Searching for Disaster (4 page)

chapter two

“Y
OU'VE BEEN AWAY
on vacation and you still haven't gotten laid?”

Officer William Devine regarded his partner with annoyance. “Why are you stuck on my love life all of a sudden? It was a family vacation. My brother was getting married.”

Officer Stone Petty snorted. He sat in the passenger seat of the squad car, his gaze assessing their surroundings, looking for any type of action that would perk up their day in Verily. His head almost hit the ceiling of the car. With his staggering height, coal-black hair, craggy features, and goatee, Stone easily intimidated perps. They made the perfect team of bad cop/good cop and it had been working for a few years now. Besides being a great cop, Stone was an actual friend he trusted with his life. “There must've been a pretty bridesmaid or flower girl or someone.”

“Flower girls are usually young girls.”

“Maid of honor, then. Or matron—whatever. Chicks love to get laid at weddings.”

Amusement made his lips twitch. Even after years of being partners, Stone still was able to make him laugh. “When was the last time you got laid at a wedding?”

His friend puffed up like a proud cock. “Recently. At Kate's wedding. That's when Arilyn and I really hooked up.”

“Doesn't count. You were already in a relationship with her.”

“Semantics. And I'm not stuck on your love life. I've just noticed you've been a bit bitchy lately, and with men, that channels itself into one direction. The almighty dick.”

Devine shook his head. “Not bitchy. Just restless. I don't know; it's stupid.”

“Try me. Looks like everyone's obeying the law, so we have time to kill.”

True. Verily was a small upstate town located on the Hudson River in New York. It held a quaint main street complete with cafés, wine bars, bakeries, a dog park, and a bunch of artist shops. On a warm September evening, as dusk fell over the valley, touched by a blend of color from the leaves just beginning to turn, the view of the majestic mountains was breathtaking. Jagged, shadowed cliffs rose up from the river, with Verily squeezed right in the middle, like a jewel encased in gold.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much crime in the town. A drunken brawl, speeding ticket, or weed bust kept them occupied, but they were never going to see the hard-core action one of the city boroughs would. Stone had come from the Bronx originally before transferring to Verily, and had some tough issues to deal with.

Devine used to love the fact he could do his part without burning out or losing his faith in humanity. Too many of his fellow officers did, especially after 9/11. But lately an itch crawled under his skin, urging him to break out of his usual routine and do something different.

Something crazy.

But he didn't do crazy. Never had, never will.

He tried to explain in words that didn't even make sense to him. “Maybe I'm going through some weird midlife crisis. I watched my brother get married and he's so damn happy. Hell, even
you're
happy, and I never would've bet the ranch on Arilyn loving your sorry ass.”

Stone grunted. “So, you want to find your love match or something? Why don't you let Arilyn hook you up with Kinnections?”

“Hell, no. That's humiliating. I don't need an agency to find a date.”

“Not talking about a date—you've found plenty of those. Talking about a real match with a woman you can connect with. Maybe that's why you're restless.”

Devine stared at his partner in shock. Damned if his once surly, sarcastic, sometimes mean-tempered friend had gotten bit by the love bug. Now he was shitting sunshine. “You're scaring me.”

Stone shrugged. “I'm happy. Sue me for wanting you to be happy, too.”

Devine couldn't argue with that statement. His friend deserved everything he had finally found with Arilyn—and their rescue Chihuahua, Pinky. He'd missed both of them during his family trip. He'd missed his job, too, and Ray's Billiards where he hung out, and the life he had built here.

Then why did he feel so lost?

He rubbed his temple and forced the thought aside. Maybe Stone was right. Maybe he needed to connect with a woman on a deeper level and not just scratch a physical itch. He'd dated plenty of nice women and usually had his pick. Quantity wasn't the problem and never had been.

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.”