The girl reached up to lift the picture and check the price. The painting slipped from her hand and Aislinn gasped as it stopped mid-fall, hovering briefly in the air before returning to the wall while Morgan's hands remained at her side.
Morgan whipped her head around at Aislinn's gasp and pierced her with her eyes.
“Sorry, I'll just be leaving,” Morgan said brusquely and fled towards the door.
“Hold up,” Aislinn shouted.
Morgan paused at the door, her hand on the knob.
“It's fine. You can touch my pictures,” Aislinn said soothingly, glossing over what she had just seen. Morgan stayed with her back turned. With a shrug, she just nodded and looked down at her hand.
“Would you like to stay? Have a cup of tea?”
“No, I have to go,” Morgan mumbled but she hesitated.
“Morgan. Stop. I know that you're one of us.”
Morgan's head whipped around and a ripple of anger flashed across her face. Aislinn almost took an involuntary step back before she steadied herself.
“You don't know a damn thing about me,” Morgan hissed.
“Oh really? I know that you can tell when someone is reading your mind. I saw how you acted when Cait tried to figure it out. And, try as you might, you can't hide your feelings from me, and I see a lost, scared, and very angry young woman. Now, you can either turn your back on one of the few people who actually understands you or you can get right on out of my shop. I have no time for people who refuse to accept what they are.” Aislinn tried to center her breathing. She knew that she was taking some of her anger at Baird out on Morgan but she didn't care. It seemed to her like the girl needed a quick lesson in what was what.
Morgan's shoulders slumped and she took her hand off the doorknob.
“I'll have that tea, I guess,” she whispered.
“Lock the door, I'm done for the day,” Aislinn decided and went to put the teapot on the stove.
Chapter 9
Aislinn stayed silent as she gathered cups for tea and motioned to Morgan to step into her courtyard. Her mind raced as she thought about how to approach Morgan. Though she'd seen several instances of Grace O'Malley's power in action, she'd yet to see anyone move something through the air.
Telekinesis.
Fascinating, Aislinn thought and stepped into the sunny courtyard. Morgan sat at her picnic table, hunched over, and refused to meet her eyes.
“Oh stop with the pathetic act,” Aislinn said, her patience done for the day, “I'm not going to attack you.”
Morgan started and then a hint of a smile slid across her beautiful features.
“I've heard you're a character,” Morgan said, her voice heavy and warm like whiskey, a voice that was too old – too seductive – for her age.
“Aye, I am at that.” Aislinn shrugged off the hurt that could come with a statement like that. She'd long ago stopped worrying about whether people considered her an eccentric artist or just crazy.
“Thank you,” Morgan said softly when Aislinn slid her a cup of tea. Aislinn eased herself onto the bench across from the girl and studied her in silence. Aislinn sensed an underlying strength that belied Morgan's whipcord frame. Dark hair hung almost to her waist and her eyes were a startling mix of blue and green…almost a sea green. Aislinn imagined that Morgan must have had her fair share of suitors. She wondered if Morgan and Patrick had ever hooked up. Patrick, the main bartender at Cait's pub, had nursed a crush on Morgan for a few months now. Aislinn had yet to see them out and about together though. In fact, Aislinn rarely saw Morgan, which made her wonder where she slept. She said as much.
“I sleep in my van, mainly,” Morgan admitted and Aislinn gaped at her.
“Why?”
Morgan shrugged and stared down at her cup. “Apartments require too much information.”
Aislinn gestured with her cup for Morgan to go on.
“You know, background checks, references, that type of stuff.”
“Maybe in a big city, but not in a place like Grace's Cove. Does Flynn know where you are sleeping?” Knowing Flynn, Morgan's boss and Keelin's husband, she was certain he would be appalled at the thought of Morgan sleeping in her car.
“No! And you mustn't tell him,” Morgan said fiercely, pride flashing across her face.
“Morgan, he would help you. Do you need more money? Is that it?” Aislinn couldn't imagine that being an apprentice on a fishing boat paid much.
Morgan shrugged her shoulders and then gave a small nod.
“I'll hire you part-time,” Aislinn said and almost kicked herself. Where had that come from?
A flash of shock and then a sliver of pure joy rippled across Morgan's face.
“You will?”
Aislinn sighed. That flash of hope – of happiness – had told Aislinn everything that she needed to know. There was no way that she could let Morgan suffer. They were relatives of a sort, after all.
“On one condition – you tell me everything,” Aislinn said and watched Morgan carefully. Morgan stiffened and then stared down into her cup before beginning to rise.
“Thank you for the offer then, but I'll have to decline.”
Aislinn threw up her hands. “Morgan, sit. I swear, save me from dramatic people…” Aislinn rolled her eyes and stared across the table at Morgan. “Just give me the basics of why you are here and where you came from. We'll talk about your power in a moment.”
Morgan flinched at the mention of her power.
“Yes. I have power too. You aren't the only one, sista, so don't get up on your high horse about it.”
Morgan huffed out a small laugh.
“Trust me, that's the one thing that I have little ego about.”
“So? Talk to me, Morgan. If I don't know you, I won't trust you alone in my shop.”
Morgan nodded at that and tucked her long hair behind her ear. “I suppose that makes sense.”
Aislinn leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for Morgan to go on.
“Well, I'm from Killarney. I just turned nineteen and have been on my own for a while. Too long, actually.” Morgan shrugged her shoulder and dismissed the fact quickly. “I was raised in an orphanage. Every time I was given to a foster home, I was returned. Basically the nuns raised me off and on, between homes. I took off when I was sixteen and have pretty much been on the road since.”
Aislinn's heart broke a bit for Morgan. Knowing how hard it was when her family split up, she couldn't imagine not having a family at all. It also didn't take much for Aislinn to connect the dots.
“Let me guess…those foster homes. They saw you use your power, didn't they? And they were scared of you?”
Morgan's eyes filled with tears – so suddenly that Aislinn almost jumped across the table. The empathic part of her could feel years of Morgan's pain and anguish at being different come bubbling to the surface.
“Yes, they always returned me. The nuns…the nuns used to tell me that the devil was in me. They even tried to perform an exorcism on me.”
Aislinn stared at the girl in horror. She wanted to go across the table, hug Morgan, and tell her that everything was going to be okay. But Aislinn's instincts told her that Morgan would bolt if she did.
“Well, that was right stupid of them, wasn't it?” Aislinn said casually and was rewarded with a small smile from Morgan.
“Aye, it was at that,” Morgan agreed.
“So, you haven't really had anyone to tell you what you are or how you got to be this way, have you?” Aislinn asked.
“No, I did some research though and that is how I landed in Grace's Cove. I figured if I could get on a fishing vessel maybe I could get into the cove from another angle and figure some things out.”
“It's tough to grow up with power. It must be even harder not to have anyone to explain it to you.”
“Did you? Did your mom explain it?” Morgan asked.
“Ah, well, yes, she did. Luckily, we moved back to Grace's Cove when I was a
teenager and I was able to meet Fiona. She had a larger impact on me than my mother ever did.”
“The healer?”
“Aye, I'll take you to meet her.”
“I…I think that I'd like that,” Morgan said hesitantly. She twisted a piece of hair through her fingers.
“Here's the deal, Morgan…if you come into this, want to be a part of us, then you're in it. You get me? Keelin, Cait, Fiona…we are all, in an odd way, connected and family. I know that you don't have family, but we would be it. So, you have to decide if you are ready for that. If you are used to being on your own…it could be hard for you to understand that.” Aislinn picked her words carefully, wanting to show Morgan that she could have a family but not scare the girl by insisting that she become friends with everyone.
“I...I'd have to think about it to be honest. I'd like to work for you. Your shop is beautiful, it would be an honor. I'm not sure if I am ready for the rest yet,” Morgan said softly.
“I understand. But you have to promise me one thing – no hiding and no lying. That's one of the benefits of my ability – I can tell if you lie to me.”
Morgan nodded.
“I promise. No lying. Despite everything or maybe because of it, I'm an exceptionally loyal person.”
Aislinn could tell that she spoke the truth.
“You'll need to meet Fiona. Not right away, but…she's just amazing. She took all of us in and taught us about ourselves. She's become like a grandmother to me.”
Morgan smiled. “That sounds nice. Having someone like that in my life.”
“Let me show you around the shop and then I'll call Shane. I bet he'll be able to hook you up with an affordable apartment, okay?”
Morgan nodded her head eagerly and for the first time, Aislinn saw a wide, unencumbered smile light up the girl's face. Aislinn almost gasped. When the worry dropped away from Morgan's face, she was stunning. Making a note to draw her sometime, Aislinn led the way back into the shop.
Chapter 10
The next morning Aislinn sat at a chair in the back corner of her courtyard and sipped a cup of tea while she idly sketched Morgan from memory. The girl had opened up when she had shown her around the shop and Aislinn could tell that she was truly excited about the opportunity. She'd have to think about how she could get Morgan up to Fiona's.
“Yoohoo! Darling!”
Aislinn dropped her pencil as her mother's voice called to her over the fence.
“Mum! I wasn't expecting you,” Aislinn said as she rose to cross the courtyard. In a moment she was enveloped in a warm hug and the scent of Chanel No. 5. Pulling back, she studied her mother's face.
Mary was the spitting image of Aislinn. Her face was interesting, unusual, worldly even. Unlike Aislinn, she had cropped her curls to chin length and they rioted around her face in a dusky shade of deep auburn. Several colorful scarves were wound around her neck and Mary's wrists jangled with a mass amount of mismatched bracelets. Her mother was all energy and life and she created a disturbance wherever she went.
Mary's eyes narrowed as she took in Aislinn's face and shadowed eyes.
“What's wrong? Tell me immediately,” Mary demanded.
Aislinn sighed. They were too closely linked for her to hide anything from her mother. Though Mary's ability ran more to foretelling the future, she was always on point when her daughter was upset.
“Come in, let's sit,” Aislinn said and gestured to her table.
Mary surveyed the courtyard and sniffed.
“Let's go somewhere fun for lunch. Is Flynn's restaurant open for lunch on the weekends?”
Resigned, Aislinn nodded. That meant she'd have to go put makeup on, and she counted to three in her head.
“Why don't you go put some makeup on and get ready? My treat,” Mary said and smiled brightly at her daughter.
Aislinn laughed at her and bent to kiss her cheek. Her mother never changed. Always look your best, have fun at everything you do, and be open to meeting new people was Mary's motto. Once Mary had left Sean, it was like her mother had blossomed.
In her bedroom, Aislinn changed into a turquoise top and skinny jeans. She clipped her curls half-back and added some dangly earrings that she had just made. Pulling out her concealer, she covered the dark shadows that bruised her eyes and put a light dusting of eye shadow on. Slicking on some lip gloss, she grabbed her purse and met her mom down in the shop.
“There, much better. You're such a pretty girl,” Mary said, pride lacing her voice.
“Good genes,” Aislinn said and smiled at her mom.
“Do you want to call Colin?” Mary asked. Colin and Mary's relationship was still strained even though Mary popped into Grace's Cove a few times a month to visit him and her grandson, Finn.
“No, let's just do us girls,” Aislinn said, not in the mood for a serving of family tension with lunch.
Mary looped her arm through Aislinn's as they left the shop and walked down the hill towards the harbor. Colorful shops toppled on top of each other down the street and the effect was charming and inviting. Aislinn loved walking through the streets and admiring the eclectic mix of galleries, pottery studios, music shops, and other novelty stores. The tourists loved the charm of the small town, and the brightly painted buildings made a perfect backdrop for vacation pictures.
The street ended in a T at the harbor. Flynn's restaurant, a nondescript building with a nautical design, sat close to the water and Aislinn could almost taste his famous mussels from the scents that wafted their way.
“God, it never gets old, does it?” Mary said in reference to the mouthwatering smells that emanated from Flynn's restaurant.
“Not in the slightest,” Aislinn agreed and held the door for her mother.
As Mary breezed past her to go into the restaurant, Aislinn turned to look at Baird's building half a block away. She gasped as she saw him standing in the large picture window on the second floor. Though they were too far apart for her to see his face, she could swear that his eyes bored into hers. Moving quickly into the restaurant, she shook off an involuntary shiver that ran through her.
Aislinn smiled as the waitress sat them. The restaurant was charming and simple, whitewashed stucco with fishing nets hanging on the walls. A chunky candle sputtered in the middle of the table and the windows were thrown open to catch the breeze off the water. Mary smiled and ordered a glass of white wine. She raised an eyebrow at Aislinn but Aislinn shook her head and ordered an iced tea.
“Darling, tell me what's wrong. Is it the man in the window?”
Aislinn laughed. Her mother hadn't even seen Baird and yet she still knew.
“You never cease to amaze me.”
“Nor do you, my sweet girl. Tell me what's going on.”
The waiter appeared to take their order, which gave Aislinn a few minutes to consider her words. They both ordered the mussels in the cilantro cream sauce. Mary waited patiently until the waiter left.
“I've met someone.”
“Aha! The man in the window. Details!” Mary smiled exuberantly at her daughter and Aislinn had to laugh. Sometimes it was like they were girlfriends and not mother and daughter. She supposed that it had to do with the divorce as well as their shared mystical ability. Both of those things had drawn them closer together.
Aislinn looked around and kept her voice low. Small towns were notorious for their gossip and Grace's Cove was no different.
“His name is Baird. He's thirty-three and works as a psychiatrist. He moved his practice down from Galway and wants to spend some time here. Says he was inexplicably drawn here.”
Mary's eyes narrowed but she said nothing, motioning for Aislinn to go on.
“He came into my shop and I swear it was like I couldn't even see him! His aura radiated around him and it was like I got punched in the gut. I was totally flustered and awkward. I was certain that he would think that I was ridiculous and instead he asked to have a drink with me.”
“Ah, a man who is direct. I like th
at,” Mary said.
They paused as the waiter brought them their drinks. Aislinn took a sip of the cool tea and tried to center her thoughts.
“Yes. He's very direct. And analytical. Long story short…I sent him on his way,” Aislinn said, glossing over their night of shared passion.
“Hmm, I imagine that there is quite a bit you aren't telling me. Which is fine!” Mary raised her hand in a stop motion to Aislinn. “Mothers don't need to know every detail to surmise what is going on.”
Aislinn smiled at her mother.
“Why did you send him on his way, honey? What happened?”
“I…well, I guess it was a couple things.”
Aislinn waited as their lunch was served. She sighed in pure bliss at the first bite and allowed the rich flavors to melt on her tongue. Mary moaned her appreciation from across the table.
“Best mussels in the country, hands down.”
“Mum, can I ask you a question?”
Mary made a go-ahead gesture with her fork.
“Why did you leave Da? I know of most of the reasons…but I've always felt it was because you were so different. Was that it?”
“That was a huge part of it. Obviously you know about Margaret as you are friends with Keelin now. Even I knew about Margaret when your father and I first started dating. But, for some reason I felt like I could fix him – like I could fill that hole in his heart. And, we were good, for a while. But soon the novelty of trying to fix him grew old and our differences became more apparent. He's a fine man…just not for me. I would have left him far earlier if it wasn't for you and Colin.”
Aislinn hung her head as the old guilt swept through her. “I know.”
“Oh, stop. It's not your fault. I just needed you to be old enough to understand what was going on is all.”
“I did understand. That didn't make it any easier.”
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