Free Bewitching You by Viola Estrella Page A

tight schedule and doesn’t like waiting.”
    “The dress fitting,” Rachel repeated absently.
    Seeing her wedding dress was the last thing she wanted to do.
    “Don’t tell me you forgot. How many times have I told you to write down appointments in the day planner I gave you?”
    “I can’t do it, Mom.” There. She said it.
    “It’s a simple task that saves a ton of grief and keeps you organized, Rachel. I don’t see what the big deal is. I’ve done it since—”
    “I’m not talking about the day planner, Mom. I can’t… I’m not feeling well. I can’t make the dress fitting.” Her excuse was only partially true. There wasn’t enough courage in the world to tell her mother the real reason she wasn’t going.
    “Well, take some ibuprofen, have a short nap and meet me there at five.”
    “No. I can’t make it. Not today.”
    “But Olga—”
    “Tell Olga I’m deeply sorry, and I’ll be sure to refer every bride-to-be I know now and in the future to her because she is such an understanding, caring, and highly skilled dressmaker.”
    “Well…”
    Lying to her mother was never easy, and in the past, she’d avoided untruths at every cost. Today was the exception. “I have to go, Mom. I’m going to throw up.”
    A familiar chilled wind crept up Rachel’s back and underneath her hair before finally resting like a heavy hand on her neck.
    Rachel snapped the phone shut and dropped it in her lap. “I’m losing my mind,” she said through fresh tears.
    “Let me find it for you.” Hayes’s deep voice filled the car, and Rachel felt an invisible but very tangible finger wipe the tear away.

Chapter Six
     
    “Not every man is bad.” Nana smiled sympathetically as she poured hot water from the teakettle into Sofia’s cup. “Your grandfather was a fine man.”
    Sofia dunked her teabag up and down. Nana had insisted on making Sofia tea and a sandwich before heading off to help deliver the baby.
    Agreeing to housesit and take care of the cat, Sam, had been an easy decision for Sofia. It wasn’t as if she’d had any major plans or a job...or a boyfriend. Nope, she was free to sit up in this dark, scary house—out in the middle of nowhere without a telephone or electricity to charge her cell phone—for a long, long time.
    First, she had to convince her grandmother she would be fine by herself. “Yeah, I sort of remember Grandpa. He used to give me candy when Mom wasn’t watching.”
    “He did?”
    Sofia ducked her head and took a sip of tea. “I guess you weren’t watching, either.”
    “No, I wasn’t.” Nana paused, then shook her head. “The point, dear, is that good men are hard to come by, especially for women with gifts. Trust me, honey, reading your grandpa’s dirty old mind on a daily basis wasn’t the highlight of our married life.” She sat down opposite Sofia and tapped her fingers on the table. “Although it was nice to know my husband still found me attractive after thirty years of marriage.”
    Sofia cringed. “What was the point again?”
    “The point? Right. Sorry. What I’m trying to say is this Gray fellow may or may not be the man for you, but you’re still young and you have a good head on your shoulders. You have plenty of time to find a man to fall in love with, and when you do, he’ll be special.”
    “Thanks, Nana. You’re right.” The idea of being alone was becoming more and more appealing. Sofia loved her grandmother, but sometimes Nana was a little too optimistic.
    Particularly when all she wanted to do was open the well-stocked liquor cabinet with the key that was hidden beneath the antique silver tray.
    “All right, dear, I’ll be going now. You remember how to use the stove?” Nana stood and rested her hand on her hip.
    “Yes, I do.” The gas, no-electricity required stove . Shoot. Forget about having microwave popcorn as a midnight snack, or heating up leftovers for breakfast. How did Nana live?
    “Good. But don’t use it while you’re