by Deanna Chase
“Is it always this busy on Saturday?” I asked.
“Yes.” She gave me a grateful smile. I was happy to see the circles under her eyes were lighter, though not gone. One night of sleep wasn’t going to make up for missing days.
I smiled back and filled three cups full of ice to finish off the iced café au laits I was working on.
Within twenty minutes the line worked its way down to something manageable. I stepped into the back to hang up my apron and by the time I returned, Holly’s posture had relaxed and she was smiling at something Pyper had said.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Pyper was just telling me she spent the night with you last night.” She gave me a sly knowing smile. “I didn’t know it was like that.”
Huh? What was she talking about?
Pyper reached over and lightly smacked her on the back of the head. “No! I slept on her couch after waking her up in the middle of the night. Besides, she has a thing with Kane. Where have you been?”
“Kane?” She turned to me, wearing a startled expression. “Sorry” she said. “I didn’t know.” Turning on her heel, she walked purposefully into the back.
“What was that about?” I asked Pyper.
She shook her head. “No idea.”
“Feeling better this morning?” I wanted to ask about the events of the last four nights, but customers kept streaming through the door.
“Yes, better. I don’t usually need much sleep, but I do need some.” She bagged up a few muffins and passed them to a waiting customer.
“Uh, Pyper?” I edged my way closer to her. She looked up and I asked, “Do you think you should tell Ian he hasn’t left you alone?” I didn’t think he would have any answers, but I didn’t know what else to do.
Her shoulders slumped. “He’ll only want to do more readings.” Just then, two couples walked in the door. She stepped back to the register, ready for their order.
She had a point. Last I spoke with Ian, he still didn’t have a plan to help us exorcise the ghost. I’d have to call and light a fire under him. In the meantime, I’d ask Bea if she had any ideas. Any witch worth her salt would know something about ghosts.
I checked my watch. Eight o’clock. Time to get to the studio. I grabbed my purse and stopped next to Pyper, putting a hand on her arm. “You’re welcome at my place anytime.”
She nodded slightly and put on a bright smile for her patrons. “What can I get y’all today?”
My stop at the café left me with no time to spare. I arrived at the studio just as Bea and two other students strolled up. My master plan of speaking to Bea about the ghost would have to wait.
The class started out just as fun and easygoing as the previous ones, until my mind started to drift back to Pyper and the ghost. I’ve always been a good teacher since I can sense frustration, disappointment, satisfaction, and the like, which allows me to provide the feedback needed to fuel a student’s learning. But only if I’m paying attention.
“Damn it!”
I focused on Sandy, who was almost completely concealed in a haze of purple. I blinked. What the hell is that? She was surrounded by a bubble of gas-like substance, turning the color of eggplant. Frustration pulsed in time with the bubble, moving like a beating heart. Looking around, it was clear no one but me, and possibly Bea, saw it.
I glanced at Bea, who just smiled and nodded her head in Sandy’s direction. Abandoning my post at the other end of the table, I moved closer to the gas cloud. It parted and swirled like a fine mist when I walked up behind her. “How’s it going?”
“Argh! Terrible. I just can’t make this stringer of glass do what you showed us and now my bead is ruined.”
“Let’s see.” I took the metal mandrel out of her hand and inspected the bead. Green blobs of glass had been smeared haphazardly over one end. “Okay, here’s what we can do. Cover up this part with some more white.”
She took the mandrel back and started adding some glass to the end I’d indicated.
When she got the section covered, I said, “Now, melt it in nice and smoothe, and roll it out in a barrel shape.”
Intent on her task, Sandy did as I said. The gas faded, but not completely.
“But now the bead is bigger than the other one I made.”
“So? Just finish this one and make another smaller one, and you’ll have a pendant and an earring pair.”
“Oh! Cool.” She smiled and continued to shape the bead in the flame.
I watched as she rolled the warm glass on a graphite surface. “Next, take that green vine stringer.” I pointed to an extra-thin strip of glass. “Bring it as close to the flame as you can without melting it. Remember, it’s so thin it’ll melt before you actually put it in the flame.”
I waited for her to find the spot. When she did I added, “Get your base bead good and hot. Hot enough that it glows orange. That’s it. Get your stringer in that magic spot you just found. There you go, touch it to your base bead. Now move the bead, keeping your stringer in that sweet spot. See how the heat of the bead combined with the radiant torch heat melts the stringer? That’s what gives you control. Excellent! Nice job!”
The other four students clapped as Sandy held up her bead, with perfect scrolls of vines wrapped around it.
“Wonderful, Sandy!” Bea cheered.
The color around Sandy shifted to very pale lavender and then dissipated.
“Nice,” I said. “Now add some dots for flowers, and you’re all set.”
“Thanks, Jade.” Sandy picked up some pink glass, intent on completing her bead.
With the rest of the class happily melting away, I caught Bea’s eye. Her white light energy engulfed me, warming me to my toes and leaving me with the impression she’d just given me a mental hug. Cheered, I moved toward one of the other ladies to give more instruction.
When the clock struck twelve-thirty, everyone begged to stay a few more minutes. Feeling pleased and content with their progress, I obliged the request and sat down to finish the wire wrapping of last week’s beads.
Just as I finished, white light surrounded me. I looked up. “All done, Bea?”
“For today. Great lesson.”
“A little unusual, don’t you think?”
“Really? Looked pretty normal to me.” Bea watched the last of the students file out.
“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t see the purple gas cloud?”
“No. I saw it. I just wanted you to see it.”
I stood up. “Why?”
“I wanted to get your attention.” Bea took out her keys. “Will you join me for lunch today?”
“Yes.” I grabbed my purse and followed her to a sleek Toyota Prius. “Love your car.”
“Thanks.”
“Did you manufacture the purple gas, or…?”
Bea smiled. “No dear, I just fixed it so you could see it. It wasn’t gas, it was her aura.”
“And you did something to make me see it? How does that work?” I squinted as her white light grew brighter, making my eyes water. “Stop. I’m going blind over here.”
The light faded to more of a soft glow. “Auras feed off energy, and mine is pretty strong after all these years. I can enhance them. Only people with gifts like ours can see them. You just needed a little help.”
Gifts like ours. Maybe lunch wasn’t such a great idea.
Bea slowed in front of a large Greek revival home in the Garden District, complete with a black iron gate. She hit a remote attached to her visor, and the gates swung open.
“You live here?” I gaped.
She nodded and turned into the circular driveway, passed the main house and pulled up to what is known as a carriage house. In a previous life it would have housed horses and a carriage. She pointed. “This is where I live. The property is family-owned, and my cousins live in the house. I prefer a little privacy.”
Following her up the walkway, I breathed in the sweet fragrance from the lush gardens. “This is paradise.”
“As close as I’m going to get, I suspect.” She unlocked the door. “Come in.”
The inviting, pale yellow room had a garden stenciled on one wall and traditional antique furniture. A table sat off to the left, in front of a smallish kitchen painted bright white with glass cabinets.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said.
Thank you, I painted it myself.” She nodded toward the garden stencil. “Are you hungry?”
“Very. Let me help you.”
“No need. I have a salad made up. I just need to dish it out on plates. Why don’t you go outside and enjoy this lovely day on the porch?” She gestured to a door off the back of the kitchen. “I’ll be right out.”
The porch was screened in with three large ceiling fans, a must for the heavy summer heat. I sat admiring the small garden and smiled when I noticed a beautiful golden retriever curled up in a patch of shade.
In no time Bea emerged with a large tray of salads and freshly squeezed lemonade.
“This looks wonderful. Thank you,” I said.
“You’re welcome. Thanks for coming to visit. I have wanted to talk with you for a while now.” She took a slice of bread.
“What about?”
She forced a smile. “My brother.”
I furrowed my eyebrows together. “Your brother?”
She nodded, her smile still plastered on her face. “Yes. I wanted to know how he’s been treating you.”
Putting down my fork, I stared at her. “Who’s your brother?”
“Robert Wilson. Or Bobby is what I called him.” Bea’s smile faded into a sad wistful expression.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know a Robert or a Bobby.” I had no idea where she was going with this. Maybe she was confused.
“You do. You just didn’t know that’s his name.”
“Who are you talking about?”
She picked up her lemonade glass, took a long sip and carefully placed it on the table. “Have you ever known a ghost before, Jade?”
A shiver shook my body as her words sank in. “Known? No, but I’ve seen one.”
Bea nodded. She held her hand up indicating I should wait and then disappeared into her house. She returned, holding a silver picture frame. “Do you recognize this man?”
I gasped. “That’s my ghost.” I took the frame from her, studying it in detail. There he was. My Mr. Sexy, standing next to a much younger-looking Bea. “When was this taken?”
“Over thirty years ago.” Her eyes stayed on the picture. “That was just before he died.”
“Thirty years ago,” I said in a soft voice. I looked up. “How did you know?”
Her eyes rose to mine. “Bobby followed you out of The Herbal Connection that day you came in.”
Setting the frame on the table, I leaned back. “He followed me?” My eyebrows raised in disbelief.
“Yes. I knew right away you had a gift. I just wasn’t sure what it was.”
“You think ghosts are my gift?” Maybe she didn’t know about my other talent.
“Oh, it’s one of them, but not the main one.” Her smile returned, only this time it looked natural.
“And?”
Ignoring my question, she picked up the photo. “Is he treating you well?”
“Um, he’s been…interesting.” How could I tell her about what he did to Pyper? Or me, for that matter.
“Interesting?”
I shook my head. “Never mind. Why did he follow me?”
“Because of your energy, of course.” She said it as if talking to a simpleton.
Like that cleared things up. “Has he done this before?”
“No. For thirty years he’s been a presence in my life as a spirit. Mostly he hung out at the shop, as he seemed to enjoy the interaction with people. That day you walked in I knew you were special, but when Bobby followed you out…well, I just needed to find out more about you.”
“And that’s why you signed up for my class?” I asked, making the belated connection.
“Yes.”
“I thought it was a bit of a coincidence.” I glanced at the photo again. “Why me? I’ve never collected a ghost before.”
“Well,” Bea paused, “As I said your energy probably attracted him.”
“But—”
“And the way you look.”
“The way I look?” I frowned.
Bea got up. “I’ll be right back.” She disappeared into the house.
I set my fork down, pushed the plate away and got up to pace the garden. Why did the ghost choose me? Surely I wasn’t the only one with interesting energy to ever walk into The Herbal Connection. Was there something about my particular ability that attracted him? Rounding a corner, I eyed the large golden retriever bounding up to me.
“Hi, cutie pie.” I smiled and reached down to pet it. Just as I thought I would connect with its head, it vanished. “What the hell?” I jumped up, looking around.
“What is it?” Bea came around the hedge.
“Where did the dog go?”
“What dog?” Bea frowned.
“The golden retriever,” I said still searching.
“You saw a golden retriever?”
I nodded.
“Oh wow.” Bea grinned.
“Wow, what? What the hell is going on?” Agitation took over.
Bea waved me over. “Come back to the table. I have something to show you.”
As I reclaimed my seat she handed me another old photo in a silver frame. “Take a look at this.”
“Oh my God! Who is this?” I pointed to the strawberry-blond woman standing next to Bobby.
“It’s a remarkable likeness, isn’t it?”
I gaped.
“That was his wife,” Bea said.
“Was his wife? Is she—”
“She’s still living, but she moved up north years ago. After Bobby died, she couldn’t stand being here, so she moved to be closer to her family. I haven’t talked to her in years. But you look just like her.”
“I guess that explains why he attached himself to me.” I felt downright creepy now. Visions of our nightly encounters flashed through my mind. Ick. He thought I was someone else.
“Now look at this.” She handed me another photo. This one showed Bobby a few years younger and a dog. A golden retriever.
“No way.” I set the picture down.
“I’d say it has to be him. His name was Duke, and he belonged to Bobby.”
“Have you seen him lurking around?”
“No. Never.” She shrugged. “But they lived in the big house, not this one.”
I got up and moved around the hedge. The golden retriever was sitting exactly where I’d seen him before he vanished. “Heya, Duke.” The large golden dog lifted his head in response. “So it’s true.” How freaking odd! Just then my pants started to vibrate. I jumped, forgetting I’d set my phone on vibrate before class started. “Oh crap.” I laughed and pulled it out of my pocket. “Excuse me a moment.”
Bea nodded.
I strode across the lawn. “Hello.”
“Hey, girlfriend,” Kat said. “Long time no see.”
“Hey, yourself. Phone tag was getting old. Where are you?”
“Whole Foods, where are you?”
“At Bea Kelton’s house in the Garden District.”
“Who?” she asked.
“A student. She owns The Herbal Connection and asked me for lunch.”
“That’s, cool. I called because I wanted your help with something. What are you doing later?”
“I was planning a nice long soak in my tub.” I eyed Duke as he moseyed up to me.
“Do you think you can put it off? I need something special for an order, and I want to raid your bead stash.” Kat was a silversmith and periodically bought glass beads for her jewelry line.
“Sure. I don’t know when I’ll be home, though. I’ll need to get a ride from Bea.”
“You’re on my way. I can pick you up.”
“Perfect.” I
walked back to Bea, relayed the address and sat down at the table. “My friend Kat is on her way. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.”
I pushed the lettuce around on my plate and for the first time that afternoon I realized I wasn’t getting any of her emotions.
“Bea, what is it about this place? It’s…different.” I wasn’t sure what to say. I was seeing ghosts, and my emotional radar was out. Not that I minded. It was kind of nice to not be tuned in.
“It’s a protection ward. I like the silence.”
Uh, okay. A protection ward. She had to be a paranoid witch. I started to get really uncomfortable. I’d known plenty of witches, and they scared the crap out of me. And for good reason. They were the reason I’d lost my mom.
“What’s wrong?” Bea peered at me.
“Nothing. I just—wait, can you see Duke?” The retriever had moved and was currently sitting next to me.
“No. Is he here?” she asked, looking around.
“Yes.” I pointed to my feet, then looked up and swallowed. “And now Bobby is sitting next to you.” Did he follow me everywhere? This was too weird.
She turned to the empty chair and chanted something under her breath I didn’t understand. The warm air chilled, and Bea’s anxious excitement washed over me. Bobby’s outline grew stronger. The golden retriever bounded up to him, tongue wagging. He reached down to pet him with a grin on his face.
I jumped again when the phone started vibrating.
“Kat?”
“I’m out front. Are you ready?”
“Yes, I’ll be right there.” Flipping the phone closed, I turned to Bea. “My friend is here.”
Disappointment swirled around her, but her smile didn’t waiver. “Of course.”
I took a deep breath. “Before I go, there’s something I have to ask.”
She sat up and nodded.
“Does Bobby have any history of violence?”
Her brow creased. Defensiveness crept into her voice. “No. Not ever. Why would you ask that?”
Closing my eyes, I forced the words out. “He’s been hurting my friend, Pyper. It happens in her sleep unless she’s near me.”
Fierce denial engulfed me, squeezing until I sputtered, “Bea, stop. Please.”
