Donovan Brothers: Box Set (Donovan Brothers #1-2)

by J. Sterling

  “Still in bed? It’s eleven o’clock, ya sack! Get up!” Sophia jumped onto Katherine’s bed and gave her a hug. When she pulled back, Katherine noticed that Sophia had added highlights to her short brunette hair since the last time she’d seen her.

  Katherine laughed at her hyper best friend before she said, “Hi to you too! You look so good…I love your hair! How’s Arizona?”

  “It’s awesome. I love. What about you and the E.C.? Isn’t it freezing there?” Sophia scrunched her nose at the thought.

  Katherine thought for a minute and quickly realized that the “E.C.” stood for the “East Coast.” Sophia often made up her own language. “It is freezing. But I love it.”

  “For real? I’ll never understand why you wanted to get so far away from here,” Sophia said, frowning.

  “I just wanted something different. You know that,” she said as she poked her best friend’s arm.

  “Katherine Johns, the girl who has everything, but still wants something else.”

  “Shut up.” Katherine rolled her eyes.

  “So, where do you want to go? What do you want to do?” Sophia asked, jutting out her full lips into a questioning pout.

  “I really want to walk around Venice. I miss the beach and the weirdos.”

  “Awesome! I need some new sunglasses, so that’s perf.”

  After Katherine got up and quickly got dressed, they made their way to Venice and soon were walking along the sandy pathway. Sophia stopped at every vendor to look at sunglasses, and tried on at least fifty different pairs before deciding on one. She spotted the row of tarot card readers ahead of them.

  “Oh, Kat, let’s get our cards read. Like old times! Come on,” Sophia pleaded.

  “Why not?” Katherine smiled and then asked, “Which lady should we go to this time?”

  “Um.” Sophia looked around. “How about her? I’ve never seen her before.”

  Katherine looked at the woman. She wore large turquoise jewelry around her neck, ears, and wrists. Her curly gray hair hung to her shoulders and a baby blue bandana fit snugly around the top of her head. Despite the gray hair, the woman’s eyes seemed young and sharp, making it difficult to guess her age. She noted that the woman’s lipstick was an awful shade of pink and that she wore gold-rimmed glasses that had gone out of style years before. The woman sat at a table covered with a multi-colored sheer cloth; various sizes of dark blue candles in mismatched holders burned in the sunlight as she watched the crowd, a deck of oversized cards resting on the table in front of her. She glanced up, and noticing Katherine’s interest, spoke in her direction.

  “Come here, child.”

  Katherine smiled nervously and walked toward her, pulling out the empty chair on the other side of the table and sitting down slowly. Sophia stood behind her, staying in one place but her body in constant movement as she tapped one foot, played with her hair, and scanned the crowd around them.

  “Shuffle the cards,” the woman said in a low voice. “Make sure you don’t let them touch anything but your hands. The cards need your energy.”

  Katherine did as she was told. The cards felt stiff in her hands and she wasn’t sure if she should shuffle them like a regular card deck, or some other way. She decided to gently insert half the deck into the other half, never letting the cards touch anything but her hands and the air around them.

  “When you feel like you have shuffled enough, place the cards down in front of me. Then cut the deck once, any way you’d like.”

  Katherine glanced back at Sophia, who had stilled and now watched the tarot lady with intense curiosity. She placed the cards in front of the woman and cut them into two uneven stacks as she’d been instructed. When she placed the cards back on the table, she noticed the noise and movement of the crowds that passed by them seemed to fade; even the smells from the hot dog vendor across the path from them dwindled and disappeared. Her focus narrowed and she could actually hear her own heartbeat in the silence as she waited.

  The reader took a deep breath and closed her eyes before placing one of the piles on top of the other. She turned over the first card. The Dreamer. The woman took a deep breath and then answered someone only she could hear with a nod of her head.

  The woman looked at Katherine with concern. “You are being haunted in your dreams by a great love. Oh yes, he loves you very much. And you love him as well.”

  Katherine’s heart seized in her chest. Not wanting to give anything away, she struggled to control her facial expressions.

  The woman continued to speak slowly and with caution. “There is much confusion around this person and…I see that you can’t be with him, or he can’t be with you?” The woman glanced up at Katherine with unease.

  She turned over another card and said, “Oh, but there is another boy who is fighting for your affections. He is handsome and strong and cares for you, too.”

  Katherine felt herself coming unglued as nerves sprinted through every fiber. Never in her life had a reader come so close to her actual reality. “There is much sadness and confusion surrounding you lately,” the woman went on, and then took a sharp breath. “And a decision will have to be made between these two boys.”

  The woman didn’t look up from the table as she spoke. She focused on the cards before her and the information she seemed to receive. “Your hand will be forced.”

  Katherine hung on to every word that spilled out of the stranger’s mouth. “Yes,” she went on, “unfortunate events will occur, I’m sorry to say. The decision must be made or it will be made for you.”

  “Unfortunate events? What do you mean?” Katherine interrupted, as her voice shook nervously.

  The woman looked up, her eyes sad as they met with Katherine’s. “I’m sorry, child, the cards don’t tell me everything. But I see there will be no other choice.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When certain events occur, you will have to make a decision. There will be no other way. You will have to choose one.”

  The gray-haired woman shook her head and looked into Katherine’s eyes before saying, “I’m sorry, that’s all the information I’m getting.” She took Katherine’s hand in hers and looked steadily at her palm. “You’ve lived many lives. You’re a very old soul.“ She peered into Katherine’s eyes and cocked her head slightly. “But you already know this,” she said, her voice soft as she smiled warmly.

  Katherine blinked, and everything around them seemed to spring back into motion—the noise, the crowds, the smells. She handed the woman a twenty dollar bill, trying to still her trembling as she smiled and mumbled, “Thanks.”

  The woman shook herself slightly, her gaze sharpening as she jerked her head toward Sophia. “Did you want a reading as well, dear?” the woman asked her politely.

  “I think I’ll pass.” Sophia waved her off, her eyes widening a little at the look on Katherine’s face. She tugged Katherine from her seat and looped her arm in hers, pulling her down the path, away from the readers’ tables. “Hungry?” she asked.

  Katherine snapped back to reality and looked at her friend’s face before muttering, “Kind of.”

  “Well, I’m starved, so you’re coming with.” The girls walked down the path toward a small café with outdoor seating. When they sat down at a table that faced the water, Katherine stared at the ocean and silently replayed what the woman had told her.

  “What the hell was that? Who are the guys she was talking about? And what about the haunting dreams? That was weird.” Sophia shot questions at her rapid-fire, obviously wanting all the information Katherine wasn’t currently sharing.

  Katherine couldn’t hide the fact that she was freaked out. Everything that had just happened was so strange. She tried her best to play it off, but failed. “Well, she was definitely talking about Cooper. He’s the hockey player I told you about.”

  “And the other guy?” Sophia asked.

  “I don’t know. I think she meant my roommate’s brother. I sort of have a crush on him.�
� Katherine figured a few white lies wouldn’t hurt. Plus, she had no idea how to explain Austen to Sophia.

  “When she said unfortunate events, that kinda freaked me out.”

  “Me too.”

  “You don’t think you’re going to die or something, do you?” Sophia asked half seriously.

  “Well…I didn’t.” Katherine was even more worried than before.

  “I’m just saying. She was freaky. Don’t die, okay?”

  Katherine snorted, and couldn’t help but smile. “I’ll do my best.”

  “Wonder who you’re going to choose?” Sophia grinned at her and Katherine shrugged her shoulders.

  “Guess we’ll see.” She cleared her throat and decided to try for a subject change. “Tell me all about Arizona.”

  Katherine laughed to herself as that one question sent Sophia on an information dump. Sophia’s face changed as she talked a mile a minute, waving her hands in the air animatedly. For the rest of their lunch and the walk home, their conversation focused on talk of Arizona, fraternities, guys, and parties. Katherine was thankful for the subject change, but nothing could keep her mind completely off of what the tarot lady had said. As they reached the corner of their street, they stopped and hugged each other good-bye. Katherine watched as Sophia turned to head in the opposite direction, suddenly drowning in the fear of her thoughts.

  “I’ll call you later,” Sophia shouted without turning around.

  “Okay. Thanks for lunch,” Katherine shouted in response before she started to head home.

  When Katherine walked through the front door, the house was empty and she was thankful for the quiet. Her phone beeped with the sound of a text message, another one from Cooper. “Hope everything is good. Just thinking about you.”

  “It is. Thanks. Hope you’re well. Tell your parents hello for me.” She longed to tell him so much more, but stopped herself.

  Katherine couldn’t stop her mind from racing. She cut through the house and went out the back, settling herself in one of the cushy seats in her parents’ new backyard as the words replayed in her mind.

  ****

  She must have dozed off because Austen suddenly appeared next to her.

  “That was some tarot card reading today,” he said as he leaned over and nuzzled her neck.

  She was surprised to see him there, in her backyard, instead of their usual meeting place. “What did she mean, Austen? Do you know? Is something bad going to happen?”

  He hushed her gently to comfort her. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t worry.”

  “Don’t worry? Austen, she said ‘unfortunate events’…those aren’t fun and happy words. Something bad is going to happen.” She clutched his hand, pulling him closer.

  “You don’t know that. She could be wrong.”

  “But she knew about you. And Cooper. And—”

  Austen cut her off. “I know. I heard. But the future can be changed, Katherine.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “Nothing is set in stone. Events may be headed in one direction at the time, but you can change your course. And that changes your direction.”

  “So then it doesn’t have to happen the way she said?”

  “No,” he said reassuringly.

  Katherine breathed in relief. “So it can all be changed then?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, that’s good.” She looked into Austen’s eyes and suddenly changed her tone. “How are you?”

  He laughed at the question. “I’m good. How are you?”

  She laughed as well, suddenly realizing the absurdity of her question. “Better now, but I have a random question for you.”

  “Shoot.”

  “Have you seen Taylor at all? You know, since I left?”

  He smiled. “Yep.”

  “And? How is she?”

  “She’s fine. She’s Taylor. But she misses you.”

  Katherine glanced down. “I miss her, too.”

  “It’s going to be okay, Katherine.” He gently grasped her chin and turned her face so she could watch him speak. He dipped his chin, his gaze boring meaningfully into hers. “Once you get back to school, everything will be the way it was before.”

  “How do you know that? What if everyone hates me for how I’ve acted?” Regret shot through her; her throat began to burn as her eyes started to well up with tears.

  “Listen to me,” he said sternly, and she didn’t move. “No one hates you. Do you hear me?” She frowned, doubting but wanting so badly to believe his words. “No one hates you,” he said deliberately.

  “I’ve been such a jerk to Taylor,” she said softly. “And I’ve completely ignored Cooper.”

  “But not since you’ve been back home, right?”

  She shook her head. “No.”

  “See, everything is already getting better.” His face lit up with reassurance and he smiled at her gently.

  “I guess so.”

  “Katherine, when people care about you the way Taylor and Cooper do, it doesn’t take much for them to forgive you. They’re just worried about you. Of course,” he said as he tapped his finger on her knee, “Cooper has no idea what’s going on, so he’s just really confused.”

  It still made Katherine cringe when Austen brought up Cooper’s name. She never understood how Austen could be so calm about her relationship with him. She expected him to hate Cooper, or at least want to hate him. But he didn’t seem to.

  “You’re right,” she said slowly, and she smiled as she realized he had a valid point.

  Austen’s grin broadened and he touched his finger playfully to her nose. “Finally, something we can both agree on.”

  ****

  Her eyes opened to the sound of grocery bags being set on the counter and her mother’s voice calling her name. “I’m out back, Mom.”

  Her mother poked her head out the back door. “I wasn’t sure if you’d be back from the beach yet. How was Sophia?”

  “She’s great. Do you need help?” Katherine started to get up out of the oversized chair.

  “No, no. I’ve got it. You enjoy the yard.”

  Katherine repositioned herself and grabbed her cell phone. She was nervous but relief immediately washed over her when Taylor answered the phone excitedly. They spoke briefly, but it was enough to set Katherine’s worried mind at ease. She apologized again for her behavior and Taylor accepted her apology without hesitation. Austen had been right. It wouldn’t take much to mend their relationship because it hadn’t truly been broken in the first place.

  ****

  Katherine felt like she truly knew the meaning of the saying “Distance makes the heart grow fonder” as the days flew into weeks and winter break drew to a close. Spending the holidays with her family had been fun, but she missed Taylor’s company every day and was surprised by how much she genuinely missed Cooper.

  She thought of him often, but never told him. She knew she owed him so much more than a stupid text message after everything that had happened and she wasn’t about to have that conversation over the phone. Everything she needed to tell him needed to be said in person.

  Katherine packed up the last of her things, gave her mom one last hug, and waited as her dad backed up the car.

  “Call me when you land.” Her mother gave her another tight hug that took the breath out of her.

  “You’re going to squeeze me to death, Mom,” Katherine choked out.

  “Have fun at school, but not too much. Get your grades back up,” her mother said with a mock frown.

  “I will. I promise.” Katherine had reassured her parents many times during her visit that her lapse in grades was only temporary and she’d work extra hard to get them back up to where they needed to be.

  “I love you,” her mom said.

  “Love you too, Mom.” Katherine gave her a little wave as she walked toward the car where her father waited. Her heart was beating quickly, and as she snapped her seat belt into place, she wondered if it was becaus
e she was nervous about seeing Cooper again, or excited.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Taylor picked her up from the airport. When Katherine walked out of baggage claim and saw her roommate standing at the curb next to her car with a big smile on her face, they squealed and then cried as they hugged each other tightly.

  “I’m so sorry for the way I acted before break, Taylor,” she said as they loaded her suitcase in the trunk.

  “I know. No more apologies.” Taylor waved her off.

  “I was a horrible friend,” Katherine added.

  “What did I just tell you?” Taylor narrowed her eyes, chastising her with just a look as they climbed in the car.

  Katherine took in a shaky breath and said, “I am so happy to be back here. I totally missed you.”

  “Me too.”

  The girls were quiet in the car for a few minutes as they navigated out of the airport, before Taylor broke the silence. “I know this is probably a long shot, but we’re going to Cooper’s lake house this weekend. You should really come with us. The lake is completely frozen over and we can ice skate on it and stuff.”

  Katherine looked out the window and didn’t respond, suddenly not knowing what to say. She needed to see Cooper, but suddenly being back at school and facing that reality was almost too overwhelming. Fear took precedence over logic as Katherine realized she was terrified of fixing what she knew must be irrevocably broken.

  Taylor interrupted her silent battle. “Have you ever seen a frozen lake before?”

  Katherine glanced at her and laughed. “No.”

  “Please come. It will be fun, I promise.”

  “Who’s going?”

  “Me and Danny, of course…um, Cooper, and a couple other guys from the hockey team. I think that’s it.”

  Katherine pondered the details of the weekend. It would be the perfect place to finally talk to Cooper. She nodded and asked, “Do you think Cooper will mind if I go?”

  “Not a chance,” Taylor shot back, reassuring with her confidence.

  “Okay. It sounds fun,” Katherine agreed with a hint of excitement in her voice. “Are you sure Cooper won’t mind?”