Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83281 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Thank you—that’s very generous of you,” I said, feeling my cheeks get hot again as I imagined the two of us on the couch together. Kissing…touching…maybe doing more than touching…
I gave myself a mental kick. What was wrong with me?
“Oh, I’m not doing it out of the generosity of my heart,” Rath remarked, grinning. “I’m hoping that if you decide to make your Grandma’s apple pie, you’ll save me a piece.”
“I’ll bake you a whole pie if you want,” I said, smiling back. “I just need to finish these gigs so I can get paid. I don’t know how the utilities and water are still on, but I don’t want to let them lapse. I need to keep the lights on—and the heat too—especially since it’s going to be Winter soon.”
“No, it won’t.” Rath frowned. “It won’t be Winter again until December. And don’t worry about the lights and power—they’re run by a magical conduit buried in the ground under the house. Your Grandma tapped into a deep well of magical power when she built Morris, so the utilities are self-sustaining.”
“Wait—you mean I don’t have to pay for lights or water or electricity or any of that?” I asked, hardly able to believe my ears.
Rath shook his head.
“Nope. So that should be one worry off your plate.”
“It is—that’s amazing!” I was thankful for my Grandmother’s generous will all over again. But his other words stuck in my mind. “Um…what did you mean when you said it wouldn’t be Winter again until December? Isn’t it almost December here?”
He frowned.
“No…it’s February. Why, is it somehow a different date in the human world?”
“No, it’s February there, too,” I said. “But if it’s February here in Hidden Hollow, then why does it feel like Fall instead of Winter? Aren’t we somewhere in New England? I mean, that’s what it seems like.”
“Yes, Hidden Hollow is located in the Berkshires. And it feels like Fall because of the magical barrier around this town,” Rath explained. “It’s kind of a bubble—a big, invisible, magic dome that keeps the world out—including the weather. If you stepped outside the barrier, you’d probably be in a snowstorm right now. But in here, it’s different.”
“So…the magic bubble keeps it this temperature and season all the time?” I asked, confused.
He shook his head.
“Not exactly. See, we held a vote and almost everyone agreed that their favorite time was Fall—the peak of the leaf season, specifically. So the Council of Magic Users decided to make it Fall pretty much all year round.”
“Really? Fall all year?” It sounded wonderful to me—I was in love with the weather in my new town—especially after enduring the sweltering heat of Central Florida for so long.
“Almost all year,” Rath said. “Except for the month of May, when it’s Spring for a whole month. And the Month of August, when it’s Summer. And then in December it’s Winter with lots of fluffy white snow but never any sleet. Then when January comes around, we’re back to Fall.”
“That sounds perfect!” I exclaimed. “I love Fall weather and I never get it back where I live—or lived before—in Central Florida.”
“Florida? Whew—you’ll sweat your balls off down there,” he remarked, shaking his head. “Give me Hidden Hollow any day.”
I was beginning to agree with him. Just then the waitress came back.
“Got the check for you,” she remarked. “Unless you want anything else?”
Rath looked at me and I shook my head. The huge cinnamon roll and the two cups of coffee I’d drunk had filled me up nicely.
“Nothing else, thanks Goldie. I’ll get that.” He looked at the check and then fished out a handful of coins from his pocket. He laid down a large gold coin almost twice the size of a silver dollar and two smaller silver ones.
“Be right back with the change,” Goldie said, scooping the coins into her palm.
Rath shook his head.
“Nah—keep it.”
“Thanks, big guy.” She smiled up at him affectionately and then nodded at me. “You’re the first girl I’ve seen in here with him. Don’t go breaking his heart, okay? Rath’s a sweetie—I’d hate to see him get hurt.”
“Goldie…” Rath growled and I could see that he was embarrassed. At least, his cheeks got greener, which I guessed was the Orc version of blushing.
“Hey, you know it’s true.” She laughed and moved on to another table to take an order.
Rath and I got up.
“Well,” I said reluctantly. “Thanks for the coffee and cinnamon roll. I guess I’d better go back to the grocery store and try to shop again.”
I winced as I said it. I hated the idea of having to retrace my steps to gather all my groceries and then facing the elderly centaur if he saw me.
“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that,” Rath said, as we left the diner. “I already paid for what you had in the basket and asked them to deliver it. It’ll probably be waiting for you at your front door when you get home.”