Page 52 of Pints & Potions

He stared at her, helplessly hopeless.

It wasn’tdifficult for Piper to see she’d disconcerted Cian. The blatant bewilderment on his face said as much. There was some, as yet, undefined emotion in his eyes as he thought over what she’d said, and she couldn’t dismiss it. Hewantedto believe, to love her, but he was terrified for reasons he refused to voice to either of them.

As she waited, the shutters fell into place and he lost his hopeful light. For one brief second, he seemed open to possibility. And just as quickly, it was gone.

She wanted to weep.

Turning away to hide her dismay, she said, “We should go back. The day turned overcast.” She didn’t admit the clouds were mostly influenced by her. That the dark mass rolling in represented her bitter disappointment and her regret for confessing her true feelings. Soon, the torrential rain would start and would probably continue until she found a way to shut off the pain of his rejection.

“If I could love anyone, it would be you, Piper Kelly Thorne.”

His words were barely audible, but she heard them. They were another harsh blow despite the fact he was trying to ease her suffering.

“Thank you for that, I suppose,” she replied, equally as low.

“What will you do now?”

With a surprising swiftness, rage consumed her. “What does it matter to you?” she snapped. “Do you want me to tell you I’ll pine away? That I’ll peruse sperm bank websites, looking for the perfect specimen to fertilize my eggs because you—” She choked off the rest of her accusation.

He didn’t deserve her anger simply because he didn’t want what she was offering. Any expectations were her own. She’d been the foolish one to blurt out her desire for a baby.

Piper hung her head. “I’m sorry. That was unfair.”

His strong arms drew her against his solid, warm chest, and she fought the building sobs. “It’s all right.”

“I have to go,” she choked out. “I have to go.”

With no clear mind as to where to go but knowing she had to leave immediately or humiliate herself further, Piper teleported away. Strangely, she found herself in the field by the ruins Cian had taken her to on her first day in Ireland. She’d been reckless to use magic without first probing the area, but the chances of anyone knowing she’d come to this crumbling estate were small.

As she strolled through the dilapidated shell of a structure, she allowed her mind to imagine the lives of the people who’d lived here. She pictured a happy family, with children chasing each other through the hallways, as their parents looked on with indulgent smiles and warned of imminent disaster should they not slow down. In her mind, she and Cian were those parents and the children were rambunctious twins who spoke their own private language.

As soon as the little ones were out of sight, her lusty husband would press her to the wall as she laughed at his naughtiness. He’d steal kiss after kiss, and he’d cop a feel in all the right places that made her hot and bothered.

Drawing on her magic, she swirled her hands and painstakingly recreated each room as she envisioned it. All the years of suppressing her power, trying to be the normal one, was ignored as she reconstructed the exterior of the building, placing stone by stone and reinforcing them. She aged the rock walls with only a thought and the match was spot on.

Within a half hour, the place was as resplendent as she assumed it once might’ve been. Probably better, since she added modern touches, including indoor plumbing, electric, and stylish bathrooms fit for a princess.

She intended to buy this place. If she had to use an enchantment spell to influence the property owners, so be it. This grand mansion would be her sanctuary when she needed to escape. Her test-tube babies would be raised here, and they’d run these fields in their bare feet with a puppy or three nipping at their heels. Love and joy would overflow their hearts as it overflowed hers whenever she watched them.

Piper might even ask her father for farming tips. Or maybe she’d raise a few horses. Her kids would go nuts for horses.

She stood in the middle of the lane and admired her handiwork with a smile of satisfaction for a job well done.

“Impressive.”

A scream was ripped from her very soul, and she spun around with a hand on her heart. “Cian! What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same, darlin’, but I can see what you’ve been up to.” He nodded at the restored building with an expression of wonderment. “I’d no idea witches did things like this. I guess I assumed they hired out the work. Like I said, it’s impressive.”

“I’ll return it to ruins before I leave.”

“’Twould be a shame if you did.” He approached and smiled down at her. “I’m betting the old girl has never been so grand.”

She turned away from the admiration in his gaze, knowing it was only that, and would never be anything more.

“I couldn’t help it,” she confessed. “It was like all the magic I’d shunned all these years ganged up and possessed me. If I didn’t do it, I’d probably have imploded.” She shrugged. “What can I say? I adore this place.”

“Talk to Bridget. She might sell it off since she’s got no plans to restore it.”

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