––––––––
Margaret deliberately stayed in bed late the next morning, continuing to turn over and bury her head in the covers until she heard Fiona leave the cottage. Her resolve to leave had only strengthened after a night laced with dreams of magick and healing hands. Getting up, she leaned over her bed to peek out the window. Fiona's car was gone and Margaret breathed a sigh of relief. Her emotions were too mixed...too raw...for her to have a discussion with Fiona now. It was as though she had reached a crossroads and neither direction was clear for Margaret. She only knew that she needed to take the next major step in her life.
Grateful that she only had a short afternoon shift at the café, Margaret moved into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of tea. Finding fresh baked scones on the table, Margaret smiled. Somehow, Fiona always knew how to comfort her even when Fiona was the one she was mad at. Margaret snagged a scone and took that and her teacup back into her childhood room.
Standing in the small room, she turned and examined the years of her life accumulated in posters, drawings, pictures, and various knickknacks that covered the room. Crossing the room, she stared at her favorite picture of her and Fiona. It had been taken when the sun was just beginning to set and the light warmed their laughing faces. They stood together, as similar as two peas in a pod, laughing at a private joke, the ocean open behind them. Margaret felt a tug in her heart for Fiona and what she was leaving behind her. Convinced that she was in the right, Margaret pulled the picture from the wall and laid it facedown on her dresser. She walked into her closet to begin the process of sorting her clothes.
She sighed as she examined the tumble of colors and fabrics that greeted her. She had always wanted what was in fashion...the newest and the best. Though, it was hard to come by the latest fashions in the small town of Grace's Cove. Humming, Margaret began to pick through her clothes, only keeping what she thought would look the best in big-city Dublin. She could only imagine all of the clothes shops that she could frequent once she established her new career. Daydreaming about her new life, Margaret almost forgot about her current job.
She gasped as she realized she would be late to work if she didn't hustle. After a quick shower, she pulled on a navy sundress with a skirt that hit just below her knees. Braiding her hair, she tucked it behind her ears and added dangling silver earrings. Margaret grabbed her bag and all but ran through the cottage to her car. She wasn't in Dublin yet, Margaret reminded herself. It wouldn't do to get in trouble at work now that she was so close to leaving. She would need every bit of money that she could make for her moving expenses.
Feeling unexpectedly light after such a heavy day yesterday, Margaret sang her heart out on the way into town. Snagging a parking spot right next to her work, she considered the day off to a good start. A small shiver of anticipation raced through her as she thought about seeing Sean tonight. She couldn’t wait to tell him that she was ready to move...now.
Margaret swung into the café and waved to a few regulars before ducking in back to take her purse off. Sarah stood at the counter, arranging scones on a platter.
"Those are for you," Sarah said and gestured with her hand to the back room.
Turning, Margaret found a vase full of white roses. Happiness lit through her and she raced to pluck the card from the milky-white petals. For a moment she stopped to caress the petals, loving the elegance of the white roses. Red roses were so cliché. But, white, well, it was as if Sean already knew her. Smiling, she opened the envelope.
"I've no fancy words for you. I haven't slept but for thinking about tonight. You light me up."
Margaret laughed and hugged the card to her chest, just for a moment.
"That's enough, lover girl. Get moving," Sarah said grumpily and nodded towards the customers that had just walked in. Margaret stuck her tongue out at Sarah when she turned her back and, tying her apron on, went to greet her customers.
The day wove by in a flurry of customers and daydreams. Margaret knew that she had her head in the clouds after she'd messed up her fourth order. She apologized with a laugh and kept her eye on the clock. Closing was moments away. Ushering the last of her customers out, Margaret called to Sarah.
"You can go if you want. Sorry, I've been off all day. I'll clean up," Margaret said generously.
Sarah stopped, surprised. She nodded at Margaret in thanks and needing no further encouragement, left through the back door. Margaret shrugged and moved to the front door to lock it. This would give her time to change and do her makeup. She jumped as the door swung open, startling her.
"Sean!"
Margaret's hands fluttered in front of her in surprise and she was quite certain that her cheeks were on fire. She drank in his face, the way that his presence filled the room. Glancing around, Sean saw that the café was empty and moved straight for Margaret.
Without a word, he pulled Margaret into his arms, sliding his lips over hers in the most gentle of kisses. Margaret sighed into his mouth, allowing her body to melt into the heat and hardness of his body. It was as if everything from yesterday fell away and only this mattered. She stumbled a bit as Sean broke the kiss and stepped back.
"Can you leave from here? I have a surprise for you," Sean asked, his brown eyes eager.
"But, sure, I just need to change..."
"No, you look perfect. Stunning. Don't change, I like this dress," Sean said, admiration lacing his voice as he looked her up and down.
Margaret smoothed the dress over her body and smiled up at him. "But, I worked in it. I must look a mess."
"Nope. Beautiful. Come with?"
"Okay, I just need to do a few things," Margaret said, eyeing the dishes.
"I'll help. What can I do?"
"Um, the dishes. I'll count the money," Margaret said and smiled as Sean immediately moved to the kitchen. He looked at home there, scrubbing the dishes that had piled up from the day. But it seemed like Sean looked confident wherever he was, Margaret thought. She smiled at him and raced through her closing duties.
"All done," Sean called from the kitchen.
"Me too," Margaret said breathlessly and turned to find Sean standing behind her. She swore that she could feel his lust and she shivered at the promise in his eyes. Sean grabbed her hand and ran his thumb over her palm, sending tingles up her arm.
"Let's go," he said and led her out the back door. He waited patiently while she locked the café and then pulled her around the corner to where his beat-up pick-up truck was parked.
"I know it's not the fanciest, but it's reliable." Sean shrugged his shoulders sheepishly as he helped her into the truck.
"It's perfect," Margaret said happily. Sean could have picked her up in a horse and buggy and she wouldn't have cared.
"Well, I don't know about that, but it's been good to me," Sean said as he patted the dashboard. Margaret noted that it was painstakingly neat and admired that he took care of what he owned.
"So, uh, how have you been? How was work?" Sean asked as he started the truck and pulled out onto the main road that led away from the village.
Thinking about her day yesterday, Margaret wished that she could tell Sean about how things had really been in her life. Knowing that it would probably send him screaming for the hills, she smiled at him instead.
"Oh, you know, work was work," she said lightly. "A mysterious vase of flowers made it much better though."
Sean's cheeks shone pink and Margaret laughed at him.
"Thank you, they were perfect."
"They reminded me of you, elegant, perfect, untouched," Sean said gruffly and Margaret glanced at him. Did he know that she was a virgin? It almost left her lips to tell him but she decided to wait and see how their date went before discussing serious matters.
"Well, I loved them. I'll have to get them when you take me back for my car later," Margaret said. She eyed the road they were traveling. It was the same route she used to get to her house.
"Where are we going?"
Sean only smiled and ran a finger over her lips. "You'll see."
Margaret shivered at his touch and the huskiness in his voice. She smiled at him, trying to appear relaxed. Letting down her guards, she allowed his feelings to wash over her. Lust, love, and a healthy male interest all intertwined to make Margaret feel like she was burning from within. She'd never been as certain of a person before as she was of Sean. It didn't matter where he took her; if he loved her as she felt he did, she'd go anywhere with him.