Epiphany (Legacy of Payne) Read Free Page B

bad circumstances. Kevin can be a real ass.”
    I couldn’t help but wonder why someone so confident and good-looking would be interested in someone like me. Plain and boring . . . damaged. I suddenly felt out of place, much too jaded for my age and swimming in a sea of older, more experienced and interesting people.
    Like Six, who reappeared and leaned over the bar. She raked her eyes over Brad’s body, and I had to smile. She never passed on an opportunity to ogle. Ever.
    “Mac wouldn’t give you a chance, huh? Don’t feel bad—she didn’t give any of the others the time of day either.” Of course she’d been listening. When it came to the opposite sex, her ears operated on steroids. Or maybe it was my love life she couldn’t resist sticking her nose into. I almost snorted. What love life?
    “Mac? Is that what you go by?” he asked. “It suits you.”
    I shuddered. “No. No way . Six just has a death wish,” I warned, shooting her a glare.
    “Ah, never mind her.” She waved off the threat. “Mac’s too sweet to dish out payback.”
    Brad aimed a brilliant grin at me. “Sweet enough to say yes to dinner?”
    “Of course she will,” she answered before I could open my mouth.
    “Six!”
    “She’s just shy.”
    “I’m standing right here, guys. No need to talk over my head.” I squared my shoulders and met Brad’s blue eyes. “You seem like a decent guy, so I’m gonna give it to you straight. I don’t date.” No way would I put myself through that pain again. As it was, memories of Joe fed off my heart like a rabid animal. I needed time to heal, though I had to admit that serving time on the healing wagon sucked. Dating sucked even more.
    “Won’t give a guy a chance, huh?” Brad arched a brow.
    I shrugged. “I’m sorry.”
    “Brutal,” Six said under her breath.
    I planted my hands on my hips. “The place isn’t hopping yet, but I’m sure someone’s waiting for a refill,” I told her.
    “Gee, a few weeks of working here and the bossy pants are already on.” She softened her words with a smile. “Okay, I’ll get lost.” She treated Brad to another one of her stunning grins. “Don’t be a stranger.”
    “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said.
    I shuffled my feet and tried not to squirm under his gaze. “Well, thanks for stopping by, but I should get back to work.”
    “Yeah, sure. You don’t be a stranger now.” He gave me a hopeful smile, and I wondered if he’d heard a word I’d said. “I’ll see you later, Mac.”
    Apparently not.
    I lifted my hand in a noncommittal wave. After Brad left, the hours ticked by and the number of customers multiplied. It was a typical Saturday night for any bar, even in the dead of October. I was in the middle of making a lemon drop when someone pulled the door open. I raised my head, about to greet the newcomer, but dropped the glass instead.
    Holy shit.
    The veil between reality and dreamland disappeared, and I gawked at the man standing in the doorway. Wind blew his dark hair into those incredible eyes I couldn’t erase from my mind. I dug my fingernails into my skin for the second time in twenty-four hours. Nope, still not dreaming, only this time I was completely sober.

3. Goodbye Apathy

    I had my first psychic dream when I was nine. Psychic implied power, and powerful wasn’t a word I’d use to describe myself. I couldn’t foretell the future or conjure visions at will, but I couldn’t think of a more fitting word to describe what I sometimes saw in my dreams. At nine the dream had been inconsequential, though it had been the first. Fourth grade had been half over when Joe walked into Mrs. Silverstein’s class. For every ounce of shyness I possessed, he excelled at standing out. And for some unfathomable reason, he chose to stand out next to me.
    I hadn’t told anyone how I’d seen him coming. Joe and I were inseparable those first few weeks, and I finally broke down and fessed up about the dream; he’d laughed me off the