Free Lifting the Veil by Kate Allenton

with her around. She’s like a vicious
    watchdog.”
    Jack glanced back over his shoulder. “She doesn’t look vicious. Are you sure?”
    “Well, she is when she isn’t napping. When she takes her nap, the apocalypse could happen and
    she wouldn’t hear a thing,” Sophie said, sliding into her seat.

    ****
Sophie pulled her door closed and took a deep, calming breath while waiting on Jack. She’d seen
    him in jeans before. What she wouldn’t give to have him stripped bare. Even if the man wasn’t
    interested in her, it was okay if she was in lust. After tonight’s talk, it wouldn’t matter one way or the other. He’d never look at her in the same light again.
    A quick ten-minute drive and they pulled into a little bar she’d never been to before. A gentleman, the age her father had been when he died, was standing behind the bar, a dingy white rag tossed over his shoulder. The television was propped up in the corner with the news on. The dimly lit establishment hinted at secrets held between its walls. The two men sitting at the bar glanced their way when the wind from the parking lot blew in through the open door where they stood. She recognized one of the guys immediately and started to wave when Jack took her hand and pulled her farther into the dark
    little bar. “Isn’t that—”
    “Yes.” He picked a small round table farthest away from the bar and pulled out her chair. He stood behind her, his hands on her arms and leaned down. “White wine or something with an umbrella?”
    She shook her head. “Beer, please.”
    He nodded and was gone only moments before he returned with two longnecks in one hand and a
    frosted mug in the other. “I wasn’t sure if you needed a glass.”
    She smiled. “The bottle’s fine, thanks.”
    She took the beer while he sat down. She laid her elbows on the sticky table before quickly
    removing them from the wood and resting them in her lap. The place needed a good cleaning. Maybe if things didn’t work out for her at the precinct she could talk the owner into hiring her at the bar.
    Jack sat down in the chair next to hers, giving him a clear view of the bar and the door.
    “Isn’t that—”
    Jack nodded. “Kingston. Yes, he comes in here often.”
    “Oh.” Sophie tilted her head. “Does he have a drinking problem?”
    Jack leaned his elbows on the table and took a swig of his beer. “I think he comes in here to forget.
    He hasn’t been the same since the accident.”
    Sophie turned away from staring at Kingston’s back and let her gaze fall on Jack. “What accident?”
    Jack leaned back into his chair, his gaze directed on the officer at the bar. “His wife was killed in a car accident. By the time they reached the hospital, she and the unborn baby were dead. It just about killed him.” He nodded toward the bar. “This is how he copes when he’s not at work.”
    Sophie paused with her beer to her mouth. Her heart fell into her stomach. “That poor guy. I
    couldn’t imagine having to deal with a loss like that.”
    Jack swung his chair around toward her, ignoring everything and everyone in the bar. “Okay, so
    start talking.”
    Sophie licked her lips and took a sip of her beer. “I guess I should start at the beginning.”
    “That sounds as good a place as any.”
    She twisted the napkin that he’d brought with her beer, tearing it into little shreds as she gathered her nerve. “You have to promise not to interrupt me until I’m done.”
    His brow raised a fraction. “I’ll try my best.”
    “I’ve seen your best. Try harder.” Sophie took a swig of her beer for liquid courage.
    She opened her mouth and blurted the whole series of events out. From her trip to Salem, the
    psychic’s predictions, the warnings, the little bottles of liquid the charm lady gave her, the vision, the male’s voice that only she can hear. When she finally came up for a breath, his face remained
    unreadable, his beer drained, and he was silent.
    “Say