Energized (6 page)

I
MAGES
OF
P
AULIE
and Niall swirled in Hannah's mind. Her own thoughts blended with Ross's memories, echoing to a crescendo. She fought against the vision. Even with the pen no longer in her hands, residual effects of Ross's memory pulsed through her.

The room swayed around her or maybe she swayed. She wasn't sure. The only thing she knew was that she'd gone into one too many visions today because she was having trouble breaking free of this one.

Propping one hand on the doorjamb, she shut her eyes and repeated the mantra that had always centered her in the past, “I'm Hannah Halloran. Hannah. Halloran.”

Somewhere in the distance, Ross sucked in a hissing breath, then muttered, “Oh Christ. You're a nutball, aren't ya, dollface? Niall's gonna kill me.” She didn't need to open her eyes to sense he'd moved closer. His breath, tinted with garlic and peppermint, fell against her face. “Come on, sweetie. Open your eyes and look at me.”

Slowly, Hannah blinked. Her head felt thick but the vision faded to a misty fog that evaporated beneath the fluorescent bulbs. She blinked again and the room came into focus. Her legs, oddly shaky, still supported her. Carefully she pushed away from the wall, letting her arms drop to her sides. Each breath centered her until the vision was a memory and reality was Ross staring at her with wariness in his too-pretty eyes.

“There you go, sweetie. Welcome back.” He glanced out the open door, then slid it closed with the toe of his sandal. He jammed his hands in the pockets of his shorts and looked as lost and innocent as a child. “For a second, I thought you were going to take a swan dive. I know it's not PC to admit, but Niall would probably frown on your little scene here. He likes for the employees to, you know, remain conscious and not mutter their names to themselves in public. Do you have some sort of psychosis I should know about?”

Okay, so not quite so innocent or childlike.

“Sorry about that. Too many trips in one day, I guess.” Way too many, if he'd thought she was going to faint. Hannah tugged her pink braid across her shoulder and toyed with it. Glancing around the floor she saw the pen not far from her ankle. “Never felt faint before. Hope to never do it again. I guess the pen's energy was a little more than I was ready for.”

Ross arched one perfect eyebrow. He lifted the instrument, and twisting his wrist side to side, he examined it. “The
pen's
energy? I was right here, sweetie, and I promise, it didn't do anything odd. You sure you don't have a mental defect I should know about?”

Hannah managed a smile. The heaviness in her head dulled to a low throb. “No, not a mental defect. Not a psychosis. However, I do get readings from objects.”

“Uh-huh.” Ross scrunched up his pretty face. “Readings? Like you do tarot cards or something?”

“No.” She laughed and waved away the idea. “Nothing quite so technical. I get visions from all sorts of objects but not paper or cards or stuff like that. Metal conducts energy the best. The longer I touch something metal, the stronger the emanation, the harder it is to break out of the vision.”

“Okay then. Well . . . Right. No harm. I'm glad you're all back to um . . .
normal
now. Just my pen sending rampant visions your way.” Ross retreated two steps. Palms up and out, he waved them at her as if warding off the devil himself. Or a lunatic. “You know, I've made a mistake. We're not really hiring after all. You can just leave all that paperwork and I'll see you out.”

Hannah moved toward him and the world dipped threateningly before it leveled out.

Whoa, that was one strong vision.

Sliding to her right, she effectively blocked the closed door and Ross's attempt to escape. “Ross, please wait. I can prove what I say, if you'll give me a chance.”

“I'm listening.” Ross folded his arms across his chest in the universal move of those who absolutely refuse to hear what's about to be said.

No, he wasn't planning to listen. But he would. She'd make sure of it.

Hannah leaned her back against the door and focused on centering herself.

Ross cleared his throat.

She whipped her gaze to his.

“Any time now.” He tapped his foot in an impatient staccato beat. “Wow me with your magic.”

“It's not magic, it's psychometry.”

“Not magic. Psychic-ometry?”

“No. Yes, I mean I
am
psychic but the gift is called
psychometry
.” He stared at her unblinkingly. She kept going. “When you offered me the pen, I hesitated. I knew if I touched it, I'd probably get a vision but I did it anyway. And it did show me something. I was in that kitchen.” She hiked a thumb over her shoulder. “You were there eating a really good apple, crisp and tart. Anyway, you were talking to Paulie and your brother about going to a club.”

“That was this morning.” Ross frowned. “How did you know that? Are you telling me you're a mind reader? Or maybe you were hanging around outside and peeking in through the
windows. If you're a mind reader, prove it. Tell me what I'm thinking.”

“I'm not a mind reader and I wasn't spying on you.” Well, not the way he thought. She waved away his ridiculous demand. “But I can tell you something I couldn't possibly know.”

He arched an eyebrow. “What's that?”

She stepped closer and dropped her voice to a whisper, “You're in love with Paulie and you're afraid to tell your brother you're gay.”

“I'm not!” Ross paled beneath his golden tan and his eyes went wide and dark. “I-I mean . . . Who told you I'm gay?” He all but whispered the last word.

“You did, when you handed me the pen.” She stepped to the side, clearing his way to the door. She wasn't surprised when he didn't move. Except for her college boyfriend, everyone who'd learned of her gift thought it was cool. But Bryan had taught her that it could be a curse.

Ross's color flooded back into his cheeks and his face split into a wide grin. “That is so boss! Can you do it all the time? With everyone? If I give you something of Paulie's, can you tell me if he's in love with me too?”

And again, Ross reminded her more of a happy child than a business owner. And this was the reaction she was used to receiving. Like being with old friends, it warmed her. Once again the universe proved her decision to come to Tidewater had been the right one. Surely, his easy acceptance of her gift meant she was on the right path. Still, she needed to calm him down.

“Wait a sec.” She leaned against the closed the door again. “First, I can't do it with everything. Like I said, metal objects work best. Second, don't you want to figure out your relationship on your own? I mean, where's the fun if you already know what's in his head? And I'm not a relationship counselor, but it sounds like you two need to talk.”

Ross's smiled dimmed, marginally. “You're right. I know you are. And you totally have the job. Just . . . just don't tell Niall about, well, me being gay.”

“Your secret is safe. Besides, that's something you'll want to tell him yourself, isn't it?”

“Right. Of course. When the time is right.” He smiled at her. Big. Really, really big. “We've got other things to think about now.”

Something in his overly bright expression made her nervous. “Ross, would you mind keeping my little ability to yourself?”

“Oh, sweetie, you're in Tidewater. There are more folks in this city like you than you realize, but sure. No one will hear about your talent from me. It's probably best anyway. We want Niall to get to know you before he hears you can . . . well, you know. He might not take it well. At least not at first. He's very narrow-minded. A great guy, but he has one way of seeing the world and he might not understand this.”

Not from her perspective. Niall had seemed lost and lonely when she'd met him six months ago. But not narrow-minded. Sure, he'd been skeptical of her abilities but he had seemed to accept them. Then again, they'd been more interested in getting naked that night.

Honestly, what did she really know about him? He hadn't jumped up and said he believed her when she'd showed him what she could do. He hadn't denied it either. She'd have to consider it. Right now, her biggest concern was his potential reaction to seeing her in his eatery.

“Still, Niall's a great guy. Once he warms up, he'll accept you.”

Hannah didn't point out that for all his confidence about Niall accepting her, Ross was still firmly in the closet and showing no signs of coming out anytime soon.

“It'll be a week or two . . . at most a month before he figures out what you can do,” Ross said in a rush, color high in his cheeks and his eyes bright with excitement. “Probably less. He's really smart.”

Her conscience pricked. She really should say that she knew Niall. But before she could, someone banged on the door. “Ross, we need you out here. The delivery truck arrived
and brought organic, whole wheat flour. He says he won't take it back.”

“Crap!” Ross replied, yanking open the door. “Paulie, tell him not to unload the truck. I knew we'd have problems when the grocery store fired the old manager. At least she knew the difference between organic and gluten free.”

A very flustered-looking Paulie eyed Hannah with obvious suspicion. She retreated to the desk to make it clear she was filling out paperwork. But the effect was sort of lost when she had to search through her bag to pull out her own pen. One that wouldn't send her countless visions.

“Hannah, finish filling out the paperwork and we'll get you started before my brother gets back.”

She needed to tell him. He had to know.

“About your brother, I've met him before,” she said at the same time Paulie said, “So she's our new server?”

“Well, that'll make it easier introducing you.” Ross spared her a quick glance before focusing his attention on the cook who had the look of a jealous lover. But if he could see, Ross didn't react. “Yes, Paulie. I thought you understood that when I introduced her ten minutes ago. She's going to help us work the English wedding this weekend.”

A horn beeped outside.

“Crap!” Ross bolted through the door. “Wait a damned minute. Where's my order form?”

Paulie glared at her another second, before chasing after Ross, a white sheet of wrinkled paper crinkling in his hands.

Oh, yeah, Paulie's feelings for Ross were definitely reciprocated. And it made her wonder just how far in the closet Ross was hidden for Paulie to be shooting back-off-my-man looks with his eyes.

Next question. Would Niall be as happy to see her as she would be to see him?

*   *   *

A
LL AFTERNOON
H
ANNAH
both anticipated and dreaded the idea of seeing Niall again. She'd completed her paperwork,
been asked to fill in at the Cat, gone home to change, been assigned to follow around a waitress named Sadie to learn the ropes, and kept a smile on her face doing it, but Hannah's nerves were frazzled.

Somehow, the universe had led her straight to Niall's restaurant. What were the odds? Slim. They had to be slim odds at best. It was a sign. A sign that their night together was destined to be more than a singular, unforgettable event. Right? Or a coincidence.

Nah, no such thing as coincidence.

Perhaps she was here to help the brothers communicate? Clearly, her vision in Ross's head had been fraught with the need the brothers had to seriously talk. Could that really be what she was here to do? Get the men to do the one thing the male of her species hated most . . . express their feelings?

Why couldn't the signs around her be as sharp as the taste of that apple in the blasted vision?

Hannah tugged at the black apron tied and retied around her waist, as if the action could help her figure out what to do. Well, she might not understand what the universe intended for her yet, but at least she'd been smart enough to bring a pair of black slacks and a white shirt with her from Ohio. She'd planned to wear them to interviews to make a good impression. Her folks had been right when they'd told her she'd need the clothes.

One day in Tidewater and she had a job. Not her dream job but one she could do with her eyes closed. One that offered decent money. Yep. One more sign that she was in the right place.

Thank you, universe!

She needed to call her parents and give them an update. Anticipating their pleasure at her news of landing a job so quickly, she tucked her hand in her pocket. Empty. Shoot! She'd left the phone on the charger in the hotel. Oh well, she'd call them after her first shift ended.

“Are you listening to me?” Sadie snapped her fingers in front of Hannah's face, jolting her out of her thoughts. The
thirtysomething, faux red-haired waitress's blue eyes narrowed to slits as she tapped one red-tipped nail on the prep table.