Legacy of Magic

by Denise Carbo

  Crap! She stopped on the stairs and sighed. She still didn’t have her suitcases. She would have to call Finn first thing in the morning to see about getting her suitcases out of her car.

  Double crap!

  Cory took her cell phone out of her pocket and called Melanie again who answered before the first ring ended. “Cory, I was just about to call you. I need your new address to send you those cookies.”

  “Great minds think alike.”

  Melanie laughed. “I assume every thing’s well? You’re settling in, okay?”

  Cory snorted. “Never assume, Mel, you make an ass out of you and me.”

  A beat of silence before Melanie demanded, “What happened?”

  “Oh, par for the course lately. I got lost and got in a car accident with an insufferable man, who wouldn’t you know it turned out to be my new neighbor. He arranged to have my car towed, but unfortunately my luggage is still in the car. So, I have nothing to wear for my date tomorrow night.”

  “Wait a minute, you’re going out on a date with him? You just called him insufferable, why would you agree to go out with him?”

  “Not him!”

  “Oh, then who? You haven’t been there twenty-four hours yet.”

  Cory chuckled. “His name is Sebastian. He’s my aunt’s lawyer.”

  “Tall, dark, and handsome I hope?”

  “Umm…no actually that’s my neighbor. Sebastian is tall, blond, and handsome.”

  “So, let me get this straight. You arrived there this morning and you’ve already met two handsome men and have a date with one tomorrow?”

  “I got here this afternoon actually. Got lost, remember?”

  “Very funny. You go girl!”

  She sighed and sat on the bed. “Mel do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been on a date?”

  “Well, you were married for five years, dated for almost two before that, right? So, seven or eight?”

  “ Almost eight. Feels like a lifetime.”

  “It’s just a date, Cory. You go, have a nice meal, hopefully some nice conversation, and that’s all. Unless, of course, it’s an incredible dinner with mind-blowing conversation and you decide you want to go back to his place to continue the mind-blowing conversation in the horizontal position.”

  Cory dropped back on the bed and laughed. “Mind-blowing conversation in the horizontal position, really Mel?”

  “Sex, Cory. You do remember what that is, right?

  “Very funny. I do have vague recollections. What about you? Are you still dating your nephew’s soccer coach?”

  “Unfortunately, yes, somewhat.”

  “Explain.”

  “Well, when I mentioned to my sister I didn’t think it was going to work out, she gave me a guilt trip and told me I had to wait until the season ended. I’ve been putting him off without actually breaking it off.”

  “Is he such an ass she thinks he’d take it out on your nephew?”

  “Maybe not intentionally, but she doesn’t want to take any chances, so I’m stuck in limbo. It’s not a big deal, just a pain.”

  “Men are a pain.”

  “Yes, they are, but some of them have their uses.”

  Cory laughed again. “I miss you already Mel. What do you say, you want to quit your job, sell your house and move to Connecticut?”

  Melanie chuckled this time. “You never know. The male prospects around here don’t seem promising and you’ve already run into two in less than a day.”

  “Just one Mel. The other is an annoyance who happens to be nice to look at.”

  “Wow. I’ve never known you to take an instant dislike to someone.”

  “Yeah, well, you haven’t met him. The man takes contrary to a new level. Although my aunt seems to adore him.”

  “Hmm.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “Nothing, just wondering if a little vacay in Connecticut might be just the thing for me.”

  “You know I’d love to have you, and you’d have the perfect excuse to avoid your soccer coach.”

  “Well I do want to come see you. Maybe in a couple of weeks after you’ve settled in.”

  “Cory, you haven’t mentioned John.”

  “Is there a reason I should?”

  “Well, not if you don’t want to.”

  “Have you seen him?”

  “This afternoon. I was getting the mail when he drove home from work.”

  “Did you talk to him?”

  “Not unless you consider his wave, or my giving him the finger talking.”

  “God Mel, I love you.”

  “Love you too. You’re good, right?”

  “Yeah, Mel, I’m good. Catch you later, okay?”

  “Okay. Take care of yourself and have fun on your date. I’m going to want all the details, so pay attention.”

  “Will do.”

  Cory rolled on her side after ending the call. The chest with the box caught her attention. She sat up, plucked it from the nightstand, and opened the chest, then removed the box.

  She cradled it in her hands, staring at it. There was no fear, only curiosity. It didn’t scare her at all like it did her aunt and previous ancestors. How could one little box scare so many people? She traced the intricate leaf design along the sides. It looked like English ivy if she wasn’t mistaken. The sides weren’t identical. Which she supposed made sense since given its age it must be hand carved. Strange it seemed like one leaf was upside down in a different position on each side.

  Could it be a puzzle box? She just needed to figure out the solution.

  Cory pressed on the upside-down leaves in different sequences, but nothing happened. There was no give in any of the leaf carvings. She flipped it over and looked at the bottom.

  There was a spiral pattern of leaves. She searched each leaf and discovered an upside-down leaf in the very center of the spiral. Placing the tip of her finger on it and exerting a bit of pressure, there was the slightest movement beneath her fingertip. She turned the box right side up and examined it a moment before pushing each upside-down leaf on each side in a clockwise motion.

  After pressing the last leaf, there was a small click and the top of the box lifted. She gasped, “I did it.”

  She grasped the top and pulled. It wasn’t a square edge but followed the pattern of leaves which is why it appeared not to have a seam. Removing the top, she looked inside to find another box. A woodsy scent emanated from the box.

  “Okay, a little disappointed it’s just another box,” she muttered.

  It was a smaller version of the outer box with words engraved on the top:

  To my line you must be true

  With magic alive inside of you

  What the heck does that mean?

  Cory put the box down on the nightstand and put the outer box and chest next to it. One good thing to come out of it, she could show her aunt in the morning it was nothing to be afraid of.

  A burning pain lanced the back of her neck. She clasped a hand over it. What the hell? Cory entered the bathroom and moved her hair out of the way. Lifting the magnifying mirror, she used to apply her makeup she adjusted it to see a reflection of her nape in the bathroom mirror. She saw nothing but her red birthmark, but was it larger? It had always been mostly concealed by her hair. Now it showed below her hairline. She’d heard of receding hairlines, but not on a person’s neck. Was it possible for a birthmark to grow bigger? The burning sensation had been fleeting. It was gone, and perhaps she was wrong about her birthmark. She wasn’t in the habit of inspecting it or the back of her neck. She had probably tweaked a muscle in her neck trying to figure out the puzzle box.

  She wandered over to the window. Darkness had fallen, and the stars were twinkling across the sky. There were no lights to dim the view or the stars brilliance.

  A light turned on in the ranch house next door and drew her gaze.

  It was obviously a bedroom because she could see part of the bed. She started to step away because she was
n’t a voyeur and didn’t want to invade anyone’s privacy when suddenly he was just there, standing in front of the window looking up at her.

  Well, she knew which house was his now didn’t she.

  She froze in place, hoping he couldn’t really see her from this distance, that he was looking somewhere else.

  She spied a smirk on his face. If she could see him so clearly, he could certainly see her. The horror must have shown on her face, because he threw his head back and laughed before giving her a two-fingered salute and walking out of view.

  Cory groaned and dropped her head into her hands. The heat from her cheeks warmed her fingers. She quickly walked to the bed and threw herself down. Great, just what she needed. Now he thought her some sort of peeping Tom. He was sure to make some snide comments next time she had to speak to him, and if she wanted her luggage back it would have to be tomorrow. Why couldn’t it have been anyone else, but him? Why couldn’t he have appeared thirty seconds later? She would’ve already been gone.

  She looked over at the box. “Magic, huh? All I’ve got is bad luck.”

  Chapter Four

  The ancient coffee maker gurgled and steamed as it produced her miracle elixir, drop by precious drop. Cory drummed her fingers on the counter and scowled at the machine. The first thing she would do today was buy a new coffee maker. Glancing down at the borrowed robe she wore, she revised that to perhaps the second thing. All right, maybe third thing, seeing as she didn’t have a car.

  Staring at the pot which wasn’t even half full yet, she changed it back to the very first thing. Thank God for the Internet. She would pay an exorbitant price to have it here by tomorrow morning. Yes, she was on a budget since she didn’t have any income coming in, but she had savings and her divorce settlement. There were priorities after all, and her morning cup of coffee was one of them.

  The doorbell chimed, and Cory closed her eyes in defeat. Her aunt was dressing and couldn’t be expected to greet whoever had come to call this early in the morning. She took a deep breath to draw in the rich aroma. It couldn’t be helped, she would have to speak to someone before her first cup of coffee. God help the poor soul at the door.

  Trudging down the hallway, she cinched the belt on the robe tighter and made sure she was decently covered. She spotted a familiar dark head through the panes of etched glass and stopped dead in her tracks. Cory seriously considered making a run for her room and pretending she hadn’t heard the doorbell, but instead stiffened her spine.

  She planned on talking to him this morning anyway about her car and luggage. She just hadn’t thought it would be in person while dressed in her aunt’s robe, or not having had her morning cup of coffee first. She pasted on as much of a polite smile as she could manage.

  “Mr. D’Orsey.”

  He did a leisurely inspection of her before an annoying glint appeared in his eyes, and a smile danced across his lips. “Ms. Bishop.”

  Cory took a breath and reminded herself this man was fixing her car, had her much-needed luggage, and was her aunt’s friendly neighbor. “What can I do for you?”

  He raised an eyebrow, and the smile grew into a full-on smirk. “Now I could come up with a surprising number of answers to that question, but somehow I doubt you would appreciate most of them.”

  Finn took a step to the side, and she spotted her luggage on the porch. “Thought you might need these.”

  “You have no idea. Thank you.” She started to reach for one of the suitcases when he stepped in front of them. “I’ll get them. Just hold the door.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, she did as he instructed and stepped out of the way and held the door open. If he wanted to lug her suitcases she wasn’t going to argue.

  Instead of setting them down in the foyer like she expected, he continued up the stairs with them. “On the left, right?” He looked back at her over his shoulder briefly with that ever-present smirk of his before continuing up the stairs.

  She didn’t bother to respond. He knew damn well which bedroom she was in. She marched back to the kitchen. The coffee better be done. Cory sighed in relief when she found the coffee had finally finished percolating. Her unwanted luggage carrier’s heavy tread sounded on the stairs and then down the hall as she poured herself a large mug full of coffee.

  “Are you going to share that?”

  She took the precious first sip before turning to lean against the counter. She took a second, longer sip, the heat spreading through her. Knowing the caffeine was entering her system created order in her world. She eventually spared him a look over the rim of her cup as she prepared for the third sip.

  “Ah, you’re one of those. Somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” he stated.

  “One of those?” She grabbed another mug from the cabinet and placed it on the counter in front of the coffee maker. That was the extent of her hospitality at the moment.

  He poured himself a cup of coffee and retorted, “A coffee addict. Can’t function without it.”

  “I can function. I choose not to, and those around me learn to appreciate my choice.”

  Finn chuckled and took a sip from his cup.

  Sometime after her fifth or sixth sip of coffee Cory became aware of just how close Finn stood. A discreet sideways glance showed her she was eye level with his chest. He wore a black V-neck T-shirt. A quick look down confirmed the jeans she had suspected. Her gaze caught on the way the worn denim hugged his thighs.

  Heat spread over her face and neck.

  “Now I bet whatever thoughts causing that cute little pinkening of your skin are real interesting. Care to share?”

  Cory looked up into his smiling face and lied through her teeth. “I was thinking of my date with Sebastian tonight.”

  That wiped the smile off his face. He took a drink from his cup while staring at her. “Works fast, doesn’t he?”

  She shrugged a shoulder and looked away.

  “I suppose he’s your type.”

  Cory stiffened and ran her tongue around the inside of her teeth. Did she have a type? She turned and faced him, leaning her hip against the counter. “Exactly what type would that be?”

  “You know, all slick charm and polish. Money.”

  She set her empty mug down and crossed her arms in front of her. “And what makes you think that is my type?”

  Setting his mug down next to hers, he leaned back against the counter and crossed his legs at the ankles. “Let’s see, you drive a luxury sedan, your luggage has designer labels on it, and most telling, you accepted his invitation, so he must be your type.”

  The car and luggage were both John’s idea, not hers. She had been driving an SUV when they started dating. A year into their marriage he had “surprised” her by turning in her SUV for the car. Not a choice she would have made, but at the time she thought he had done it to make her happy, so she’d gone along with it, thanking him in the process. Looking back, it was probably his passive aggressive way of changing her to conform to his tastes.

  The few guys she had dated before John consisted of her high school boyfriend, an aspiring musician who ended up becoming an accountant, a brief relationship with a frat boy, and a guy who was more interested in playing video games than spending time with her,

  “For the record, the car and luggage were from my ex-husband. Not that it’s any of your business. I don’t have a type. Not unless you consider requiring basic manners and polite conversation a type.”

  Finn smiled. “Hey, we’re having polite conversation, I did hand deliver your luggage, and I’m fixing your car even though you tried to drive me off the road with it.”

  Cory narrowed her eyes. “Don’t go there.” She sighed. “I do appreciate you bringing my suitcases over and fixing my car though, thank you.”

  He chuckled. “My pleasure.”

  “What is your problem with Sebastian anyway?”

  “What makes you think I have a problem with him?”

  She held up her index finger. “One, you two didn�
��t say a word to each other yesterday or acknowledge each other’s presence in any way.” She added a second finger. “Two, you describe him as slick charm and polish.” A third finger joined the first two. “And three, you got a disgusted look on your face when you talked about him.”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “It’s simple really. I don’t trust him.”

  “Do you have a reason for not trusting him?”

  “Nothing concrete if that’s what you’re looking for. I don’t like how he just showed up out of the blue and suddenly became her lawyer. I don’t like how he always seems to be undermining her confidence and making her think she’s getting too old and feeble to live alone. All in a concerned way, of course. Like I said, he’s slick, and I don’t trust him.”

  Cory bit her lip and looked at her aunt’s door. She guessed Aunt Addy would be coming out any minute. Lowering her voice, she leaned closer. “You think he’s up to something? What would he gain?”

  Finn sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Look, like I said, it’s nothing concrete. I don’t know what his angle is.”

  “What did you mean he suddenly became her lawyer?”

  “She met him when he insisted on putting her groceries in her car for her. She arrived home and I came over to help her unload them like I do every week, and she starts telling me about this nice, young man who helped her with her groceries. Next thing I know this same nice, young man is now her lawyer and coming over here on a weekly basis. When I asked her how he ended up her lawyer she said she liked him and thought it time for a change. When I asked him the same question, he told me my undue interest into Adelaide’s financial affairs was duly noted.”

  Before Cory could reply, her aunt shuffled into the kitchen. “Finnegan, what a nice surprise. Have you been here long?”

  Finn walked over and kissed her on the cheek. “Not long, Addy. I just brought your niece’s luggage over.”

  Aunt Addy patted his arm. “Oh, you’re such a sweet boy. Isn’t he Coralea?”