Page 20 of Oohs, Ahhhs, and Orbs

Her face fell, and she broke eye contact, choosing to look down at her lap instead. “Since my mother isn’t a witch, it’s very likely that they weren’t actually mates. But he died before I was born.”

“Fuck. Babe, I am so fucking sorry.”

She looked back up, and even though she didn’t let a tear fall, her eyes were glassy with a sheen of moisture. Whatever had happened was enough to devastate this beautiful woman. “He cheated on my mom. That’s how he died. While my mother was in the early stages of labor, she called his work to let him know that she needed him to come home right away. They told her that he wasn’t there, that he hadn’t been there all day. My mother was confused and worried, wondering if he’d gotten in an accident on the way to work. She started calling all the hospitals, trying to find him. Eventually, she did, but he hadn’t been in a car accident. Instead of going to work, he was with another woman in a hotel room. The woman’s husband brokedown the door and discovered them together in bed. He shot them both. When my mother finally found him, he was already in the morgue. The authorities had been trying to figure out who his next of kin was.” Bridgette shook her head. “I guess she saved them the trouble. From what I understand, the woman he had been having an affair with was pregnant too. I don’t know if I would have had a brother or sister. She very well could have been carrying her own husband’s baby, but it’s knowledge that died with her.”

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then she pasted a big smile on her face and held out her hands. “So, you see why I’m fucked up? No woman in my family has been able to keep a man. We’re all destined to fall madly in love then face heartbreak.” She dropped her hands back in her lap and looked away from me, staring across the bar. I could tell she was already starting to build that wall again. The one I had been able to pull down carefully, brick by brick, was rebuilding faster than a storm rolls into the Tennessee hills.

I leaned forward and spoke softly, hoping that my words would be enough to stop her from pulling away. “You have a right to be scared, but, babe, I’m right here. I’m not those men, and I swear to you that I won’t run, and I sure as fuck don’t cheat. I despise cheaters. You already know I was married. The moment I found out that she was fucking some other dick, I made my exit plan. I’d never do that to you, little witch.” I waited until she glanced back my way, then held out my hand. I held my breath until she hesitantly reached out and placed her hand in mine. I immediately locked our fingers together and gave her a gentle squeeze.

“I’m. Right. Here.” I reiterated and was able to take a full breath when she slowly nodded. “Good. Now, tell me, what do your mother and grandmother have to say about you finding your mate?” I was taking a chance with my question. There wasa good possibility that they had been damaged emotionally by their personal experiences and warned Bridgette away from her own mate, but my intuition told me that they wanted her to be happy.

Bridgette’s smile was a little wobbly when she looked at me. “My mother told me not to run from Fate. And my grandmother told me it would be throwing the Goddess’s gift back at her.”

“So you’re telling me that your family is already on my side.”

Her soft laughter was sweet music to my ears. “Youwouldtake it that way.”

“Is there any other way to take it?” I gave her a wink and watched as her cheeks turned a rosy hue. I glanced over her shoulder to see that two of the pool tables were empty. “Have you ever played pool before?”

Bridgette blinked at the sudden change in topic. “Uh, no. Is it fun?”

I stood up and walked around the table to help Bridgette out of her seat. “I think so. It takes skill and a good eye for math.”

“Math? Are you serious?” She scrunched up her nose, and I had the strongest urge to bend down and kiss it.

“Yep. Geometry. Lines, angles, corners. Then there’s the science. Velocity and kinetic energy are when the balls collide. Or,” I grinned down at her when we stopped in front of the rack of cue sticks, “you can just line up your shot and hope for the best.”

She looked unsure as she took in the table and the balls resting in the rack. “Okay.”

I chuckled at her hesitance. “Let’s give it a few whacks. If you hate it, we’ll never play again, deal?”

“Deal,” she nodded.

“Great. Let’s start by taking off our jackets so we can maneuver. Your jacket is sexy, but you won’t be able to reach where you need to set up your shots while in it.” I helped her takeoff her purse and jacket, then hung them on a hook along with mine on the wall next to us.

We selected our pool cues, then I started the game with a break since Bridgette was still unsure. “Alright, you see how there are balls with stripes and balls that are solid? Your goal is to get all of the solids into the pockets since I just sank a stripe. We’re going to keep the game simple. Play until you don’t sink a ball or you sink the cue ball. No calling pockets. When you get more comfortable, we can make it more challenging later.”

“If I like it.”

I looked down at her to see her arms crossed, but there was a glint of competitiveness in her eyes. “Right, if you enjoy it and want to play again.” I handed her the cue stick and guided her into the correct position. After showing her how to hold her left hand to steady her aim, I backed off and watched. As expected for anyone who was just getting started, she didn’t get very far. I picked up the cue ball and set it back into place. “You did well. I’ve seen others scrape the table or knock the cue ball clear onto the floor. You’ll get the hang of it before you know it. Now give it another whack.”

I watched as Bridgette studied the balls and all their positions, all while biting her lower lip in concentration. I saw her glance over at the other table to watch the two older men who had probably been playing since they were teenagers. She adjusted her stance, then in a smooth motion she pulled back her arm and hit the cue ball. I watched as it spun wildly, bounced off the edge of the seven, then careened into the four that was sitting an inch away from the side pocket.

Bridgette squealed in excitement. “I did it!”

I couldn’t help but reach out and take her face in my hands and kiss her. It was another press of the lips and nothing more. I knew that if I let it become more, I wouldn’t have the willpowerto stop until I had devoured every inch of her. “You did great, little witch.”

She grinned up at me, then bounced on her toes. “Does that mean I can do it again?”

I threw back my head and laughed before leaning back down for another brief kiss. “Yeah, babe, you get to go again.”

We went back and forth a few times, shooting the ball when it was our turn. I was becoming really impressed at how quickly Bridgette had picked up the game. She was down to her last ball after having sunk the previous two back to back when I noticed her lips moving. She pulled back the cue and hit the ball. Just as the cue ball was about to glance off the side of the two ball, it veered over just enough to send the two at an angle and directly into the corner pocket.

I couldn’t help it. I started laughing so hard I had to put my hands on my knees to brace myself. When I could finally catch my breath, I straightened up and wiped under my eyes with my thumbs. Bridgette stood there leaning against the pool table. How someone could look two parts smug and sheepish at the same time, I would never know, but somehow my little witch pulled it off.

“A spell? Really, little witch?” I shook my head and reached for her waist, then tugged her into my chest. “You just couldn’t help yourself, huh?”

Bridgette shrugged in my hold, then wrapped her arms around my back and looked up at me with a grin. “What do you expect when you’re playing against a magical genius?” She pulled one hand back and wiggled her fingers. Tiny sparks lit up around her fingertips, then quickly vanished. “It was just a little bit of air to nudge the balls where I wanted them to go,” she laughed. “I promise I won’t do it again. I was just waiting to see how long it took you to notice, Mr. Detective.”

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