“My lot in life.”
He wanted to run his hand over her hair, just feel it as he’d felt it in the dream. But he didn’t touch her. “I’ll bring wine.”
“Your lot in life.” She stepped through the door when he opened it for her, then turned, stood for a moment with the morning mists around her. “You’ve built a good house, Fin. Handsome for certain, but it has a fine, strong feel to it.”
“You’ve seen hardly more than the kitchen.”
“Well now, that’s the heart of a home. If you could come tomorrow at around three, we could work before the others come for supper.”
“I’ll work it out, and be there.”
He waited while she walked to her car, surprised when she stopped, looked back again with a quick, saucy smile.
“I should’ve mentioned, your skin’s not far off from rose petals, but in a manly way, of course.”
When he laughed, the tension in his belly eased even as she drove away from him.
5
AFTER BRANNA TOLD HER TALE, ASKED HER CIRCLE TO think on its meanings, she put in another request.
“I’d like the house cleared of men tonight, if you don’t mind, and to spend it with my women here, with wine and paint samples and such. If you could do me a favor, Connor, Boyle, would you invade Fin’s house, and stay there? Do whatever men do with an evening free of females. I don’t want to know what that might be.”
When Connor hesitated, she drilled her finger in his belly. “And don’t be after thinking the three of us need the protection of men. Two of us are witches same as you, and the other could kick your arse into next week if you riled her.”
“I take pains not to rile her. All right then. What do you say, Boyle, we’ll drag Fin off to the pub, then stagger back to his place?”
“I’m for it. He’ll want the company, I expect,” he said with a glance at Branna.
“Want it or not, he needs it. I’ll be in the workshop. Iona, when you’re done here, I’ll put you to work.”
“I’ll be here by six,” Meara told her, and waited until Branna left the room. “A terrible hard thing for both of them. I don’t know how they stand up to it. So let’s give them some fun and ease tonight at least.”
“That we can do.” Boyle rubbed a hand on Meara’s shoulder, turned to Iona. “It’s good you’ll be with her today.”
She hoped she could help, would know what to say—what not to say. And when Iona went into the workshop, Branna was already at the stove, with a dozen mirrored bowls set out on the counter.
“I’ve an order for these, so want to get them done straight off, and I’ve a mind to make up some sets—the small bottles—of hand lotion and scrubs and soaps. Put them together in the red boxes they sent me too many of, tie them with the red-and-green-plaid ribbon. Eileen can put them on special, as the company didn’t charge me for the overstock as it was their mistake. Some will wait till the final moment for the holiday shopping, so they should move well enough.”
Iona went with instinct, crossed over, and, saying nothing, put her arms around her cousin.
“I’m all right, Iona.”
“I know, but only because you’re so strong. I wouldn’t be. Just so you know, I’d get behind you if you just needed to cut loose.”
“Cut what loose?”
On a half laugh, Iona eased back. “I mean rant, rave, curse the heavens.”
“No point in it.”
“The ranting, raving, cursing is the point. So whenever you need to, I’ve got your back. I’ll get the bottles, the boxes. I know where they are.”
“Thanks for that—for all of that. Would you mind running the little sets into the shop once we’ve done them? I’d like them out as soon as we can.”
“Sure. But do you just want them in stock, or do you want me out of here?”
Her cousin, Branna thought, had finely honed instincts. “Both, but you, just for a little while. I’m glad to have you, but for just a little while I could do with some alone. And when you come back, we can begin the more essential work between us.”