by Iris Kincaid
Lilith paused a rare moment to reflect. “My life was magnificent. Every square inch of me was teaming with power.”
No surprise that her first thoughts were of her witchly superiority.
“What do you miss most about being alive?”
Lilith bristled. Was Ruby trying to rub her face in what was lost to her? But it only took a moment to see that Ruby’s intentions were irreproachable, her curiosity honest, her concern genuine.
“Hmmph. Coconut gelato. I would eat it all summer long. Fried clams. And pickles. I was very fond of pickles. Strolling through the town in the middle of a moonlit night, after all the commoners were out of the way. The refreshing peace and quiet of it. I felt a connection to this earth that made me know that this town was mine.
“And of course, the sex. Some men were compelled, but most didn’t have to be. I was quite the looker. And then there were some silly commoner diversions that I didn’t half mind—fireworks, a day at the spa, a good massage. Now, even the smallest pleasures are missed. The sunsets. If I heard someone else carry on about the sunsets, I would call it romantic drivel. But the truth is, I never missed a single one. Enjoy the sunsets, Ruby. Enjoy them while you can.”
Those were literally the first kind words that Lilith had spoken to Ruby. And yet, they filled her with so many questions about the afterlife. Lilith was bursting with such restless energy, such lust for vengeance. It wouldn’t be that way for everyone, would it?
After her surgery, Ruby had been granted a lengthy leave of absence because while her physical recovery was complete, Dr. Svenson realized that seeing the dead really required a significant adjustment. But today, Ruby found herself on her way back to the hospital. She couldn’t even have explained why until she saw the ghost, whose presence and pain seemed to act as a beacon, a cry for help that she could sense all the way across town.
There had been a car accident that killed a forty-nine-year-old man and put his son in intensive care for several days. The ghost was impatiently, anxiously waiting for his son to wake up.
“I cannot go anywhere until my son is out of danger. He’ll be terribly upset to find out that I didn’t make it. I don’t want him to do anything foolish out of guilt. You can speak to him for me. Tell him that my last thoughts were of him. And tell him to use the insurance money for Juilliard. Tell him that I will always be proud, that he gave me nothing but pride.”
“Of course. I’ll tell him.”
Ruby waited a few hours necessary for the son to return to consciousness. It gave her enough time to fabricate a reasonable story.
“I was nearby when your father was brought in. He was on a stretcher, waiting to be taken into surgery. And he spoke to me for a few moments before he passed away.
“He suspected that he wasn’t going to make it. And he wanted you to know how much he loved you, and that his last thoughts were of you and how much you filled him with pride.”
The son shook his head. He knew this nice young woman wanted him to feel better, but she was just making all this up, saying what any grieving son would want to hear.
“He also said that you should use his insurance money to go to Juilliard.”
The boy’s eyes widened in shock. “He said that?”
“Yes. Is that something that you talked about together?”
“Yeah, but there was no way I could afford it. It’s $60,000 a year, with housing.”
“Use the insurance money. It would make him happy to know that he was able to do that for you.”
While the first message had struck the young man as suspiciously generic, the mention of Juilliard was enough to convince him that she had indeed spent a moment with his father before he died. The tears of grief and thankfulness began to flow. The father’s spirit nodded at Ruby with deep gratitude.
As she left the hospital, Ruby promised herself that she would revisit the cemetery and do the people there what she had been able to do for this family. Because who else would?
“Normally, that would strike me as an exercise in futility and a waste of our precious time. But I see that it strengthens your powers, so I’ll allow it. When the moment is right to deal with that child killer and my own assassin, you must be at peak strength.”
Lilith’s agenda was at such odds with Ruby’s deep values that it was hard to see how they could ever be on the same page, in agreement over the same goals. She could use some motherly advice. It was time to stop by Delphine’s boutique, where talk of killings, vengeance, and magic were more or less routine topics of interest.
There was a time when Ruby thought that Delphine’s jewelry boutique was just sort of a front, a fake identity to blend into the Oyster Cove commoner population. But jewelry making was indeed Delphine’s passion and profession. She was among the town’s most popular artists and found endless satisfaction in her gemstone creations.
Ruby found her hard at work, but if one of the transplant witches needed her, Delphine was happy to give her full attention.
“Lilith wants me to kill someone. Using the dark arts. She actually thought that she had already killed him just before she died. But obviously, he’s alive, so that must’ve been a false memory. Something to do with her amnesia.
“So, this guy is a child killer. And she wants me to kill him. Which, of course, is ridiculous. It’s something that I’d never do. But then she says, and she’s got a very good point here—what if a child was killed and I could have prevented it? I don’t know what to do.”
“Oh, dear. Give me the name of this child killer and his whereabouts. Yes, it would be dreadful if he took another life. I must look into this.”
Ruby was enormously relieved. She felt so unsure of her new role in the world. Right and wrong were shifting under her feet like the ground during an earthquake. It was a huge comfort to have Delphine’s steady wisdom to rely on.
Also in the back her mind was a bit of uneasiness waiting for news about whether Preston Green had been confirmed as Sam Singleton’s killer.
She was starting to get exhausted by all this uncertainty of what the future was to bring. As luck would have it, she knew the perfect person whose specialty was shedding light on the future.
*****
Ruby was waiting on the pier for her friend Martine, enjoying the squeals of the children, the squawking of the gulls, and the crash of the waves. The first familiar face that she saw striding down the pier was not Martine’s but Reverend Wilkie’s. He did a double-take when he recognized her and then looked around nervously.
“Reverend Wilkie, how are you doing?”
“Fine. Just fine . . . just fine.”
“Perfect day for a walk on the beach, isn’t it?”
“Why, yes. I do like to come out on the pier on days like these. It helps clear my head and helps me put together ideas for the next sermon. So, have there been any developments in Sam Singleton’s murder investigation?”
“Quite a few, but nothing definitive. Not yet. But we won’t stop until we know who did it.”
At that moment, Martine came up and gave Ruby a big hug and then pulled back with a big smile on her face. “Okay, you and I have lots to talk about. Lots of big, exciting stuff coming up.”
“For you?”
“No, for you,” Martine said pointedly.
“Ah. Oh. Martine, this is Reverend Wilkie. Reverend Wilkie, this is my friend, Martine Cadet.”
“Very pleased to meet you, Ms. Cadet.”
“Likewise,” Martine said, shaking his hand. But then, she continued to shake his hand and wouldn’t let go of it.
“Your parishioners love you more than you know. After you tell your secret, you will lose about twenty percent of them. But the rest will stay, and their numbers will double, and it will be standing-room only. And next year, a group over on the Cape is going to ask you to officiate at their pride parade.”
Reverend Wilkie drew back in extreme shock and turned to Ruby. “You told her!”
No, I didn’t. She just knows how to see the future, w
hich obviously, I can’t explain to you. “Yeah. I guess I must have told her, because what other possible explanation is there for her knowing?”
“Be strong, Reverend. Dig deep for your courage. Everything’s going to be fine,” Martine encouraged.
Reverend Wilkie stumbled away back toward the entrance and then turned around. “Aren’t you the weather girl?”
“That’s me. Hot and sunny all weekend long. Half an hour of rain Tuesday morning, but after that, it’s clear sailing.”
They watched him break into a run.
“You’ve got to stop freaking people out.”
“He is so terrified of people finding out. He can’t spend his entire life like that. However . . . back to your future. I am so, so, so happy for you. You finally found the one. But you already know that, don’t you?”
“No. I don’t know anything. I don’t know that he’s the one. How can I be sure?”
“Because I’m telling you that he’s the one. And not only are the two of you going to be insanely happy, but you’re going to make so many other people happy as well. You’re going to do great work together. And your daughter, well, she’s going to take after you.”
“Take after me? My hair? My height?”
“Guess again.”
“No. She’s not going to see ghosts, is she?”
“It’s going to seem perfectly normal to her. Obviously, you’ll have to explain to her that everyone else can’t see what she does.”
“Wait a minute. Back up. A daughter with Griffin? You’re serious? He’s the one?”
“I wasn’t even sure that I should tell you. But you’re as stubborn as I was. When I met Morgan, I would have pushed him away and run as fast as I could in the other direction if I hadn’t been able to see the future and realize that we were meant to be together. And you might have done the same. But no way am I going to let that happen. There are great things in store for you, Ruby Townsend.”
Who was Ruby to argue? Martine Cadet’s impressive talents hadn’t gotten a forecast wrong yet.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Enjoy the sunsets, Ruby. Enjoy them while you can. As Delphine herself had observed, Lilith was not always wrong.
And when Griffin asked if she had any special requests for their next encounter, Ruby had said that the only essential was that it include the sunset.
Griffin was more than happy to comply. He’d give her the moon if he could. Was she ready for their first kiss? He had never been so enthralled by any other woman in his life. Besotted, his father would have said.
Cooking over small campfires was second-nature to Griffin. He had eagerly requested cooking lessons, much to the delight of the local women in his Indian village. Who knew at the time that one day, his campfire expertise would have such an appreciative audience?
“You could be a chef in one of your hotels,” Ruby said.
“Oh, no. My father wouldn’t hire anyone with less than a two-star Michelin credential. I’d be woefully unqualified.”
“I have a feeling I’ll regret this, but . . . tell me about this hotel that you’re planning on putting here.”
“Oh, sure. It’s not going to be an exact replica, but there are some common signature elements in all the Wynter Hotels and Spas. Over the entrance to the bedroom suites, there’s a sign that says The Comfort. Over the spa entrance, the sign reads, The Experience. And over the restaurant, The Taste. And then we like to have a spectacular showcase of a lobby and bar. Something that might even be a nice gathering place for local residents.”
“Dress code?”
“Usually, yeah.”
“And the condos?”
“We’re still having an architect go over the plans, but even the few announcements about it have drawn quite a few offers from buyers in LA, London, Japan, Dubai . . .”
“Why would those people want to live in Oyster Cove?”
“They probably don’t. They just see it as a good . . . investment. I’m guessing that you don’t think this is going to be much of an asset to local residents at all.”
“You’re a mind reader. And a very talented one at that.”
“As I said before, I tend to see all of this as going through the motions on the business side, as a means to an end—funding the charitable trust.”
“The trust sounds wonderful, but does the end justify the means? Cliched inquiry, but relevant.”
Philosophy, charity, social duty, and the paradoxes of life. What a turn-on! Ruby truly felt like the woman Griffin had been dreaming of his whole life. And now seemed as good a time as any to lean in for that first kiss. What soft lips she had.
Ruby tried to suppress a smile. “Clearly, you don’t understand that we were just in the middle of an argument.”
“Well, imagine how good things could be if we were actually in the middle of a great date.” Encouraged by Ruby’s shy grin, he continued, “But don’t get me wrong. If this is an argument, I can argue all day long.”
“May I say that you’re not at all like the way you come across in interviews. Oh, yes. I Googled you, Mr. Fascinating Bachelor. That scintillating article, and quite a few others, and they were just . . .”
“Unbelievably stupid?”
“Why does every single one of them ask you about The Kama Sutra?”
“I think that happens to every Westerner who spends as much time in India as I did. You’re supposed to come back an expert in yoga and The Kama Sutra.”
“And . . . did you?”
“I won’t lie. I made the effort. But I didn’t want to disrespect or cause problems with the local ladies, so I only practiced on other visitors. The blind leading the blind, really. I did pick up a few interesting moves.”
“No doubt.”
“I’d be happy to provide a demonstration at any time and place of your convenience,” he said, emboldened.
“You are a generous, charitable guy,” Ruby teased.
“Don’t tell me you’re going to pass on his offer,” Lilith scolded. “For heaven’s sake, just look at him. Are you holding out for something better?”
Who invited Lilith on this date?
Under normal circumstances, Ruby wasn’t one to rush into intimacy. But this did seem like a perfect time to make an exception. Not because of Lilith’s advice but because of Martine’s. Her friend had thoroughly convinced Ruby that she and this man were going to have a glorious future together. And no time like the present.
So, Griffin got to show off his Kama Sutra moves that night, after all. And Ruby was able to show off a few surprises of her own. Not gained from direct experience, but from the vast vault of Lilith Hazelwood’s sexual expertise, now an indelible part of Ruby’s memories. But she most certainly did not need a live coach for the evening. Lilith was sternly ordered to stay out of the bedroom!
*****
The following morning was filled with giddiness, a tandem shower, and a late brunch at Ruby’s favorite diner.
“Can I run an idea past you?” Ruby asked.
“The answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Whatever the question. You can have it. It’s yours,” Griffin said.
“You may take that back in thirty seconds. But hear me out—you’re really devoted to using the trust to make people’s lives better in all parts of the world. How about Oyster Cove? Would you be open to doing some good a little closer to home?”
“Absolutely. You have some groups, some project?”
“Yeah, the affordable housing. Step one is to scrap the hotel, spa, and condo plan. Go build it in Aspen, in Honolulu, in Dubai. It won’t do Oyster Cove any good. But you’re taking down a whole block of apartments. Fine. They were in terrible shape. But put up a whole block of new apartments. And then, offer them at very controlled rates, starting at the same rents that were being paid for the previous tenants who were kicked out.”
“The fact—taking into account building costs— is that we’ll be operating at a loss for quite some time.”
“That would be a prob
lem if you only look at this as the whole venture. But if you’re willing to plow tens of billions of dollars into charities, you can add this one to the list. Let it be not-for-profit affordable housing and charity, with all the typical costs, and then when you cross into profit, and it may take thirty years, then you’ll even have a modestly profitable venture.”
“Thirty years. That’s probably about right. You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“Your brother was talking about a fifty-year plan. The Wynter Corporation has enough capital resources to do that kind of long-term planning. But if making people’s lives better is a legitimate use of trust money, then why not this? And unlike most of the other charities you give to, this one will actually transition back to a regular business in just a few short decades.”
It was an idea that Griffin’s father would have hated. But Griffin both loved the idea and the woman who came up with it.
“It’s a good thing that we didn’t sign any contracts yet for those condos,” he mused. “Hopefully, we can get Jesse on board with this.”
“And you know what?” Ruby added excitedly, “You know who you can use for the construction labor, and the landscape and maintenance workers? My friend Zoey Proctor is involved in these employment programs for ex-cons. This will be a great chance to give them an opportunity to rebuild their lives. Would you be willing to sit down and talk with her?”
“I think you know that I’d be willing to do anything that you recommend. I would love to meet any and all of your friends.”
“Hey, actually, here comes one now. And even more than just a friend, he’s my boss.”
Doctor Harold Svenson and his wife, Melody, entered the diner, and Ruby waved them over.
“Doctor Svenson, Melody, this is Griffin Wynter. Griffin, this is Dr. Harold Svenson and his wife, Melody.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Griffin said enthusiastically. “Please join us.”
Griffin was very excited to meet the renowned transplant surgeon that Ruby had spoken so highly of.
“Have you ever given any thought to doing a little stint with Doctors Without Borders? They were in the Indian village that I lived in, and we got all kinds of great specialists. But never a transplant surgeon. And though our focus was keeping people alive and healthy, there were the inevitable deaths. And there were a lot of organs that could have been put to use and saved lives. But there was still expertise, just not like yours. Not outside the big cities.”
