Annie's Song(15)
Annie pushed the door open, and was announced by an ethereal chiming.
“Good afternoon, how can I help—Annie.” Penn smiled as she came forward, a rainbow of scarves over one arm. Annie had serious envy over the gorgeous black dress she wore, the hem brushing her lace up boots. “Welcome to Two Witches. You’re looking much better.”
“Feeling much better. You do a good business here?”
Penn smiled. “You mean in this quaint English town? There are several covens in the area, and we are close enough to Glastonbury to be a stopover. So, yes. But a couple of Yanks opening a shop like this—that took some time.” She took Annie’s hand, led her through the store. “You can ogle to your heart’s content in a minute. I want you to meet my partner, and my best friend. Michelle, this is Annie.”
A tall woman turned around, gold streaked brown hair swinging over her shoulders. The kind of hair Annie wanted, coveted, for years. Michelle smiled, striding forward, looking crisp in a white blouse and grey pants. “It’s good to meet you, Annie. How is the baby?”
Annie managed not to roll her eyes. “I didn’t try to throw up my stomach lining this morning, so that’s an improvement. Great store.”
“Thank you,” Michelle said. “It’s taken some work. Penn is more stubborn than I am, and she helped me push through when I wanted to give up.” Annie studied them, standing together, smiling, and it hit her. They were her and Claire, England version. No wonder she trusted Penn right away. “Take your time, have a look around. And please, choose a gift, to welcome the baby into your life, and you into ours. No argument,” she said, before Annie could open her mouth to do just that. “A new life is a blessing. A new friendship, so far from home, is a rare gift.”
“Claire,” Annie muttered.
“Excuse me?”
“Nothing. You just—remind me of a friend of mine. She would have said pretty much the same thing, and mean it. So I will accept your generosity.” Annie shook Michelle’s hand, surprised by the low hum of her power. She didn’t have a lot, but the ley lines obviously amplified what she did have. “And do my best not to take advantage.”
Michelle laughed. “You are so much like Penn. No wonder she connected with you.” Michelle let go of her. “Enjoy your stay, Annie. I hope you can entice your fiancé to visit. I’d love to meet him.”
“Maybe if I pour some Guinness in him first. He’s not really comfortable with all this yet.”
“But he loves you enough to try. That’s one good man you have.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Michelle. Nice to meet you.” She glanced around. “Now I’m going to covet your store—and steal some of your ideas for my own.”
Michelle’s laughter followed her, and she smiled, enjoying the companionship of other witches. Back home it was pretty much just Claire. Now she couldn’t wait to introduce Claire to them. It would be a lively session, and she had a feeling they could exchange some interesting stories—
The shriek of tires had her turning to the front window. And her heart stopped.
The out of control car sideswiped Eric before it lurched up on the sidewalk.
Annie sprinted across the store, slapping the door open, her heart pounding so hard she could barely breathe. The world ceased to exist—except for Eric, sprawled over the curb. She dropped to her knees, hand shaking as she reached for him. And he groaned.
“Oh, God,” she whispered. The world roared into life around her. “Eric—”
“I never saw him!” The tiny old man stumbled toward them. He smelled like a mobile brewery. “I swear to the sweet Lord above I never saw the boy.”
“Lester.” A cop stepped out of his car, catching the old man under one elbow. “Sit yourself down, now, and we will sort this out.” He lowered Lester to the curb, then crouched next to Annie. “An ambulance is already on the way. May I? I’ve a bit of medical training.”
“Okay.” Her throat so dry she couldn’t squeeze out another word, she watched him examine Eric. The damage seemed to be restricted to his left leg.
“His ankle took the worst of it, and may be broken, and he is more than a bit banged up. But he should be fine.” The cop glanced up at her. “I apologize for Lester. Most days he lacks the motor skills to operate his hands, never mind a vehicle.”
“Then why does he have one? If you know he’s a menace, why don’t you—”
“The car belongs to his wife. And Lester is harmless, most days.”
“Obviously this isn’t one of those days.”