“Don’t underestimate my little brother,” Julian warned as he took a gulp of his coffee. “He’s an asshole right now, and in worse shape than I’ve ever seen him. He’s clean, but I have a feeling he’s hanging on by a thread.”
“Can I be frank, Julian?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Xander has to want to stay clean. If he doesn’t, nothing and nobody is going to be able to keep him from going back to abusing drugs and alcohol. He’s isolated, and even though he’s close to his family physically now, he’s obviously not feeling like he’s part of the family again.”
I knew a thing or two about addicts. I’d dealt with one in my immediate family.
“He doesn’t seem to want to be part of the family again. We’ve tried,” Julian answered huskily. “I don’t know what the hell to do to make him want to stay free of drugs and alcohol. It’s like I lost my little brother, and I don’t know how to get him back.”
“I understand,” I murmured. “I’ll do what I can to help him.” At the very least, Julian’s brother would end up with a clean house. I was kind of anal about living organized and in a happy space—which for me meant a tidy living area.
“That’s all we ask,” Julian replied. “What are you going to do if he won’t let you in?”
“Convince him,” I replied. There was no way in hell I was going to let Xander turn me away. I hadn’t up and left my old job and drove for hours just to let him slam the door on me.
Julian grinned. “You know; you almost make me believe you can manage that.”
I smiled back at him. “Like I said, I’ll handle it.”
“His house really is a pig sty.” Julian grimaced and drained the last of his coffee.
“I don’t mind,” I replied. “Cleaning it up is part of my job.”
The two oldest Sinclair brothers were paying me to clean a house and cook meals, even if that home was currently a disaster.
He shook his head. “You haven’t seen it yet. It’s a beautiful home that Micah had built for him. It even has a recording studio, but that was wishful thinking on Micah’s part since Xander says he won’t ever perform again. The mansion is close to the shoreline, and the beach is pretty private. The place is almost brand new, but my little brother has already trashed it pretty badly.”
“Has he always been messy?”
“No. Well, no more than any other single guy who puts off cleaning up after himself. When we were kids, Xander was probably the tidiest of the three of us. He was also probably the one with the biggest heart. He’s changed.”
“He sounds angry and depressed. You said he still hasn’t hurt anyone.” I’d had other, lengthier conversations with both Micah and Julian on the phone to discern my new client’s current state of mind. I knew what I was getting myself into. But as long as my new boss had never injured anybody, I was good. I could handle an asshole as long as he didn’t have violent tendencies.
“He hasn’t. Not on purpose, anyway. He’s been startled by flashbacks a couple of times, but he wouldn’t intentionally hurt anyone. The only one he seems to want to destroy is himself.”
“He has multiple issues, Julian. I’m sure it will take time.”
Xander’s brothers hadn’t held back when they’d given me information on their little brother’s state of mind. They’d been honest, letting me know that he had problems, and exactly what they were.
“You think he just needs more time? Even though it’s been several years since my parents were killed and Xander was injured? He’s been through multiple rehabs with counseling.”
“Like I said on the phone, I think he needs purpose. He needs to want to recover completely.”
“Well, I hope you can help him find that purpose, because Micah and I have fucking failed miserably.”
“I’ll do my best.” It was all I could do.
“Fair enough,” he answered. “Would you like me to go with you to his house to introduce you?”
“Julian!” A loud female voice interrupted our conversation. “Hello, Julian.”
I watched as the handsome, blond Sinclair brother turned around. His back was facing the entrance, but I could see the elderly woman waving at him near the door. Brew Magic was packed, but she quickly made her way to our table with more spunk than I’d expect from a female who was probably in her eighties.
Julian shot her a charming smile as she stopped beside our table. “Beatrice. Nice to see you.”
I wanted to flinch from the intense, knowing stare the gray-haired woman gave me as she appeared to survey me carefully. I wasn’t sure why it bothered me. It wasn’t like I wasn’t used to being stared down, and her pink sneakers and purple jogging outfit weren’t exactly intimidating. But for some inexplicable reason, she made me uneasy.
“I’m so glad you finally got here, dear,” the woman exclaimed happily.
I looked at Julian in surprise. I thought he hadn’t shared my arrival here with anyone except Micah, their wives, and Xander.
He shook his head, indicating silently that the older woman didn’t know why I was here.
“I think you have me confused with someone else,” I told her politely, smiling back at her.
“Oh, there’s no mistake.”
Julian interrupted, “Samantha Riley, let me introduce you to Beatrice. She’s Amesport’s own official psychic and matchmaker.”
I picked up on the tone of his voice, and instantly knew he wanted me to humor this woman. Since she seemed harmless, I was okay with that. “How lovely,” I answered cordially. “You must have some remarkable talents.”
Beatrice waved her hand. “Oh, I wouldn’t go that far. Although Julian is very sweet to say so. I consider myself a seer, actually. And I don’t always recognize soulmates. But I seem to have a certain affinity with the Sinclairs. Predicted every one of their matches.”
I wasn’t quite sure what the truth actually was, but the elderly female seemed harmless enough, and her elevated spirit seemed almost contagious. “Is that right?”
“Oh, yes, dear. And I’ve been waiting a very long time for you to get here. Xander desperately needs you. This is for you.”
I held out my palm without thinking about it as she offered me a dark object. “What is this?” I questioned curiously.
“It’s your Apache tear,” she explained. “I don’t think you need it nearly as much as Xander, but it will help you along. You do have some of your defenses to break through.”
Okay. It was one of the most bizarre conversations I’d ever had, but as I closed my fist, I could swear the stone warmed in my hand. “It’s beautiful, but I can’t accept this. You don’t even know me.”
Beatrice was still staring, her intense gaze still uncomfortable. “I know your soul,” she professed.
“Are you saying that Samantha is Xander’s match, Beatrice?” Julian asked, sounding surprised.
I shifted my eyes to him, wondering if he really believed in the mystic. His question hadn’t quite sounded convinced. But he’d sounded hopeful, which scared the hell out of me.