Free Love's Eternal Embrace by Karen Michelle Nutt Page B

with him was the most
loving experience she ever had to this day, and the most
painful.
    Silly of her, she knew that now. She’d
thought they would marry, maybe not soon, but eventually. However,
in the light of day, he was gone, not a word, not a note, just
gone. She’d cried for two days before she became angry with herself
for being so stupid. He’d gotten what he wanted, hadn’t he? Even
thinking he’d used her, it was difficult to erase the time they’d
shared. It had been magical and sweet, and she held onto those
memories, not wanting to dwell on the cruel way he’d left her.
    She frowned, her lips pressed into a fine
line of disapproval as well as surprise. Her first thought of a
toe-curling kiss had been of a man she hadn’t seen in a decade and
one who had jilted her no less. What’s wrong with me? I should
be thinking of Nelson’s kisses, my boyfriend now, not Ian’s kisses
of long ago.
    Mr. O’Grady’s wide knowing grin made her
moment down memory lane seem even worse. Heat rushed to her face
and she knew her cheeks were a nice shade of crimson, proving her
guilt. She closed her eyes in a deliberate blink. For heaven’s
sake, it’s not like I cheated on Nelson. It was only a
memory.
    “You’ve recalled the kiss,” Mr. O’Grady
coaxed. “Aye?”
    She waved her hand as if to brush the heated
memory aside. “My first true kiss, the way it felt to be in love.”
Her gaze locked with his. “And the way it hurt.”
    “Hmm.” His head bobbed up and down. “The pain
only reaffirms it was real. You wouldn’t be caring otherwise. Go
back and hold onto the blissful moment.” He handed her the slip of
paper and pen. “Now write down what you wish for in a soul
mate.”
    She stared at him for a blink of a moment
then lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “Why not?” What harm could
there be in playing along? With a few strokes of the pen, she
sealed her fate.
    Mr. O’Grady held out the box. “Now put the
note inside and close the lid. You must hold the box when you make
your wish.”
    Her hands gripped the wood. For a moment, she
longed for the possibility of a soul mate. Her eyes widened as an
electrical current flowed from the box, coursing a path from her
palms to her fingertips.
    “You felt it, didn’t you?” Mr. O’Grady
inquired.
    Her brows furrowed. She felt something. She
threw open the lid, her gaze landing on the floor of the box where
her note should be.
    She wasn’t that gullible. Of course, there
was a trick to the box, a fake compartment. She turned it over and
looked. Then she shook it, causing Mr. O’Grady to chuckle.
    “Your request is being considered, Miss
Jules. It’s out there now written in the wind and it can’t be taken
back. The fairies are fickle that way. Whatever you asked for will
be granted. Hopefully, it’s something you’re prepared to
embrace.”
    She handed him the box with a shake of her
head. “It was a lovely trick, Mr. O’Grady, but I have a difficult
time believing in fanciful things as soul mates and wishes in a
blink of an eye.”
    He placed the box back in the cabinet,
locking it behind the clear glass. “Only time will tell.” He rested
his hand on her arm. “You look to be needing a little magic in your
life. It could be the reason you came to stay with us.” He left her
with those parting words.
    “Magic,” she muttered with exasperation, but
leaned down, looking at the box with a smidgen of hope. She hadn’t
believed in magic for a long time.

 
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