Part 14 (2/2)

”She says we'll give it a try.”

”Great.”

A moment of silence settled in and relief swamped me until I heard Jack's impatient, ”Can I have s.e.x now or are you going to give me another lesson in Human 101?”

”Throw out the sub,” I added before pressing the OFF b.u.t.ton.

Disaster averted. For now.

But who knew what my ma would try tomorrow? Or the night after?

I had to do something.

”You can't poison Mandy,” I told my mother when she picked up the phone on the second ring. ”It's not right.”

”Excuse me?”

”It's not right because you, um, promised I could help.”

”Lilliana? Where are you? You were supposed to meet me this evening to head over to Jack 's. Instead, I had to go alone.

Your father was busy with his golf lesson and Max couldn't do it. And Rob said you made him promise to watch Killer, which was the only reason he had to stay at that dump you call an apartment.” I let the comment slide and gathered my strength. ”I'm on a business trip.” I crossed my fingers and gave her my spiel about the Success 101 Retreat and how it was going to make me a more powerful matchmaker.

”Arizona? That's out in the middle of nowhere.”

”The idea is to get away from all distraction, relax and focus on your inner power.”

”But we're having a crisis here. Your brother and his human are probably having relations at this very moment.”

”But it won't count because she ate the sub.”

”She did?”

”I heard it from Jack's very lips. Which means you don't have to worry about it until, say, next Friday.”

”Nonsense. Each pill is only effective for twenty-four hours.”

”Not when mixed with food.”

”That's ridiculous. Where did you hear such nonsense?”

”Ivan,” I heard myself blurt. ”He heard it from his OB/GYN buddy and told me. That is, when we weren't making out.”

My mother latched onto the comment like a dog grabbing her favorite bone. ”The two of you made out?”

”No doubt. So you see, the proteins feed the birth control molecules and improve the pill's effectiveness. With a twelve-incher, I'd say she won't be fertilizing an egg for a good couple of weeks.”

”I did use a double layer of meat to disguise the taste.”

”There you go. Now stop worrying about it until I get back.” I spent the next few minutes listening to my mother's suggestions for flowers for the commitment ceremony with Ivan.

”We just sucked face, Ma. It's not like he proposed.”

”Not yet, but who knows what will happen at the next hunt?”

”About that... I don't think I'll be back from the retreat in time.”

”But-”

I cut her off with some gurgling noises. ”Oops, I think we have a bad connection,” I added in between a grrrrr and a shhhhh.

”Call you later.” Click.

I downed the rest of my blood and sat there for several minutes listening to the sounds from outside. The animals. The muted voices from the adjoining rooms. The occasional car that pa.s.sed by. The faint crying of a baby, followed by a woman 's soothing shh.

A wave of loneliness swept over me.

Crazy, right?

At the same time, I was hundreds of miles from home in a town I couldn't even find on the map. On a mission to save my good friend from torture and death. It made sense that I would feel a little wigged out. It certainly wasn't because I was, you know, thinking about Ty and the future and worrying over whether he felt the same way about me that I felt about him.

No, I was just feeling a little lost and I needed to hear a familiar voice. That was the only reason I dialed his number. It wasn't because I wanted to hear his voice.

”This is Ty. You know the routine ...” Beep.

”It's me. I just wanted to say good morning. I hope your case is going well.” I caught the Love ya before it could slide past my lips. ”Um, good luck.”

I spent the next few minutes outlining a plan of action for tomorrow. I 'd check out Wanda's cousin over at the pharmacy and ask him about Mordred. I cooked up a story about a wealthy, prominent woman who'd met and fallen in love with Mordred right here in Lonely Fork years ago. They'd gone their separate ways and now she wanted to reconnect with his son (not that Mordred had a son, but he'd lived here over fifty years ago and so it wasn't believable that he wouldn't have aged since then. He would be an old man by now, but a son ... He would fit the description I'd jotted down to a T).

My gaze snagged on the stats and something niggled at me. He seemed familiar somehow. I hadn't thought so when I'd seen him at the meet and greet. But now, looking at the details on paper ...

I shook away the crazy sensation and focused on my story. It was my job as matchmaker and perpetuator of happily -ever- after to find the son and introduce him to his father's first love.

Not the perfect alibi, but I could make it work.

I finished, turned off my phone (just in case my ma decided to call me back), killed the light and snuggled down under the covers. I didn't need to worry about Esther or feel sorry for myself. I had a big night tomorrow and I needed some sleep if I wanted to be on top of my game.

Unfortunately, someone else needed ice and so I spent the next half hour listening to the machine groan and grumble just outside my door before I finally unearthed the earplugs and stuffed them in.

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