The Clumsy Clairvoyant Read online

  I was rolling on by about to reach out and grab another box of processed goodness when a heavily pregnant woman caught my eye. She smiled prettily at me and waved, and just as I was about to wave back, a frown wrinkled her brow, followed by a grimace and a pained bend at the waist.

  Oh my freaking god.

  "Ma'am?" I looked around. We were the only two losers in the store this late at night. Of course. I abandoned my cart and hurried over to her.

  She was breathing heavily and groaning.

  "Oh my goodness. You're in labor. Holy shit."

  The woman reached out and took my arm in a death grip. "Help me," she hissed. A sheet of shiny, dark hair fell across her face.

  I plundered through my purse and reached for my cell. "I'll call the hospital."

  "No!" The woman slapped the cell out of my hand sending it clattering to the ground. "No hospital." She turned her face up to me. "Please." She bent over again in pain. "It's a very painful and difficult story. But please. Take me back to my house."

  "I think that's a terrible idea!"

  She let go of my arm and started to reach for her cart to hold her upright. "You're trying to leave? Are you serious, crazy lady? Where are you going to go? The alley?" I rolled my eyes and whispered some terrible curse words under my breath. "You want to give your baby tetanus before he's even an hour old?"

  What passed for a smile flickered on her face. "If you get involved in this there's no walking away."

  I rolled my eyes. "What is with people in this town and all this cryptic nonsense?" I shrugged. "Your funeral, lady. I'm documenting all of this so you can't sue me later." I pointed up. "This store has cameras, too." I waved at them. "See, I'm friendly and assisting you."

  The woman let out another soft groan. "For the love of the gods." I took her by the hand and let her throw an arm around my waist to steady herself. "Let's go."

  I managed to wrangle the pregnant woman into my car. I rushed around to the other side and started the vehicle, but hesitated before I pulled out of the parking lot. "I strongly suggest you go to the hospital."

  By now the woman's face was white with pain. "No. Home. Please."

  I shook my head but pulled out of the store lot. "Is anyone there?"

  She shook her head. "My doctor hasn't shown up in weeks. I don't know where she is."

  I took my foot off the gas. "And what, pray tell, are you going to do when you get home?" I stared at her in abject disbelief. "Because taking a mirror and trying to see your hooha is not going to help you deliver that baby."

  She snorted with laughter and abruptly whimpered. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I just know that I can't have this baby in a hospital."

  My gaze drifted to her stomach. An alien hand wasn't punching out of it, so I wasn't sure why she was so worried. "Why not?"

  Her lips pressed together. "I can't tell you."

  "Listen, lady -"

  "Marissa."

  "Listen, Marissa. That's a pretty name, you weirdo. You're about to spill amniotic fluid all over my car, so the least you can do is tell me why the hell you aren't screaming into the hospital asking for enough drugs to take down a mule."

  "It's dangerous to know."

  "Then it's dangerous for me to have you in the car with me, but I'm not going to pull over to the side of the road and kick a pregnant lady out!"

  "What's your name?" she asked.

  "Grace," I snapped.

  Her face, even through its clammy pallor, seemed to light up for a moment. "Grace," she said in wonder. "What are the odds?" she muttered under her breath.

  "Of a saving angel named Grace?" I asked her. "Pretty high for you today." I shook my head again. "Hand me your phone."

  "Who are you calling?"

  "Someone who's going to save your cryptic ass," I snapped.

  She meekly handed the cell over and I dialed my most pain in the ass sister, Patience. Her name was an oxymoron.

  "What?" she snapped as soon as she picked up.

  It was at this time Marissa began to moan like a cow in a field who just spotted a predator.

  "Grace?" my sister asked, her voice a little less snappish this time.

  "Umm. You aren't going to believe this." I rattled off what happened.

  There was a long pause over the line. "Get her to the hospital. Now."

  "I can't. She won't go."

  "Why the hell not? Just from being on the phone I can tell her contractions are less than a minute apart! If her water hasn't broken, the baby is in danger. Hell, what am I even talking about? The fact that she won't go to the hospital is putting her baby in danger!"

  "What's your address?" I asked Marissa.

  She rattled off a street name and number. I repeated it to my sister. "I'm so sorry, Patience. We need you."

  "You owe me for this. Big time." But she didn't refuse to come. The line clicked off just as Marissa hoarsely told me to turn.

  A few minutes later we pulled into the driveway of a house I'd never seen before. I turned off the car, got out, and rushed over to Marissa's side. I gently took her purse and helped her out. I dug through her purse for the keys and opened the door, reaching over to help her through.

  "Where's the bedroom?"

  She shook her head. "It's upstairs. Go to the couch."

  "You're going to ruin it."

  She let out a burst of laughter. "I'm sure there are more important things to worry about right now."

  "True." I helped her lie down and elevated her feet using a couple more pillows. I had no idea what else to do. "Ice chips?" I asked her.

  She shook her head. "Is your sister a nurse?"

  I nodded. "One of the best in the city."

  "Is she discreet?"

  I snorted. "She's like a t-rex fossil. Inert."

  Marissa smiled. "I bet she's nice."

  "She's a holy terror. You think I'm bad? My sister is Godzilla on roller skates."

  "You aren't bad."

  "You just met me."

  She smiled and wiped a hand across her brow. "And now you're sitting in a strange house with a strange woman in labor and you're helping her. That's not the mark of a bad person."

  Seconds later a scream ripped through the room. Marissa's labor was speeding up quickly and I didn't have a clue what needed to be done.

  "Water!" I shouted to no one in particular. "I'll boil water. Can you point me to your towels?" I asked her.

  She weakly pointed in a direction, so I tore through her house opening doors and cupboards before I finally found a large fresh load of clean towels. I raced through several rooms before I found the bathroom. I searched through her cabinets for awhile before I finally found peroxide, rubbing alcohol and bandages. I had no idea what she needed but I knew infection was always a possibility.

  The doorbell rang and I hurried to the door dropping the items on the table next to the moaning and writhing pregnant woman.

  My life was officially super weird.

  I opened the door to my sister wearing a priceless what the fuck look. She stepped in, thankfully carrying her first aid bag and looked around until her eyes fell on Marissa. "Why the hell is she not at the hospital?"

  I shrugged. "She won't tell me. Says it's dangerous."

  At that my sister's gaze flew back to me. "Dangerous?"

  I shrugged. "I'm not quite sure how dangerous a baby can be, but that's what she said."

  My sis snorted. "Have you never watched a single horror movie?"

  "Alien," I admitted. "Didn't see a hand. Called it good."

  Patience shoved past me and knelt by Marissa, ignoring my woeful lack of all things horror. She placed a hand on Marissa's head. "Shh, you're going to be alright." I noticed she didn't bitch her out about not going to the hospital. She just took it out on me.

  Patience winced as she felt Marissa's forehead. "You're burning up. I need you to be honest with me. What's going on?"

  Marissa shook her head.

  "I am your nurse and right now I am t
he only thing standing between you and potential death. If you don't tell me right now, I'm walking away. I will not place myself or my sister in harm's way because you're being stubborn."

  Marissa whispered something in my sister's ear, and I watched as all color faded from Patience's face.

  "Fuck," she muttered under her breath. "I didn't bring enough tools for this."

  "What?" I asked as I moved closer. "What's going on?"

  Marissa shook her head and Patience gave me a single look. "Doc patient confidentiality."

  "You are not a doctor!" I hissed.

  "Close enough." My sister began to remove things from her bag, swiftly but methodically. She helped prop Marissa up into a semi-seated position. I stayed toward Marissa's head because I was pretty sure I'd pass out if I saw any blood or gore. Marissa was clammy with sweat. I rushed to the kitchen, taking some washcloths with me. I filled a bowl with ice water and dropped a couple of the cloths inside.

  When I came back out, she was undressed from the waist down and had a cover over her belly. I averted my eyes, sat in the chair next to the couch and rang out one of the towels. I placed it on the back of Marissa's neck. She sighed in relief. I wrung out another one and wiped her forehead with it. My sis gave an approving nod.

  "Marissa, this is where it's going to start going extremely fast. You're dilated enough to where you're going to feel the urge to push soon. Understand?"

  Marissa nodded. I continued adding cool water to the rag.

  About two minutes later, holy mortal hell rang out.

  Apparently being an immortal did not excuse you from the hell that was natural childbirth. Even though it had been at least an hour since the birth, the sounds of Marissa's screaming still rang in my ears. I was traumatized by the entire thing, but her baby was the cutest little thing I'd ever seen in my entire life. I'd seen no signs of alien life so I was calling this disaster a success. Marissa was funny, too, once she'd stopped screaming, so I was hopeful I'd made a new friend. Plus, I wanted to keep holding her baby and I needed some leverage so when I kept showing up to her house, I wouldn't look like a weirdo.

  Even Patience was wearing a smile, though there was still a deep worry in her eyes that hadn't been there before she'd shown up to help. I didn't know what Marissa had whispered to her, but whatever it was wasn't good. Patience wasn't the type to sweat the small stuff.

  I handed the baby back to the new mom and watched as Marissa snuggled the little boy to her breast. His rooting reflex kicked in and he nuzzled against her. I averted my eyes as she tried to feed him.

  I was just standing up to fix myself a glass a water when the door burst open and a man rushed in looking panicked and wild-eyed.

  "Lucas?!" I stared at him while my mind worked to figure out what the hell he was doing here.

  He gaped at me. "GRACE? What the hell are you doing here?"

  I bristled. "I should ask you the same damn thing!" I looked over to Marissa, then back at Lucas, and everything suddenly came into sickening clarity. "Oh. Oh God."

  Marissa waggled her fingers at Lucas, but when she saw my expression, her brow knit together.

  "No!" she said. "No no no no no. God no!"

  "Is this your kid?" I asked him. "Is that why you didn't want to date me? For the love of the gods man, what kind of pig are you?"

  "Pig?" he spat. "You're calling me a pig?"

  "If you're going on dates while your pregnant wife is home alone, then yes! You're a pig! You're worse than a pig!"

  Marissa cleared her throat. Loudly.

  I spun to her.

  "This is not Lucas' baby. Not even a little bit." She gave me a sweet smile.

  "I don't get it. How in the world do you know Lucas and why did he burst in here like the house was on fire?"

  "First things first," she said to me, but she was looking at Lucas. "Would you like to hold the baby?"

  He blinked and his face went pale. Lucas swallowed hard and nodded. Marissa motioned him over and he took the baby from her arms. A soft inhale of breath came from him and he stared at the child, enraptured. I watched as Lucas took the baby's fingers and counted them in a whisper.

  Something broke inside of me and the anger I'd been holding against him slowly began to dissipate. We all watched him handle the baby, and when he handed him back, I let out the breath I'd been holding.

  "Lucas," I said quietly. "I'd like to know what's going on here."

  He gave me a sharp nod and led me outside. I could feel Marissa's eyes on us both as we walked out the front door. Lucas sank onto the porch swing and patted the seat beside him. I declined and leaned against the railing front of him.

  "I owe you an explanation."

  I tilted my head. "I'm not sure you owe me an explanation for this," I said, waving my hands around Marissa's house. "That should come from her since she basically accosted me at the grocery store for help." That wasn't exactly true. I could have steered my basket away from her, but that would have made me a monster.

  He shook his head. "No. This is intertwined and concerns my behavior over the last several weeks."

  "So that really isn't your baby?"

  He shook his head. "No. It's my best friend's child. He was killed in action overseas."

  I sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh. I am so sorry." This didn't explain the weirdness that was Marissa, but it was enough to explain his weirdness. Somewhat. Death could make even the best of us crazy.

  "Marissa was his wife. She was unaware she was pregnant until several weeks after his passing."

  "That must have been really tough for her."

  He nodded. "Sikes was a werewolf."

  I was about to offer some additional condolences, but his statement stopped me in my tracks and sent my brain into a tailspin. "And Marissa is...?"

  He ducked his head. "A vampire."

  I took the seat he'd previously offered. "Shit."

  "Yeah."

  "You are in so much trouble." I wasn't well versed in a lot of the political goings on of Midnight Cove, but the wolf/vamp war was notorious because it spilled into everything. Hybrid beings were strictly disallowed and destroyed immediately once they were discovered. Other paranormal hybrids were sometimes allowed, but it really depended upon what they were.

  "I know." He buried his head in his hands. "When I first met you, I had no desire to date anyone. Simply because I was too busy living my own life and desperately trying to figure out a way to keep her secret. When I realized you were a clairvoyant, keeping that secret became paramount."

  "Because if I looked, I could figure it out." My hands trembled. "You could have trusted me."

  He let out a harsh laugh. "Well it looks like now I have no choice." He ran a hand through his hair. "Thank you for listening to her. And thank you for saving her life."

  "My sister did that."

  "Without your assistance she might not have made it."

  "She would have made it," I said. "She just would have had a much rougher go of it."

  We swung for a while. "What are you going to do?"

  "Helen Reaper helped me contact Sikes. There's a cabin well outside the city limits where she can stay and raise the child. I already have people there doing some repairs and setting some things up for her to make it more comfortable."

  I frowned. "By herself?"

  "She has no choice. The less people know, the lesser her odds are of being found out."

  "Lucas, she's a new mom. She's going to need someone. A friend at least. Or even a discreet helper. Being by herself right now is the worst possible thing you could do."

  He turned a stricken look to me. "I have no one. The doctor I hired for her has disappeared without a trace. I have no idea if she's safe anymore."

  "I'll visit her," I said.

  He gave a shake of his head. "I owe you an apology, Grace."

  I laughed. "This is like triple deja vu. You seem to say that to me a lot."

  "Because it's true, but I've never actually given you one that
didn't suck."

  I snorted. "That's also true."

  He turned to face me, his right leg propped up on the seat. "I don't know what I was thinking when I met you. I know not everyone is the same. Not everyone wants power or money or fame. Some people just want love. I figured you were the kind of woman who wanted me for what I could give you without ever knowing you. I made horrible assumptions based on my past and my own need to protect the people I cared about. Instead, you gave me more chances than I ever deserved and chewed my ass out when you'd finally had enough. You deserved more from me than I ever gave you, and for that I am genuinely sorry. I never assumed that you and I would have anything more than a single date. Instead you somehow managed to get into my head and stay there in spite of all your stinging verbal barbs and demands never to see me again. So, Grace, I am truly sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

  I stared at him, my eyes stinging. "Well," I said after a moment. "You finally managed to say something wise."

  Lucas let out a snicker. "And there she is. Glad to see your barbed tongue is back in place." He reached out and took my hand. "I'd like to start over. I'd like for you to know the real me, because I've just started to get to know him as well. I've had a hell of a few weeks."

  "You tried to use a love spell on me," I said.

  He winced and bowed his head. "Which obviously failed spectacularly. If it helps, Morgana ensured I paid for that dearly."

  "I know. She popped over and told me some of the details. I probably wouldn't have resorted to beating the shit out of you, but I can't say you didn't deserve it."

  Lucas winced. "I know. That was one of my lowest moments."

  "Just for future's sake, the Comey sisters do not and never will sell love potions. I'm sure you have learned your lesson from it."

  "Yeah. So did my wallet."

  "If I were you, I would not seek a refund."

  We both snorted with laughter at that one. I wasn't sure where the future was going to take us, but right now, this was the most I'd liked Lucas since the day I met him.

  16

  Two Weeks Later

  Marissa and I became fast friends even against my better judgment. It was going to take a stronger person than I to be able to resist the allure of an adorable baby like Clint Sikes. The new mom had some trouble healing, possibly having to do with the species of the baby. According to my sister, Marissa's downstairs looked like a "tragic trainwreck". I didn't ask for details. But it was going to be two weeks before Marissa could be moved. The day before we were supposed to take her, I'd stopped by her house to give her a break from baby duty. When she came out of the restroom from a shower, she was dressed in yoga pants and a tank top. She collapsed onto the couch and smiled as I cooed at Clint.