She continued to gaze at Owen and then took a long sip of her coffee. That only made her insides burn hotter, and she lost the battle and started fanning herself. “Is it hot in here?”
Owen chuckled. “I hadn’t noticed, but you do look a little flushed. You’re not coming down with anything are you?”
Just a case of complete mortification. Was she really lusting after a man who was at least ten years younger than herself? Snap out of it, Grace, she thought. You’re not a silly teenager. You’re a grown-ass woman who needs to stop drooling over this man. “I’m fine. Really.” She averted her gaze to get herself under control. “I just need to come up with a plan of attack for these homes.”
“How about we discuss it over dinner tomorrow night?”
Her gaze snapped back to him. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
A wavy lock of his dark hair fell over his glinting eyes. “If I say yes, will you let me pick you up at six?”
“No. That’s really—” she started.
“Too early? You’ll probably need some time after work. Seven then?”
She sputtered out a laugh. “You’re not going to take no for an answer, are you?”
“If the answer’s no, then sure.” He leaned in, holding her gaze. “But I’d really like to take you to dinner, celebrate your new job, and get to know you a little bit. Is it so terrible for two coworkers to have a friendly dinner?”
“Just friends?” she asked, dying to say yes. She knew she shouldn’t. He was too young for her. They were going to be working together. And yet, she liked him. What wasn’t there to like? He was tall with broad shoulders, a trim waist, handsome face, and an easygoing, friendly personality. If only he was a bit older, she’d have felt like she’d hit the jackpot.
“Definitely. Friends.” But he placed a hand over hers and caressed her palm in a very more-than-friendly manner.
Gods, that feels good, Grace thought. Resisting the urge to close her eyes and revel in his touch, she forced out a laugh. “Owen,” she said as she pulled her hand away, regretting the broken connection instantly. “Stop. Friends, remember?”
He placed his hands face down in front of himself and grinned. “Friends. Definitely. Seven then?”
Saying yes would be a mistake. There was no doubt in her mind. She opened her mouth to suggest lunch later in the week instead, but all that came out was, “Sure. Seven.”
* * *
Grace walked along the stone pathway, through the overgrown foliage, and onto the porch of the Victorian at 5 Seaside Drive. The old dingy yellow paint was peeling, and she noted rot around the front door right away.
“Oh, man,” she said to no one. It was obvious just by the little she’d seen that the place needed a lot of work. She wouldn’t be surprised to find out the roof needed to be replaced along with electric, some plumbing, and the HVAC. Those were the big four and if any one of them was on the fritz, it could be a deal breaker. All four? It would take a miracle to find a buyer unless the price was attractive enough. But she already knew that wasn’t the case. She’d either need to convince Mr. Saint to lower the asking price or spend some money to get it into better shape.
Grace punched the numbers into the lockbox, retrieved the key, and steeled herself as she entered the large home. After a quick glance around, she let out a huge sigh of relief. The inside was infinitely better than the outside. The place had gorgeous wood floors. They weren’t in perfect condition, but they had enough character that the right buyer would likely fall in love with them. The den to the left had vintage built-ins, and everything appeared freshly painted. Even the kitchen had been updated at some point.
“I can work with this,” she said, peering into the downstairs bathroom and nodding at the subway tiles and raised glass sink. Maybe the big four weren’t as bad as she’d thought. Someone had put some money into the place at some point. After she toured the home, she made a couple of notes about a crack in a bedroom wall, a running toilet, and a window that needed a new pane of glass. She also made a note to ask the seller about the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and the roof. Just because the inside was pretty, that didn’t mean they hadn’t neglected the unsexy parts of the house.
She’d just finished taking new pictures for the listing when she heard a knocking sound coming from upstairs. Frowning, she followed the sound up to the master bedroom, which was completely empty.
Ghosts? Probably. The place was known to be haunted.
“Do you do this every time someone views the property?” she asked, inviting the spirit to communicate with her. As a witch, she didn’t have the power to see ghosts, but she could get them to talk sometimes.
The knocking sound vanished and there was complete silence.
“Are you trying to scare off buyers?” she asked.
The knocking started back up immediately, only this time it was twice as loud.
“Whoa! Stop with the crazy noise. I got the message, okay? This is your house, right?”
The lights flashed on and off.
“Understood. But if you don’t let someone else move in here, then the place is going to start falling down around itself and your house will cease to exist when the city demolishes it. Do you want that?” Her threat wasn’t a lie. She’d watched it happen to another property when a ghost wouldn’t stop harassing people.
The lights flickered again, and there was a zap and a sizzle as smoke puffed out of a nearby outlet.
Grace cursed. “Perfect. You just shorted out the wiring.”
Grumbling to herself, Grace made a note to have Mr. Saint call an electrician and left the upstairs, knowing there was nothing she could do about the ghost without supplies. She’d need a dozen smudge sticks and the help of her coven to deal with the haunting.
After locking up, Grace visited the second house. It was a large white cottage overlooking the ocean on the opposite end of town. Everything about the place was sunny and perfect except for the ominous feeling that overtook her the moment she stepped into the place. There was a darkness that settled over her, making her chilled to the bone.
Evil lurked in that house, making Grace shudder. It didn’t take long for her to run back out of the house and jump into her compact SUV. No wonder it hadn’t sold.
The third house was a on the hillside, nestled in the trees with a cleared lot for organic gardening. The two-story craftsman was in decent shape. The only areas she’d recommend putting money into were the floors. They looked newer, but the scratches in them were a deal breaker for most buyers. They were so deep Grace wasn’t even sure they could be refinished. But at least the house felt welcoming. If someone had asked her, she wouldn’t even have guessed that the place was haunted. That didn’t mean it wasn’t; it just meant the spirits were silent that day and didn’t have an evil presence.
Grace did her tour, took more notes and photos, and then jumped into her SUV and headed home. She needed to figure out what to say to Mr. Saint to convince him to make some adjustments and then call him first thing in the morning.
Chapter Four
“Hello?” Grace called as she walked into her small two-bedroom beach house. The lights were on and her niece’s Jeep was parked in her driveway.
“In here.” Lex’s voice sounded gruff as it floated from the back of the house.
Grace made her way to the kitchen and stood in the doorway, watching Lex angrily chop an onion. She wore leggings and an oversized sweatshirt that hung off one shoulder. Grace chuckled, thinking all she needed was a hair scrunchie and she’d look like she walked right out of the eighties.
“It smells fantastic,” Grace said. A pot of water was on the stove along with another one full of red sauce. The package of manicotti pasta on the counter told her everything she needed to know. Her niece was making Grace her favorite meal. “What did I do to deserve this lovely visit?”
Lex glanced at her aunt and sniffled, wiping her weepy eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“Whoa, sweetie. What’s w
rong?” she asked as she moved quickly to her favorite person in the entire world, pulled Lex into her arms, and hugged her. When she pulled back, she pressed one hand to Lex’s flushed cheek and said, “What happened? Did you and Bronwyn break up?”
Her red eyes went wide with unbridled horror. “Gods, no.”
Relief rushed through Grace, and she blew out a breath. “Oh, thank goodness.” Grace took another step back and grabbed Lex’s hand, squeezing gently. “Then what is it?”
“Not a what. A who.” Lex tightened her fingers around Grace’s and then let go and went back to chopping onions. Only this time her strokes were measured and deliberate instead of angry and haphazard.
Grace leaned her backside against the counter and studied her niece. Her face was flushed, and her short blond curls were messier than usual, as if she’d been running her fingers through her hair. There was also a tinge of sadness in her eyes mixed in with her pure frustration. Usually Lex Marian had an easy laugh and was easy to love. Whoever had put her in this mood had just become Grace’s least favorite person. “I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“It’s mom,” she blurted. Tears pooled in her pale blue eyes as she blew out a breath, shaking her head. “I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised. She hasn’t really gotten over the fact that I’m never going to marry Jackson Dixon.” A tiny shudder ran through Lex, and she visibly shook it off. “She still can’t stop talking about how cute our kids would’ve been.”
Grace blinked. “What? Surely she knows that you two never actually dated, right?”
“Of course she knows,” Lex spat, angry tears spilling down her cheeks. “Apparently that doesn’t stop her from wishing her daughter was straight.”
Jackson Dixon was one of Lex’s best friends. They’d met in grade school and had been practically inseparable up until graduation when they’d gone off to different colleges. Now they had both moved back to town and were rekindling their friendship. But there was absolutely no reason to believe they’d ever be a couple considering they were both same-sex oriented. “Did your mom actually say that?”
“She didn’t have to.” Lex dropped the knife and tossed the chopped onions into the simmering sauce.
“Okay.” Grace took a moment to decide how to handle the situation. She didn’t want to do anything to come between her sister and her niece. Alyssa had been shocked when Lex had come out and was probably a little sad that the vision she had for her daughter was never going to be reality. But she’d said all the right things, told Lex she loved her no matter what and that all she wanted was for her daughter to be happy. Likely, whatever prompted this fight had been a misunderstanding. Though if Alyssa was talking wistfully about Lex and Jackson getting married… The idea made Grace wince. That wasn’t cool. “Want to tell me what happened?”
Lex closed her eyes and sucked in a deep breath. “I had a job interview today with a new restaurant in town.”
Grace nodded, remembering Lex had landed a meeting with the owner and head chef of Premonition Pointe’s hottest eatery. “Witches’ Garden, right?”
“Yep. They need a front of house manager. Anyway, it went well, but Frankie Moar came in right after me, so I’m not super hopeful.”
Frankie Moar was a successful former restaurant owner who’d sold her place two years ago to a franchise operation. She’d be stiff competition for anyone, much less an applicant fresh out of college. “Don’t give up so fast. You never know how people are going to mesh.”
“You’re right. But that’s not what I’m upset about.” Lex waved a hand, dismissing that subject. “When I got home, Charlie was there. He wanted to know when Bronwyn was coming over. When I said I wasn’t sure, he started talking about what a nice ass she has and how she should show off her rack more.”
A sick feeling coiled in Grace’s stomach. “He did?”
Lex’s pale eyes darkened, and she pressed her lips together in a tight line as she nodded. “It’s not the first time he’s made inappropriate comments about her. I try to ignore him, but Bron told me he made comments to her about our sex life. Something about how hot it must be. He completely creeped her out, and now she doesn’t want to come over when he’s there.”
“I can’t blame her. Does your mom know he’s said these things?”
“Yes. I told her, but she just chuckled and said he didn’t mean anything by it.”
“Holy hell, Lex. I’m sorry.” Son of a… What was wrong with her sister? She couldn’t possibly be so blind that she didn’t recognize harassment, could she?
“It gets worse.” Lex sat on one of the stools and buried her face in her hands.
Grace waited patiently, knowing her niece would talk when she was ready. Though it didn’t stop her fingers from itching to dial her sister and give her a piece of her mind. She wouldn’t talk negatively about Alyssa in front of Lex, but she wouldn’t hesitate to speak her mind to her sister. Charlie lived in Alyssa’s house and was being so inappropriate that both Grace and Bronwyn were uncomfortable.
Lex raised her head. “Charlie told me that Mom still cries sometimes over the fact that I’ve chosen this ‘alternative lifestyle’ and that if I was a good daughter, I’d stop being so selfish and finally settle down with Jackson like nature intended.”
“Charlie said that?” Grace asked incredulously. It wasn’t much of a secret that Grace and Charlie didn’t get along. For the sake of her sister, Grace tried to remain civil, but after what Lex had just said, pure unadulterated rage churned in her gut. The tumultuous reaction sent her magic straight to her hands, making her palms tingle. It was the natural inclination to hex someone. She pushed off the counter and started to pace the kitchen just to try to use up some of the energy that fueled her need to retaliate.
“Aunt Grace?” Lex said.
“Yeah, sweetie?” The magic was crawling over her arms now. She knew she looked like evil had taken over and as if she was going to lose her shit on someone at any moment.
“I think you might need some salted caramel.” Lex smiled gently at her and reached into a nearby jar, producing the piece of caramel that would neutralize Grace’s reaction.
“You’re right about that.” She held out her hand. Lex dropped it into her palm, and Grace popped the sweet into her mouth. After only a few seconds, the visible magic disappeared and Grace started to feel like her normal self again. “Thanks.”
Lex gave her aunt a small smile. “Thank you.”
“For what?” Grace strode over to the wine rack and selected a bottle of Merlot.
“For getting so worked up you lost control of your magic.”
Grace huffed and then pulled the cork. As she poured them both a glass, she asked, “What did your mom say when you spoke to her? You told her about this, too, right?”
“I did but she just brushed me off. Told me Charlie was just being Charlie and to stop being so sensitive.” Lex went back to preparing the manicotti. “She’s already told me a dozen times how much she wanted Jackson as a son-in-law, and every time she says it, it’s like a little piece of me dies.” Her eyes welled with tears again. “I don’t think I can take staying there one more day. Not with Charlie in the house. If it was just Mom, then I think we could maybe work something out, but she chooses him every single time and I—”
“It’s okay, Lex. You can have the guest room. It’s all yours.”
The tension drained out of Lex’s jaw, and her shoulders visibly relaxed. “I can pay rent. I’m still working part time over at Earthly Spirits Deli.”
“You’re not paying rent,” Grace insisted. “I bought this house with my divorce settlement money. I own it free and clear. Okay?”
Lex chewed on her bottom lip. “But, Aunt Grace, I can’t just not pay anything.”
Grace grinned at her niece, loving that she didn’t want to take advantage. But she still wasn’t going to accept any money. She’d rather her niece save her cash for when she was ready to get her own place. “I appreciate that, Lex. How about you
just pay me in homecooked meals? No need to go out of your way to cook for me if you’re not going to be around, but when you are, I’ll leave the meal planning and execution up to you. Deal?"
“Deal!” Lex quickly wiped her hands on a dishtowel and then threw her arms around Grace. “You’re the best. You know that?”
“I think you’re biased, but I’ll take it.” Grace held on tightly and then kissed her on the temple. “I know you’re upset with your mother, and you have every right to your feelings, Lexie Bug, but try to remember that she does love you even if things are a little rough right now.”
Lex stiffened and pulled back to stare Grace in the eye. “I know she does. That’s part of the reason why this is so hard. Do you have any idea what it feels like to have your own mother dismiss a major part of you?”
Grace knew exactly how that felt. She’d had plenty of issues with her own mother before she’d passed on, but now wasn’t the time to get into any of that. “I’m sorry, sweet pea. I know it’s hard.”
Lex nodded and drained the wine out of her glass.
“Refill?”
“Always.” Lex held her glass out while Grace overfilled it. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. You know how I like my wine.” Grace winked at her and topped off her own glass.
“Not for that. I meant for being the person I can turn to when I need someone.” She reached out and squeezed Grace’s hand. “Just thank you.”
Grace’s heart completely melted. “You don’t need to thank me, Lex. I love you. There will never be a time when you can’t come to me.”
Tears glistened in Lex’s eyes. She blinked them back and said, “Okay. Enough. I need to finish this dinner before we’re both too sloshed to work the oven.”
“I’ll take care of the garlic bread,” Grace said, heading for the fridge to find the butter. Once she had the bread sliced and buttered with her special garlic butter blend, she slipped out of the kitchen and into her own room. She took a seat on her brand-new queen-size bed, leaned back against the multitude of pillows, and called Alyssa.
Witching For Grace: Premonition Pointe, Book 1 Page 3