I nodded, hypnotized by his dark eyes.
“There are other ways to relax,” he waggled his eyebrows and I laughed.
“We have all night,” I said. “Let me work out the kinks first.”
“Kinks?” His eyebrows rose with a speculative look. “I think I like the sound of that.”
I laughed. “Isn’t owning a castle kinky enough? Please don’t tell me you have shackles in the dungeon.”
He growled against my ear as he wrapped an arm around my waist. “I would never shackle you. Those hands are far too talented to restrict.”
I giggled and ran up the staircase.
Chapter 26
Ash sat like a statue on one end of the worktable. An open grimoire lay beside her. I gasped, surprised to see the phenomenon somewhere other than my own workshop.
“I suspect I’ll have a visitor looking to buy something later,” Ian said, his chin hovering at my shoulder. “Shall we see what’s in store?”
I nodded.
The page showed a wood wick candle made from soy wax and coffee oil with roasted coffee beans.
“I’ve never used coffee in a recipe before,” I said.
“I have a fairly regular customer who likes it. Coffee dispels negative thoughts and emotions. It can also be used to kickstart a spell, give it that extra oomph.”
“A wood wick?”
“Promotes patience—it takes longer to light—and comfort. The wood crackles as it burns, like it would in a fireplace. Want to help?”
I stepped away from the table. “My gift for alchemy seems to be MIA. Better you infuse it with your talents than risk making a product that fails.”
“We can consult the grimoire about the problems with your magic. I still think it’s a result of trying to circumvent that other witch’s spell. I suspect when the spell completes, your gifts will be re-established.”
“The spell will complete next week. Might as well wait and see what happens.” I redirected the conversation. “What made you decide to become a chemist?”
“Alchemy,” he said without hesitation. “The same as you said earlier. When we create product, we infuse a sense of ourselves into it, right? Uncle Edgar taught me that, but it didn’t sink in until middle school chemistry class. We did an experiment where we turned a penny silver, and then to gold. Not really silver, of course, it was zinc coating, and not really gold—bronze—but it was a perfect illustration.”
“I remember that experiment,” I said. “The other fun one was elephant toothpaste. You know, when dish soap turns into foam?”
Ian chuckled as he gathered the ingredients for the candle. “I do know. You studied chemistry?”
“I’d declared that as my major when I first left for college, but switched to ethnobotany after I met my aunt.”
He prepared the candle jar, including setting the wooden wick in the bottom, then leaned over to kiss me. “You need chemistry for a botany degree, too, don’t you? One more thing we have in common. I expect we’ll find many more things. I want to know everything, even if it takes a lifetime. Stay with me, Brynn.”
Being with Ian was heady. The rest of the world faded away when we were together, but I had other responsibilities. I smiled, deliberately downplaying his invitation. “I do have to look over the sales contract tomorrow morning. I’m going to have to leave then.”
He scowled. “You know what I mean. What we have is extraordinary. You must feel it as much as I do.”
As I tended to do when he overwhelmed me, I nodded like a bobblehead.
While I drove to Hillendale the following morning, I struggled to clear my head from the “Ian effect.” Yes, I was besotted. The way I felt about him when we were together was extraordinary. Apart from him, those feelings didn’t seem rational. I had to exercise logic and common sense, traits I would need today to evaluate the offer on the boutique.
I weighed the pros and cons of selling the shop, arguing the finer points of spending my days at the folly working with Ian, which didn’t make any sense with the garden at my house in Hillendale.
I stopped home to drop off my overnight bag, checked the workroom—no open grimoires—and started along the footpaths into town.
When I reached Broadway, Nora called. I juggled the cat carrier to answer my phone.
“I wish I could be there with you for moral support,” she said. “But know that I’m thinking of you. I know you’ll do what makes the most sense.”
“I wish you could be here, too, but it isn’t your problem anymore. Did you tell Sam we’re closing?”
“Yes. He said not to worry. He’ll pick up whatever jewelry you have left whenever it’s convenient. I can even take it to him, if you like.”
I was fond of the indigenous man, and I’d miss his regular stops into the shop. “I’ll make the trip to Waupago. No sense involving a middle man. Or woman, in this case.” I stopped on the sidewalk. “There’s someone on the bench outside the shop. I assume that’s Cassandra’s Realtor friend, and Cassandra’s walking from the parking lot. I guess I’d better pick up the pace.”
“Call me later?”
“Will do. You’re still coming tomorrow?”
“I am.”
Her reassurance settled my nerves considerably. “Gotta go.”
Chapter 27
Cassandra unlocked the door, but waited outside for me. We walked in together, locking the door behind us as we went.
The Realtor had frosted blonde hair and wore a pencil skirt and blouse. She introduced herself as Paige Lemberger and handed me her card. We walked to the backroom office, Paige’s eyes sweeping the space until she gave me what I considered a professional smile. “Let’s get right to it,” she said. “I understand there’s an association that takes care of maintenance, so there’s no need to address the condition of the roof or other structural issues.” She paused, shooting a questioning look at Cassandra. “You’d said you wanted to sleep on it.” Then she turned to me. “I know Cassandra advised you to do the same.” We returned to the front of
