Many Blessings

  “Fuck. Me.”

  She started giggling at first. That transformed into laughter, followed by the inevitable tears. She crumpled to the dewy grass as Pers climbed into her lap to console her.

  She made it back to the shop twenty minutes later after tucking the piece of paper in her pocket. She’d also picked up after Pers, the little container of poop bags attached to his leash making it impossible to forget them.

  She needed to change her jeans, which were soaked through at the seat from the wet grass. But first…

  She unhooked Pers from his leash and let him roam free inside the store. She went upstairs and stopped before Julie’s altar, which sat on a dresser in the living room.

  It was one of the things she didn’t have the heart to move yet.

  She took the piece of paper and put it on the altar, weighed down with a small amethyst crystal. Eventually, she’d put her own altar there, with some of Julie’s pieces incorporated.

  For now, this felt right. “I’ll believe, Julie,” she said, “but there’s only so much my frayed nerves can take.”

  * * * *

  She was downstairs working on paperwork when Sachi arrived an hour early. Sachi leaned against the office doorway. “So?”

  “What?”

  “Any new developments since last night? Any unintentional orgies I should know about?”

  “Perv.” But she smiled.

  Sachi grinned. “Hey, at least one of us is getting lucky around here. I think tomorrow night’s gathering needs to include a ‘sex magick 101’ chant or something for the rest of us suffering through a dry spell.”

  Mandaline had made the mistake of trying to sip her coffee. She managed to get most of it back into her mug as she laughed without choking or spewing it all over the computer. “And how, exactly, do you plan to do that?”

  Sachi made a serious face and held her arms up toward the ceiling. “Oh, hail, Dildous, god of the Mighty O. Send us your celestial vibrations.”

  Pers came running at the sound of Mandaline’s peals of laughter.

  Sachi grinned and pointed at her. “You think I’m kidding. You just wait and see. I’m going to do it.”

  “I believe you. That’s what’s got me worried.”

  A little after nine o’clock, Mandaline still worked in the office when she heard the front-door bell tinkle. She heard Sachi greet the customer, then a familiar voice sounded. “Can I speak with Mandaline?”

  Ellis.

  She jumped up and nearly ran into Sachi, who was coming through the doorway. She tried to ignore the sexy mraoow Sachi made under her breath as they did a quick back-and-forth dance while Mandaline tried to get past her and out of the office.

  She pasted on a smile that was probably too big. “Hi, Ellis. How are you?”

  “Good. Um, can we talk for a minute?” He glanced at Sachi. “Alone?”

  “Sure.” She led him back to the smaller room and shut the door behind them. “What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to give you a heads-up. Brad had a seizure this morning.”

  She gasped. “Is he okay?”

  “Yeah, he wouldn’t let me call an ambulance. He forgot to take his meds last night.”

  A wave of guilt washed through her. She could guess why he’d forgotten. “If you want to cancel tonight, I understand.”

  “No, I just wanted to let you know what was going on. It’s been like a year since he last had a seizure. I don’t know if it’s related to everything else going on right now or not.” He looked like he wanted to say something else. He reached out and touched her arm. “Look, I—”

  Holy fuck! She stared up into his blue eyes, transfixed. She knew what was going on and had already prepared herself for it even though she hadn’t honestly expected it to happen.

  She usually wasn’t that lucky. Yet the white-hot sensation, centered over her clit, poured through her body.

  She waited for Ellis to make the first move. He grabbed her with his other hand and pulled her to him, crushing her lips with his.

  She let out a soft moan as her arms found their way around his neck. He wrapped his around her, grinding himself against her. She felt the stiff bulge of his cock rubbing against her through his slacks.

  Christ, they’re both big!

  He tasted like coffee, and she could smell the shampoo he’d used that morning. His cheek felt smooth, freshly shaven. He turned and backed her toward the table. They’d almost reached it when she heard a cell phone ring.

  She opened her eyes to see him still only touching her arm with the one hand, a look of disbelief and shock on his face.

  He let go of her as if scalded before he fumbled in his pocket for his cell phone. He glanced at the screen before silencing it.

  Their eyes met. He licked his lips, started to say something, then changed his mind.

  She wouldn’t say it. He was the skeptic, so he’d have to say it.

  “I…uh…” He stared at her.

  She nodded. “Yep.”

  “I…We’ll see you tonight.” Before she could stop him, he had the door open and hurried out.

  Mandaline drifted over to the table and collapsed into one of the chairs. She had trouble filling her lungs.

  She still felt the warmth of his lips on hers.

  Sachi stuck her head in the doorway. “You okay, boss?”

  Mandaline slowly shook her head.

  Sachi frowned, then her eyes widened. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, leaning against it. “Oh, frak! It happened again, didn’t it?”

  Mandaline slowly nodded.

  She grinned. “That’s great!”

  “Great?” Sachi’s enthusiasm had finally broken through Mandaline’s stupor. “What’s so damn great about it?”

  “Oh, please. Spare me. Have you seen those two hunks? Damn, you lucky bitch, I’d gladly be the filling in their sandwich.”

  * * * *

  Ellis practically ran down the sidewalk toward his office. FuckfuckfuckfuckFUCK!

  He had no idea what happened. One second he was talking with Mandaline, and the next it was like he’d stuck his dick in a light socket and all hell broke loose. He would have sworn he’d grabbed her and kissed her, but then when his phone rang, they were still just standing there.

  She’d looked as shocked as him. But it hadn’t happened.

  Had it?

  He barely slowed as he passed the receptionist. “Hold my calls, please.” He rushed into his office and slammed the door shut, locking it behind him.

  Collapsing into his chair, he tried to slow his racing heart.

  Okay, think this through, Fargo. You didn’t really kiss her. You were just standing there talking with her. You must have imagined it.

  He tried to latch on to that thought, even though it didn’t feel completely right.

  And his cock still uncomfortably throbbed inside his briefs.

  “It was my imagination working overtime,” he whispered aloud. “That’s all.” He’d met a really sweet woman he felt extremely attracted to. It didn’t help he’d had all sorts of sexy dreams about her the night before. In fact, until he’d heard Brad collapse, he’d been thinking about waking up enough to rub one out before his shower, with Mandaline as the star of his sexy fantasy.

  “That’s all it was,” he said with a little more conviction. “Just my imagination.”

  He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, then let it out again. “Just my imagination.”

  Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure he believed that.

  And still, his cock throbbed.

  It’s going to be a long damn day.

  * * * *

  Mandaline finally made it back to her office. She needed to call Brad, both to check on him and to tell him what just happened with Ellis.

  She grabbed her cell phone and let out a little yelp when it rang in her hand. Brad’s number appeared on the screen.

  She stuck out her foot and shoved the office door shut with her toe before she an
swered. “That’s freaky. I was literally just getting ready to call you. Had the phone in my hand.”

  She heard the smile in his voice. “I hope that’s a good thing?”

  She closed her eyes and pictured his sweet brown eyes and playful smile.

  And delicious cock. “A very good thing. How are you feeling this morning?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Ellis just stopped by and told me about the seizure.”

  “Oh.” He sighed. “Yeah, I’m an idiot. It’s no big deal. It’s why I’m not supposed to miss any doses.”

  Incredulous, she asked, “How can you say a seizure isn’t a big deal?”

  “Because I know why it happened and it didn’t last very long. Seriously, it’s okay. If I’d thought it was a bad one, I would have let Ellis call the ambulance.”

  She was the one avoiding the issue now and she knew it. “We need to talk.”

  “I thought we were.” She loved how she could pretty much hear him smiling from his tone of voice.

  “It happened again.”

  “What happened?”

  “With him. With Ellis this morning.”

  “What…oh.”

  She felt fifty shades of crappy. “Yeah.”

  His next question, however, surprised her. More, the tone with which he asked it. Hopefully. “Did you give him a blow job?”

  “No!”

  “Why not?”

  “Wh…” Her jaw flapped open and closed a few times. She imagined she looked like a goldfish. “What?”

  “I’m not jealous.”

  From fifty shades of crappy to fifty shades of confused. “What?”

  He laughed. “You are fun to tease, you know that? But seriously, it’d be okay.”

  She took a deep breath and blew it out. “Let’s back up. No, it didn’t go that far with him. It was like the first time with you and me, where it felt like he grabbed me and kissed me, but his phone rang and woke us out of…whatever it was.”

  “Aw.” He sounded disappointed.

  “Aw?”

  “Mandaline, you and I know something is going on. Poor Ellis is probably sitting in his office and practically shitting himself, worried that he’s losing his mind and trying to figure out a rational explanation for it. If it’d gone all the way, at least he couldn’t deny what happened.”

  “Oh. I guess I should walk over there and talk to him.”

  “I wouldn’t.”

  “Why?”

  “He’ll get defensive and even more entrenched in his belief that nothing happened. Let him stew.” He laughed. “And I’m hoping that something else happens tonight.”

  She felt her face heat to supernova proportions. “I feel like you’re pimping me out.”

  “Let me ask you a question, and do me the favor of giving me an honest answer. Or you can tell me to go to hell if you want. Are you attracted to me?”

  “Yes,” she mumbled. “I should have thought that was obvious.”

  “Okay. Are you attracted to Ellis?”

  She didn’t want to answer that.

  “Mandaline?”

  “Okay, yes. Fine. I’m attracted to him, too.”

  That answer seemed to please him. “Good. Then what’s the problem?”

  “What’s the…seriously? Seriously?”

  His tone did, in fact, turn serious. “I’m lonely. He’s lonely. I’m not going to deny the thought of the two of us being able to love the same woman instead of trying to find two women to put up not only with us, but with each other as well, turns me on.”

  “I…” Her jaw snapped closed. “Love? We barely know each other!”

  “We’ll see you tonight,” he said, the smile back in his tone. He ended the call, leaving her staring at the phone as her heart raced and she tried to make sense of what had just happened.

  Maybe I’m the one ready for a padded room at the VA.

  Chapter Nine

  Mandaline found it impossible to work. Sachi didn’t have readings until later in the day, and both Mina and Paige were there to work the morning shift.

  She grabbed her purse and a blank check from the checkbook and waved Sachi into the office. “I need you to drive me over to the mechanic.”

  Sachi looked at her quizzically. “What? Your car’s out back. What’s wrong?”

  She cocked her head and stared at Sachi, knowing her friend would eventually think of it.

  A few seconds later, Sachi winced as she boarded Mandaline’s train of thought. “Sorry. I’ll get my purse and keys.”

  They rode over in companionable silence. When they rounded the final corner and Mandaline spotted the kiwi green Element parked in the shop’s side lot, she had to swallow back a fresh bout of hot tears that threatened to fall.

  The last time she’d seen it was the last time she’d seen Julie alive.

  Sachi pulled in and parked in front of the office. “Do you want me to wait with you?” she quietly asked. Sometimes, Sachi could be a pill. But when times were rough, Sachi always knew exactly what her friends needed from her and came through for them. It was one of the things they loved most about her.

  “No, I’ll be okay, thanks. I need to do this.”

  Sachi leaned over and gave her a hug before Mandaline got out and walked into the office.

  A harried woman worked the phone, apparently arguing with someone over the cost of something. She gave Mandaline a smile when she walked in and held up a friendly finger, not that finger, to indicate she’d be right with Mandaline. Out in the shop area, she heard the loud zzzzip of an air ratchet being used over the even louder throb of an air compressor. The smell of shop chemicals, of transmission fluid and used motor oil and brake cleaner, made her nose sting. One of her exes had run a repair shop, over in Spring Hill. Ever since her nasty breakup with him a few years earlier, it made going into other repair shops an exercise in restraint not to run the other way.

  And now, this.

  It certainly didn’t help.

  The woman finally finished and gave Mandaline a tired smile. “Sorry about that. Thanks for waiting. How can I help you?”

  “I’m Mandaline Royce. I’m here for the green Honda Element. Um, Julie Prescott’s Element.”

  The woman’s face immediately fell. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She stood and rounded the counter to give Mandaline a hug. “Julie was such a sweetie. We’re going to miss her.”

  Mandaline forced a smile and struggled to hold back tears. “Thank you. How much was the repair bill?”

  The woman pulled a ticket from a rack behind the counter. A paper tag holding the key and door fob was stapled to the ticket. The sheriff’s office had brought the rest of Julie’s keys back after having the Element towed from the Coreys’ house.

  “Just twenty even for a quarter-hour labor. Diagnosis and reconnecting the ignition wire. That’s all it was. No parts, the wire was right there. Just had to be reconnected.”

  “But the towing fee.”

  “Nope. Jack told me not to charge you for that. Just the twenty.” She pulled the keys off the ticket and handed them to Mandaline.

  With a trembling hand, Mandaline made out the check and handed it to the woman. She quickly wrote the check number on the invoice and marked it paid before handing Mandaline a copy. “There you go. You’re all set. Did you see where it’s parked?” She pointed over her shoulder out toward the back.

  Mandaline stared at the key in her hand. “Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate it.” She’d started to walk out, then turned and grabbed a handful of business cards from the holder on the counter. “I’ll put these out at the shop for you. Thank you again. And please tell Jack thanks for me.”

  “I will, sweetie. I’m sorry we couldn’t make the memorial for her.”

  Mandaline forced another wan smile. She couldn’t tell if it was getting easier or harder to do that. “That’s okay. We’re doing a tree planting Saturday at noon at the library downtown in her memory.”

  “Oh! We’ll try to make tha
t, thanks.”

  She walked out of the office and around the building. She slowly approached the SUV. After a few deep breaths, she punched the unlock button on the key fob and heard the driver’s door lock disengage.

  She opened the door. It looked like they’d even washed and vacuumed it out. Julie was a tidy person by nature, but there’d always been sand on her floorboards.

  Maybe the cops did it for evidence.

  She wished she hadn’t thought that. That was worse. Then again, they had told her they’d dusted it for Stephen Corey’s prints and found them on the door handle, inside on the hood latch, and on the hood and inside the engine compartment, where he’d disabled the vehicle.

  She blew out a breath to cut off that line of thought, too.

  She set her purse on the passenger seat after climbing in and shutting the door. She inserted the key in the ignition, closed her eyes to say a silent prayer, and turned the key.

  It smoothly cranked to life.

  Does it get any easier? She hoped so. She put her seat belt on and put the SUV in gear.

  * * * *

  After his call to Mandaline, Brad realized he’d forgotten to tell her about the picture he’d drawn overnight.

  Dammit. He’d have to talk to her later, when she wasn’t so rattled over what had happened between her and Ellis.

  Brad decided he needed to keep himself busy and out of the attic. He went upstairs to retrieve the hamper from the bathroom so he could do the wash. As he sorted clothes in the utility room, he realized when he pulled his jeans out that he’d forgotten his wallet in the back pocket.

  Wasn’t the first time. At least I didn’t wash it this time.

  As he went through all his pockets, he froze when he reached his right front pocket. There he found two three-pack strips of condoms and a receipt.

  Slowly and with growing dread, he unfolded the receipt. Dated early that morning, at 1:59 a.m., from a convenience store a mile down the road, he’d bought two boxes of condoms. No bag, no boxes, just the receipt and condoms. He’d paid with his bank card.