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“Are you sure you aren’t interested in Bran? You said you were dating him.”
I could hear the last-ditch effort in her voice.
“Grams, I likebothof them, but I have no plans on getting serious right now. I don’t even know if I can sustain an emotional relationship. Rian may have put his seal of approval on me moving on—he came to me and told me I had to let go, that I need to do some sort of cord-cutting ceremony—but I don’t think I’m ready to give my heart to anybody else. Not yet.” I leaned my elbows on my knees and propped my chin on my hands.
Grams moved closer, putting her arm around me. “It was hell, wasn’t it?”
Her tone of voice said she understood. I leaned my head on her shoulder.
“I can’t forget, Grams. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget the things the Butcher did to Rian. And all I could do was sit and watch. Iknowit’s not my fault. I know that I’m not the one to blame…but I’m here, and he’s not, and he died to protect me.”
“Then go out, date, keep it light, and time will tell you when you’re ready,” Grams said, kissing my forehead. She wrapped her arm around my shoulders and we sat, watching the waves crash against the shore.
CHAPTERSIX
I hada hectic day dealing with customers—including a couple of Karens. One had decided that she didn’t like the smell of her new candles, although she had smelled them before she bought them. The other had wanted to return a tarot reading because “It was right but I didn’t like that it happened.” I wasted over an hour on them before refunding their money and telling them both never to return.
By afternoon, I was counting the minutes till three when I could close up shop. As soon as I turned the shop sign to “Closed” and locked the door behind me, I breathed a massive sigh and headed across the parking lot to the house.
“You finished?” Fancypants asked as I climbed the porch steps and slumped onto the hanging swing I’d asked Bran to install.
“I’m stick-a-fork-in-me done. I’m so done. Sometimes I wonder why I decided to open a store, but I have to do something and I don’t want to work nine-to-five for someone else. I guess every store encounters a few bad apples.”
Fancypants fluttered around me, finally landing on the top of my head. He coiled his neck down so he was staring at me, albeit from an upside-down perspective. “How are things going with your great-grandmother?”
“Better than I’d expected. I have a feeling that the other shoe has yet to drop, though. She said she moved over to make sure my magic doesn’t go awry from the trauma I went through, but I have a feeling it’s more than that. I’ll wait to find out, because if I ask her, she won’t tell me.” I glanced at my phone. “It’s almost time for dinner. We’re eating early before we head to Bree’s. I’d better call her to make sure she still wants us to come over.”
The phone rang once before Bree answered. She sounded breathless. “Hey! Are you still planning to come over tonight?”
“Yes, and Bran and Grams are coming with me. Why, is something wrong?”
“I feel like I’m going a little crazy. The feeling of being watched has increased. This morning when I was taking a shower, I felt creeped-out, like I was being watched. This is ridiculous. If it’s a ghost, well, I haven’t seen any sign of activity. I really appreciate you coming over. I’ll see you in a bit.” As she hung up, I stared at my phone.
Bree wasn’t given to making up things, or exaggerating. I tucked my phone away, and headed in to make dinner for Grams and me.
* * *
That evening,when Bran arrived, he, Grams, and I headed to the graveyard next to Bree’s property, after I texted her to tell her that we were on the way.
“So, this Bree. She’s your best friend?” Grams asked.
“Bree and I are like sisters,” I said. “Though we don’t often fight. She’s a puma shifter. We’ve known each other since high school, and I love her to pieces. She owns an outdoor expedition company, and takes groups of hikers on tours around the area.”
Grams raised her eyebrows. “Does she have any suggestions for easy walking tours for those of us a wee bit along in age?”
I snorted. I had the feeling Grams could outwalk me any day. “You took walks every day at home, didn’t you?”
“Oh, I can walk for miles, if the ground is even enough. When I was young, I’d hike through the highlands every summer with my friends. We’d go out and work magic in the open areas, and more than once we were chased by kelpies. The will o’ the wisps tried to entrap us. It’s a wonder we came out of some of those encounters alive,” she added, laughing.
“Weren’t you afraid?” I asked. I never worried when I was young, never been afraid. But now, fear dogged my heels.
“Not really. We knew we were taking risks, but we also knew that we were out there together, and it’s always harder to take on a group rather than an individual.” She glanced at me, studying my face. “We should have been more cautious, though. Taking a risk is one thing, but being foolhardy is asking for trouble.”
“I wish I wasn’t as afraid as I am. I never used to be, but after Rian, it’s like the fear’s become a ball and chain. I drag it everywhere, and I don’t know how to get rid of it. Although May helped break the connection between the Butcher and me, and he can’t find me merely by thinking about me, I find myself fretting about things I never used to worry about. I worry about my friends, too.”
“Do you think the fear has become a habit?” Bran asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess so. I’m dealing with so many issues surrounding his death that I can barely see through the mire. He came to me in spirit, but the guilt isn’t something you can just drop when you feel like it. I’ve had therapy and I’ve made a lot of progress, but I still feel knotted by anxiety at times.” I paused as we came to the foot of the porch steps, where Bree joined us. “Bree, this is my great-grandmother, Morgance. Grams, this is Bree, my best friend.”
