Premonitions: Dream Catcher Series ~ Book 1

by Turner, Brynette L.

  Stephanie’s first week in Cincinnati was uneventful. During Chaz’s days at work, she unpacked, searched the internet for job postings and sent out resumes, met him for lunch, and had dinner ready when he arrived home. Privately, she laughed at her domestic role. It wouldn’t continue; but for the moment, she was actually enjoying having her man come home to her. The thought that it was their home quickly became comfortable. The reality of how much they belonged to each other was always mind-boggling.

  As it had been during his final week in Erie, she cherished their quiet evenings together and loved waking up beside him. With the exception of including a couple of coworkers in one lunch date, Chaz kept her to himself. Stephanie had thought she might object to such possessiveness now that they weren’t limited to stolen weekends, but she didn’t mind. She was too busy being happy.

  That Saturday morning, Stephanie woke up and touched the other side of the bed and realized she was alone. That was odd: Chaz didn’t have to work and she hadn’t expected him to be up early. A glance at the bedside clock explained everything—she’d slept past noon. She brushed her teeth, slid into a robe, and went downstairs to find a note on the kitchen counter. He’d gone jogging and to the shooting range. Was that what he always did? It was the first time she’d thought about how much he must have changed his routine in order to be with her.

  According to his note, he’d brewed fresh coffee and there were cranberry juice and raisin bread in the refrigerator. She smiled at the fact that he paid attention to what she liked.

  The phone ringing startled her just as she was grabbing a hot piece of bread out of the toaster. For a second, she wondered whether she should answer it. Of course she should—this was her home now.

  “Hello.”

  Silence.

  “Hello,” she repeated.

  “Who is this?” A woman’s voice.

  “Who were you trying to reach?”

  “Chaz Lawson.”

  “Well, you have the right number but he isn’t here right now. Would you like to leave a message?”

  “This is Janine. Who are you?”

  “Oh, me?” She chuckled on purpose. “I’m his roommate. I’ll tell him you called. Is there anything else you want me to say?”

  The other woman was only silent for a moment before responding.

  “You won’t be there very long,” she said harshly.

  “Yes, I will.”

  The line went dead.

  Stephanie shook her head and laughed. As she spread cream cheese on her toast and pulled a mug of reheated coffee out of the microwave, she wondered how her “roommate” would react. She set the food on the counter and went to check the mail, thinking for the second time that she might need that chart Karen was sending in order to maneuver her way through these first few weeks with strangers. Of course, she didn’t expect to see colors but she might be able to fine-tune her ability to pick up “vibes” about a person’s character.

  The door opened as she was stepping into the front hallway. Chaz entered, tossed the mail onto a lamp table, and pulled Stephanie into his arms.

  “I would say good morning, but that ended an hour ago.” She kissed him very lightly and wrapped her arms more tightly around his neck. “It’s nice knowing we have more than a few days together. I don’t even feel guilty about sleeping so late.”

  “You shouldn’t.”

  “I was just about to have breakfast when Janine called.” Stephanie felt Chaz tense for a split second before he kissed her.

  “What did she want?”

  “I don’t know. She didn’t leave much of a message.” She gasped and laughed as he nipped her neck: it tickled. “But she did say I’d be leaving soon.”

  “I’m not letting you go anywhere.” He kissed her neck hungrily and was rewarded with a sigh. That only encouraged him to move to the front of her throat and down to the top of a breast. He very slowly trailed kisses back up until he claimed her mouth.

  By the time Stephanie went back to the kitchen, her coffee was cold and the cranberry juice was warm. She plopped an ice cube into the glass and put the mug back into the microwave. Chaz was right behind her, tossing the mail on the counter and stealing a bite of her toast.

  “What’s that?” Chaz asked as he watched her remove a book and open the folded pages that had come in a large manila envelope. Stephanie spread the colored wall chart out and explained that it was from Karen. Each color on the auras chart had several paragraphs detailing characteristics and interpretations. He told Stephanie that he’d like to have her explain more about auras.

  “Maybe after dinner,” she agreed.

  “Maybe tomorrow. I made plans for dinner tonight.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him. They’d have to talk about including her in decisions. In the meantime, she took another bite of toast and a swallow of hot coffee. Delicious. Then she turned her attention back to the colorful paper in front of her and the notes from her best friend that would make it easy to quickly use the information.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  After half an hour of reading the chart and flipping through the book her friend had sent, Stephanie turned her attention to picking an outfit to wear to dinner. Chaz wouldn’t tell her where they were going; just that she shouldn’t wear a tee-shirt but also shouldn’t get too dressed up. She complained that that information was totally useless. So, he helped her browse through the closet to find something appropriate.

  “That gets worn under a blazer, not by itself.” She laughed at his choice of a sexy, lacy sleeveless top before frowning at an even more revealing low-cut camisole.

  “I thought this was a casual event.”

  “You’re right; these are just things I can’t wait to see you wear.” He ducked as she threatened to hit him with a hanger before grabbing a halter dress and sashaying over to steal a lingering kiss.

  “We’ll never get finished if you don’t stop distracting me,” she half-heartedly protested before giving him a second kiss and pushing him away.

  The phone rang just as Chaz plopped onto the bed; he checked the caller ID.

  “Hi, Janine.” He motioned for Stephanie to sit beside him. “Yes, I got the message. . . . No, she’s not just my roommate, but you knew that before you called. . . . This has nothing to do with fairness, Janine. I love her; it’s that simple. . . . We don’t need to talk. Everything was said a year ago. . . . Yes. She’s sitting right next to me. . . . She’s not leaving, Janine. . . . No one is trying to humiliate you. . . . Mixed messages? Just because we have some of the same friends, that doesn’t mean people thought we were still a couple. . . . Janine, I love Stephanie. She loves me. We live together and that’s never going to change. . . . That’s right, I said never. . . . Yes, I’m sure. . . . Fine. Goodbye.” He let her hang up before clicking off the phone and setting it back on the base.

  Stephanie stood and headed back to the bathwater she’d run before trying to decide what she would wear to dinner. Chaz followed and watched her body slide beneath the bubbles.

  “Never, huh?” She sent him a huge smile that he returned.

  “That’s right. Never.”

  Then her smile faded to a humble grin and she whispered, “Déjà vu, Chaz.”

  “Really?” He watched her nod. “I guess now all we need is a dream.”

  Stephanie hadn’t told him she’d already had a dream. Twice. The same one. She thought she knew what it meant but didn’t want to put pressure on their relationship. Anyway, she didn’t know when the scenario would happen or under what circumstances. No—it would be better to not say anything.

  Chaz came to the edge of the tub and sat on the platform.

  “Maybe I can give you something to dream about.” A half smile formed as he slid a hand beneath the soap suds and stroked the inside of the nearest thigh. She giggled as it tickled, but quickly sobered as his fingers slid higher and inside her.

  He watched her eyes respond to every move he made and was pleased when she bit her lip t
o stifle a whimper. He stroked her until even that little action was not enough to keep her quiet. Slightly heavy panting accompanied the soft sounds that escaped more and more rapidly until his woman finally clamped her hand onto the edge of the tub and let out a high pitched moan. Chaz watched until the evidence of her orgasm subsided, leaned over to kiss her, and left the room whistling as he went to pick out his outfit for the evening. She shook her head, laughed, and sank deeper into the water.

  Their dinner plans turned out to include a Thai feast prepared by the Asian wife of one of his college friends. The six guests (three couples) were treated to a buffet of marinated grilled meats, Pad Thai noodles, yellow curry with crisp vegetables and fresh mint, herbal teas, and rice wine. Some of the food was expectedly hot with tiny red peppers and pungent spices, and that made Stephanie extremely happy.

  “Your teas are delicious,” she complimented the hostess as they carried empty bowls into the kitchen. “I tasted lemon grass and mint in one, but there was an herb I didn’t recognize in the other. It tasted a little like ginger.”

  The woman, Phailin, was pleasantly surprised. “It’s kra-chai. I mixed it with sweet basil and honey. You know about teas?”

  “Some. A friend of mine mixes special blends to keep me balanced.”

  “Yes,” she agreed thoughtfully. “You can be strong but you also can be sensitive.” She tipped her head and asked whether Stephanie believed in the presence of auras.

  “I live by them.” She smiled self-consciously. “Actually, I can’t see them; my friend does and thinks I can learn to see them, too.”

  “Then, your friend is probably right. We’ll have to talk some time. I don’t often find people who can relate to my way of thinking.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “May I say something personal?”

  “Sure,” she answered a bit uncertainly.

  “You and Chaz balance each other and it’s a strong match. You can be a very happy couple, Stephanie. Do you believe that?”

  “Yes,” she smiled, “I do.”

  Phailin studied her face. “I’m glad Chaz brought you with him tonight.”

  “So am I.”

  They set the bowls on the counter and went to retrieve others.

  Chaz watched them go in and out of the sun room that was full of fragrant herbs, blooming plants, and soft oriental music. He’d known Phailin for several years; in fact, it was she who had introduced him to ancient eastern philosophies, made him examine his willingness to consider a variety of spiritual perspectives, and helped him understand that those are not always in opposition to the foundations of western religious beliefs. Because of that, he was hoping Phailin could become a friend that would make Stephanie feel less isolated from Karen.

  “You are very thoughtful,” his girlfriend stated quietly as she rejoined the rest of the guests in the living room. He handed her his glass of wine so that she could take a sip.

  “Really? Well, you can thank me when we get home.”

  “I intend to.” Stephanie accepted a kiss on the cheek that lasted long enough to make her blush and bring a knowing smile from their hostess.

  The next day, Stephanie called Phailin to thank her again for a wonderful meal and to ask whether she would have some time in the next week to talk about the auras chart Karen had sent. They made plans to meet on the following Saturday. Phailin would take her to the market where she bought a lot of her Thai spices. Then they could have lunch and spend the afternoon talking. Stephanie called Karen later that day to share her excitement.

  “That sounds fascinating,” Karen commented a little less enthusiastically than Stephanie would have liked. “Do you think she’ll be able to help you read auras?”

  “I don’t know. I’m just happy to have someone I can talk to about spiritual stuff.”

  “It’s not impossible to call Erie, Stephanie.” The softly spoken words reflected Karen’s hurt. “Besides, you haven’t had a chance to miss me, yet. You’ve only been gone a week.”

  “That’s right—and you’re still my best friend. You always will be.”

  “Yeah? That makes me feel better.” Stephanie heard the lightness returning to Karen’s voice.

  They talked for about half an hour before Karen had to get off the phone. Little Victor was awake and wanting his momma. She promised to call back the next day and figure out how to set up the video-chat on their computers.

  “I didn’t introduce you to Phailin to insult Karen.” Chaz set down the world news section of the Cincinnati Post and shifted positions on the bed. Stephanie set her cell phone on the bedside table. She grabbed the TV remote and un-muted the sound as she stretched out on her back.

  “It’s Karen; she’ll get over it in an hour.” She tried to watch what was happening on the screen. “What you did was considerate and wonderful, and I appreciate the fact that you want to make my adjustment easier. Karen just misses me and probably feels like I might not miss her if Phailin is around. That’s ridiculous, but I understand. It was probably too soon to have told her.”

  He rubbed a hand across her stomach and thought seriously before asking, “Do you want to go home for Thanksgiving? Would that make everyone feel better?”

  “This is home now.” She set her hand on top of his and wondered whether he understood how much she wanted to be with him. “Maybe they can come here.” And, possibly, she could spend some time with her godson.

  “Traveling with a baby is difficult. Besides, I’m sure the rest of their families will want them to stay in Pennsylvania. You should go to Erie.” She looked up at him and commented sincerely that he couldn’t go, so she wouldn’t go. “It’s all right. I’ll find something to do.”

  “Such as going to dinner at Sylvia’s mom’s house?” They both laughed because they knew Janine would be there. “Are you sure you won’t need me here to protect you?”

  “Janine is harmless.” He took the remote and switched off the TV. “Sweetheart, if you and Karen need to see each other, it’s okay. Honestly, I have other friends who’ll let me hang out with them.”

  “No, Chaz. Whatever we do for the holiday, we should be together.”

  “Okay, then maybe we could go to Pittsburgh and have dinner with my parents. They’d love to meet you.” While Stephanie was considering how to respond, he went on to suggest that they could either make a round trip drive the same day or spend the night in a motel. His church-going parents definitely wouldn’t approve of the couple sleeping in the same bed in their house, and he wasn’t going to spend any nights away from her that he didn’t have to.

  Stephanie understood that they were crossing another threshold: meeting the parents. She wasn’t sure how to feel about that but remembered what Victor had said about life happening quickly to keep people from thinking instead of acting. She smiled and responded that an overnight visit would work out best. Certainly, his parents would want to spend as much time with him as possible.

  Chaz’s expression was one of relief. “I’ll wait until tomorrow to call them, just in case you change your mind.”

  “I won’t.” Stephanie shook her head. “I won’t change my mind.”

  “Okay.” Chaz reached for the phone.

  The conversation was brief. He told his mother that he was coming home and she cried because, even though he’d visited occasionally, he hadn’t spent a holiday with her in two years. His father wasn’t home; she’d tell him the good news when he got back. Marilyn Lawson spoke to Stephanie and said that she couldn’t wait to meet her.

  “What do your parents do for the holiday?” Chaz asked after they’d ended the call.

  “They always have a traditional turkey dinner and then put up the Christmas tree. My brother and I take turns with our visits. This year, he and his family will be there for Thanksgiving and I’m supposed to go for Christmas. Next year, we’ll switch.” She thought for a moment. Chaz would have to fit in with her plans.

  “Also, every odd year, we both go home for the Fourth of Ju
ly. It’s the only chance I get to see my nieces even though we talk twice a month and they email me and post photos online.” Chaz said that he was looking forward to meeting everyone via webcam long before they could actually get together face to face.

  Stephanie could see his happiness; he could see her acceptance. The holiday was more than a month away, but they were building a life together.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Chaz entered the conference room and walked directly to Steve McDaniels, his hand outstretched for a firm handshake.

  “Hi Chaz,” Steve began with a smile. “I understand you switched task forces, so I’m assuming that other situation worked out the way you wanted.”

  “Yes.” He returned the smile and slid into a seat. “In fact, that’s going better than I could have hoped.” He glanced at the file folder with his name on it. “Is everything moving along on our case?”

  “We’ve run into a couple of snags, which is why I’m here.” Steve turned his attention to the pair of folders in front of him and flipped one open. “The first problem, you already know about. Thanks for getting that list of names to me so quickly. To answer the questions you had; yes, we still have a guy undercover. So far, none of Moseley’s men have had success with finding out the identities of the agents and officers involved in our sting operation. I’m pretty sure the curiosity will die down soon since they’re running into dead ends. They won’t be able to find any snitches.” He attempted to send Chaz a reassuring smile: his team was usually very thorough in covering its tracks. They’d sent out rumors that Chaz had pled guilty to those other charges in Arizona and was serving time in a state prison there. It was information that would be difficult to trace. Chaz nodded his acknowledgment although he also knew that identities could still be compromised after an investigation was over and that Evan Moseley had a lot of ways he could be investigating the missing participants in the gambling operation. He shifted slightly in his chair.