It was quality. Especially with the type he kept searching for but couldn't seem to find.
The shimmer of memory caught him like a sucker punch. Not her again. It was ridiculous how a silly one-night stand still affected him years later. Probably the lure of the unknown. It was easy to spin tales of what could have been and not deal with the reality. They'd barely known each other, and after a week together they would have probably broken up.
Yet her scent and face still haunted him. He'd just learned to live with it.
"Just think about joining Kinnections. You may find what you've been looking for. Sometimes you gotta do something different. Mix things up."
Devine agreed. He was stuck in a cycle that was pleasant and comfortable but lacking. "Do I have to go through counseling?"
Stone groaned. "That would suck. Arilyn probably wouldn't do it, because she knows you too well. Maybe I can get her to sneak you a free pass and you can just start hooking up right away."
"Yeah. Okay, why don't you talk to her for me and see first?"
"No problem. I'll use my charm and sex appeal and you'll slide right through the door with none of that bullshit they put the other guys through. Hey, look at the white Ford Taurus. Taillights out!"
Devine hit the lights and sped up. "Think maybe there's a body in the trunk? Or drugs in the glove compartment?"
"Let's find out."
As Devine chased the Taurus, he wondered if Kinnections could help him finally get out of his rut.
IZZY CURLED UP on the worn ice-blue sofa, cradling a mug of green tea in her hands. The television hummed low in the background, but the cottage held a quiet hush filled with peace and comfort.
She'd been lucky. Arilyn had gotten engaged and moved in with Stone, which left her twin's bungalow in Verily open. Izzy had moved in and for the first time in years felt like she'd found home.
Everything in the cottage held an old-fashioned flare, from the white shutters, crooked porch, and cheery furniture in canary yellow and ice blue. The kitchen nook held a counter and stools, and a square table for bigger meals. The plank wood floors held colorful braided throw rugs. She'd fallen in love with Verily and its artistic patrons, slowly building relationships with the local bakers and shop owners.
When had she ever been happy to stay home in the evening? When had the haunting voices finally stopped pushing her toward the next unknown road in a quest for an adventure, good or bad? Izzy tried not to question herself too much. She liked the person she was still becoming, finally clean and sober for two years now. It had taken her a long time to rebuild her family's and friends' trust, but with time, amends, and a willingness to face her demons, she was in a good place. Now, with her job at Kinnections challenging her mind, the final piece had slid into place. She'd spent so many years doing dead-end jobs with no thought of the future. Maybe if she proved herself with her computer skills, she'd be able to really hone her talent and help her friends.
She sipped at her tea and decided to watch Star Wars: A New Hope again. Her obsession with the Star Wars franchise bordered a tiny bit on the obsessive, but who cared? Her sister Alexa was crazed over the New York Mets. There was something so beautiful and almost poetic about the battle between good and evil, and she refused to apologize to anyone.
She slipped in the DVD, settled back, and relaxed.
Until the knock came from the door.
Frowning, she put down her mug and peeked through the windows. A smile curved her lips and she flung the door open. "What are you doing here?"
Her twin sister, Genevieve, walked in holding a paper bag. She was still dressed in her scrubs, and her face reflected a happy weariness from her job as a surgeon. Of course, the thing in life that really made her smile was Wolfe. Her best friend turned lover held the key to both her heart and soul. Izzy had never seen a couple so perfectly matched, as if two halves had actually formed a whole.
"I got out of the hospital early and wanted to stop in to see you. And I brought biscotti!"
"Oh God, the caramel pecan?"
"Yes. And the chocolate."
"Want some tea?"
Gen wrinkled her nose. She was a hard-core coffee drinker. "No thanks. Just the sugar, please."
Izzy grabbed two plates and her sister laid the pastries out. They both sighed and stared at them for a while. Even when they were young, they loved sugar and dessert and got into fights with their mother regarding second and third helpings. Then again, it was mostly Izzy who got in trouble. Gen always backed down, not wanting to get their mom mad, but Izzy didn't care and always forged ahead with no caution.
"Are you seriously watching that movie again? You've memorized every line!"
Izzy stuck out her tongue at her sister. "It has hot men and cool women with lightsabers. How can you not love it?"
Gen laughed. "Fine, I give up. I can see you naming your kids Luke and Leia when you have them."
"I actually love that idea."
Gen groaned. "Forget I mentioned it. How've you been doing?" Her sister took a bite of her biscotti and closed her eyes in pleasure. "Kate said you're killing it at work. Everyone's impressed at your learning curve. Did you ever work at a matchmaking agency before?"
Izzy bit into the cookie and moaned. Perfect firm texture. A touch of sweetness. The crunch of pecan. Best thing ever. "No, but I have people skills. Well, I found I had better people skills when I wasn't high, but I think all the traveling helped me deal with a wide variety of people."
"Yeah, I can see that. You always were the one who could convince people to do stuff. And you have a worldly flair about you that's new."
Izzy raised her brow. "Worldly flair? Oh boy, what do you want, Gen?"
Her sister burst into laughter. "Well, now that you mention it . . ."
"You're not going to jump on the Devine bandwagon, too, are you?"
Gen frowned. "What do you mean? What does Stone's partner have to do with anything?"
Izzy waved a hand in the air. Then took another bite. "Nothing. Kennedy was trying to set me up with Devine, saying I need to begin dating. I told her no, but I thought maybe you were here to convince me."
"Hmm, I never really thought about Devine. He's hot, but I was always too fascinated with Stone and Arilyn's fireworks to really concentrate on him. Maybe he's worth a look?"
"No."
"Fine. I want you to do something else for me anyway. But you need to have an open mind."
Suspicion reared up. "You must want this very bad to bring me biscotti."
"Stop--I brought the biscotti because I love you. But I want you to do this thing for me because I'm asking."
"Low blow. Tell me what it is first."
Gen pulled out a slim purple book from the paper bag. The cover was a thick, rich velvet, and the pages seemed worn. The scent of musty paper rose in the air. Izzy reached out and took it, stroking the beautiful cover.
The Book of Spells.
WTH?
Gen began talking fast, as if afraid if she got interrupted her sales pitch would fail. "I know you're going to think I'm crazy but I don't care. It's a book to create a love spell. For a man. Well, not just any man, but the man who is truly meant for you--your actual soul mate--and you need to follow the steps exactly as they're outlined, and then Earth Mother will send him to you. But you have to be extremely careful about the list. The list needs to contain qualities you need in
a man, and you should be as specific as possible. Don't just write down anything. You need to take it seriously, because it's very powerful."
Izzy stared at the book, then back at her sister. A hum of energy seemed to rise in the room, settling in a thick haze around them. "Umm, Gen, I think you're working too hard."
Her sister's usual sense of humor didn't rise up to meet her teasing comment. "I'm serious, Izzy. I need you to do this. I know you don't believe me, but just humor me. The spell holds great power. I did it and now I'm with Wolfe. Arilyn and Kennedy and Kate also did the spell, and look at them. They're happy and in love with the men who are meant for them."
Izzy's mouth fell open. "You believe a love spell was the reason you hooked up with Wolfe? Babe, I hate to tell you this, but you two were circling each other for years. Even I knew you belonged together."
"It worked for all of us. I think the spell harnesses Earth Mother's energy and allows us to finally accept the love that is right for us."
"If Mom heard you talking like this, she'd kill you. She always says you can't do voodoo and stuff and still be a Catholic."
"I'm still Catholic! But I believe in this. And you better not tell her."
Izzy shook her head in confusion, flipping through the pages. "Wait a minute. Arilyn mentioned Earth Mother in a conversation we had. Is this what she was talking about?"
"Yes. I told you, we all did the spell together. She mentioned to me I might want to pass the book on to you."
Damn, she had no idea everyone would go to such extremes just to get her a date.
She sighed. "This is weird, Gen. Why do you want to hook me up so bad with a guy? I'm finally happy and at peace. I'm not causing trouble, I'm off the drugs, and I'm happy. Why mess things up now?"
Gen reached across the counter and snagged Izzy's hand, squeezing. "Because I'm so proud of you and happy I have my sister back. Because you've done so much work, and grown, and changed, and I think you deserve a man who will treasure you in this life. Because I think you're worth a great love."
Emotion stung her eyes. Her twin's generous heart always amazed her. Years ago, her words would have made Izzy feel selfish and ashamed. As if Izzy were less because she didn't experience the same kindness as her twin. Those emotions would eventually turn to anger and then destruction. Because the truth was Izzy had never felt like a good person. She never felt like she was good enough to be Gen's twin.