39. Lost and Found #2
“It’s not a fairy’s place to meddle.” Granny frowned. Standing on her tippy toes, she repositioned a trio of candles and turned a stack of books to lean against the carved finial at the corner of the mantel.
“But you’re telling me now,” Maida pointed out. “Why?”
“Because you’re family. And Rosie and Arthur are starting to feel like family too.
” Granny’s eyes darted back up to the mantel.
She ran a finger along its edge, checking for dust, and finding none, she brushed her hands together and smiled a small satisfied smile.
“I’ve been a part of your family since before you were born, dear.
But it’s been quite a while since I’ve felt needed. ”
According to the clock on the mantel it had been almost five hours since Rosie left the shop. Maida leaned against the wall for support, wishing the house would help her.
“I can’t just sit here waiting for the phone to ring. We should at least make calls. Maybe organize a search party? I can’t concentrate. Let’s close up the shop,” Maida said. She locked the cash register. Any bookish emergencies would just have to wait until Rosie was found.
“I’ll go pack up the cafe, then.” Granny was already halfway to the coffee bar by the time she finished speaking.
“Wait! What about Hildegarde?” Maida could hear the steady gentle snores filtering in from the next room.
“Just leave her in place. She’ll be grand,” Granny called. Hildegarde, snorted, snuffled and snuggled with her book.
Maida was busy stacking books on the cart for reshelving, so she didn’t notice one last customer walking up the path. The bells startled her.
“Well hello there, I hope I’m not interrupting anything?”
The silken voice coming from the entry foyer was familiar, but she was too distracted to recall why.
“It’s fine,” Maida called over her shoulder. “We were just about to close but maybe I can help if there’s something in particular you were looking for?”
“The opposite, actually,” the man answered. “I thought it might be you who was looking for a lost book. I found this crazy book in the park. Looks really old.” He set a paper bag on the mantel.
Maida stepped into the foyer. She recognized the chiseled features set in a perfectly symmetrical face, at once.
“Cormac? What are you doing here?”
“Small world, isn’t it?” He smiled rakishly at her.
“Are you stalking me?” She glanced around for Granny, but the elderly fairy was suddenly nowhere to be found.
“This place suits you. I believe you’ve found your element, Maida Lathrop. You’re practically glowing.” His eyes trailed over her appreciatively. He was flirting shamelessly.
“Answer my question,” Maida said.
Cormac shook his head and sighed. “Why can’t you ever accept a compliment?”
“So you came here to see me then?” Maida asked.
“No,” Cormac admitted. “As delighted as I am to see you again so serendipitously, I had my own reasons for visiting Primrose Court.” He toyed with the candles on the mantel.
“Why did you tell me you weren’t related to Lucretia Lathrop?
I’ve been visiting her apothecary shop for years.
It’s been such a strong influence on our branding.
I was just discussing some additions to the Nocturnaturals spring catalog with her. ”
“But your products are outlawed here!” Maida protested.
“Technically correct.” Cormac nodded. His face was a mask of reasoned agreement.
“But I’m not. My grandmother was a witch.
I’ve always had a pinch of the sight, even though I was raised as an Ordinary.
You know what that’s like. No wonder we were so drawn to each other.
I knew there was something special about you the moment I saw you sitting in that coffee shop.
” Cormac picked a candle up from the mantel.
“Or maybe it was that candle you lit? I’ve always been a sucker for a well-crafted love spell.
” Cormac leaned closer and lowered his voice.
“I was disappointed when it was Addy that phoned me.”
“That wasn’t the impression I had the next morning.” Maida smiled tightly.
“Come now. Don’t be jealous. She threw herself at me.” Cormac shrugged. “I didn’t want to hurt her feelings.”
Maida couldn’t deny his sex appeal. His tousled hair was silken and luxurious.
His cologne smelled expensive. Dangerous and intoxicating.
It was almost as mesmerizing as his strange backlit eyes.
Even his skin shone, where it wasn’t dusted with a five o’clock shadow.
He had just enough stubble to highlight his maleness without turning a kiss into a tango with sandpaper.
He was beautiful, if cold. Like polar ice.
Arthur’s kiss flashed through her mind again, hot and sweet, and enough of a distraction to reduce Cormac’s sex appeal to a sodden puddle.
“Why on earth would you recruit a shifter to sell Nocturnaturals?” Maida folded her arms across her chest.
“Who are you referring to?” Cormac looked up from the candles, tilting his head.
“Bardo Chan?” Maida said the boy’s name.
Cormac’s face fell. At once his features were serious, and concerned.
“Yes I know about Bardo. I feel so terrible about that kid.” He leaned against the mantel and folded his arms across his chest as he searched for his words.
“The simple answer is we didn’t know he was a shifter when he joined the team.
” Cormac stared more deeply into her eyes.
“I know. I know it’s not an excuse. We’re working on ways to screen our sales reps better.
It’s just tricky, you know? We’re an Ordinary company, with Ordinary employees.
Our target market is Ordinary people. And suffice to say we’ve terminated our contract with Bardo. ”
“Your products put a lot of magical folk at risk. Don’t you care about that?” Maida stood up straighter.
“Of course. Safeguarding the magical community is also a top priority for me. It’s one of the reasons I visit so frequently.” Cormac leaned toward her and reached out to brush a stray lock of hair from her face. “Did you know Bardo?”
“Not personally,” Maida admitted, stepping back. She eyed the bag on the mantel. “What’s in the bag?”
“Ah yes! The whole reason I came in.” Cormac mocked smacking his forehead.
“I was so delighted to see you here, I almost forgot. Crazy story. This book was just lying on the ground in the park!” Cormac affected a look of concern, and took another step towards her.
“I imagine someone’s going to be very upset when they realize they’ve lost it. ”
“Thanks for bringing it in. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get it back to its owner,” Maida said. She stood on her tiptoes, trying to see what was in the bag.
“Oh right, let me show it to you.” Cormac reached between them to pull the book out of the bag. He was close enough that she could feel his breath, which was surprisingly cool. It smelled of nothing.
He lifted Rosie’s book out of the bag and handed it to her.
Maida’s heart was racing. Before she was worried. Now she was scared. Rosie would never have been so careless as to drop her book in the park. Not unless something was terribly wrong.
“It doesn’t take an expert to recognize a rare and valuable book. Something like that ought to be locked up safe in the Archives, don’t you think?” Cormac peered over her shoulder. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Where was Granny?
“Sorry, now’s not such a great time,” Maida apologized. “I was just in the middle of something.”
Cormac looked crestfallen. “But I’ve come such a long way. I believe there’s a book that used to belong to my family, down in the vault. Minerva promised she’d find it for me when I was next in town. If you’re taking that book down, maybe we can have a look around for mine at the same time?”
“Actually, young man, we were just closing up. We have some stocktaking to do.” Granny Luna reappeared. Maida was relieved to see her. “Perhaps you could stop by tomorrow?” Granny suggested sweetly. “We open at ten.”
“Alright then.” Cormac sighed. “My flight back to New Orleans doesn’t leave till tomorrow afternoon. I’m staying above the apothecary if you change your mind.”
“See you tomorrow, then.” Granny opened the door, flipping the sign on the front to “Closed”.
Cormac lingered a moment.
“Addy’s been really worried about you, by the way.
She’ll be glad to know you got that plant she sent with your friend.
I saw it out on the porch. I’ll have to let her know that I saw you, too.
I’ll tell her it was in Boston, of course.
Can’t mention Primrose to the Ordinaries, can we? ” He tapped the side of his nose.
Finally, he was gone.