Free The Beltane Witch (Cloudburst Colorado) by Siobhan Muir Page B

that’s all.”
    Darius gave her one last rub then trailed his fingers over her neck and shoulder as he moved to the counter to grab the teapot. Sabrina suppressed a shiver of pleasure and tried to concentrate on the heat of her mug rather than his hands. Your focus needs focus.
    “And if you could do anything, Sabrina, what would you do in your dead-end job’s stead?” He returned to the table and refilled his mug before sitting down.
    “I don’t know.”
    “What?” He raised his eyebrows. “Surely you have dreams and aspirations.”
    “You mean in a perfect world where dreams come true and happily-ever-after exists?” Sabrina laughed derisively. “There’s no such place.”
    “Come now, don’t allow bleak reality to steal your hopes.” Darius grasped one hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb. “If you could do anything, what it would be?”
    Sabrina sighed and closed her eyes, trying to remember a time when she believed in dreams. Long before Tommy Two-Faces and Merrilee Fuckstwice.
    “I’ve always wanted to have an herb garden where I grow my own herbs and brew my own oi ls, creams, and poultices.” She pictured the whole set up in her mind. “I’d set up a shop where I could offer Cloudburst some homeopathic remedies for health and beauty using home-grown ingredients.” She bit her lip and opened her eyes. “I know it sounds hokey, but I’ve always wanted to do it on a larger scale than just for my kids.”
    Darius grunted with thoughtful appreciation.
    “Where would you choose to have this shop? In town?” He sipped his tea, hiding his expression.
    “No, there isn’t any space for rent and I couldn’t afford it anyway.”
    “Do you have another place in mind?”
    She wished she could judge his thoughts, but he gave nothing away and she hoped he wouldn’t laugh at her outright. Sabrina rubbed the handle of her mug.
    “There’s this old abandoned gold mine on Oro Creek two miles up our road from here. It’s got an old mill with a working waterwheel right on the creek.” She squirmed in her chair and refused to meet his too discerning eyes. “The bones of the structure are still sound and clearing there has great energy. My girls and I go up there every summer to pick wildflowers and herbs.”
    “What’s stopping you from doing this?”
    Sabrina snorted. “You mean other than not having the money to renovate, much less purchase the property?”
    He grunted again, but she couldn’t decipher the sound. “Why have they called the town Cloudburst if their mine produced gold?”
    “The first settlers who came here weren’t miners, but families just trying to find a safe place to live. When they first settled, the rain storms here were fantastic, but short. So they called the town Cloudburst for the weather. Later they found gold in them thar hills and named the creek Oro. I don’t know what they named the mine.”
    “Who owns the mill now?”
    “I don’t know. I’d have to do some research in the town records.” A derisive laugh escaped her lips. “What am I talking about? I don’t even have the funds to consider buying the land. There’s no real point finding out how to purchase it.”
    “There’s always a reason to find out such information, just in case.”
    “Just in case, what? I win the lottery?” Sabrina laughed again and shook her head. “I can barely make ends meet by working at Mazie’s. I can’t afford to set money aside to buy land.”
    “You know, if you do the rituals, you may ask a boon of the Summer Court. Perhaps you could ask for the funding for a land purchase.”
    Cold horror filled Sabrina’s stomach and she swallowed hard. “No way. I’m not taking any favors from the Fae. I’ve heard the stories of what happens to people who receive the Fae’s ‘gifts’. You’ve heard of Rip Van Winkle, right?” She waved her hand over her mug. “No thanks.”
    “Master Van Winkle irritated the Fae rather than received a boon.” Darius gave