Charmed (Second Sight) by Hazel Hunter Page A

down again.
    “Be right there,” he yelled.
    Maybe he’d visit the hospital after all.

CHAPTER NINE

    ISABELLE GAVE THE boiling pot a stir with the large plastic pasta fork. Though she’d prefer wood, the plastic was always a safer bet when it came to readings. She didn’t cook with the gloves on. Not even latex if she could help it.  
    On the back burner the pesto sauce was warming. Mac had texted and ought to be home any minute.
    For a moment, she wondered what was going on with the commune and Daniel and–
    She stopped herself, for probably the tenth time since she’d gotten home.  
    Mac is right. I’ve done what Kayla had wanted me to do.  
    The phone conversation had gone about as well as could be expected. Kayla had hung up sobbing. At first she’d been relieved but when she’d asked when Daniel was going to come visit, Isabelle had told her the truth. Daniel had only said he would call. And apparently he hadn’t yet.
    Isabelle heard the key in the front door and turned to see Mac. He already had his jacket off and was smiling.  
    This was something she could used to.
    “Honey,” he said calling to her as though she were far away. “I’m hooome.”
    She couldn’t help but laugh but she kept stirring the pasta.
    “I’m in the kiiiitchen,” she called back. It was silly but she didn’t care. “Did you have a good day at the office?”
    She didn’t actually know if couples ever really talked like that but she giggled.
    “Actually,” Mac said from behind her. “I did. Tim had a breakthrough with Daniel’s computer. He–“
    Isabelle quickly turned her head to look at him.
    “I don’t want to know,” she said, suddenly serious.
    Mac had been about to put his arms around her waist but he stopped and backed up, his face an open question.
    “Okay,” he said slowly.
    “I can’t just know and then not know,” Isabelle said. “Be a part of things and then not.”
    A sizzling and popping noise came from the stove.  
    Isabelle whipped her head around to see the pasta boiling over.  
    “Oh no,” she muttered, immediately grabbing the handle of the saucepan. But as she moved it to another burner, the churning and frothing liquid sloshed onto the back of her hand. “ Ow ,” she said, setting it down hard.
    Mac reached around her and turned off the burner as Isabelle clutched her hand and backed into his chest.
    “Did you burn yourself?” Mac said. “Let me see.”
    Without thinking, Isabelle held out the painful hand, the top of her knuckles turning pink. Mac immediately took her hand in his–and the reading began. The world blinked out in a screen of gray.  
    Mac’s worry for her compounded the pain. His boss was having an affair. Daniel had to be the commune’s administrator.
    Isabelle tried to tug her hand away but Mac held on, pulling her forward.
    “ No ,” she breathed.
    “You need to–”
    “My hand ,” Isabelle gasped. “Mac, let go .”
    Suddenly, he let it go. She felt his hands around her shoulders.
    “Isabelle, I wasn’t thinking .”
    “It’s okay,” she said, breathing hard. “I wasn’t either.”
    “Here,” he said. She heard the faucet start and he guided her forward. “You need to run cold water over that while I get a first aid kit.”

    •••••

    Mac bounded back up the apartment stairs with the first aid kit from the SUV and charged through the still open front door. Isabelle was dabbing her hand with a dish towel and had obviously regained her sight. Quickly, he set the first aid pouch on the kitchen counter and donned the latex gloves he’d grabbed from the crime scene kit.
    “Let’s see,” he said.
    “It’s fine,” Isabelle said, turning away from him.
    He caught her lightly by the arm.
    “Isabelle,” he said quietly. “I’ve got gloves on. It’ll be all right. Let me just take a look.”
    She hesitated, seemed to waver, but then turned back to him, holding out her hand.
    Her knuckles were a pale pink but the burn didn’t