Trace stood abruptly, as if the couch were on fire. He stepped around the coffee table and lifted her right out of the seat, tugging her into his embrace. “We met your mom while you were with Rebecca. She seems very nice. Genuine. I’m glad you could finally be reunited.”
She closed her eyes, inhaling his scent as she buried her face in his firm chest.
His arms ran up and down her back soothingly. His head came down lower so he could speak into her ear. “It’s a lot to take in all at once. No wonder you’re so stressed.”
Amazingly she felt calmer in his arms. She hadn’t realized Keegan had also stood until his hand landed on her back above Trace’s arms. “Is your mom moving back here?”
Melinda shrugged. “Not right now. She has a life and three other kids I’ve never met in her husband’s hometown. It’s about two hours west. She can only stay a few days. She and her mate, Gene, have to get back. It’s going to be weird getting to know her.”
Finally, she wiggled back an inch and lifted her gaze to Trace, changing the subject. “Your turn.” She grinned.
He chuckled. “I can’t top that.” Instead of releasing her to sit back down, he pulled her around to the couch and sat her between the two of them. Their heat surrounded her, making her fidget. “I’m sure you know most of my life story from Griffen. My family owns the ski resort outside of Cambridge. I was in the deputy training program right before the earthquake and joined the local law enforcement soon after. I still work part time for my parents during ski season. I have three brothers and one sister, the baby. Griffen’s the oldest. Then me. Then Zachary, Logan, and Sharon.”
“Yep. I win.” She sighed and leaned back in her spot. Cambridge—forty minutes north of Sojourn at the other end of the lake… Both men’s thighs touched hers, making her hyper aware of them. It took all her concentration to listen to Trace’s words.
Trace reached across the coffee table and grabbed her wine, which he then handed to her. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m not usually like this,” she informed them after taking another sip. “But I also don’t meet my mate every day. Or mates.”
She stared at the glass in front of her to avoid either man’s gaze. It seemed as if they could see inside her, and that was a foreign concept to her since she was usually the one with the upper hand in reading people.
Keegan spoke next. “I feel like we’re at a disadvantage here.”
“How’s that?” She twisted to look at him.
“You haven’t said much about your psychic abilities. Did you know you would meet us today? Did you know who we were even? Can you foresee what happens next? How extensive is this ability?”
She couldn’t help the soft chuckle she emitted. Her? At an advantage? Hardly. Finally, she shook her head. “It doesn’t work like that. I’m not psychic. More like intuitive. I don’t see the future. It’s more like a feeling that washes over me—an emotion really. I get a gut feeling about something at random. I can’t control it. It’s hard to explain.”
Keegan nodded slowly, but his brow was furrowed in confusion. “I see.”
“I’m sure you don’t get it. And I wouldn’t expect you to. You’ll understand better over time. It’s confusing to me. It must seem very frustrating to you.”
Trace stroked his fingers down her arm. “Like the earthquake last year. You predicted that, right?”
She turned toward him. “No. Not like you’re thinking. It was more of a feeling of doom. I knew something awful was about to happen. I even thought it was environmental, but I didn’t predict an earthquake. Really, I might not have known anything if it hadn’t been for the strong vibe telling me to make sure Rebecca didn’t compete in the Spartan Race that day. Turned out she might have been killed. In either case, she was needed for her nursing skills. Without her, many more lives would have been lost.”
Trace nodded, his expression similar to the one she’d seen on Keegan’s face. It wasn’t unreasonable for her mates to be confused. She couldn’t blame them. Only time would alter their perceptions.
A few seconds of silence passed, during which she was fairly certain both men conferred silently over her head. And then Trace spoke. “Melinda, look at me.”
She lifted her gaze and turned her head his direction, another piece of her chipping away at the sincere look of concern on his face.
“I know this is weird. I know you didn’t expect to meet your mate today, and certainly not two of us, but there’s something you aren’t sharing. Why are you so scared?”