Free literal leigh 05.7 - mission impawsible by Melanie James

Prologue
     
    W e’ve all had one of those deep conversations where we’ve done a poor job articulating a great topic to the wrong audience. For my case in point, it was a discussion I had with my friend, Gertie, a few weeks ago.
    “Gertie, do you ever feel like you’re searching for a place? I don’t exactly mean a physical place, but I suppose it could be. Maybe it’s just a mindset. Anyway, it’s where you would not only feel comfortable, but truly in your element. You just feel drawn to something, but not quite sure what it is, only that it’s where you need to be. A place where you’ll find your strength.”
    “Now you sound just like that woman I met last year, over in Biloxi. She tried to sell me a timeshare, whatever that is. I have no idea. Are you getting into the timesharing business, Kelly? By the way, can you share time? Can you even make time?”
    “No. Not at all. I’m talking about philosophy, not vacation property. Anyway, the Spanish have a word for what I’m talking about—querencia. It’s a concept, a place where everything fits together. It all makes sense, and no matter what life throws your way, you can handle it without batting an eye. In Death in the Afternoon , Hemingway uses bullfighting to explain the metaphysical concept of querencia. The bull, in time, develops a sense of where and what his querencia is. If the bull finds his querencia in the ring, he becomes impossible to defeat.”
    It was my fault, really. I’m an English teacher, and I habitually fall back on literature during my philosophical ramblings.  My audience, Gertie, only heard “bullfighting.” She blew a gasket.
    “That cruel Hemingway! Bastard! Bullfighting? It’s called murder, Kelly. Plain and simple. Don’t listen to those murdering bastards. You don’t need to kill a bull to find your strength. All you have to do is just tell yourself four words. I CAN DO THIS. That’s it. No more, no less. None of that fancy querencia timeshare stuff. Don’t go analyzing it. And never, ever, go bullfighting.”
    So, that’s how the conversation went. Later, I realized Gertie was absolutely right. I didn’t need to find anything. I just had to convince myself of those four words.
     

Chapter One
     
    R andy poured a cup of coffee and brought it over to where I sat. “Here you go, sis. I don’t know why you insist on staying in this bland, empty condo.” His head swiveled back and forth, closing his eyes like he wanted to forget what he saw.
    Clearly, my brother had mood poisoning when it came to my current living conditions. Unfortunately, he droned on, voicing his concerns.
    “And it’s so… spartan in here. Yuck. It’s so blah… and so unlike you. Would it kill you to have a few decorations? Maybe a picture on the bare walls? Something?”
    I shrugged. It really didn’t matter to me. With my current state of mind, decorating a place I had no desire to stay in was the last thing on my agenda.
    “You know, with your share of the first quarter earnings from Karma Inc., you could really step into the high end of the housing market. And I could… no, I will be your interior designer. I would’ve picked up a few things for you, but Gertie and I have already blown our shares on our Paranormal Bed and Breakfast project.”
    “I’ve considered moving, but most of mine and Ezzy’s money is going toward restarting the Karma Inc. Reality TV show. Even if it wasn’t, I don’t know what I would do. I used to know what I wanted. Well, kind of. I was happy being the modern, independent, single, newbie witch. Taking numbers, crushing hearts. It was my thing. Now, not so much. My goals are all outta whack. I guess I’m just waiting to see how things play out in the near future. Who knows? Ever since… ”
    “Ah ha! Ever since that hunk of a werebear got his paws on you! Am I right?”
    I hesitated, giving my brother the perfect opening. Damn. “Right. Meeting Gabe, falling for him, was so unexpected. So perfect.