Magical Midlife Madness： A Paranormal Women's Fiction Novel(35)

“Dominate me in what way?” he asked softly, and the spice in his tone sent shivers racing across my body. Heat pooled in my core again and my lips tingled in remembrance. He shook his head, as though he hadn’t meant to say that, and looked away. “Do you always talk this much crap when you drink?”

“Yes. Answer the question.”

“No, that won’t be a problem. Just don’t try to kiss me.”

“Oh-ho! Double standards, much?”

His grin was lopsided and adorable. “Let’s get out of here.”

I looked at all the wine we’d left untried but slung my bag over my shoulder and stepped away without arguing. Old habits died hard.

“I’d like one of each of the bottles we didn’t get to,” Austin said to the man. “And two glasses.”

“You need more than two proper glasses for your bar.”

“This is for right now. We’ll take this tasting to go.”

Warm fuzzies radiated through me. I should’ve known to trust him. He’d probably read the regret at cutting things short in my body language.

Lord help me if I tried to lie to the guy.

He paid for the wine and attempted to pay for the few glasses we’d “sampled.” The tasting attendant wouldn’t hear of it. Austin left forty bucks on the bar, tucked the half case under his big arm, and motioned me to get moving.

“There’s a creek down the way.” He directed us right, walking down the alleyway that had previously held Mr. Tom. “If we get ambushed by one of the most powerful mages that walks this earth, we can float to freedom. Well…I can. You’ll be screwed.”

“Sir, please, let me help you.” Mr. Tom stepped out from his position against the alley wall. I jumped. I hadn’t seen him there even though he was still wearing his weird getup!

“Nice work, buddy,” I said, and put up my hand for a high five.

He stared at my palm in confusion. “Is that some sort of sign language?”

“Thanks.” Austin handed off the box, then paused. “I forgot a corkscrew.”

“No problem, sir. I will be right back with it.” Mr. Tom hurried away, his cape fluttering behind him.

“And see if they have any nibbles,” I called after him. I put a hand to my stomach and turned back to Austin. “I’m hungry. Did you see him there?”

Austin motioned for us to keep walking. “See him? No, I smelled him. The sun is going down. His magic is strengthening. It’s strongest at night.”

“So that’s what you meant by blending into things?”

“Yes. He blends into stone, concrete, stuff like that. He’s at home in the night, too.”

“I don’t get it. If he’s intent on protecting me, he wouldn’t leave me alone with you to go get a corkscrew. He’s clearly also parenting me. Or sticking with a butler role, I guess, but they don’t follow their charges around, do they? Isn’t this a bit…off? I mean, even for him.”

“I think being left alone in that big house for so long has been very bad for him. I wish I’d known. I would’ve…I don’t know…sent someone to terrorize him or something.”

“Why didn’t Peggy bring in a caretaker before now? I mean, it’s not like I do anything yet, though I think there’s a list coming, but she was quick enough to hire me.”

“You still don’t get it.” On the other side of the buildings, we ducked through a small patch of trees and then wound down a narrow path to the stream. We walked along it, the trees cutting out the dying sun. A nearly full moon hung heavy in the darkening sky. “That house doesn’t let anyone live there who doesn’t belong. Earl is a protector of the house and its magic. So is Niamh. Even Edgar. They have passes to be there. The magic allows them to stay.”

“But Auntie Peggy—”

“Wasn’t chosen by Ivy House. She is the title holder, nothing more. She can stay there for a few days at a time, just like your friend and the rest of their family, but that’s it.”

“But you’ve been there and you aren’t a protector.”

“I’ve only been there for a few hours or less at a time.”

“This is insane,” I said, stumbling. He offered his hand, and I latched on to it as I stumbled again, the lengthening shadows hiding the rocks and pitfalls. “Why me? I just don’t get it. I’m not special in any way. I’m the opposite of special. Just…why me?”

“Often we don’t see things about ourselves that everyone else finds apparent. Also, I’ve already told you. I don’t like repeating myself.” I could hear the laughter in his voice. “Just here.”

He pointed to a path that led up to a little bridge. A few moments after we arrived, Mr. Tom arrived. He’d brought the wine and a corkscrew, plus a picnic basket with fruits, nuts, meats, and cheeses. He laid out a little blanket, gave us a couple of pillows, and set about opening the wine. With everything out, he closed up the enormous canvas bag he’d transported everything in.

“How…” I looked at all this stuff, which one person shouldn’t have been able to carry, and certainly not so quickly.

“I’ll be close, miss, in case…you need anything.” He bowed. As he turned away, I heard, “Like mace.”

“How…” I stared at the delicious looking spread.

“He gets much bigger in his other form,” Austin said, grabbing some nuts. “And he probably had it all ready at the house. He clearly knows you never say die when the wine is pouring.”

“The house? How could he have…” I stared off in that direction. “I feel like I’m going crazy. Does he have super-human speed, or…?”

Austin gave me a funny look. “He has wings.”

I replayed what I thought he’d said. It still didn’t compute. “Sorry, what?”

“He has wings. He’s a gargoyle.”

“No, I heard you about the gargoyle… Where are his wings? Is that his other form?”

He was still giving me a funny look. “It’s those things hanging from his back when he’s in human form. They go to his mid-thighs? You mentioned them before, I know you can see them.”

“Wait…” My world was spinning. “You mean his cape?”

Understanding flitted across Austin’s expression. “Right, yes. You did call it a cape. Sorry. Yes, they look kind of like a cape in this form.” He sucked wine directly from the bottle, those very lush, very kissable lips curving over the lip.

“This is crazy. Wings! I mean…flight is freaking awesome! He is ten times cooler than I thought.”

Austin put down the bottle, then hesitated. “I’m an ass. Sorry, I forgot this was supposed to be a tasting. Do you still… Um… Mr. Tom can probably—”

“It’s fine. Just pour it. You’ve already put your spit in my mouth.”

Shadows chiseled out his striking features, a smile tickling his lips. He nodded and poured me a glass.

“Look, Jess, there’s something I haven’t told you.” He nearly drank from the bottle again, but I moved his empty glass closer. “It’s cooler from the bottle,” he said.

“No, it is not.”

“Says the square.” He filled his glass. “The Ivy House magic is like a shot of youth, I’ve heard. Earl would be restored to his prime. Niamh, Edgar. They’d both get a taste from the fountain of youth. As would you.”

I stilled in the moment, feeling my mildly aching back, an off-and-on present since I’d had Jimmy. My stiffening knees from sitting on the ground. Thinking of my age spots, light now but coming in strong, my sun damage, my wrinkles. Thinking of all the things that made me old. All the things that millions of dollars of advertisements a year told me I needed to fix.

Right now, these marks of age were slight, but they were building in potency.

Tears came to my eyes. Then sobs bubbled up out of nowhere.

Austin pulled me close. “Look, you need to do what’s best for you,” he said softly. “We’ll work it out. We’ll find a solution.”

I shook my head, feeling stupid. Hating that I felt stupid.

Because the truth was, I didn’t want the solution to midlife to be young again. I wanted to be accepted for being my age. I wanted it to be okay for a woman to have wrinkles. Graying hair. A few sagging areas due to child birth and the passing of years.

As a woman excited to start this new chapter, I wanted to feel…normal. Accepted.

But the truth was, I didn’t feel accepted. I didn’t feel acknowledged for my service in raising the next generation, for my active role in the community, or even for being human sometimes. I felt utterly ignored. I felt invisible or, worse, frowned upon. Most of the time, when I looked in the mirror, I saw only my flaws. I saw all the things that advertisements and social media said was wrong with me.

I wanted to focus on what was right about this version of myself, like the way I’d learned to take life a little slower and enjoy each moment. Like my appreciation for people’s differences, and for beauty found in unlikely places. For my friendships, new and old. I wanted it to be okay that I wasn’t worried about beauty anymore, or worried about looking young. I just wanted to look like me, however me looked in any given year.