Spells of the Heart
Page 21
“Did you hang up?” I asked as she bounced out of the back seat.
“Cousin Thomas says he’s coming over to help us settle in.” Her breath made little white clouds against the January air. “Mama it’s cold!”
“Yes, darlin’ it is.” I immediately tried to zip her coat. “Willow, stand still.” I finally got the zipper pulled up, and as soon as I let go she took off for the nearest snow covered surface.
Willow entertained herself by jumping in a little pile of snow, and I retrieved my phone and purse. I grabbed Willow’s backpack and shut the door, heading to the trunk for our bags.
“Hello,” a male voice said. “You must be Magnolia and Willow.”
I discovered a gorgeous, dark haired man. I estimated him to be in his early thirties. He walked through the snow wearing a navy overcoat, dark jeans and boots.
“Hi!” Willow ran past him. “I made footprints!”
“I’m your cousin, Julian.” He smiled. “Thomas is my father.”
“Hello Julian.” I nodded, recalling that Thomas had given me a rundown on the current Drake family. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
He walked over and extended a hand. “It’s lovely to finally meet you, Magnolia.”
“Oh, honey please, call me Maggie.” I automatically shook his hand. “Only my mama called me Magnolia.” I looked up at his face and felt a jolt go all the way to my toes. My cousin’s eyes were a startling combination of blue and brown. One eye had a ring of electric blue against the brown, and the other iris was brown with patches of that same bright blue color.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“Your eyes,” I said, tugging him a bit closer. “Sectoral heterochromia.” I’d seen eyes like his before.
“Hi cousin Thomas!” Willow launched herself at the older man. To my surprise he scooped her up and settled her on his hip.
“Hello Princess.” Thomas gazed fondly at her. “How was your trip?”
“We drove forever!” Willow declared.
I finally remembered to release Julian’s hand. “Well, I guess I got the answer to the question that’s puzzled me for the past few years.” I unlocked the trunk and raised it.
Julian cocked his head. “Oh, what question is that?”
“I’d always wondered where my daughter’s unusual eye coloring came from.” I gestured to where Thomas stood with Willow. “Now I have my answer.”
Thomas walked up, and Julian glanced over at Willow. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, and slowly he began to grin.
Willow’s right eye was blue, and her left was almost equally divided between both brown and sky blue colors.
“Her eyes are like mine.” Julian sounded awed.
“It’s a Drake family trait,” Thomas said. “My uncle Phillip—your grandfather—he had the same mixture of eye colors.”
“Funny old world, isn’t it?” I put my hands on my hips as I looked from Julian to my daughter. For some reason, all the nerves that had been dancing in my belly smoothed out.
Julian laughed and tugged a suitcase from the trunk. “Welcome home, cousin.”
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Magick & Magnolias
Legacy Of Magick, Book #9
By Ellen Dugan
Coming 2018
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