A car horn blared, and traffic whizzed past on the busy Central Business District street.
This section of the city, nestled between the quaint French Quarter and the grand homes of the Garden District, boasted modern skyscrapers and freshly paved streets. A Community Coffee House occupied the corner section of the neighboring building’s bottom floor, and dry, heated air enveloped Sydney as she passed through the door.
Trish ordered a white chocolate mocha, and Sydney went for a vanilla latte. Heat seeped through the paper cup as she clutched it in both hands and sank into a chair near the floor-to-ceiling window.
“All right.” Trish sat next to her. “I haven’t had a date in two months, so I’m going to live vicariously through you. Tell me about you and Blake.”
Sydney sipped her latte, savoring the taste of the bittersweet liquid on her tongue. As she swallowed, it left a trail of warmth from her throat to her stomach. “We met at a music festival. I punched a drunk guy for groping my friend, and apparently, Blake found that attractive.” She shrugged.
Trish’s eyes widened. “Did you get arrested?”
“No. We were in a crowd. The guy went down, and I grabbed my friend by the arm and kept walking. Blake followed and told me I had a mean right hook. We went on our first date the next night.”
“Wow. He’s got balls to hit on you right after you knocked a guy out. Props to Blake.” She held up her coffee cup in a toast.
Love & Omens Page 5
