Page 28 of Untraced Magic
She stilled momentarily, drawing her eyes to mine before waving a hand through the air.
She shook her head. “No,No,” she said, as if convincing herself. “It’s really nothing. Honestly. Not even worth a mention.” She stood, clearly stating her boundaries.
Got it. It wasn’t like we were close friends anyway.
“So, what’s the plan for today?” Skye asked, sipping the last of her water, then placing her empty glass in the dishwasher.
“You mean besides getting rid of this god-awful smell of liquor off me?” I screwed up my nose and sighed. “I need to find a job.”
“Maybe try Jinxed; Reid was looking for extra staff. If I hear of anything else, I’ll let you know.”
I smiled. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that.”
She gave me a quick hug before heading toward the door, heels in hand.
***
That afternoon, the unmistakable sound of the front door creaking open turned my head to the hall. The familiar voice of Betty made me smile.
“Yoohoo, anyone home? Morgan, it’s me, Betty.”
She appeared in my living room, having already let herself inside.
She gave me a sheepish look. “Sorry, dear, I hope I didn’t frighten you. The door was unlocked, so I just let myself in.”
“Oh, hey Betty.” I motioned her over, hiding my smile at the lilac pantsuit she wore. “Am I going to have to change the locks?” I joked with a knowing look on my face, half serious.
She flushed. “Sorry, dear, old habits die hard, I guess. I will knock next time, promise.”
“Thank you.”
I smiled at the elderly woman who always seemed to be ‘made up.’ Not an inch of her gray hair was out of place, and she wore matching makeup to suit her choice of color for the day.
She came closer, sitting on one of the wooden barstools perched on the opposite side of my kitchen counter. Smoothing down her pantsuit, her eyes met mine again. “I thought I’d check if there was any mail for me to collect? I haven’t had the chance to change my postal address just yet.”
“Sure thing,” I said, passing over the small pile of envelopes I had collected. I mustered an apologetic look. “Here you go. Sorry, they look like bills.”
Betty kindly waved me off. “Don’t be sorry. There’s no way to avoid them.” She scanned the room. “Looks like you’re all settled in. The place looks cozy.”
I nodded with a grin. “Thanks. I like it here. I met a few of the neighbors last week, too. They seem friendly enough.”
I laughed inwardly at my own words. Friendly was an understatement. Smoking hot would be a better term as I recalled the way Tyler’s hands had curled around my waist on the dance floor.
Betty beamed. “Oh, well, I’m glad you’re settling in okay. It’s always hard when you move to a new town and don’t know anyone.”
She paused for a moment, lines rippling her forehead.
“Dear, where did you get this?” she asked.
I followed her gaze to a gold necklace with a large heart shape locket hanging off it. I’d placed it in a small bowl on the kitchen counter with a few other odd bits and pieces I hadn’t sorted through yet. “Oh, that? It’s a family heirloom of mine.” I could recall when mother gave it to me on my twenty-first birthday. She said she knew little about its history, but that it dated back many years.
Her gray-blue irises clouded with interest. “It appears rather antique. Do you mind if I take a closer look?”
I shrugged. “Sure. I’m not really sure of its history, but it must date back a few years.”
She picked up the necklace, turning it over in her hand. “Well, it must be very special indeed.” She stood suddenly, placing it back in the bowl. “I must go now. Thank you for the mail.”
She gave a quick smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and a moment later, she was out the door and gone.
