Life is Better Brunette

by Diane Bator

  "Oh, really? Well, I'm glad you did." Kane seemed to act nervous around her. Or was he actually a bit humbled and shy with her attention? "Welcome to Sandstone Cove."

  The woman met Gilda's gaze. "Now I just need to find a job, and life will be good again."

  "Good luck with that," Gilda said. "Tourist season is over so things tend to slow down around here."

  Kane kicked her ankle. "Actually, I was just suggesting to my assistant that we get someone to help out here. Do you know a lot about all these oils and rocks and stuff?"

  "I know more than enough to get by." The woman smiled.

  "She did know what patchouli oil was." Gilda shrugged, already not liking the idea. Neither of them knew a thing about this strange woman.

  Kane leaned on the counter. "Then I guess I should ask your name and find out a little more about you. Like your phone number and where you've been living since you fell from heaven."

  Gilda nudged him and muttered beneath her breath, "Caveman alert."

  The woman laughed. "I'm Aislin. Aislin Chadwick."

  "Aislin?" Kane raised his eyebrows. "Nice name."

  "It means dream or vision." Aislin took her hat off and shook out her long, blonde hair.

  Gilda frowned. Aislin Chadwick appeared a bit too perfect.

  Kane propped his chin on one hand. "Well, you certainly are."

  Gilda poked him in the ribs then slid a purple pen and a sheet of paper across the counter. "Why don't you give us your contact information and drop off a résumé later this week? We'll get back to you about a job after that."

  "Sure." Aislin wrote her information with an elegant flourish before handing the paper to Kane. "I look forward to hearing from you soon. I'm willing to do pretty much anything, and I can start any time you want me."

  Gilda wasn't sure she actually saw Aislin wink but wouldn't have been surprised, especially when Kane's face reddened for a third time.

  The instant Aislin left the shop, Gilda kicked his leg. "Did you have to be so obvious?"

  He raised his eyebrows. "Was I?"

  "You couldn't have been more transparent if you'd smacked her over the head with a club and dragged her off to your cave."

  Kane snorted and stared at her. "Are you jealous?"

  "No!" Yes. What on earth was wrong with her? She was dating Mick. She had no right to be so angry Kane had flirted with some pretty customer. "Were you really going to give her a job right here and now?"

  He shrugged. "Why not? I have a good feeling about her."

  "Yeah, I'll bet you do, buddy. Hey, it's your store. You do what you want. I'll see you later." Gilda pushed past him.

  "Hey." Kane held his arms out wide. "I thought you were going to help me with the store."

  "Why don't you get Aislin to help you fix it up?"

  "Yup." He chuckled. "You're not jealous at all, are you?"

  She huffed. "No, I'm not. I'll see you later."

  On her way to the door, it occurred to Gilda that the whole time Kane had spoken to Aislin, he hadn't had even a hint of the Australian accent. The protective mask he once told her he'd used since he was a teenager had dropped away for those brief few moments.

  Gilda brushed off the thought. As she reached for the knob, the door burst open.

  A tall, broad-shouldered woman in sensible heels and a dark blue suit burst into the store. She lowered her garish blue-painted eyelids and appraised Gilda before she turned to Kane.

  "Good morning, Miss Claudia." He flashed a smile.

  "It's about time you showed your face around here, Kane Garrick. Don't you know you can be fined for not having your store open during your posted hours?" Aside from her mannish appearance, Miss Claudia's voice was deeper than Gilda expected.

  "Special circumstances, love. I even have a pardon from the mayor." Kane flinched as his gaze met Gilda's. "Don't worry, the police are well aware of what's been going on around here."

  Gilda returned to the counter, more curious about what was going on than she was frustrated with Kane.

  Miss Claudia shot her a sideways glance down her nose before she resumed her tirade. "Then you will need to know I told them exactly what sort of place you're running here."

  Kane smirked. "And what sort of place is that?"

  "An occult shop. There are items used for occult practices on every shelf in this store." She wagged a long finger. "This place just screams witchcraft."

  Gilda glanced around. Books on healing, jewelry, essential oils, gemstones, candles…she wasn't sure how all those things screamed witchcraft or why what was on the shelves at the Healing Spirit Gift Shop mattered so much to Miss Claudia.

  "There are a lot more occult items for sale at the tattoo place than in my store," Kane said. "Have you talked to Randy, the guy who owns it?"

  "Of course I've spoken to that awful little troll. Do you think your tacky little shop is the only one I have problems with?" Miss Claudia puckered her hot pink lips, a color that seemed at odds with her strong features. "I just came from the tattoo shop, and if you have a problem with me being here now, that's too bad."

  "It's not so much a problem as a curiosity." Kane leaned his forearms on the counter. "What exactly are you doing here?"

  Miss Claudia huffed. "So you know, I've made it my mission to work hard to clean up Armadillo Street. This way we can bring families back into this area and make it a part of town more people can enjoy. I plan to rid this street of the adult store, the tattoo parlor, the smoke shop, and you." She pointed a manicured finger at Kane.

  He nodded. "Because I sell necklaces and fancy rocks."

  "Exactly."

  "Then make sure you shut down the jewelry store on the corner. I think he has some necklaces with dragons and fairies on them."

  "Now you're just being difficult." Miss Claudia wagged her index finger.

  "Funny, that's what everyone who knows me says." Kane folded his arms across his chest. "Look, love, I have eleven months left on a twelve-month lease, and I don't plan to go anywhere."

  Gilda raised her eyebrows. "Oh really?"

  "Not if I have anything to say about it." Miss Claudia flared her nostrils. "If it's of any interest to you, I'm organizing a town hall meeting for Thursday evening. Once I explain my position to the residents of Sandstone Cove, they'll agree it's in our best interest to clear out the riffraff, namely you and a few of your neighbors. I'll be back in no time to make sure you and your little girlfriend are moving out."

  "Oh, no." Gilda held up a hand. "He and I aren't together, we—"

  "Next time you plan to stop by, love, call ahead, and I'll make us tea," Kane said. "In fact, I think I sell some of that here too. Gilda, would you take a look around for it?"

  "You're impossible," Miss Claudia huffed. She turned on her sensible heels and stormed out of the store.

  Gilda looked at Kane. "That was awkward."

  He snorted. "I don't dislike a lot of people, love, but she makes the top of my short list. I don't like people who threaten me or my friends."

  "You did want an excuse to shut down the store." She winced. "I'd say you just got one."

  "Yeah." Kane met her gaze. "Well, that was before I met Miss Claudia up close and in person. Until now, I'd only just heard how scary she was from some of our students. Meeting her face-to-face has made me want to dig in my heels and fight. It sounds like she's trying to shut down the livelihoods of a lot of good, hardworking people, and that's not right."

  "I agree." Gilda leaned on the counter. "What are you going to do about her?"

  He picked up the piece of paper with Aislin's name and number. "For starters, I think I need to hire some staff so I can keep this place open and make Miss Claudia think twice about this crazy mission she's taking on."

  "Are you nuts? First of all, you know as much about this Aislin person as you do about Miss Claudia."

  "I know," he said, "but I am a good judge of character."

  Gilda fought the urge to bring up the ex-girlfriend who'd ha
d a string of affairs then left him stuck with the store to begin with. "So, what's your new plan? Are you going to keep the store and start a war with Miss Claudia?"

  When Kane stood in front of the window and gazed out, Gilda leaned against the counter next to him.

  Across the street, Miss Claudia stalked out of the smoke shop with her chin held high and anger smeared across her thick, masculine features. A short, stocky old man with a walker followed her and stood in the doorway, yelling at her back with one middle finger held high.

  "The first shot in the war's been fired, love." Kane scowled. "I'm just answering the call."

  CHAPTER TWO

  With two whole hours remaining until she had to go to work, Gilda was too agitated to meditate or focus on yoga. Instead, she worked in her front flower beds while she gnashed her teeth and cursed. "That man is crazy. He's going to get someone killed yet."

  "Probably."

  She dropped to one knee in the dirt and wheeled around with her hands raised. Poised to fight or at the very least defend herself, she was glad Mick and Kane had taught her well.

  "Considering I am still a good twenty feet away, I think we are both quite safe." Razi Mauli, tall, dark, and scary, even to his closest friends, was one of the instructors at Phoenix Martial Arts school who intimidated her most. He clicked open the gate of her white picket fence. "What has Kane done now?"

  She dropped her hands to her sides. "Sorry. Kane got my day off to a rocky start."

  Razi chuckled, running a hand over his freshly shaven head. While his hair had always been short, she'd never seen him bald before. It wasn't such a bad look. He could still pull off tall and scary; the dark part was lost by the sheen of the top of his head.

  "I take it he came by to ask your opinion about what he should do with the purple rock store he now owns."

  "Yup." Gilda sat back on her heels. "Has he already talked to you as well?"

  "I did not give him much chance." Razi held up a thick finger. "As soon as he started to discuss ways to get rid of his rock store, including selling it to me, I told him to go to hell. Pardon my language."

  Gilda's eyebrow twitched upward. "You do know where I work, right? Clean language at the school is usually optional except when there are kids around."

  "You are correct." Razi grinned. "I like you."

  She laughed. "You just decided that?"

  "No, I liked you before too. Although I do have a newfound respect for you since you turtled in class to avoid my punch then hit me in the chin and knocked me out on my feet."

  "Lovely." She returned her focus to the garden. "That's not exactly the way I'd hoped to gain anyone's respect."

  "That was only the defining moment." Razi sat on the nearby front step. "My respect for you grew when you started to find ways to put bad guys in jail without resorting to violence. As a soldier I have been trained to kill and maim targets on sight. You are not a fighter, which makes your quests much more interesting to me. Besides, you make me smile."

  "Thanks. I think." Gilda sat next to him. "While I was at the store with Kane this morning, two people came in. One was a girl named Aislin Chadwick. The other was that Miss Claudia woman the guys talk about."

  When he flinched, his eyes grew wide. "What did Miss Claudia want?"

  "She wants to shut down not only Kane's shop but half the stores on Armadillo Street that don't meet her standards. She seems to have this vision of making that part of town more family friendly and plans to have a town hall meeting on Thursday to spread the word." Gilda sighed. "I imagine she thinks cleaning up the street will bring in more business for her fabric shop next door to Kane's so-called 'witchcraft' store."

  "I see." Razi narrowed his dark eyes. "And what did Kane think of her idea?"

  "He went from wanting to get rid of the purple rock shop, to suddenly digging in his heels, to getting ready for a fight." Gilda leaned her elbows on her knees.

  He nodded. "Now that sounds like Kane. Is that why you are angry with him? Because he would like to fight back?"

  Gilda hesitated. Deep in her gut that was exactly why she was mad. "Part of me wants him to let things go and not make a big deal out of Miss Claudia or what she said. Not to mention stirring up more trouble. I guess I'm kind of glad he wanted to close the place."

  "Let him fight then." Razi patted her knee. "Maybe this is exactly what Kane needs right now. Perhaps standing up for something will be good for him to move on with his life again after his ex-girlfriend treated him so badly."

  "Maybe." An image of Aislin popped into her head. "But I'm not so sure keeping this store will be the best thing for him."

  He raised both eyebrows. "Because of Miss Claudia, or are you more concerned with the other woman you mentioned?"

  Startled, Gilda looked at him and frowned. "Aislin? She's just some girl who came into his store this morning. Why would I be concerned about her?"

  "Because your knuckles grow whiter by the minute as you talk about her."

  Gilda sighed and wiggled her stiffened fingers. "She came in to buy some oil but happened to mention she was looking for a job. At first I thought that was a good thing, but…I don't know. There was something odd about her."

  "The way Kane drooled or the way he wanted to hire her on the spot?" Razi teased.

  Her jaw dropped. "I thought you said you didn't know her."

  "I do not, but I do know Kane Garrick." He chuckled. "When it comes to women, he tends to fall over his feet first and sometimes think later."

  Gilda stared at the pile of dead stems she'd yanked from the garden. "Is that what happened with his ex-girlfriend?"

  "Yes. She was very good at giving him false hope then finding reasons why she wanted nothing to do with him." He paused. "I was glad when their journey together ended, but not as glad to have to listen to him sob over cups of tea every night."

  "Sobbing over cups of tea? Do we know the same Kane Garrick?" She snickered. "I never took him for being so emotional. Was he literally crying in his tea?"

  Razi sighed. "Right up until last night."

  "Then maybe this new girl will help him get over his ex." Which meant Gilda would finally get a little peace from practically tripping over Kane at every turn. "You're right. Maybe Kane having a couple new distractions in his life will be a good thing for all of us. We'll all get some peace and quiet."

  They sat in silence for several seconds before Razi shifted on the step. "Is she as frightening as people say?"

  "Who? Aislin?"

  He rolled his eyes. "Miss Claudia."

  "She wasn't very pleasant, I'll say that much." Gilda glanced up at the sound of a passing car. "To be fair, she seems like a very determined woman who wants things done her way or else."

  "Ah, or as Kane would call her, a witch with a capital B. Those kinds of people lead very lonely lives. Have you ever visited her shop?"

  "No, I never learned to sew, nor did I ever really want to. Why?"

  Razi sat back and leaned his elbows on the step behind him. "What is the saying? You can capture more bears with honey?"

  "Bees." Gilda smiled. "You can catch more bees with honey, but bears does seem more suitable in this case. You think I should try to get on Miss Claudia's good side, for Kane's sake?"

  "It could not hurt." He shrugged.

  "I don't know. She comes across like the sort of person who could hurt someone if she wanted." She winced. "I could recruit Marion to go with me. She can be big and scary, and I know she sews a lot. Maybe if one of us has something in common with Miss Claudia, we'll get through the front door."

  Razi averted his gaze, his olive skin darkening. "Perhaps."

  "You like Marion, don't you?" She studied him in the awkward silence. After all the wistful, late night conversations Marion and Gilda had had about Razi, it seemed he was now blushing at the mention of her name. "I hear you two have a date soon."

  "Yes." He cleared his throat. "Thursday evening."

  "So, where are you taking her?" Gilda
gave him a sideways glance.

  "I plan to take her up the highway to one of my favorite restaurants."

  She kicked a dead leaf off the step. "Which one?"

  Razi seemed to avoid her gaze. "That is none of your concern, Sherlock. If I tell you, I know you will do something silly like convince Mick to go with you for dinner to spy on us."

  "No, I wouldn't." Gilda shook her head. "Mick might not even be back from Detroit until the weekend, and I don't have a car."

  But Kane would be more than eager to go with her to see how their date went, and he had a motorcycle.

  "And Kane will be busy with his store and the young lady he probably hired before you even arrived home this morning," Razi said.

  Gilda's shoulders slumped. She hadn't even thought of that possibility. "Good point."

  "Aha!" He nudged her. "Then you did plan to spy."

  "I wasn't going to spy on you guys, only watch you both from the bar."

  Razi laughed as he nudged her. "Do not worry, Gilda. I will take good care of your friend and treat her like a princess."

  Gilda gave a slow nod. "Okay. That's good enough for me. But keep in mind if you do anything to hurt her, I'll have to do something bad to you in return."

  He patted her hand. "Considering you write my paycheck, I will hold that thought in my mind from the time I pick her up until I leave her at her front door."

  From the smirk on his face, Gilda guessed Razi considered her about as harmful as the ladybug that crawled along his pant leg. He stood, then smoothed the front of his khakis and sent the ladybug flying. "I shall see you for classes later."

  "Sounds good." She rubbed her hands together to take off some of the dirt.

  With plenty of time to shower, text Mick, and eat lunch before she headed to work, she tidied up the mess she'd made and went into the house, hoping the rest of the day would be uneventful. That thought dissipated the second she set foot into the Phoenix Martial Arts school to a dozen phone calls and email messages. One of those calls was from Razi to let her know Kane would be covering the lunch hour class, something he'd forgotten to mention earlier.

  She printed off extra copies of the school's various schedules, jumping when she became aware of a figure standing motionless in the doorway. Kane. She clenched her teeth, still miffed about how he'd acted that morning, and ignored him.