Elise quickly looked
around and saw that Rosemary had made herself disappear. She scratched her
head. “I was just … well I thought someone had stolen a DVD, but it was just
under another book. Unfortunately, that’s my pet peeve and you caught me at a
bad moment. I thought I was alone since I didn’t hear the door chime.”
Elise thought it was very
odd the door didn’t chime. It was a spell of her own and wouldn’t malfunction
like a store bought chime would. The man gave her a half smile that made
Elise’s hackles rise. He may look ordinary, but every fiber of her being was
telling her differently.
Chapter
3
Elise shook her suspicions
away. He was a simple man and she hadn’t heard the chime above the door ring,
because she was too busy complaining to Rosemary about the townspeople. She
plastered on a smile and walked to the man with her hand extended.
“I don’t think we’ve met,
I’m Elise Pendergraph, librarian.”
The man shook her hand
and Elise felt an odd tingle rush through her body. “Nice to meet you, I’m Cage
Martin. I just opened the B&B on the edge of town.”
Now Elise knew exactly
why her hackles rose. She had heard rumors of someone opening a bed and
breakfast nearby and had been livid someone else wanted to profit off her
valley by bring strangers into it.
“Oh no,” said Cage, “seems
you aren’t a fan.”
Elise realized her smile
had faded. “I’m just very protective of the valley and I don’t love the thought
of strangers coming to visit.”
Cage chuckled. “I have
three rooms, I don’t think we’ll be overrun by tourists.”
Elise pursed her lips together.
“It’s really none of my business. My business is the library. Can I help you
with something?”
“I’m here for a library
card.”
Elise felt a genuine smile
caressed her face. “Fantastic, there are forms on the circulation desk, if you
want to start filling one of those out, I’ll grab this cart and be with you in
a jiffy.”
Elise mentally cringed. She
had never used the word jiffy before and she could hear Rosemary’s chuckle on
the air.
“Can I help with the
books?” he stepped closer to the drop off closet.
“No, thank you,” said
Elise, feeling the odd tingle she felt before as he neared her. “That form will
take you a minute or two and so I’ll handle this, if you’ll take care of that.”
Cage gave her another
half smile. “Okay then.”
Elise returned her
attention to the drop off books and felt Rosemary appear by her side.
“He’s handsome,” she
said, “and you are smitten.”
“Smitten?” Elise gasped,
careful to keep it to a whisper. “I just met the man and I’m leaving remember.
Plus, he’s opening that horrid inn on the Badger Hill. The last thing this town
needs is visitors.”
“More people for you to
curse,” teased Rosemary.
“I only curse the
founders,” countered Elise.
“Doesn’t this just verify
that you’re never going to have this valley to yourself again?” asked Rosemary.
“Come on, Elise, you’ve got to let this notice of revenge and curses go.”
“I can’t,” said Elise as
she put the last book on the chart. “If I do I let my whole family down.”
“Have you consulted your
ancestors?”
Elise started to push the
cart toward the circulation desk motioning for Rosemary to go away. She was not
going to answer that question. Rosemary knew perfectly well that Elise had
avoided contacting her ancestors. What would she tell them? How would she
explain how she’d failed all this time?
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