It was as though a jolt of lightning hit them as soon as they touched. She watched Zack’s eyes widen and knew he was seeing it too…
There was a breeze, green shamrocks danced in the wind. The faint sound of music drifted in from a distance.
“Help, Paige! Do something!”
“I can’t. I’m sorry.”
“You can! Just take my hand…”
“I’m so sorry, Zack. I can’t.”
Then they snapped back to reality and leapt away from each other simultaneously.
“I don’t understand—” Zack said.
“I don’t either. I don’t understand any of this.”
“What is it that I could be asking of you, which would potentially save my life, that you deny me?”
“I don’t know.” As she stood there with the feeling of his soft touch still lingering on her arm, she couldn’t imagine denying him anything.
Zack paced in the sand in front of Paige as she stood on the bottom step of the walkway still holding the necklace.
“Did you see that? The shamrock decorations? That means it happens soon,” he told her.
“We shouldn’t see each other. It’s for the best. You know as well as I do that whatever that vision is, it won’t happen if we aren’t together,” Paige told him. “Besides, we hardly know each other. There’s nothing lost.”
“Nothing lost? Do you feel this,” he asked motioning between them, “this thing between us?”
“Yes. I feel it. But it isn’t worth your life.”
“Helena-Marie did say that if I stayed away from you, I would be fine.”
“Well, there you go.” Paige couldn’t hide the disappointment in her tone, even though staying away from him was for his own good.
“But there are also, um, consequences of staying away from you as well.”
“I’m sure the consequences of being apart aren’t nearly as severe as the ones of us staying together.”
“I don’t know about that,” he whispered. There was a silence hanging between them. “Would you at least try on the amulet?”
“Oh,” Paige said, forgetting she was still holding the thing. She’d gotten caught up. Zack did that to her. The whole situation was tumultuous, to say the least. She fastened the clasp behind her neck, letting the small teardrop piece dangle between her breasts. Zack stared at it for a beat too long, making her pull her cardigan together over her tank top. He quickly diverted his gaze.
“So”—he held out his hand—“how about that coffee?”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Trust me.” He gazed at her with a smirk. “Take a chance.”
“Fine, I’ll go with you, but no touching. I don’t need to keep seeing that—” Zack cut her off by grabbing her hand. “What the…?”
“The amulet. It’s protecting you.” Paige just blinked at him several times, waiting for the vision to rush through her. When it didn’t, she relaxed, allowing him to slide his palm into hers.
“Let’s grab some coffee and take a walk, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, relaxing for the first time since he’d arrived.
He ran inside the B&B and came back out carrying two cups of coffee and a bag filled with cream, sugar, and various packets of coffee condiments. She couldn’t help but laugh. They fixed up their coffee on the deck, each the way they liked it, slipped off their shoes, and headed down the beach.
“Zack, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you so determined to get close to me? It doesn’t make any sense. You’re a doctor; I’m not exactly known for my accomplishments. You’re very… Well, you aren’t unfortunate looking; I’m average. Plus, I’ve been kind of a bitch to you. Not to mention, I may or may not be responsible for your downfall.”
“Well, when you put it that way”—Zack turned around and started walking away—“you’re right. I can do better!” he shouted over the sound of the waves.
Paige stood there dumbfounded. Then he turned around and charged her. She ran, letting out a squeal as the water splashed over the bottom of her jeans. They both laughed. It was nice. Even with what seemed like the weight of the world on her shoulders, she’d never felt as carefree as she did in that moment.
They walked up and down the beach until Paige’s ankles were itchy from the salt water and sand. She kept going, though, because Zack was worth the mild discomfort. He told her about going away to college, all the while longing for home. She could relate to a degree. She’d longed for something all her life; she just hadn’t known it was this.
“What about your family?” she asked when she felt like they’d gotten to know each other well enough.
“Ugh, my parents were a mess throughout my childhood. I was raised mostly by my uncle. He’s a doctor, too. I always wanted to be just like him. I don’t think that’s an achievable goal, though. He has the touch.”
“What’s ‘the touch’? Is that some kind of healing gift?”
Zack laughed. “It’s a natural gift, not like our supernatural gifts. He’s just naturally good at what he does. It’s like he doesn’t even have to try.”
The vulnerability in his tone made Paige touch his hand. She linked her pinky around his. He didn’t even pause in his steps. He just accepted her touch. Acceptance was a foreign but welcome feeling.
“I’m sure you’re a natural too, Zack. You probably just can’t see it.” She smiled.
Suddenly Zack laced his fingers between hers and pulled her to him. She felt a familiar build of energy. She could feel what he felt, and it was overwhelming. She shoved him hard.
“Get back!”
“Harness it, Paige. Focus,” he said, stepping close to her again.
“Don’t come any closer. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You won’t.”
“Zack, it’s overwhelming,” she said, clenching her fists so tight at her sides that her fingernails drew blood from her palms. It dripped red into the white sand.
“Relax,” he said, coming closer still. “Relax your toes. Relax your feet. Relax your legs. Relax your arms, your fingers, your neck, and shoulders. Paige, relax your whole body.” She felt each body part relax in time with his command. With each relaxing moment, the urge to release explosive energy dissipated. “Now open your eyes and look at me.”
As soon as she did, she felt the victorious smile creep up onto her face. “How did you do that?”
“I didn’t. You did.”
“I could’ve killed you!”
“With what?” He laughed, motioning around. They’d strayed so far down the beach that they were all alone with nothing around them but the elements.
“You’re so afraid of your gift. That’s why it owns you, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Embrace it. When you do, you’ll regain control.” He took her hands, kissing each palm.
“What if I don’t want to embrace it? What if I don’t want it at all? What if I just want to be normal?”
“How could you say that? Look at you.” He brushed her windblown hair out of her face. “Why would you want to be like anyone else?”
“You don’t know me, Zack. You don’t know what I’ve done. I’ve hurt people. I’ve let people down, time and time again. I’m going to let you down,” she said, glancing up at him. “When I do, what will I be left with then?”
“We don’t know that,” he told her. “We don’t know that the vision will come true, and we don’t even know in what context it comes from…”
“You’re in denial.”
“Maybe. But if I am, don’t let it be in vain.” With that, he grabbed her by the waist and pressed his lips against hers. She froze for a second, fearful of the overwhelming emotion exuding from the both of them, but then she relaxed into him.
It was she who deepened the kiss when she realized she wouldn’t hurt him. She touched her tongue to his, and he took her face in both of his hands. It was an overwhelming passion. The waves behind them crashed hard, o
ne over the other, in response to the ripples of desire Paige was releasing.
“I’m going to fall in love with you,” he whispered into her kiss.
“Okay,” she answered.
Neither of them realized it, but their kiss had sealed their fate.
Chapter 4
Zack felt differently after he kissed Paige. He felt that they could conquer whatever fate had in store for them as long as they faced it together. His fear was gone. All he wanted to do was delve deeper into everything that was Paige Jessop-Willow.
The nightmare lingered in his mind. But the prospect of spending time with this beautiful, amazing woman, who had overcome every obstacle stacked against her to find her way home, was just overwhelming.
Paige also seemed changed almost instantaneously. When they returned to the B&B at dusk from their day on the beach, she was a different woman than the one who had left.
“Zack.” She faced him from the doorway of the building holding both his hands in both of hers. “Will you help me—”
“Yes.”
She laughed. “I haven’t even asked for the favor.”
“It doesn’t matter. The answer is yes.”
“Just listen,” she said, playfully stomping her foot. “Will you help me work on my gifts? The mayor said she brought me here to use my gifts to help others. I assume she meant my healing gift. I have no idea how to control it. It seems to have a mind of its own. The only thing I do know about it is that it only works if the person receives it. Like my ex-boyfriend. He refused my help, so my gift wouldn’t work on him. Otherwise, there’s no rhyme or reason to it. Sometimes I can help an animal; sometimes I can’t. Does that make sense?”
“Practice makes perfect. I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you come to work with me tomorrow, and we’ll put this whole healing thing to the test.”
“Really? Do you think I’m ready for that? I mean, I could still hurt someone…”
“Paige, we practiced controlling your empathy power all afternoon. You’ve got this. Trust me.” He was sure, but she shied away, looking down at her feet. “What is it?”
“It’s just… I’ve never had someone who believed in me the way you do.”
He stepped closer to her, brushing her hair out of her face and gathering it in his hands. “It’s not whether I believe in you that matters. You have to believe in yourself.”
She nodded. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Thank you for helping me,” he replied.
“What did I do for you?”
He chastely kissed her cheek and turned to walk away. “Not much,” he said, glancing back at her. “You only changed my whole life.” He smiled, and then he was gone.
* * * *
Paige felt the same way. Wow. She’d never known a single day could make such an impact. The vision tried to haunt her, but she refused to let it ruin her perfect day with the perfect man.
“He’s very handsome,” Mrs. Applewood said as she met Paige at the door. She was the owner of the Beachfront B&B.
“Yeah, he is. He’s going to break my heart, isn’t he?”
The woman laughed. “It’s not him that I’m worried about.” Paige’s head snapped up to look the older woman in the eye. “I know a Willow when I see one. You look just like your mother. It’s all in the eyes. I would’ve known even if Helena-Marie hadn’t told me.”
“You knew my mother?” Paige asked. She had feigned disinterest to the mayor, but she didn’t mind showing this vulnerability to Mrs. Applewood. The lady had been so kind to her. “How did you know her? Could you tell me about her?”
“Helena-Marie is dealing with…some things. Otherwise, I’m sure she would’ve told you but I’m happy to oblige if you want to have a seat in the kitchen. I can work and talk at the same time.”
“Sure,” Paige said, following the wrinkled lady through a swinging door and into the kitchen.
“Many men were enchanted by Francesca, but only two suitors would ever catch her lovely blue eyes.”
Paige was instantly enamored by the story. She was completely caught up. She slid into the nearest chair, propped her chin in her palm, and listened as Mrs. Applewood went on.
“Duke and Dylan Willow were identical twin brothers. They knew nothing but love for each other until your mother entered the picture. Why no one could tell them apart. They shared everything. Well, almost everything.” She winked.
“Upon meeting Francesca, Dylan Willow was absolutely smitten. He knew, right then and there, there would be no other woman for him. He would’ve proposed on the spot if he’d only had the courage. Of Dylan’s many gifts, grand gestures wasn’t one of them.
“The same afternoon, as fate would have it, Duke met Francesca, as well. She didn’t believe he wasn’t Dylan. She thought it was a joke, but Duke managed to convince her that he was, in fact, Dylan’s twin. He, too, was taken in by her beauty and charm, but she already had her heart set on Dylan. She was very gifted. She had the gift of foresight and knew that she and Dylan would be happy together forever the moment she met him. You get your many talents honestly, my dear Paige.”
“So which one was my dad?” Paige asked eagerly. The story was one straight from a fairytale. She couldn’t believe she had such an exciting heritage.
“Well, Duke and Dylan were witches—”
“Wait, witches? Guy witches?”
“Yes, dear, male witches. Now, if I may continue?” She rolled her eyes. Paige nodded. Mrs. Applewood went about straightening the items in the pantry area as she told the story. “While Dylan ran home to tell his parents that he’d met the woman he was going to marry, Duke began working a spell. It was a love spell. Dylan didn’t use magic much, but Duke enjoyed working spells. He thought the love spell would make Francesca his.”
“A love spell? So my parents weren’t really in love? What kind of fairy tale is this?”
“Oy, you have no patience, child. Who said this was a fairytale? I’m explaining what happened. It isn’t something from a storybook.”
“Okay, all right, please go on. I won’t interrupt again.”
Mrs. Applewood squinted her eyes at Paige in contempt but continued all the same.
“By dusk that very evening, Dylan had made his way back to Francesca at her family’s cottage. They spent an evening under the stars, falling in love whilst Duke watched from afar. A hatred knotted within him for the brother he had loved more than anything. Even though Francesca had no idea that Duke had read into their meet and Dylan didn’t know they’d met at all; Duke only saw that his brother had stolen his chance for true love.”
“Oh my!”
“Indeed. Your parents were so foolishly in love with one another, they couldn’t wait to be married. The only thing stopping them was Duke. Dylan couldn’t possibly marry without his beloved twin by his side. He left your mother in town the following day in search of his brother.
“All the while, Duke lay in wait. As soon as Dylan left, Duke stepped in pretending to be his brother. He swept your mother away to the courthouse so they could be married at once.”
“No…”
“But Duke got greedy. He couldn’t help but steal a kiss right before they entered the judge’s chambers. As soon as their lips touched, Francesca knew it wasn’t the kiss of her true love, Dylan. She knew she was being tricked. She ran from the courthouse all the way back out to her parents’ cottage in the woods.
“Soon enough, Dylan went looking for her. When he found out what happened, he wanted to confront his brother, but Francesca convinced him to forgive and forget. There was no harm done, after all. So she thought.”
“What happened next?” Paige asked eagerly, on the edge of her seat.
“Francesca and Dylan both knew they’d almost made a huge mistake by rushing things, so they waited a whole week to marry.”
“Wow, a whole week?” Paige rolled her eyes.
“You’re a little smartass.”
“Fair enough. Sorry. Please finish the story.
”
“The following week, Francesca and Dylan were married properly, at the church, with their whole families present. Well, everyone except for Duke. They were so happy that day. That was the night you were conceived—”
“Okay, ew.”
“Anyway, little did they know, their fate was sealed by their kiss.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you remember me saying Duke was working on a love spell for Francesca?”
“Yeah, but he didn’t get to use it because she was already in love with his brother, Dylan.”
“She was in love with your dad, but it didn’t stop your Uncle Duke from trying. When his spell was unleashed, it was laced with such hatred and bitterness it became a curse, instead. He didn’t wish for love when he cast the spell. Instead, he wished terrible things upon them.”
“He killed them?”
“No. He wasn’t that powerful.”
“What then?”
“After their wedding night, they never made love nor kissed again. That’s why the whole ordeal has come to be known as, ‘The curse of true love’s kiss’ because they never shared another one. The spell came over Dylan, not Francesca. It made him forget his love for her. Instead, he became bitter. He felt trapped, unloved, and unwanted. It broke Francesca’s heart. After months of seething, Duke remembered how he’d once loved his brother and Francesca. He knew he was making them both suffer, so he lifted the spell as best he could. He tried to make things right, but it was too late.
“Dylan snapped out of his bitter state, but Francesca couldn’t easily forget what he’d put her through. She’d spent the first months of her marriage with a man who hated her and her entire pregnancy alone.”
“Poor Francesca.”
“Don’t blame your dad. He was under a spell. Your mother, however, was not. She chose her anger, allowed it to fester. They never kissed again. Because the accident they were in was on the way to the hospital for your delivery, and you were the only survivor.”
“That was a terrible story!” Paige whimpered. A tear escaped her lashes. “Why did you tell me that?”
Mystic Luck (Mystic Tides Book 2) Page 20
