Free Rogue Wave (The Water Keepers, Book 2) by Christie Anderson

grab my arm and pull me off the couch. “Maybe you should come with me, sweetheart. You look like you could use some fresh air.”
    I followed after my mom down the sidewalk, glancing every few seconds at Rayne’s front yard. What was he thinking coming out and just kissing me like that again? Telling me he wanted to date me, for real, and risking his station as a Keeper? He wasn’t acting like himself, at all.
    Mom unlocked our neighbors’ front door and asked me to go in the backyard to water Steve’s plants while she took care of some things inside the house.
    I sprayed the hose water aimlessly around the yard, still deep in contemplation. It had to be the lack of Healing Water that was impeding Rayne’s judgment. He would say he was fine whether he really was or not, and it was even possible he didn’t realize it was affecting him so badly. I knew firsthand what could happen when the Healing Water ran low from someone’s system.
    Nothing had actually changed about our situation. The only thing different was Rayne and his ability to reason. This was probably why he didn’t stop me from kissing him. He wasn’t strong enough to maintain his usual level of control and fight off the effects of the bond between us.
    I couldn’t entertain any of the ideas he had planted in my heart, not when it was so obvious he wasn’t thinking clearly. For all I knew, he would come back tonight with a fresh supply of Healing Water, a clear head, and the intent to take back everything he’d just offered me.
    And I had to remember, no matter if Rayne was losing his strength or not, that deep down I would always know…allowing myself to love him meant living nothing more than a blissful lie. I still didn’t believe I could live with that.
    “Sadie,” Mom’s voice called in concern. “That’s plenty. Are you trying to kill their garden?”
    I looked down and found a pool of muddy water drowning a small collection of herbs and tomato plants. The raised garden bed was so full that water was spilling over the edges of the wood siding onto the grass.
    “Oh no,” I said. I jolted away with the hose so quickly I accidentally sprayed Lori’s cat, which hissed at me and ran away as Mom went to the side of the house and turned off the water.
    “Sorry,” I called to my mom. I started to cross the yard in her direction. “Do you think their plants will be okay? I just got distracted.”
    Mom came back around the corner with a little smirk. “I think their garden will survive the flood.” Then she motioned to one of the patio chairs at the outdoor table. “Why don’t you come sit down with me for a minute?”
    I took a seat, cringing a little. “I feel bad,” I said. “What if I ruined their plants?”
    “Honey, the plants will be fine. Are you okay, though? You seem like you’ve got something on your mind.”
    “No, I’m fine,” I said out of habit. But I corrected myself. “Well, maybe not. Maybe things are kind of weird with Rayne right now.”
    “Why?” she asked. “Did something happen?”
    “We, sort of, broke up.”
    Mom’s face crumpled immediately. “Oh no, sweetie. Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, I guess,” I said, shaking my head. “It was pretty much my idea. And he said he agreed with me that it was the best thing. At least, at first he agreed with me. But that’s not even the weird part. The day after we broke up, we had our first kiss.”
    My mom’s frown quickly turned into a happy glow. “ Sadie-bear …your first kiss… That’s so adorable.”
    “ Mom , are you even listening to me? We broke up. And now all of a sudden he keeps kissing me. Doesn’t that seem a little messed up to you?”
    It was as if she didn’t hear a word I had said. She was too giddy. “Wait, so he kissed you again ? How many times? Was it romantic?”
    I covered my face with both hands. “Mother, please focus. You’re missing the point.”
    She stifled her amusement and put on a serious face. “Sorry, honey. I