Country Mage 2, page 13
They sipped their hot drinks for a while, enjoying the quiet of the forest and the warm glow of the fireplace. Then Kesha glanced at the door, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Yeah,” he said. “Pretty much. I can lock the door, and if anything comes through the windows… Well, we’ll hear it.”
She relaxed a little, then leaned into him once more, her soft ears tickling his neck. “You’re very kind, James,” she said. “I’ve never had anyone be so nice to me before.”
“I’m glad I can help you,” James replied.
She took another sip from her mug, and her eyes drifted to his chest as they drank in silence for a moment. “I sense something special about you,” she said. She raised a ginger eyebrow. “Why did you come to Tour?”
James considered her for a moment. His arm draped around her again — almost on its own. He wondered if he should share the details of what exactly was ‘special’ about him, or if he should keep it on the down-low.
But then again, James thought, she is Lucy’s daughter. She already knows High Magic exists because she is a Fae.
No harm in telling her.
“I am a High Mage,” James said. “Maybe that’s what you're sensing? As for Tour…” He shrugged. “I already told you I came here because I inherited this cabin from my father. But I won’t deny that I’ve felt a special pull to this place ever since I first came here.”
She nodded, a smile making its way up to her eyes. “I knew it,” she said. “It must be destiny. There used to be High Mages in Tour, but there haven’t been any for a while. Your coming may set things right.”
“Right?” James asked. “Are there things wrong?”
“Well,” she said. “The red eyes, for instance. And the people of the town have been losing touch with us — with the forest and its spirits. More and more, they are leaving the village or turning more… bland. Look at mom, for instance,” she continued, her expression turning a little wistful. “She’s just running that store, selling stuff, and she never considers the world beyond the village. It’s like she’s frozen.”
James considered Lucy, the lively and bouncy blonde shopkeeper, and he had to disagree with Kesha’s assessment of her mother.
“She doesn’t strike me as frozen at all,” James said. “She’s one of the most alive persons I’ve met in a long time — vibrant and intense are the words I would use to describe your mother.”
She considered him for a moment. “Maybe she has already changed,” Kesha finally said. “Because I don’t remember her like that. But I haven’t seen her for a long time.”
James looked at her. “Would you like to see her?”
She pushed her lips into a thin line, considering his words for a moment before making eye contact again. “I know we agreed on this two-one-way-streets thing, James,” she said. “But my relationship with my mother is a topic I rather wouldn’t talk about. Not yet, at least.”
“Fair,” James said, and gave her soft shoulder a gentle rub.
She gave him a thankful smile before sipping from her mug again. “What do you think about my mother?” she asked after a few moments. “Do you believe she is happy?”
James frowned. “I’m not trying to broach the subject again, but since you asked, I think she is a little sad because of how things went between you two.”
“Oh,” Kesha said, her expression saddening.
“Don’t worry too much about it,” James said. “Whenever I’m with Lucy, she seems happy. The store might have her a little stressed right now, but it’s nothing she can’t manage. She is strong, savvy, and she has all the tools she needs to make a living.”
“You know what I think?” Kesha said. “I think meeting you might have done her well. The woman you’re describing is not the woman I remember.”
“If so,” James said. “Then I’m happy for it. She’s sweet, with a good heart, and she deserves all the happiness she can get in life.”
Kesha smiled and nodded, content with James’s answer. After a moment, a deep yawn escaped her, and she covered her mouth as she stretched.
“Okay,” James said with a chuckle. “I think it’s high time for me to get you a blanket and let you sleep.”
She gave him a tired grin. “Yeah,” she said. “I don’t know where it’s coming from, but I’m suddenly exhausted.”
James rose from the couch with a smile. “That’s not uncommon; you’ve been out in the woods for a very long time, fighting for survival and sleeping rough. Any extended time of facing hardships will leave you tired the moment you enter a safe place. Let me get you some blankets.”
James tiptoed into the bedroom, where the delicious shape of a sleeping Sara was outlined by the sheets. He took a few blankets from the cabinet and brought them back to the couch.
Kesha already lay curled up into a little ball on the couch, breathing heavily. Her eyes were closed.
Damn, James thought. The poor thing must’ve been absolutely exhausted.
He kneeled beside the couch as he draped a blanket over her. She looked very cute sleeping like that, all curled up and snug like a little fox in its hole.
When he placed the last blanket over her, her multicolored eyes opened and looked at him lazily from under long lashes.
“Hmm,” she moaned. “Thank you, James.”
“You’re more than welcome,” James said.
She brought up a hand and placed it on his cheek as she gave another lazy moan and squirmed under the soft warmth of the blankets. In doing so, she pulled him a little closer.
James smiled at her and kissed her palm as she stroked his face.
“Hmm,” she hummed as her lips parted.
Then her tongue flicked out playfully to touch his cheek.
James blinked, a little surprise, before he realized it must be a way for a fox girl to show her affection. And the sensation was nice; her tongue was soft and warm, and a shiver of delight passed through him as she giggled and gave him a kiss on his cheek.
“Sorry,” she purred. “I’m not so good at restraining myself when I’m half-asleep.”
James chuckled. “Oh, I don’t mind,” he said. “I like it, in fact.”
“Hmm,” she purred before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Good... I’d like to see more of you, James Beckett.”
“Likewise,” he said, stroking her soft hair and scratching behind her big fuzzy ear, winning another sigh of pleasure from her. “But you go to sleep now. You need it. I’m sure we’ll talk more later.”
She was already breathing heavily again as he rose. He gave her one last look — a fox girl curled up on his couch — before he tiptoed over to the bedroom.
Truth be told, he was pretty sure that she would be gone by morning. Kesha was like that — furtive, quick, and a little too shy to become the subject of Sara’s relentless and curious questioning in the morning.
But that would be okay.
James was sure they would see more of each other.
Chapter 24
The next morning began cloudy — the first fully overcast sky since many days.
Still, the sunlight was more than bright enough to awaken James, eliciting only an annoyed grunt from Sara as she turned around and pulled the blanket over her head.
James chuckled, gave the cat girl a pat on her side, and hopped out of bed to begin the day.
His mind was still reeling from the previous evening, its many delights, and his progress with Kesha.
But this day would bring its own exciting experiences: he had a date planned with Corinne. He wanted to be on his best with her, eager to bring the two of them closer, so he wanted to start out the day in the best possible way — with a wholesome breakfast and a big mug of coffee.
It didn’t surprise him at all that Kesha was no longer sleeping on the couch. He had expected she would leave silently, but he did smile when he found a note on the low table.
‘Thank you’, it said in the handwriting of someone who obviously wrote very little.
She had drawn a paw-print under it, and James laughed at that. He pocketed the cute note, deciding to hold on to it as a keepsake of his progress with Kesha.
He would see more of her soon; of that, he had no doubt.
James prepared sandwiches for Sara and himself, using the last of the bread, cheese, and vegetables. They were almost completely out of food now, and James would have to drive down to Lucy’s general store to get some more.
Not that he minded; seeing Lucy was always a treat.
Besides, he had agreed to meet Corinne at eleven, which meant he had plenty of time to do some shopping. He was happy that he had covered the cleared and leveled ground for his construction project with tarp, so he could easily leave the work for a day while he kicked back and relaxed.
He whistled a jaunty tune as he finished work on breakfast, then poured himself a mug of coffee. By the time he sat down on the couch, he heard Sara stir in the bedroom, and she came out a moment later, rubbing her eyes with both hands, dressed in an oversized T-shirt she had stolen from him.
He grinned and shot her a wink. “How are you doing?” he asked. “Sleep all right?”
Only half awake, she mewled something incoherent, then flopped on the couch beside him, resting her head on his lap. He scratched her behind her ear, enjoying her low purr as he ate his breakfast and drank his coffee.
After a few minutes, Sara livened up a little and rolled onto her back, staring up at him from his lap with big yellow eyes. She wasn’t a morning person, and that was fine.
“What’s the plan for today, baby?” she asked, her left ear giving a twitch.
“I have a date with Corinne,” James said around a mouthful of sandwich. “I’m picking her up at eleven, and I was thinking of getting some groceries before I meet up with her. We’re practically out of everything.”
“Ooh, Corinne,” Sara purred. “Will you be bringing her back here?”
He grinned. “Not today, I don’t think,” he said. “I want to have a little private time with her — get to know her a little better before I involve you girls again.” He gave Sara a playful poke.
She giggled and nodded. “That’s probably smart,” she said. “She might be a little shy.”
James snorted. “I think there is something under the surface there, but we’ll see. How about you?”
She stretched lazily. “Hmm, me? I’m going to sleep and be lazy all day.”
He laughed. “Nothing else?”
“Hmm... nope. I’m just going to lie around here all day and do nothing.” She gave a squeal as she squirmed with excitement at the prospect. “Well, maybe I’ll lie around outside a little as well.”
James chuckled. “Well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, considering your feline nature.” He gave her a teasing poke in her side that made her giggle.
“Some days are for running around; others for lying around,” she said, a sage expression in her eyes.
James laughed before taking another swig of coffee.
They relaxed together for a few more minutes before James dressed up for his date with Corinne. He settled on a black button-down shirt and a casual pair of well-fitting jeans and neat, black shoes underneath.
But before he got dressed, he used his Cleaning spell on himself again, making sure that he was thoroughly clean and ready for his date with Corinne.
After assuring himself that he was looking sharp, he gave Sara — still lazing on the couch — a kiss on the cheek and headed out to his car.
The engine turned over on the fourth try, and James lowered the window to let in the balmy breeze and the fresh scent of pine trees as he drove down to Tour.
Chapter 25
James pulled into the quiet town of Tour. It was still early and only a few people were about.
By now, he noticed they cast him curious glances. His car had become something of a regular sight, and it wouldn’t surprise James if people were starting to wonder who he was and why he was dropping by so often.
He was sure that, in time, he would meet most of them.
He parked his busted-up sedan in the lot next to Lucy’s general store and turned off the engine. He got out, stretched in the sunlight, and looked around.
The sky overhead was still cloudy, but James noticed a swath of clear blue in the east. It looked like the wind was chasing off the cloudy layer and that, in an hour or so, the sun might break through and they would get another proper summer day.
With a smile on his lips, James walked to the entrance of the general store. The bell chimed as he pushed the creaky door open, and his gaze at once met that of Lucy.
The beautiful blonde was leaning on her counter with one arm, jotting down something in a notebook, as her eyes flashed up to look at him from under her long lashes.
She smiled and perked up. “Well,” she exclaimed. “Mr. Beckett! And looking so sharp! Now, that’s a pleasant surprise.”
He laughed as he walked over to her, checking if there were no other patrons in the store at the moment. When he got to the counter, he leaned forward. She mirrored his movement and closed her beautiful eyes for a moment as their lips met for a short but intimate kiss.
When James drew back, he gave her a smile. “How have you been?” he asked.
Lucy grinned as she tucked a blonde lock behind her ear. “Busy. Busier than usual, actually.”
“Are you feeling better?”
She gave a lopsided smile, one finger absently tracing the countertop.
“Hm-hm,” she hummed. “Our time together helped. I was doing a lot better when you dropped me off at the store yesterday morning.” She gave him a meaningful glance. “Tired, though…”
He laughed. “I’ll tell you, I felt like a million dollars after I dropped you off. I did the rest of the work clearing and leveling the ground for my cabin expansions in one day!”
“Wow,” she said, placing her slender hand on his forearm. “That’s pretty impressive. I’d love to see the place when it’s finished.”
“Oh, you will,” he said. “I don’t need to tell you that you’re always welcome at my place.”
She smiled, and her fingers left goosebumps in their trail as they traced over his forearm. “That’s good to know,” she said. “Thank you.”
She turned around to take some dry wares from the shelves behind her and put them below the counter. As she worked, she threw him a glance over her shoulder.
“So what’s next?” she asked. “I mean, after you finish expanding the cabin and building the workshop?”
He considered her words for a moment, only momentarily distracted by her limber movements — she was wearing a short skirt and her tight shirt with the faded print ‘Lucy’s Deals’ on it.
“I don’t want to get too crazy,” he said. “But I think one of the important quality-of-life things that my cabin needs is electricity and running water. Hot water, too…”
Of course, he had his new spell to do the job that one needed hot water the most for, namely cleaning. But still, he loved a hot shower from time to time — the spell could not replace that relaxing sensation. And if he only wanted to rinse a cup or a plate, it would still be easier to do so under a tap rather than cast the entire spell.
“That sounds like a mighty operation,” Lucy said, rousing him from his considerations. “Any idea how to go about it all?”
He looked over his shoulder, making sure there were no other customers, then leaned in a little closer.
“I think I want to try to find some kind of magical substitute for those two things, you know? I would like to keep the cabin off the official electricity grid. There has to be some kind of way to use magic to generate power for appliances like a refrigerator or a coffee machine.”
She nodded, a smile on her lips. “I’m pretty sure you’re going to come up with something,” she said. “You’re smart… And very good with your hands, Mr. Beckett.” She gave him a teasing poke in the ribs.
He chuckled. “Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself.”
Lucy’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Don’t make me blush now, Mr. Beckett,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him theatrically. “We both know how that will end…”
James grinned.
Lucy perked up. “Oh,” she said. “By the way, I’ve been getting more than a few questions about you from my regulars. You haven’t met most people in Tour, and some are getting mighty curious…”
“Uh, yeah,” he said, hesitating for a moment. “I’m aware of that, but it would be a bit strange to go from house to house and introduce myself, wouldn’t it?”
Lucy laughed, waving it away. “No, silly,” she said. “That’s not what I think you should do. I think the best way to go about introducing you to all the townsfolk would be to do something fun, like organize a barbecue or something, you know? We can have dinner and a few drinks. You can meet everyone.”
He considered that for a moment before saying, “That sounds pretty good.”
Lucy clapped her hands together excitedly.
James had to smile; the perky MILF was so bubbly and energetic that he couldn’t help but feel happier whenever she was around.
“How about I set things up for you?” Lucy asked. “The people know me, and I know everyone in town. It would be easy for me to invite them all. Plus, I have all the necessary equipment — my uncle Rovary used to organize a barbecue at the end of summer for the entire town.”
“Perfect!” James said. “And I can do a pretty mean burger, if I do say so myself.”
“Yay!” she chirped, clapping her hands. “Then it’s settled. The townsfolk will love you!”
It was a great idea. James was curious about the other townsfolk, especially since Sara’s revelations about the town and its mystical nature. It only made sense that some people here had at least an affinity with High Magic.
Maybe I can learn things from them, he thought. Or we can learn things together. It would be interesting to see…
The bell chimed behind him, announcing the entry of another customer. Lucy threw him a meaningful look, and he gave her another kiss before saying, “All right, I need to go grab some groceries. I have a date with Corinne later today, but I’ll drop by again tomorrow. I’ll be continuing the work on my construction project, and I’ll need some supplies from your store.”
