Zodiac Rising - The Water Signs: Zodiac Rising, #4

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Cancey (Cancer)

Cancey Cangrejo has a habit of jumping from job to job until she finally lands her dream job. Flight attendant. But on her first day, she meets Marco, the dashing Latin who works business class and has a reputation for acquiring lovely ladies. Cancey falls hard, but she knows she doesn’t stand a chance with a man who dates gorgeous supermodels and high-powered business women.

But her good buddy, George Campion, big brother to all women, steps in to help Cancey attract Marco. The trouble is, after taking her for a makeover and spending the day with her, George wants Cancey for himself.

Schuyler (Scorpio)

Dr. Schuyler Scorponi, surgeon, researcher, recluse. Schuyler has never had much to do with people in general and men in particular. All she has is her work and she’s convinced herself that’s all she needs in her life. But she’s about to meet a different kind of man. One who finds a way to break down her walls bit-by-bit.

It’s the excellence of her work that brings Schuyler to the attention of Dr. Cameron Jones, new chief of surgery at Midlands General. By the time he finishes offering Schuyler a job as his assistant, her cold responses have him regretting his offer. But then he mentions the new lab and Schuyler comes alive, showing Cam a side of her he finds all too attractive.

Pixie (Pisces)

Pixie is just about as big as her name implies, but that doesn’t stop her from doing whatever she wants to do. Like being in tune with the universe, finding lost rings, talking to spirits (although that was a special occasion). Now, she has to use all her psychic powers to save the grandson of that spirit from being killed.

Alan Maddin is a firefighter and a paramedic and he definitely does not believe that Pixie can tune into the universe. He doesn’t even know what that means. But his mother insists on seeing Pixie because Sandy’s dead mother came to warn her that Alan was going to die during a big fire. Sandy wants Pixie to convince Alan that he’s in very real danger.

But the only real danger as far as Alan can see, is getting involved with the petite psychic who has developed a habit of fainting in his arms.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Description

Cancey

Schuyler

Pixie

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CANCEY

This is it. My dream job. Now my life can really begin.

Cancey straightened her shoulders, lifted her chin, and strode confidently through the security check on her way to the gate. The gate that she thought of as her own little highway to heaven.

She'd boarded many planes in her search for just the right job, but this time, she wouldn't be a passenger, staring nervously out the window. This time, she was a professional, part of the crew, a flight attendant.

Cancey had moved around the country, from city to city, from job to job. Sometimes unable to bear staying in one place for long. Sometimes her restlessness resulted in sloppy work and she'd be fired before she could quit and move on. Sometimes weeks, sometimes months, but never more than a year.

In fact, the one job that had lasted a year was for a huge company that had branches all over the country. For some reason, instead of firing her, they'd transferred her from one city to another until she ended up in a job that was being eliminated.

Squeezed out that time. At least it looked better on her resume. Cancey cringed inside, thinking about the list of jobs that marched relentlessly down several pages of her resume.

She'd finally trimmed a huge chunk of jobs out of the last six years, adjusting a date here and there to fill in some of the gaps. When she'd applied for a job (the one where she'd been squeezed out), she lowered her eyes and modestly confessed that she'd been nursing her dying mother. Her very healthy and very much alive mother wouldn't have minded the lie if it got her daughter a job where she could finally settle down.

Cancey had never been hired so quickly. Even being transferred from branch to branch had worked in her favor. When she'd told the airline that she'd always volunteered to take the transfer since she just loved to travel and she just loved meeting new people (this was said with the perkiest smile she could muster), she was hired on the spot.

Now here she was, looking slim and trim in her uniform, (not that she actually was slim and trim) discreetly made up, sandy hair short and tidy, crossing the bridge to her first assignment; her first magic carpet ride.

Okay, so it was only Miami to Atlanta and back again, and it certainly wasn't one of the big jets, but there was plenty of opportunity to move up. She didn't even have to settle for the overseas routes in the big airbuses (oh, how she wished the Concorde was still around). She could get her pilot's license and be the one to fly the big birds around the world.

You're the new girl.

Cancey snapped her head up to see who was speaking to her. And up and up and up. The woman was tall and elegant and looked as if the uniform was designed especially for her. Beside her, Cancey felt small and insignificant and totally inadequate.

First day jitters? It's okay. We've all been through it. We'll help you all we can.

Cancey could only nod, wondering what in heaven's name had made her think she could do this.

My name's Miranda and yours is Cancey. Cancey Cangrejo. Such an unusual name. Did I pronounce that right? Miranda put her arm around Cancey's shoulders and guided her into the plane as she talked, trying to put the girl at her ease.

Cancey nodded again, mortified that she couldn't open her mouth to say a coherent word. At least Miranda hadn't seemed to notice.

Thunderbirds, come and meet Cancey, Miranda called.

Thunderbirds? Cancey asked, finding her voice at last.

Just our little joke. We've been together a long time, Miranda told her, and we decided we needed a nickname.

Oh. Do all the flight crews do that?

I'm sure there are others, Miranda shrugged.

I wanted to call us the early birds, the chubby red-head said, because we have to be up at the crack of dawn for this flight.

That makes sense, Cancey murmured, still feeling very shy.

Welcome aboard, the red-head said, extending her hand. I'm Alana.

Thanks. I mean, pleased to meet you.

Good to have you here, Cancey. Don't worry. You'll catch on, the perky blond with Chrissa on her name tag added.

I hope so, Cancey murmured.

It's just like the training, Miranda assured her.

But Cancey wasn't so sure she was going to remember her training. In fact, she couldn't remember even one thing she'd learned.

Hi, I'm Lanie. I'm up front with Miranda, but we'll all be keeping an eye on you.

Oh, Cancey said in a small voice, intimidated by yet another tall, elegant beauty.

No, not that way, Lanie laughed. I mean we'll be watching to see if you need any help.

Ignore those two, one of the two male attendants told her, elbowing past Lanie to take Cancey's hand. I'll be the one keeping an eye on you, he said.

Cancey had to laugh at the comical expression on George's face. If that was supposed to be a sexy grin, it was canceled out by waggling eyebrows and Miranda's snort.

Okay, George, you've made your pass and failed. Cancey here took all of two seconds to get your number.

Ah, if only she would, George sighed, placing his free hand over his heart. I would be the luckiest man on earth.

But not in the sky? Cancey drawled.

I see the little lady has heard of the mile high club, George teased her. Care to join? I know the secret handshake.

Cancey yanked her hand back, blushing to the roots of her hair. What was the matter with her that she couldn't take a little good-natured ribbing? And then she knew why. Lounging on the arm of one of the passenger seats was ... there was no other word for it ... tall, dark, handsome, brooding, sexy, filling out the uniform in all the right places ... the man she'd been waiting for all her twenty-six years.

Marco, Miranda sighed, say hello to Cancey. Damn, why did all the new ones have to fall for the guy? He was a terrific flight attendant, but he did cut a wide swath through the lady passengers. One of these days, two (or maybe more) of his conquests would find themselves on the same flight comparing notes. As frequently as business class passengers flew, it was a miracle it hadn't happened already.

Hello, Cancey, Marco replied, uncrossing his arms long enough to lift a hand in her direction.

And long enough to have Cancey salivating over that slight Spanish accent.

What section do you work in, Marco? Cancey asked, unable to keep a slight quaver out of her voice.

Business class, Miranda interrupted. Passengers will be boarding soon, so you'd better make sure your section is ready, Marco, Miranda told him, giving him the eye that meant he'd better know better than to mess with one of her crew. In fact, you all should run through your checklists.

Cancey, you're with George and Alana. Jerking her head at Lanie, Miranda headed for first class, knowing her crew would do what needed to be done without her hovering over them.

Cancey hurried to catch up to Alana.

Is she always that abrupt? she whispered.

No, not at all, the chubby red-head replied, knowing why Miranda had broken up the welcome party, but not wanting to embarrass Cancey on her first day by explaining about Marco.

Welcome to our little world, George grinned, showing her the efficient and compact storage area. Hardly a two-butt kitchen, but I think the two of us can squeeze in.

George, stop it. You're embarrassing Cancey. Alana told him sharply. Don't mind him. He's a big tease, but a real softie inside.

You wound me, Alana, my dearest. If only you would be mine, I would never allow another woman to enjoy the benefits of my manly charm.

Right, George, Alana smiled, wiggling her engagement ring at him. George was a wonderful person, the brother she'd never had, and she just loved the big tease to death.

Ignore him, Alana told Cancey with a broad smile. Why don't you stow your bag and we'll get to work.

All too soon, the passengers started boarding. First class, then business, and finally economy, and Cancey didn't have time to think or worry about doing a good job. She had her hands full, finding seats, helping stow bags and smiling, smiling, smiling. Then they were all strapped in and taking off and Cancey had never felt so alive in her entire life. She looked up to see George watching her, and when he'd caught her eye, he winked, knowing what she was feeling. It was a moment of shared awareness, of that special something that only those who love what they do can experience. And nothing was more special than soaring into the air, blasting through the atmosphere at nearly 200 miles an hour. And that was just the take-off!

A bell pinged and a light flashed on next to Alana's seat.

Okay, folks, time to feed the hordes, she said, unbuckling her seat belt.

Coffee, tea, juice, breakfast cookies, and for those wanting something more substantial, well, they had to pay for it and there were credit cards to be run and special orders to deliver. Cancey was never off her feet for the two hour flight.

She'd thought, being the only FA on reserve, the regulars would give her all the worst jobs and make her do most of the work. But these people had been working together so long, they were a smooth team that got the job done and assimilated her easily into their routine. Cancey could only hope that the rest of the crews she found herself with were as compatible as the Thunderbirds.

But she'd have to find time to ask one of them (maybe Marco?) why they stuck with such a mundane domestic route when they all obviously had some seniority.

There was