Page 36 of Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

“Nope, can’t think of a thing.” I pursed my lips and looked at the ceiling.

The song switched toLittle Liesby Fleetwood Mac, and I closed my eyes, shaking my head.

“Your ghost doesn’t seem to agree,” Esther said, a cheerful note in her voice.

“This amuses you?” I raised an eyebrow at her.

“If it’s a bit of magic you’re in a fuss about, I wouldn’t worry. Scotland’s chock full of hauntings and magic and spells. Just wait until you go to Loren Brae. They’re positively crawling with magickal beings.”

“Excuse me?” My eyebrows rose.

“Och, lass. Wait until you meet Clyde. Cheeky bastard. He’ll scare the bejeezus out of you.” Meredith laughed.

“Clyde?” I asked, weakly.

“A ghost highland coo. Haunts MacAlpine Castle. He’s a cheeky one, that he is.”

“A ghost coo.”

“Correct.”

“What the heck is a ghost coo?”

“A coo, dear. You know, they produce milk.”

“A cow?”

“Yes, a coo. A highland coo, to be exact.”

“Right.” I looked around. Was it too early for wine?

Seeming to sense my distress, Shannon pulled a flask from her purse. “Just a wee tipple to set you straight.”

“I won’t say no.” I held out a hand and took a sip from the flask, the whisky burning a path down to my core.

Day two and I was already drinking in the morning. This did not bode well for my new adventure. To be fair, I’d never encountered magick in real life before so I’m sure some allowances could be made.

“So this old shop is haunted? Is it Moira?” Cherise wondered. She looked around, a hopeful expression on her face. “Oh, I hope so. I do miss her so.”

The music switched to the Beatles. WhenWith a Little Helpfrom My Friendsstarted, the women all gasped. Cherise fanned her face, a sheen of tears coating her eyes.

“Moira, you’re here. Oh, we’vemissedyou, my dear. We really have. A wee bit of sparkle has gone missing from our lives.” Meredith saluted her with a coffee mug that had a picture of a cat riding a unicorn on it.

“This is the best news I’ve had all year.” Shannon beamed and galloped across the shop, doing a little shimmy with her bum.

“Moira, you’re derailing us as usual,” Esther said, annoyed. “Ladies. You’ve got your assignments. Shannon, you’re on fabrics. Meredith, figurines. Cherise, you’re on sequins, glitter, and all the sparkles. Go on, go on. I need to draw this up and we barely have time as it is before the first judging.” Esther clapped her hands and herded the women out of the shop, slamming the door after them. Turning, she leaned her back against the door and took a deep breath. And then another.

Worry flitted through me. Herexpression was unreadable. Gone was the brash woman who’d just been bossing her friends around.

“Och, Moira. I’msodamn glad you’re here.” It was just a whisper, and my heart twisted as Esther’s ravaged expression of sadness turned to one of relief. WhenLean on Mestarted playing from the radio, I had to turn away as tears sprung to my own eyes.

I hadn’t had a chance to know Moira, but she’d clearly left a huge absence in these women’s lives. I hadn’t given a lot of thought to the legacy Moira had left behind. She’d left me her shop to run—and to continue its mission to unite souls—but she’d also left a hole behind in this community. She’d had friends who missed her and, for some reason, I had completely overlooked that facet of this whole thing.What an extraordinary woman my great-aunt was.

I wanted to make an impression like that, I realized with a start, as I glanced up at a photo on a shelf that I hadn’t seen before.

Giving Esther a moment, I walked over and picked the frame up. It was the bookshop, twinkle lights strung across the wood beams that lined the ceiling, and there had clearly been a party going on. But in the middle, a woman swirled in a sparkly skirt with a smile that lit up the room. This must be Moira.

Nobody would have remembered me at the discount store.

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