“Well, then it’s not normal.” Julia could see that he was just trying to help, so she dialed it back. “The thing is, I don’t like getting premonitions, and I certainly don’t want to have visions. Not once every five years, not even every ten years. They make me feel different and not in a good way. Weird. Theyareweird.”
“We can’t possibly know what will happen, you’re right.” Gianluca blinked, his hand still on her shoulder. “But we can talk about how you would deal with it if it does happen, don’t you think? Wouldn’t that help you?”
“Yes, I guess so.” Julia reflected that her emotional Italian husband could be a calming force when she wanted one, which she loved about him. Every marriage needed a Voice of Reason. “So what will you do, if the visions return?”
“I don’t know,” Julia had to answer, honestly. The prospect shook her to her foundations.
“You remember how they affected you last time, how destabilizing? You lost your way.”
Julia felt her face flush. “I know, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I couldn’t control today that I got the premonition. If it happens, it happens.”
Gianluca frowned more deeply, his dark eyebrows slanted down. “Then is going to Philadelphia a good idea?”
“Are you saying you don’t think I should go?” Julia asked, surprised.
“No, I’m not, I know you love Courtney.” Gianluca met her gaze with frankness. “But consider this. You told me that today in the kitchen, the thought popped into your head to call her. What if your premonition didn’t start when you were on the phone with Courtney? What if it was why you called her? Maybe you knew that her grandmother was about to be murdered.”
Julia swallowed hard, wondering if he was right. Her thoughts after the call had been so confused that the notion hadn’t occurred to her, but it made sense. She rarely called Courtney, who had a busy schedule. It was usually Courtney who called her.
“When you called Courtney, you could’ve delayed her going in. If you hadn’t called, she could be dead now, too.”
Julia inhaled, horrified. The thought of losing Courtney chilled her to the bone. She didn’t want to believe that she had the power to prevent a murder. Or, if she got it wrong, failed to prevent a murder. Maybe humans weren’t meant to know everything, at least she wasn’t. Julia reached for Gianluca, wrapping her arms around him and feeling the muscles in his back under his thin T-shirt.
“Here’s my fear,cara,” Gianluca said softly, hugging her close. “What will happen if you get mixed up in helping Courtney—”
“I want to help her.” Julia released him, torn. “Her grandmother was murdered. I know how that feels, and I can’t let her go through it alone.”
“But murder is something for the police. It could be dangerous.”
“I’m not going to Pennsylvania to solve a murder.”
“Aren’t you?” Gianluca narrowed his dark eyes. “Last time, you helped figure out who killed Mike. You helped the police.”
“That’s true, but that wasn’t my goal. You remember how it was. I was just trying to understand what was going on in my own brain. I thought I was losing my mind.” Julia hated the way she sounded, like a freak, all over again. She turned away and zipped the suitcase closed, hoping to end the conversation.
“Look at me.”
“What?” Julia looked up at him, pained. Oddly, ashamed.
“I’m on your side,cara.” Gianluca moved his hand to her arm.
Aw.Julia’s throat caught.
“I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Julia rallied, straightening. “But I have to go. I’ve made my choice. It’s the right thing to do.”
“Okay, but promise me you’ll be very, very careful, and if you start to have visions about the murder, you’ll go to the police. You’ll tell them, and you’ll let them handle it. Promise?” Gianluca looked down at her, his expression grave and his tone turning vaguely professorial, which was a librarian thing she loved about him.
“Of course, I promise,” Julia answered, meaning it.
“Thank you.”
“I love you. Did I say that already?”
“All the time, but I get it.” Gianluca smiled warmly, and Julia felt the urge to kiss him, but he looked like he wanted to say something more. “Well, I need to ask you something. I was going to wait to bring it up, but since you’re going away, I have to put the thought inyour mind.” Gianluca hesitated. “My parents would like to move into the cottage, and I think it’s a good idea. They’re here so often, and it doesn’t make sense for them to keep their house in town. They could sell it, put the money away, and live in the cottage.”
Wait, what?Julia hadn’t seen this coming. She knew she had to choose her words carefully. Gianluca loved his family, and so did she, but living with them was another matter. “Really?”
