To Catch a Spirit

by Carrie Pulkinen

  He shook his head. A week ago, he might have taken her up on the offer, just so he wouldn’t have to be alone. Not anymore. “No, thanks. I’m seeing someone.”

  “Don’t be silly, Logan.” The girl laughed and tried to take his hand, but he pulled it away. “You can at least buy me a drink.”

  “I’m serious. I have a girlfriend.” He brushed past the girl and went outside to wait for his car alone. Sitting on a bench near the wall, he rolled his last words over in his head. Was Allison his girlfriend? He hadn’t talked to her about being exclusive, but he couldn’t imagine being with another woman. And the thought of her being with another man…Shit. He couldn’t even think about that.

  The girl from the lobby walked past him with her nose in the air, and he could feel the sting of rejection and the burn of anger rolling off her. She got in her car and sped away without saying a word to him. He sighed, disgusted that he had gone to bed with women like that at all. What the hell was he thinking? Allison saw right through his party boy image. He was scared and lonely, and she knew it. She saw the real him, and damn it, she still liked him. Pure and simple. He’d be a fool to let her go.

  The car wash attendant waved a white towel in the air signaling his car was ready. He tipped the attendant and tried to calm his nerves as he headed up East Jefferson Avenue toward Allison’s apartment.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Logan climbed the stairs to Allison’s third floor apartment and prayed to God his sister wouldn’t embarrass him tonight. He could imagine her going into a story about how he used to wet the bed when he was a kid or something else equally humiliating. He loved Lisa, but she didn’t know when to shut up sometimes. Of course, he’d never introduced her to a girlfriend before, so maybe she’d be on her best behavior.

  He’d never had a girlfriend before.

  He paced outside Allison’s door, clenching and unclenching his fists. He wanted her to be his and his alone, but should he bring it up tonight? If he waited too long, she might get away. But if he asked her too soon, she might bolt. Shit. He didn’t know how to play the relationship game; he’d never been in this situation before.

  He took a deep breath and knocked. When she opened the door, his breath caught in his throat. A knot formed in his stomach and heat pulsed through his veins as his arousal stretched tight in his slacks. Her little black dress hugged her curves in all the right places, revealing just enough skin to be oh-so-goddamn-sexy.

  Damn.

  “Hi.” Her warm smile and soft voice only heightened his arousal, and his hands twitched with the urge to touch her.

  “Wow. You look…Wow.”

  “Thank you. You look pretty wow yourself.” She kissed him on the cheek and motioned for him to come inside, so he crossed the threshold, never taking his eyes off her slender figure in the tight black dress.

  “Thank you for going with me tonight. Lisa’s excited to meet you.”

  She smiled and took his hand. “I’m excited too. Should we go?”

  “We have a minute or two.” He slid his hands up her arms and took a step toward her. She grinned and melted into his embrace, pressing her lips to his. She was so soft. So warm. Her tongue lapped at his, her taste making his head spin. She cradled his face in her hands and pressed her body to his, and what little blood he had left in his head rushed to his groin.

  He groaned and took her hands in his. “Maybe we should get going. If we keep this up, we might never leave.”

  “I think that’s a good idea.” She picked up a small, beaded purse and followed him out the door.

  In the car, he took her hand, an overwhelming sense of dread sinking in his stomach. The thought of losing her tore at his heart, and he tried to push it out of his mind. But the harder he tried to forget it, the more obsessive it became. What if she decided she didn’t like him after he’d opened up his heart to her? Or what if his vision was literal, and he lost her to suicide? He couldn’t live with himself if he had a hand in her death. Maybe he’d dive out the window after her.

  Shit.

  He could see where he was headed, and he sure as hell didn’t want to have a meltdown in front of her. What would she think of him then? He’d surely lose her if she found out what a nut case he was. Maybe he should put a bullet in his brain and save them both the trouble.

  Fuck.

  With both hands on the steering wheel, he tightened his grip and counted the stripes on the road. One, two, three, four…He could feel Allison’s eyes boring into him as he worked to keep from slipping into his own personal hell. Her concern pricked at his skin as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

  “What’s wrong, Logan?”

  Eighty-seven, eighty-eight, eighty-nine. Unable to tear his concentration away from the stripes in the road, he kept his mouth clamped shut. The counting soothed him, but the obsessive thoughts still pressed on him like a weight. If he didn’t get it under control, he might drive off the road. Then he’d end up killing them both.

  His car approached an overpass, and he cringed at the morbid thoughts racing through his mind. He imagined the car crashing through the guard rail, the impact when it hit the concrete below. The air bags wouldn’t be enough to save them when the entire front end crumpled into their faces. He’d probably be decapitated by the steering wheel.

  Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

  The thoughts kept coming, twisting and storming through his mind like a tornado, destroying every sense of sanity he had.

  “Logan?” Allison softly stroked the back of his neck and put her other hand on his shoulder. She could tell he was losing it; he felt her concern tip toward panic.

  From the corner of his eye, he saw her take a deep breath and close her eyes. Her energy shifted immediately, and he felt her focus it on him. Leaning across the console, she rested her hand gently on top of his head and put the other one on his heart. She continued to breathe deeply, rhythmically, swaying gently back and forth as she concentrated.

  “Take a deep breath for me, Logan. Let me help you.”

  He was skating on the sharp edge of disaster, and one more step would push him over. He took a deep, shuddering breath and tried to let her in. “I don’t know what to do.” His voice was a mere whisper as he pushed it past the lump in his throat.

  “You don’t have to do anything, Logan. Just breathe for me.”

  Her voice was so calm, so reassuring. The way she said his name, her gentle touch let him know he would be okay. She was helping him. Bringing him down from the ledge. He took another deep breath, and the knot in his stomach loosened. His muscles began to relax, and the thoughts no longer bore down on him like a crushing weight. Another deep breath and the anxiety passed. His tension uncoiled, and the need for order to ease his mind no longer pressed against him.

  Allison folded her hands in her lap and looked at him. “Better?”

  He nodded, pulled up to the valet, and helped her out of the car. “How did you do that?”

  She blushed, looking down at her hands while she fiddled with her purse. “I just did a little healing on you. I’m sorry I did it without your consent, but you looked like you really needed it.”

  He took her hand. “Don’t apologize. That was amazing. I’m sorry. Sometimes my brain…My thoughts get out of control, and I can’t stop them. But you. You made it stop. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” She placed a soft kiss on his cheek.

  “God, this is so embarrassing. You probably think I’m a freak now.” He raked his hand through his hair and searched her eyes for any sign of retreat.

  She smiled, never taking her gaze off his. “Not at all. Nobody’s perfect.”

  He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “You are an amazing woman, Allison. Are you ready to meet my sister?”

  Inside the restaurant, Lisa was already seated at a table near a huge aquarium. The myriad of colorful Cichlids swam peacefully about the tank, creating a calming effect in the room. Lisa stood when they approached the table.

&nbs
p; “Hey, Lisa. This is Allison.”

  The two women shook hands. “It’s so nice to meet you, Allison. Please, have a seat.”

  Logan pulled out a chair for her and sat between them.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too, Lisa. Logan tells me you live in New York?” Allison smiled.

  “Yes, I do. I had to meet with a witness today, but I’ll be going home first thing tomorrow morning. I hate traveling, since my daughter is so young.”

  “I understand. Caitlyn’s in first grade, right?”

  A look of approval flashed in his sister’s eyes. He didn’t talk about his personal life with many people. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he smiled.

  “Allison’s going to school to be a therapist.” He took her hand on top of the table, openly displaying his affection for her. “And she’s an energy worker.”

  “Really? How interesting,” Lisa said. “What kind of energy work do you do?”

  “Mostly clearing and healing. I’m a Reiki practitioner.”

  “That’s fascinating. I’d love to hear more about it sometime.”

  “If you’re in town again, you could stop by my office for a reading and a treatment if you want.”

  He couldn’t fight the smile tugging his lips. He knew Lisa would adore Allison. Who wouldn’t? But seeing them getting along so well, so quickly, felt like a weight he hadn’t realized he carried lifted from his shoulders. They ordered their food, and Allison excused herself to the restroom.

  Lisa put her hand on his forearm. “I like her. She’s a keeper.”

  “I know. She’s amazing.” He grinned as he watched Allison walk across the restaurant, her hips swaying with each step.

  “I can’t believe my baby brother actually has a girlfriend. How did it happen?”

  He chuckled. How did it happen? How did Allison slip behind his carefully constructed walls? “I don’t know. I started talking to her, and we clicked. The scary thing is she sees right through me, and she still likes me. She knows me, Lisa. She’s seen my flaws firsthand, and she’s still here.”

  “Wow. Mom’s going to be thrilled. You have to call her.”

  “I will. But I haven’t talked to Allison about being exclusive. It’s only been a few days, and I don’t want to scare her off.”

  “Oh, please,” Lisa scoffed. “If she knows you as well as you say she does, and she’s still around…”

  He huffed. “I don’t know. I don’t know how to play this game.”

  “Then don’t play. Just tell her how you feel. If it scares her off, then she wasn’t worth your time. But I think you know how she feels about you. You know she’s not going anywhere.”

  He did know how she felt. Every time she was near him, he could feel the warm, tender emotions swirling around her, seeping into his consciousness. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, Allison cared for him as much as he cared for her.

  * * *

  Allison checked her makeup in the bathroom mirror one more time. The tension in her muscles eased, now that she’d gotten the hard part over with. Lisa seemed like a good person, just like Logan. She had his same dark hair and bright blue eyes.

  Logan seemed more relaxed now too. What was up with his little episode in the car? The anxiety had rolled off him in waves as he’d clutched the steering wheel. What had he been thinking about? Curiosity gnawed at her mind, but more than anything she was glad she could help him. Maybe she could get him to talk about it later. Find out what was really bothering him.

  He smiled at her as she approached the table, and her heart did a back flip in her breast. Their food had already arrived, and they’d both waited for Allison to return before eating.

  “Sorry about that. You guys didn’t have to wait for me.” She placed her napkin in her lap and picked up her fork. “It smells delicious.” She took a bite of her chicken pesto pasta and savored the taste on her tongue.

  Logan had ordered spaghetti with marinara sauce and grilled chicken on the side. He ate all of the chicken before moving on to the pasta. She watched as Lisa stirred her bowl of pasta, taking bites of chicken, vegetables, and linguini all mixed together. Logan’s eating habits definitely weren’t a family trait. Could it be related to the obsessive thoughts he mentioned in the car? Sounded like a classic case of OCD. She laughed at herself switching into therapist mode with her boyfriend.

  God, now Tina had her calling him her boyfriend. She had to be careful so she didn’t slip up and say that to his face.

  “Lisa, do you have any pictures of Caitlyn?” she asked.

  “I sure do.” Lisa beamed like the proud mother she was as she pulled out her phone and flipped through the pictures. “Here’s the most recent one. I took it yesterday before I left.”

  “She’s so cute,” Allison said. “She looks just like you. And look. There’s that missing tooth she called you about.” She handed the phone to Logan, and his face lit up when he looked at the picture of his niece.

  “She’s getting big.” He handed the phone back to his sister.

  “She’s growing up. And she misses her Uncle Logan. You two should come out and visit. I know Mom would love to meet Allison.”

  He took Allison’s hand. “Would you like to do that some time?”

  “Sounds like fun.” Heat rose on her cheeks. She met his sister. Now he’d invited her to meet his mom.

  His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he checked the caller ID and cursed under his breath. “I need to answer this. Will you excuse me for a minute?”

  She nodded, and Logan left the table to take his call.

  “So, Allison. Do you think you could do a little reading on me? I mean, I don’t want to put you on the spot or anything. I’ve just never talked to a real psychic before.”

  Lisa’s request didn’t surprise her. New acquaintances, who didn’t dismiss her as a nut case, were often curious about her abilities.

  “Sure. What do you want to know?”

  “Oh, just whatever you pick up.”

  “Okay. Can I have your hand?”

  “Do you read palms?” Lisa extended her hand to Allison.

  “No, but the contact helps my vision. I’m an empath. My strongest gift is the ability to sense people’s emotions.”

  “Do you do it all the time? Can you feel the emotions of everyone in this room?”

  She laughed. “If I wanted to drive myself crazy, I could. Most of the time, I shut it all out. I normally don’t read people unless they ask me to.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  Allison closed her eyes and took a few deep, grounding breaths. Then she opened herself up to Lisa’s energy, feeling the life force within her. She pushed a little harder. Something wasn’t quite normal. Lisa’s aura was strong, but there was something else. Allison smiled as her vision showed her what it was. She opened her eyes and let go of Lisa’s hand.

  “Well?” Lisa asked.

  “You love your brother very much. You feel protective of him. You feel like you need to take care of him, and that’s hard to do with him so far away. You worry about him.”

  “Amazing.” Lisa leaned forward on her forearms.

  “And you’re thrilled that…” She folded her hands in her lap. “You’re glad he met me.”

  “You have no idea, Allison. Logan’s never had a girlfriend before. And I am so, so glad he picked you. He hasn’t had the best luck with women, but you are exactly what he needs. And he’s crazy about you. I’ve never seen him act like this, and I’ve known him for thirty-two years.”

  What should she say to that? She let out a nervous laugh and glanced around for Logan, but there was no sign of him.

  Lisa looked at her seriously. “I have a favor to ask of you.”

  “Sure, what is it?”

  “Will you help him? He’s…Well, I think he’s an empath, like you. He won’t admit it, but he reads people’s emotions. Only, he can’t control it. He can’t block it out, and I think it’s what triggers all his other problems. Do you think you coul
d teach him to control it?”

  “How long has he had this ability?”

  “Since he was a kid. He’s always been a little different. Quirky. But he hid it well. He’s a people person, and he’s always hidden behind his popularity. Not many people know what he can really do.”

  She took a deep breath, her drive to help those in need pulsing through her veins. She knew Logan was an empath, and she knew he lacked control. But she had no idea he couldn’t shut it out at all. How debilitating that must be. No wonder he was so scared and lonely. To know what everyone thought about him all the time…That would be torture.

  “I would love to help him. But he has to be open to receiving it.”

  “He’ll listen to you. I know he will.”

  “I hope so…And Lisa? Your baby will be born in early summer. Do you want to know what you’re having?

  Her eyes widened. “Yes! Wow, I’m only a few weeks along. No one but my husband knows.”

  “You’re having a boy.”

  “Yes! Oh, Carl is going to be thrilled. I can’t wait to tell him.” She lowered her voice and leaned toward her. “But please don’t tell Logan. I don’t want anyone else to know until I make it to the three-month mark. I’ve had three miscarriages since Caitlyn was born, so I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.”

  She gave her a reassuring smile. “Your secret’s safe with me. But I think this one’s going to be fine. Congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” She looked over Allison’s shoulder. “Oh, he’s coming back. Please don’t say anything.”

  “Hey. Sorry about that.” Logan looked from Allison to Lisa and back again. “Why do I get the feeling you two know something I don’t?”

  “No reason.” Allison kissed him on the cheek.

  Lisa grinned. “I was just telling Allison about the time you flushed Mom’s diamond earrings down the toilet.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “I think that’s enough of that, seeing as how you spray painted the cat green.”

  “Hey! You know I didn’t see her in the box. Honestly, Allison…I didn’t know she was there.”