Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
It’s one of the things I love about her.
But I’ve been counting the minutes until I can close the shop and roll up my sleeves to get Breena settled at the house.
I recheck the clock and feel my heartbeats quicken. Only ten minutes left until closing time.
Grabbing my duster, I make my way around the shop, sweeping away anything that’s settled on my large pieces of crystal and petrified wood. Some are for sale, and others are showpieces I’ll never sell.
Particularly a huge piece of labradorite handed down through my family for generations, ever since the time of Giles Corey in the sixteen hundreds. It will never leave my collection, but I love displaying it in my shop. It’s flashy and beautiful, and it often inspires customers to buy smaller pieces of the same crystal.
I rub my hand down its smooth surface before moving to the next, hearing the bell above the door ring as someone walks in.
I glance over and smile at Jeremy Cousins, a long-time customer and friend.
“Hey there,” I say, catching his attention.
“Hi, Giles. I’m glad I caught you before you closed. I need a gift for my wife, and I’m stuck.”
“What’s the occasion?”
“Last day of chemo.” Jeremy’s eyes soften as he glances my way. “It’s been a long haul, and she deserves something pretty.”
“She absolutely does. Do you want jewelry? Crystals? Or both?”
“I’m open to ideas. She’s at her last appointment now, so I thought I’d swing in here and then meet her at the hospital so I can be there when she rings the bell.”
“We’ve got this,” I assure him. “I have an idea. What if we put together a gift set of crystals with healing properties and also find her a beautiful piece of jewelry?”
“I think that sounds great,” Jeremy replies. “She wears the hematite bracelet you gave her at the last coven meeting all the time. She swears by it.”
“So do I.” I grab a velvet-lined tray and set out to intuitively choose some stones for Maggie, placing them inside. “I’m also going to grab some rose quartz, amethyst, kunzite, and clear quartz.”
When I’ve finished, and we approach the counter, I set the tray aside, and we dig in to find the perfect piece of jewelry.
“We won’t have children,” Jeremy says softly. “After her surgery…well, it’s not possible.”
“I’m sorry.” I reach over and pat my friend’s shoulder, feeling the anguish, worry, and fear running through him. “But Maggie will be okay?”
“They say she has an excellent chance of complete recovery without the cancer coming back.”
“That’s amazing news.” I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose. “I’m not a father either, Jeremy. But here’s something to think about. There’s more than one way to add children to your family.”
He nods and seems to relax. “I know. I know it. We just had these big plans, you know? And it’s all changed.”
“I think you’ll make it through this as long as you have each other. What do you think of an emerald necklace?”
I pull out the pendant that hangs from a long, gold chain.
“That’s gorgeous, Giles, but I’m quite sure I can’t afford it.”
“You can.” I hold it up higher. “I’m giving you the friends-and-family discount on this one. Consider it a congratulatory gift from a friend.”
Jeremy blows out a breath and stares at the emerald. “If you’re sure, I’ll take it. She’ll love it.”
“Good.”
I get everything wrapped for him and then walk him to the door.
“Give Maggie my love. When she’s feeling up to it, the coven should meet for a celebration.”
“We’d enjoy that.” Jeremy shakes my hand. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I watch him walk through the rain to his car, then lock the door and turn the sign to Closed.
I can hear Breena upstairs, walking back and forth, probably packing up the last of her boxes, so I hurry to close everything down for the night and then head up the stairs to the apartment.
The door is already open.
“Hello?”
“In the kitchen,” Breena calls out. “I just have to box up the fridge stuff; everything else is ready to go.”
“You could have left some stuff for me to do,” I remind her and make my way through the maze of boxes stacked six feet high to the kitchen. “Xander’s pulling up with the moving truck now.”
“Lucy just texted,” Breena says with a smile. “They’re on their way. It shouldn’t take long with everyone pitching in.”
My tongue is suddenly stuck to the roof of my mouth. Goddess, she’s beautiful. Her thick, blonde hair is pulled up in a wispy bun with tendrils framing her face. Her lips are plump and pink from biting them all day, which is what she always does when she’s nervous or busy.
And the T-shirt and denim shorts she’s wearing hug every curve perfectly.
I’ve always known that Breena is a beautiful woman. Something inside me has always longed for her. But over the past six months, I’ve grown to crave her in a way I never expected.