“Sit down.” Heather tugged at Vivien’s pajama shirt. “Too much action before full coffee levels are achieved.”
“Does that make me a harlot or something?” Sue moaned and dropped her head on the table. “There were customers in the main area.”
“Hell, no, that doesn’t make you a harlot. That makes you my hero. Just because a woman likes sex doesn’t mean she’s any more whorish than her male counterparts,” Vivien stated as she sat down. “Well done. Jameson’s one hot catch.”
“He’s a sweetheart.” Heather took a sip of her latte. “I was thinking about him in the shower—”
“Heather!” Vivien scolded in mock affront.
“Not like that. I was thinking about last night and I started remembering all the things I’ve heard about Jameson over the years. After what you were married to, you deserve a good man, Sue. Jameson is a good man. He’s generous without bragging about it. Mary Turner told me he paid her overdue electric bill when her husband was out of work. It was supposed to be anonymous, but a lady in billing told her. I’ve heard several stories like that.”
“Wait, so, you bought a bookstore and slept with Jameson?” Lorna shook her head. “And I thought I had a busy morning.”
“I think it’s cool you’re moving to town,” Heather said. “Welcome. This is clearly where you’re meant to be. Julia’s magic is never wrong. It’s insane and sideways and annoying, but never wrong.”
“Thank you.” Sue glanced around. “I know you probably didn’t plan on me being here forever. I want to talk to you about renting this apartment. I’m happy to sign a lease and make it official.”
“No,” Heather stated.
“Oh.” Sue nodded. “I understand.”
“I’m not renting it to you. You’re going to live here as long as you want,” Heather said.
“That doesn’t feel right. I need to pay you something,” Sue said.
“I tell you what.” Heather picked a chocolate chip out of the muffin and tossed it into her mouth. “How about you tap into your amazing powers and help me clean whenever I have renters move out, or construction is over? It’ll take you two minutes and save me thousands each year. That way we both win.”
“Deal.” Sue agreed.
“So, in his office,” Vivien prompted, trying to get the conversation back around to Jameson. “Was it on his desk?”
Sue covered her mouth and tried not to blush. She slowly nodded, laughing into her hand as she managed to say, “Yes.”
“You naughty, naughty librarian,” Vivien teased.
“It’s always the quiet ones,” Heather added.
“Um, I hate to be the downer,” Lorna interrupted, “but what about the other problem?”
Sue’s smile faded. “I told Jameson about Hank. He knows what happened. I didn’t tell him that he’s haunting me, though.”
“That’s probably wise,” Vivien agreed. “Trust us. The whole magic and ghosts are real conversations aren’t ones we’ve perfected yet. People tend to freak out, and you can’t blame them.”
“It’s best people don’t know. Most mean well, but they tell one person, then they tell one person, and soon it’s not a secret, and we’re back to being the local freak show,” Heather said. “Viv and I spent our childhood under that microscope. I don’t want to go back there.”
Sue understood the desire to hide the truth. She’d hidden her reality from everyone for so long. There had been so much shame. She’d hidden it so well that no one ever believed her when she tried to talk about Hank. She didn’t want to live like that anymore. Telling Jameson what happened, showing him who she was, had been life altering.
But Heather, Lorna, and Vivien’s secrets were not hers to tell, and she could respect that.
Sue bit the inside of her lip and shook her head. “I’m so sorry, Heather. I don’t know what got into me. It’s like I couldn’t stop myself long enough to think logically. I just acted on impulse and did what I wanted. First the bookstore, then I slept with Jameson, and then I told him magic was real. I didn’t mention your names, though. Just me.”
“Maybe he didn’t believe you,” Lorna said.
“I used it to pick up the office after we…” Sue gave a guilty sigh. “He was there. He knows about me. I’m sorry. I never meant to make your lives more difficult.”
Heather slowly nodded and sat back in her seat. “What’s done is done. We’ll hope for the best. Thank you for not telling him directly about us.”
“I won’t. I promise,” Sue said.
“I don’t think we have to worry about Jameson,” Vivien said. “It’s like Martin and you. Martin knows about us because magic led him and his daughter to us, to you. Same with Troy and me. And well, William is a Warrick so of course he knows. Jameson is bound to learn about it sooner or later.”
“I’m inclined to agree with Viv on this one,” Lorna said. “We all know the power of the rings. If Sue felt like she needed to tell him, then she did. There is no use in fighting our destiny. It sounds like Jameson is a big part of hers.”
“It’s not the rings,” Vivien corrected. “The magic is in us. The rings are talismans, a way to focus and amplify the energy inside us.”
Thoughts of Hank began to cloud her, dampening the promise of the morning. She’d taken steps for a future, but that didn’t mean her past wasn’t still lingering, waiting to draw her back whether she wanted to go or not. She had not been able to fight him in life. How could she face him now, in death, when he had nothing to lose?
“I’m lucky to have met you all,” Sue said. “I’ve never had friends like you.”
Lorna went to her and hugged her around the shoulders. “We’re happy to have met you too, Sue. Whatever comes, we’re here for you. You’re not alone.”
Julia’s words echoed in her mind. “Some things others can’t do for you. Remember that. Inner strength does not come from outside. It can’t be given.”
Sue struggled to keep the tears out of her eyes. She didn’t want to cry. These women were so generous, so giving. She couldn’t ask them to face Hank if he came back. Hank was her demon. Julia had told her she needed to confront him alone.
“Others can’t do for you.”
“Books and coffee.” Vivien smiled, picking up her muffin as she changed the subject back to Sue and Jameson. “That’s actually kind of poetic.”
“I thought so,” Sue agreed. “If I didn’t freak him out, we have a date tonight.”
Suddenly, she frowned.
“What?” Heather asked.
Sue glanced at her suitcase, still unpacked. “I don’t have anything to wear on a date. When my television became possessed, and the remote started hovering in the air, I panicked. I threw some stuff into a suitcase, but it’s like two outfits, twenty pairs of underwear, and that kitten shirt.”
“That’s why God invented stores,” Vivien said. “And friends. You’ll raid our closets. I’m sure we have plenty that will fit you until you can go shopping.”