Page 13 of Enchant the Dawn

Ava patted Maddy’s knee. “It’s been nice chatting with you, dear. I hope to see you again,” she said, easing to her feet.

Maddy also stood. “Have a wonderful rest of the day.”

“I will. Goodbye, dear.”

Maddy watched Ava walk briskly down the path that led to the street. Ava must be in good health, she thought, because she moved like a much younger woman.

* * *

“You did what?” Dominic stared at his great-grandmother.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake, calm down. I just wanted to meet her.”

“I’m a big boy now, in case you haven’t noticed. I don’t need you to check out my dates. I don’t even know if I’m going to see her again.”

“Oh, you will,” Ava said with an airy wave of her hand. “You will.”

“You sound awfully certain.”

Ava laughed as she kissed his cheek. “She’d like to see you again, too. Why don’t you call her and take her to the movies or something?”

“Are you matchmaking?”

“Who, me? I’ll see you later, Dom. I have a date.”

Dominic stared at her as she changed her appearance from a seventy-something grandmother in a flowered housedress to her favorite guise, a thirty-year-old woman in a formfitting black sheath. Her hair lost its gray and her body took on a shape Miss America would envy.

Before he could ask who she was going out with, she was gone.

Witches, he thought, with a rueful shake of his head. And then he grinned. Ava had been right about one thing. He should call Maddy.

* * *

Maddy found herself thinking about Ava long after she returned home, and the more she thought about her, the more she realized there had been something truly strange about the woman. She appeared to be in her seventies, but she didn’t really act like a senior citizen, at least not like her grandparents, who were roughly the same age. Watching Ava walk away, she would have sworn she was looking at a woman in her late twenties or early thirties.

She was being silly. Lots of older women were in great shape these days. She had seen a few on TV who were in better shape than she was! These days, senior citizens were out running marathons and climbing mountains. She really needed to start going to the gym again, Maddy thought, even though she knew she wouldn’t.

But it was Ava’s predictions that troubled her most, because she found herself believing them. And that scared her a little. What could she possibly learn about Dominic that would be hard to understand or, worse yet, frightening? Maddy shook her head. She was just being fanciful. No one could foretell someone else’s future, and she was silly for letting Ava’s predictions bother her. She’d never believed in fortune-telling or tarot cards or Ouija boards and she wasn’t going to start now.

She was wondering what to thaw out for dinner when someone knocked at the door. To her surprise, it was Dominic.

“Hi,” he said. “I was going to call until I realized I don’t have your number.”

“Not to worry. Come on in.”

He followed her into the living room, took the seat she indicated.

After sitting beside him, she asked, “What can I do for you?”

“I was wondering if you might like to take in a movie or go for a walk or bowling, or . . .” He shrugged. “Whatever you’re in the mood for. If you feel like going out, that is.”

“I don’t know.”

Dominic frowned. “Is something wrong?” Her heart was beating too fast. He caught the faint scent of fear on her skin.

“I met a lady in the park today.”

“Oh?”

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