First Visions: Second Sight Book One

Chapter Eighteen

Although it was almost two o'clock in the morning, Jared tossed in his bed wide awake. He had returned to his apartment after seeing Kate and now couldn't stop thinking about her. He had surprised himself by going to the wedding to seek her out. Initially, after things ended with Nikki, he focused solely on work and checking out leads on Cori. However, reflections of Kate never drifted too far from his brain. He knew it would probably be for the best if he kept his distance. It seemed disrespectful to break up with Nikki one day and immediately jump into something with Kate. He also was reminded of how much he had hurt her and wasn't sure if she would even want to give him a chance. Not only had he turned down her advances, but also destroyed her chance at anonymity in Franklin.

Since he woke up that morning, he was miserable the entire day. All he wanted was to see her and tell her she had been on his mind persistently. Explain that what she had felt wasn't one sided—that he had felt something from the moment she answered the door with that beaming smile. It was a marvel to Jared that Kate was one of those rare girls who seemed to have no clue how absolutely beautiful she was. If she gave him another chance, he planned to remedy that as soon as possible. Jared was exhausted and disillusioned over Cori's abduction and he craved the comfort of being with her. All the reasons why he shouldn't be with her didn't seem to matter as much anymore. Without a second thought, he had sent her a text asking to see her. It seemed like an eternity before she replied about her being at a wedding at Cedar Brooks.

Before he could talk himself out of it, Jared had hopped in his car and drove straight to the reception hall. When he laid eyes on her, it was difficult to think straight. She looked breathtaking and he was touched at her concern for Cori, a girl she had never met. Then, when they kissed, it was nothing like he'd experienced before. It was hard to contain his desire for her and he was glad he'd finally come to his senses. She was young and sweet and it wouldn't be right to pressure her into taking things farther than she was comfortable with. He wanted to take his time with her and make certain they both enjoyed things. His aunt had instilled within him the importance of treating woman with respect and the lesson had stayed with him throughout his past relationships.

After he returned home from the wedding, he had received a message from his aunt to give her a call as soon as he arrived home. She picked up on the first ring. "Jared, I've been waiting for you to call!"

"It's not too late? Don't you country folk retire at like five in the afternoon?" he chided his Aunt Lizzie.

"You sound cheerful, I'm guessing your reading was right, then," she said with a hint of smugness in her tone.

"Could you remind me again, which reading would that be?"

His aunt called him almost on a regular basis to give him updates on his future. Although she wasn't psychic, she owned a set of tarot cards and their revelations were like her religion. His open-mindedness had some boundaries and relying on card symbols to make major decisions about his life felt like a stretch. Most of the time, he humored her since most of the interpretations were vague enough where they could fit into any aspect of any person's life. However, he never counted anything out absolutely and knew there were things in the world that defied explanation. Kate Edwards was further proof of this assertion.

"I knew you weren't paying attention!" she accused in mock indignant tones. "I'm going to have to convince William to get us Internet access and then I can email you with the revelations after I lay out the cards for you. You really need to think about getting your own set."

"Hmmm...kind of busy for that right now, Aunt Lizzie, but I'll consider it."

"Does your new girlfriend read tarot cards?" she asked innocently.