“Used to be root beer you’d serve up while I watched you cook.”
She offered a wry smile. “Times have changed, I guess.”
“I guess.”
I didn’t bother to tell her I rarely drank.
She stirred the chili then eyed me. “So. How’s the knee?”
“Temperamental.”
She smirked. “I asked about the knee, not its owner.”
“Very funny.”
I took another swig then glanced around. The kitchen was bigger than I remembered. The Home Sweet Home sign above the sink was still there, though. As was the chip in the edge of the counter. I remembered that particular day like it was yesterday.
I shuddered at the memory.
“I read the medical notes you sent over,” Mom said, pulling me back to the moment. “Your doctor said you’ll recover fully as long as you stick to the therapy he recommended.”
I grimaced.
Physical therapy shouldn’t have been necessary for someone like me. Rehab and slow healing were for humans. But for some reason, at twenty-eight, my supernatural healing had decided to suddenly flake out. And now, the only docs in the world I could trust were those who knew what I really was. The universe had forced me back to the one place I said I’d never return. Fate was a cruel bitch.
“I booked you the best in town, you know.”
I looked up and found my mother watching me expectantly.
“Thanks, Mom.”
She beamed, and I knew my appreciation meant a lot. Which somehow made me feel even worse.
Another swig.
Steve would kill me if he saw me now. But Steve wasn’t here.
“I’m happy to help. We both are.”
Both. She meant Dad. I barely managed to hold in my snort.
“Physical therapy starts first thing tomorrow,” she went on. “Here’s the information and your schedule.”
She slid a sheet of paper toward me, and I read her elegant handwriting as it outlined my life for the next three months. Physical therapy three times a week at a sports rehab clinic in town.
Ice baths once a day. Heat twice.
It wasn’t anything I couldn’t handle. Except that I was here. In the Falls. With him. And I might never snowboard again.
My gaze caught on where she’d scrawled the therapist’s name, and I froze.
Of course.
Turning Point Therapy and Rehab.
I should have known.
And while I had no idea what to expect, showing up there after all this time, part of me was looking forward to it. Gene and Meg had done so much for me growing up. Catching up with them sounded nice. As long as they didn’t try to murder me for what I’d done to their daughter.
“East?”
I blinked and found Mom watching me, her fake happiness beginning to fade into something much more real. Concern. Worry. Fear.
This was the version of her that broke my heart all those years ago. And it was still doing it right now.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself against my own guilt. “Just making sure I know the plan.”
“Of course.” A forced smile. One I remembered well.
God, had it always been this strained?
No, it had been worse.
Denial made for a stiff rope between me and my mother. I’d prayed for years for that rope to snap. For her to wake up. Get out. But getting out was my thing. Staying was hers.
“How are things in Breckenridge?” she asked.
“Good.”
“And your apartment? Did your landlord give you any trouble about being away?”
“No trouble.”
“Your sponsors—”
“They understand.”
Silence fell.
“You’re more than welcome to stay with us,” she said for the hundredth time.
“I’ve already got a room booked in town.”
Disappointment flickered across her tired features. I took another swig of beer.
“Right. Well, I can pick you up and drive you in the morning. So you don’t have to figure it all out right away.”
“I’ve got my truck, thanks.”
“Suit yourself.” She turned away to stir the chili.
My stomach growled loud enough for her human ears to hear it.
“I was going to wait for your father, but it’s ready,” she offered reluctantly.
My words held no such hesitation. “Let’s eat.”
Chapter Two
Cat
I flung the shower curtain aside, shivering, and yanked the towel off the rack. My chattering teeth made it hard to mutter the curses running through my mind, but I was a pro. “. . . Bullshit water tank. I pay enough to damn well deserve a God damn hot shower—”
“Tell me how you really feel.”
I shrieked and almost lost the towel.
“Rudy, what the hell did I tell you about sneaking up on me?” I demanded.
“I didn’t sneak. The door’s wide open, and I’m standing in the mother-loving hallway in plain sight.”
Where Rudy was hesitant to spew profanity, I made up for it in spades.
“I’m too damn cold to see that far.”
He gaped at me. “Is that the explanation you want to go with here? That your body temperature has negatively impacted your eyesight?”
“Do you really want to argue with a woman with frigid nipples?” I shot back.
I watched as Rudy’s gaze dipped to my towel-covered chest. As expected, there wasn’t a single flicker of interest beyond mild curiosity—and maybe an attempt to rile me further.
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Prove it.”
“Perv.” I shoved past him to my bedroom.
He followed, as expected, because Rudy wasn’t a quitter. Not even when it came to pointless conversations. Especially then.
“Look, I told you I called the landlord about the water heater. What else do you want from me?”
I whirled to face him, one hand on my doorknob. “For starters, privacy.”
Then, I shut the door in his face.
“Real classy, Cat.”
Guilt tugged at me but only for a minute. Rudy was my best friend, but he was a terrible roommate. Before we’d lived together, his laid back attitude had been a nice complement to my high-strung tendencies. But now, it meant taking six months to call in a repair or letting the dishes pile for days. Or until I did them. Still, he was always ready to lend an ear or a shoulder—of which I’d needed both lately.
If we bickered more often recently, it was only because he let me take out my frustrations on him.
And his heart was always in the right place.
“Don’t wear the pink sweater with the blue pants,” he called through the door.
I looked down, my mouth open and ready with an argument. When I realized I was putting on exactly that combo, I scowled and peeled the pants off again.
“I’m not,” I yelled back.
Rudy snickered and then retreated up the hall.
Twenty minutes later, I emerged in black pants and a green sweater.
Rudy looked up from the paper and arched a brow at my outfit.
I stuck my tongue out at him, which only earned me the other brow.
“It’s so strange that you don’t have a boyfriend, considering how mature you are,” he said.
“I don’t have a boyfriend because you’ve already slept with all the decent men in town,” I shot back.
“And some of the indecent ones, too.” He winked.
I shook my head and went straight for the coffee.
We read our sections of the paper in silence. Fashion for Rudy; Health and Wellness for me. The tiny town of Midnight Falls was a holdout when it came to things like online news. They still delivered a physical newspaper every morning, and I kind of liked that. Reading it always reminded me of my parents. In fact, there wasn’t much about my daily routine that didn’t trigger some memory of them. Especially now that I’d taken over the
business.
Noting the time, I hopped up. After another coffee refill, I grabbed my lunch of leftovers from the fridge and slid it into my dad’s old leather messenger bag. After nearly a year, I could wear it without tearing up.
Travis had said it smelled funny, which still grated on me. Then again, there wasn’t much about Travis that didn’t piss me off these days.
“You okay?” Rudy’s voice pulled me out of a deep reverie.
“Huh? Yeah. Fine.”
He set his paper aside, fully focused on me now. “Uh-uh. You know what fine stands for, don’t you?”
“Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional,” we said in unison and then broke into matching smiles as we quoted our favorite movie line.
“Italian Job re-watch tonight?” he asked as I stood up and grabbed my purse and a travel mug. “I’ll get takeout.”
“Okay, but only if you promise not to shrink me.”
“I’m not shrinking you.”
“Fine. You’re New-Age-energifying me.”
“That’s not even a real thing.”
“Exactly. So stop doing it.”
“I’ll stop when you stop.” Before I could respond, he added, “You can be ‘not fine.’ No, you should be ‘not fine.’ What Travis did—”
“Rudy, do not tell me how I feel,” I warned.
“If you don’t like it, maybe tell yourself how you feel. And try the truth this time.”
I headed for the door, but Rudy wasn’t so easily discouraged.
“He was a loser anyway,” he went on.
“Bye,” I called back, wrenching open the front door and hurrying out.
“He didn’t deserve you. My spirit guide says this was an important life lesson about picking unavailable guys who—”
I slammed the door, effectively ending my morning session of unsolicited relationship therapy.
’Til tomorrow.
Get Midnight Mate!
About Heather Hildenbrand
Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She's only slightly socially awkward as a result.) She writes paranormal and contemporary romance with plenty of abs and angst. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.
You can find out more about Heather and her books at heatherhildenbrand.com.
About Karpov Kinrade
Karpov Kinrade is the pen name for the husband and wife writing duo of USA TODAY bestselling, award-winning authors Lux Karpov-Kinrade and Dmytry Karpov-Kinrade.
Together, they live in Ukiah, California and write fantasy and paranormal novels, multi-genre screenplays, make music and direct movies.
Look for more from Karpov Kinrade in The Night Firm, Vampire Girl, Of Dreams and Dragons, The Last Witch, Nightfall Academy and Paranormal Spy Academy. If you’re looking for their suspense and romance titles, you’ll now find those under Alex Lux.
They live with their three teens who share a genius for all things creative, and seven cats who think they rule the world (spoiler, they do.)
Want their books and music before anyone else and also enjoy weekly interactive flash fiction? Join them on Patreon at Patreon.com/karpovkinrade
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Also by Heather Hildenbrand
The Girl Who Cried Werewolf: Bookstagrammer Romy Cartelli discovers book boyfriends are real. But not every supernatural creature come to life is one of the good guys.
Goddess Ascending: In order to save her family and the one she loves, she’ll have to ascend—if the darkness doesn’t get to her first.
The Monster Ball Anthology: 13 bestselling paranormal romance authors bring you a night you won’t forget! One night a year, the supernatural elite all gather for a party like no other. And remember, what happens at the ball stays at the ball.
The Girl Who Called The Stars: A fierce heroine far from home and the army she left behind must reunite to save the galaxy from utter darkness.
Remembrance: She’s the cure that could save him… if only she could remember how. “Witches, Werewolves, and WTF?!”
Bitter Rivalry: Two long lost sisters are reunited and forced to compete for the alpha role in their pack. The winner has been promised to the vampire prince. One sister wants to kiss him; the other wants to kill him. Can siblings survive rivalry and forbidden love?
A Risk Worth Taking: A New Adult Contemporary Romance with southern charm and a hippie farmer capable of swoon and heartbreak in the same breath.
Dirty Blood: A Young Adult Paranormal Romance about a girl who falls in love with a werewolf, only to find out she’s a Hunter, born and bred to kill the very thing she means to save.
Imitation: A Young Adult SciFi Romance with life or death choices and a conspiracy so deep, even a motorcycle-riding bodyguard can’t pull you out.
O Face: Is Summerville’s most eligible bachelor hot enough to melt the ice princess herself?
For a complete list of titles, visit www.heatherhildenbrand.com.
Also by Karpov Kinrade
A reverse harem paranormal romance with humor and good liquor. (with Evan Gaustad)
The Last Witch
A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Walk Into A Bar (The Last Witch, 1)
A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Go To Budapest (The Last Witch, 2)
A Werewolf, A Vampire, and A Fae Go Home (The Last Witch, 3)
A reverse harem Greek Mythology adventure with a badass heroine and some serious kickass action. (with Liv Chatham)
Dungeon Queen
Warrior Queen
A reverse harem paranormal romance with mystery, suspense and plenty of twists. (with Heather Hildenbrand)
Mad Girl: Locked Up
The Night Firm
A reverse harem fantasy romance with mystery, suspense and depth.
I Am the Wild
I Am the Storm
I Am the Night
A standalone dark paranormal romance with mystery
Wanted
In the Vampire Girl Universe
A fantasy romance with mystery and intrigue.
Vampire Girl
Vampire Girl 2: Midnight Star
Vampire Girl 3: Silver Flame
Vampire Girl 4: Moonlight Prince
Vampire Girl 5: First Hunter
Vampire Girl 6: Unseen Lord
Vampire Girl 7: Fallen Star
Vampire Girl: Copper Snare
Vampire Girl: Crimson Cocktail
Vampire Girl: Christmas Cognac
Of Dreams and Dragons
Standalone fantasy romance novellas
Season of the Witch
The Winter Witch (with Heather Hildenbrand)
The Spring Witch (with Heather Hildenbrand)
Forever Bound
Get the soundtrack for I AM THE WILD, OF DREAMS AND DRAGONS and MOONSTONE ACADEMY wherever music can be found.
Nightfall Academy
Court of Nightfall
Weeper of Blood
House of Ravens
Night of Nyx
Song of Kai
Daughter of Strife
Paranormal Spy Academy (complete academy sci fi thriller romance)
Forbidden Mind
Forbidden Fire
Forbidden Life
Our ALEX LUX BOOKS!
The Seduced Saga (paranormal romance with suspense)
Seduced by Innocence
Seduced by Pain
Seduced by Power
Seduced by Lies
Seduced by Darkness
The Call Me Cat Trilogy (romantic suspense)
Call
Me Cat
Leave Me Love
Tell Me True
(Standalone romcon with crossover characters)
Hitched
Whipped
Kiss Me in Paris (A standalone romance)
Our Children's Fantasy collection under Kimberly Kinrade
The Three Lost Kids series
Lexie World
Bella World
Maddie World
The Three Lost Kids and Cupid's Capture
The Three Lost Kids and the Death of the Sugar Fairy
The Three Lost Kids and the Christmas Curse
The Spring Witch (Season of the Witch Book 2) Page 9
