by Meg Ripley
“But—”
“Sometimes it’s better to be happy than to be right,” Summer said firmly. “It’s not an argument I want to be involved in again. Joanna keeps to herself as long as we all just stay out of each other’s way.”
Xander ran the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth, trying to decide what to say. He wanted to argue with Summer and tell her that he knew best, that she belonged to him and she needed to follow his advice. But with the realization that he couldn’t say those things to her came the understanding that the woman who was meant to be his mate was a human. How could he possibly tell her and make her understand? He would just look crazy.
Instead, he nodded curtly. “Very well.”
The rest of their lunch carried on in spurts of stiff conversation and awkward silence, but the subjects of Joanna’s treachery and Summer’s witchcraft didn’t come up again.
As Xander prepared to leave, he turned to Summer. This was his chance to tell her how he felt about her, or at least to ask her out on a date. But the way she looked up at him told him everything he needed to know.
“It was nice to meet you,” he said before turning towards the car.
4
Summer tossed her hair over her shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. She trusted her feet to find their way along the sidewalk even when she couldn’t see it, and she counted on her spirit guides to keep her safe. It made the world seem a little off-kilter, a little different, and she liked it that way.
“Well, that was an interesting picnic,” Leah said from her side.
Summer opened her eyes and glanced at her friend. They were walking back to their respective shops now that the event was over. “You’ve got that look in your eyes again.”
“What look is that?” Leah asked innocently.
“You know. The one when you know something and you just can’t wait to tell someone.”
Leah shrugged and smiled. “I wouldn’t say that I know something. But I’ve got a little bit of a hunch.”
“Go ahead and spill it. I can tell you want to.” Summer knew how frustrating it must have been for her psychic friend to sense things and not be able to just speak about them, so she always did her best to serve as a sounding board for her.
“Well…” Leah swung her hands at her sides and looked at Leah coyly. “I noticed a little bit of something between you and Xander.”
Summer stopped in the middle of the sidewalk. Another group of people heading away from the park moved around them, flowing like water around a snag in a creek. “Are you serious?”
“Of course, I’m serious.” Leah’s smile faded. “Didn’t you feel it?”
“Maybe, just a little, right at first. I mean, he’s gorgeous. But that might be where it ends.” There was no doubt that Holden’s friend was attractive. She recalled his shock of black hair that he kept combed neatly, and those dark eyes that hovered somewhere between brown and green. His posture had been tall and confident, boasting wide shoulders and muscular arms. Then there was that charming smile, and in the bits of conversation they’d had, he seemed quite intelligent. The more she thought about it, the more she realized there was actually a lot to like about him. But something about him was so…different from her. She had felt the draw that Leah was talking about, but she didn’t quite know how to put it into words.
“Are you sure?” Leah asked skeptically. “I picked up on some pretty distinct energy between the two of you.”
“No, no.” Summer started walking again, ready to open up the shop, get on with her day, and forget about the picnic and everything that had happened at the park. “You know I fully support your powers, Leah, but I think you must be wrong here. I can’t imagine being with a guy like him.”
“What do you mean?” They had reached the door of The Enchanted Elm, and Leah followed her inside. “I think Xander seems like a really nice guy.”
Summer shrugged. “Maybe he is, but that doesn’t mean he’s the right kind of guy for me. You know how I am, Leah. I like to go for long walks in the woods, meditate, and write down all my dreams. Xander seems like he likes his world a lot more…concrete than that.” She flipped over the sign on the door to let customers know they were open and flicked on the lights.
“Don’t you think you’re judging him before you know him? I mean, you only spent a short amount of time with him.”
“That’s true. But I think first impressions can tell you a lot about a person.” Summer pressed the power button on the cash register, making sure it had plenty of receipt tape on the roll. Opening up the store had become such a habit for her that she normally never needed to think about it, but she was concentrating to keep herself focused. Mundane activities like those were far more pleasant than thinking about her awkward encounter with Xander.
“Okay, I’ll give you that. I know the first few times I met Holden, I was picking up some pretty interesting vibes off him. It had completely messed me up on a psychic level until I understood what was going on, but it was clear that he wasn’t just a normal guy. But I’m still going to challenge you. What were your first impressions of Xander this afternoon?”
Summer moved around the store, straightening the displays and adjusting boxes of incense. “Well, for instance, take the way he dresses. He looked like he was ready for a business meeting instead of a picnic. Even his pants were ironed.”
Leah gave her a look. “And?”
“And it makes me think he’s a little too uptight. Just look at how he handled that situation with Joanna. I didn’t need his help. I know how to handle her, and I know that it’s much easier to just play it off like she doesn’t bother me. But Xander had known me for all of two minutes and he felt like he had the right to step in and defend me.” Summer felt an unfamiliar sensation tightening her chest. When was the last time she had been angry?
“I think he was just trying to do the right thing.” Leah leaned against the counter and folded her arms in front of her chest. “He didn’t mean to offend you.”
“No, maybe not,” Summer admitted. “But it was still annoying. Now there’s no telling what Joanna is going to say. And I meant it when I said I really don’t care what she thinks of me, but if the business starts to suffer, then Autumn is going to be really disappointed.” The store was incidental to her, a means for spreading her knowledge and helping when she could, but it was everything to Autumn. The last thing she wanted was to let her down.
“Don’t worry about that. Joanna already had her fun dragging your names through the mud, and she’s done it to me, too. Surely, she’s got something else to occupy her time.”
Summer grabbed an old rag from under the counter and dusted off a glass shelf that held stone eggs. “Let’s hope you’re right.” Irritated at herself for not just casting a spell to keep the dust out of the shop in the first place, Summer tossed the rag back under the counter.
“Well, don’t discount him just yet. I have a feeling he might surprise you. I trust Holden’s opinion, if nothing else, and he wouldn’t be friends with Xander if he was a bad guy.”
“Maybe not, but that doesn’t mean I’m interested in him.” She couldn’t quite explain her aversion to him. Xander hadn’t done anything terrible, but he hadn’t seemed to understand her position. Somehow, that had been enough.
Since there weren’t any customers in the shop yet, Summer leaned against the counter next to Leah. She pressed her lips together, debating on asking the questions that had been floating through her mind ever since Leah and Holden had gotten together. “So, he’s really a dragon, huh?” It was a lame start, but it was still a start.
“Yeah,” Leah replied, her eyes sparkling at the subject. “It’s crazy, isn’t it? I mean, things hadn’t worked out when I was with a regular guy. Victor could never understand what it was like to be a psychic. Holden might not be a psychic himself, but he definitely knows what it’s like to not fit in with the rest of the crowd. He’s used to being on his own and relying on only his closest friend
s, and I have to say I really like that about him.”
“I guess that’s what Naomi meant when she said there were others like her close at hand.” Naomi had been a dragon shifter as well and a friend of theirs back in college. She had always been secretive about her past. Unfortunately, she had passed away in an accident five years ago, but Leah, Autumn and Summer were lucky enough to be able to speak with her when they held séances. Naomi had given them a cryptic message about Holden before they had understood he was also a dragon.
“She must have known somehow, but in a way, I’m glad she didn’t tell me directly.” Leah was smiling, her expression distant. “Being a psychic, I should know better than to expect messages to come to me outright. They’re always shrouded in a little bit of mystery, but that’s a good thing. It helps to keep life exciting.”
“But it’s got to be somewhat…difficult to live with a dragon, right?”
Leah paused for a moment before she turned to her friend. “Just ask me what it is you want to know, Summer; I don’t mind. Holden knows that you’re aware of what he is, and I think we both understand why someone might be curious about things.”
Despite the open invitation, Summer still felt a little awkward. She was an open person herself, but she wasn’t trying to live as two different creatures. And it really wasn’t any of her business, even if Leah was one of her best friends. Still, this was the best chance she would get to ask. “Does he shift very often? I mean, is he usually a dragon or a human?”
“Most of the time, he stays in his human form. It’s a good example for his son, Finn, since he’ll be growing up on this world. I don’t really mind when he does shift, and I know it lets out a certain amount of tension for him, but I think Holden and I are both more comfortable together when we’re the same species.”
Summer raised an eyebrow. There was no turning back now. “And in the bedroom?”
Leah laughed. “Completely human, I promise. Is that what’s turning you off from Xander? I mean, he is a dragon, too, and that can be a lot to get used to.”
“Of course not. I mean, I’m a witch. I’m not exactly the girl next door. And besides, Naomi was a dragon, too; she was one of the loveliest beings I’ve ever known.”
It felt so uncomfortable not to know just what was happening with Xander, even though there really wasn’t anything going on with him. She needed to find some time for herself to realign her chakras and forget about everything else.
But customers were starting to filter into the store, and it would have to wait.
“I’d stick around, but I’ve got some clients scheduled this afternoon. I’ll see you soon.” With that, Leah gave her friend a hug and left.
It was tourist season, and there were more customers in on a Saturday afternoon than The Enchanted Elm saw throughout most of the year. Summer did her best to keep up, taking incense out of the packages for people to smell, explaining the uses of different crystals, and pointing the way to books that might prove helpful for those seeking to learn more about their own latent powers.
As busy as she was, she couldn’t stop thinking about Xander. She really had judged him too quickly, and that wasn’t like her. Summer prided herself on being not just a free spirit, but a person with an open mind, someone who accepted all kinds of people and never made assumptions. So why had she done this to Xander? Was she really that upset that he had tried to defend her? She was an independent person and she didn’t need his help, but she had been very ungrateful toward him. Leah had explained the situation, and Xander had backed off in the end. So, there must have been something else about him that was holding onto her mind.
“Excuse me,” said an older woman who had come into the store. She had steely gray hair drawn back into a braid and bright blue eyes that belied her age. “I was looking for something that might help my granddaughter.”
Summer smiled and took a deep breath. This was the sort of thing she was good at. She liked to help people, and as far as she was concerned, that was the real reason the store was open. It gave the public an open venue to come and talk to her or Autumn instead of tracking down a witch in the middle of the woods. “Gladly. What sort of trouble is she having?”
The woman frowned. “She’s just started in a new school, and she’s having an awful time getting along. She hasn’t been able to make any real friends, yet, and the only thing she wants is to go back to her old school. She’s so very sad and frustrated, and I hate to see her that way. I’ve tried talking to her and taking her out on the weekends to make her feel better, but it doesn’t seem to be making any difference.”
The woman’s grief tugged at Summer’s heart. At the same time, her mind was running a mile a minute as she tallied up all the different herbs, stones, and crystals that might help. “The best thing I could do for her is to make a talisman. She could wear it around her neck, and it would just look like a pretty pendant, but it would have elements to help heal her broken heart, build confidence, and make connections with others.”
“You can really do that?” the woman whispered.
“I can. Of course, she’ll need to understand what it is. If she thinks of it as nothing more than a necklace, it’s not going to have nearly as much power. It will take me a little bit of time to put it together, but if you write down your name and number for me, I can call you when it’s ready.” Summer led her to the counter and handed her a piece of paper and a pen.
She scribbled quickly and gave it back. “Is there anything else I can do for her?”
“There is always something that can be done,” Summer assured her. “You and I both know how fragile young girls can be. Keep working with her, and let her know you love her. In fact, take her one of these.” Summer plucked a small pink stone from a nearby basket. “It’s rose quartz, and it’s the stone of unconditional love. Give it to her and tell her to put it in her pocket. Anytime she’s feeling nervous, she can reach in her pocket and touch it, and she’ll know you’re always out there looking out for her.”
Tears formed in the woman’s eyes as she looked down at the stone. She traced its smooth surfaces with her fingertip. “That’s so sweet. I think she’ll really appreciate that. How much do I owe you?”
Summer waved her hand. “Not a thing. Take it and let me know how things go. I’ll call you as soon as I have the talisman ready, which should just be a couple of days.”
The woman took a business card from the shelf next to the basket. “Thank you. I’m going to tell everyone I know about you and how wonderful you are.” She practically flew out of the shop, eager to get back to her granddaughter.
Summer sighed with satisfaction, but she hoped that the woman didn’t include the part about the stone being free when she told all her friends about her experience. Autumn would be pissed if she came back into town to find a line of customers out their door looking for free stuff.
There was already, however, a line at the counter. She hadn’t been keeping track of time while she helped the woman, and she moved quickly to ring up her customers. As she did so, she realized that there might be a reason for Xander constantly coming to the front of her mind. Perhaps he needed help just as the grandmother did, and Summer would need to make a talisman of some kind for him. She couldn’t pretend to know what he needed it for, and she wouldn’t dare make it without him asking, but it made sense that he might need her help. After all, he was relatively new in this world, from what she understood about the dragons.
With the cash register caught up, she decided that she was correct. She didn’t need to worry about what Leah saw as a spark between the two of them or what Xander’s intentions had been when he’d jumped up to protect her from Joanna. The universe had thrust him into her life because he was going to need her in some way, and that was all the reason she needed.
5
“Well, that was awkward,” Holden said as they drove away from Beau’s house, where they had just picked up the children.
“Thanks for being so delicate.” Xander s
louched in the passenger seat and rolled his eyes. “I should know about these things. I’m the one who’s done all the research on this sort of stuff, so I should understand how to go about it. I knew that I should ask Summer about herself and try to get to know her, but it was next to impossible while I was fighting off a shift.”
Holden put his hand in the air in half a shrug. “Tell me about it! I think I scared Leah half to death when I first met her. A guy tried to grab her at the bar, and I would have killed him for it. She saw that in me, and it was no wonder it took her a while to relax around me. But in the end, I think that’s just the way it was meant to be.”
“It worked out for you guys, anyway,” Xander admitted. “But now I have to figure out how to make it work for me.”
Holden took his eyes off the road for a minute to glance at him. “I take it that means you haven’t given up yet.”
“Do you think I should?”
“Absolutely not. If nothing else, you’ll figure out that it was a false alarm and cross one more woman off your list. I have a feeling that’s not the case, though. You’ve always been so put-together, and Summer is the first person who has managed to knock you off your high horse with nothing more than a look.”
“I can’t give up anyway.” Xander looked to the backseat, where Nora was safely buckled into her car seat. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen, and he felt the same need to protect her as he did with Summer. “She deserves to have a mother, and the physical reaction I have to Summer tells me she’s the one. At least, I think that’s what it’s telling me. Either that, or I’m allergic to her. For the first time in my life, I almost couldn’t tell which form I was in.”