Spellbound Falls [5] For the Love of Magic (5 page)

Mac stepped between them and gestured at the fiord. “Well, gentlemen, it would appear Mother is nicely dealing with the barnacle infestation.”

Titus moved to stand at the rail beside Nicholas in time to see Rana reef in the mainsail, and his heart swelled with pride when the small boat rolled onto its side and cut into the choppy sea with the agility of a porpoise—which was nicely exemplified when two harbor porpoise suddenly shot out of the bow wave beside it.

“At least bring one of her sloops from Atlantis,” Nicholas muttered.

“She didn’t seem to have any problem getting her belongings moved down the mountain to her hovel,” Titus said, watching the sun play off his wife’s beautiful, spray-drenched face as she wrung every last drop of speed out of the old sailboat. “I’m sure she wouldn’t have any trouble getting one of her sloops brought here if she wished.”

He didn’t have to turn his head to know Nicholas was glaring at him again. “You’re lucky she ran away,” the warrior said, “instead of getting you drunk and holding a pillow over your face the moment you passed out.”

Titus walked back to the wheelhouse. “I wasn’t aware our conversation had returned to
your
wife,” he said, nudging Duncan away from the wheel. Titus pushed the throttle forward and aimed the bow toward the marina two miles up the fiord. “As for your worry about the colony, Duncan,” he continued, “I suggest you hire Niall MacKeage as your chief of police and see if giving the man a
meaningful
way to burn up all that passionate energy might keep him out of trouble.”

“Why am I hearing huffing and puffing?” her daughter asked.

Rana smiled at the road ahead as she reached up and adjusted the volume on the Bluetooth receiver in her ear. “Because I’m walking and talking at the same time.”

An exasperated sigh came through the earpiece. “Please tell me you’re not walking up Whisper Mountain.”

“No, I’m walking to town.”

“But you told me the house you bought is two miles down the camp road.”

“A mere stroll, even by today’s standards.”

“And here I thought I’ve been setting a good example for you to be a modern woman. You need to buy a vehicle, Mom, and have Nicholas teach you to drive. Just make sure you buy a truck, not a motorcycle.”

Rana lost her smile. “Now who’s acting overprotective? And for your information, I am quite capable of teaching myself to drive the pickup I
already
purchased. And I might also buy a motorcycle, as I imagine it can’t be any more difficult to handle than a thousand-pound horse.”

“Horses don’t go a hundred miles an hour.” The earpiece suddenly went silent, and then Carolina said, “I’m sorry. But in my defense, I can’t stop picturing the motorcycle that came racing up the TarStone road last week while I was having lunch with Alec’s mom on the ski lodge deck. Sadie choked on her salad and I nearly fell off my chair when the guy took off his helmet and we realized it was Daddy.”

It was Rana’s turn to sigh. “I can’t decide if he bought that motorcycle hoping to impress me or if he’s trying to recapture his youth.”

“He certainly impressed the MacKeage elders. Greylen and Morgan and Callum all rushed out to the parking lot to admire Dad’s new toy, and Alec told me that now his father and Greylen are talking about getting one. Um, Mom? I know you said it’s none of my business, but is the real reason you won’t tell me why you left Daddy because you’re afraid of upsetting me? Maude assures me that just because you had a difficult time in childbirth, it doesn’t mean I will.”

“Oh, honey, you are the least fragile woman I know.”

“Then why won’t you tell me what’s going on between you two?”

“Because it’s none of your business. So,” she continued, deciding to change the subject, “have you lovebirds found a place in Spellbound to rent while you build your summer home?”

“Ah . . . not exactly.” Rana stopped walking when she heard her daughter take a deep breath. “Alec got a good deal on a speedboat from a dealer here in Pine Creek,” Carolina rushed on, “so we’ve decided to live at the building site instead of running the length of the fiord every day.”

“Caro, you’re seven and a half months pregnant.”

“So which is it, Mom? Am I fragile or strong?”

“It’s not that you
can’t
camp out in the wilderness, but rather why would you want to? What’s the point of living in this wonderful century if you’re going to cook over a campfire and traipse to a privy every time the baby kicks your bladder?”

“Having the
choice
is the point. And besides, I have some pretty fond memories of camping out with Alec.”

“And after the baby arrives,” Rana whispered so she wouldn’t shout, “are you planning to continue living in a lean-to with a newborn?”

“We’ll be fine, Mom. So why are you going to town?”

Rana took a calming breath and started walking again, deciding Carolina had inherited her stubbornness from Titus. Because considering how hard their daughter had fought to live in this century, only to ironically
choose
to forego indoor plumbing every summer, the girl was also determined to remain Alec’s
girlfriend
right up to her due date. Rana wondered if Alec ever questioned his decision to save “Jane Smith” from her abductors eighteen months ago.

“Mom?”

It took Rana a moment to remember the question. “The ladies are meeting at The Bottoms Up to discuss our progress on the clinic and women’s shelter.”

“You’re meeting in a bar?”

“It’s closed at this hour, Caro. Vanetta suggested we meet there instead of at the Drunken Moose because of the breakfast rush hour.”

“Ski season is winding down here, so you can expect me to be a more active member of your little group in a couple of weeks.”

“You’re going to be busy getting married and
giving birth
. Mayday is less than six weeks away.”

“Julia’s such a great event planner that all I have to do is show up,” Carolina said, blatantly ignoring the last part. “And I want to help with your women’s clinic, because I’m planning to start one in Pine Creek when we move back next fall.”

“Caro.”

“I’ve already talked to Maude, and she suggested that if I can find a local nurse willing to spend the summer interning with her in Spellbound Falls, she might be able to persuade Dr. Bentley to split his time between both towns.”

Rana picked up her pace as she wondered why she was surprised, since Carolina had obviously inherited her love of community service from her. “It took more
divine
persuasion than I’m comfortable with for us to get Roger, and now you want to ask the poor man to open a second birthing clinic almost three hours away?”

A pause as pregnant as the woman on the other end of the line came through the earpiece. “Are you saying Mackie was instrumental in getting Dr. Bentley?”

“I believe it was Olivia’s idea for your brother to
gently inspire
Roger to come practice medicine in the wilds of Maine.” She gave a soft laugh. “I’m sure our paying off his school loans in return for a five-year contract didn’t hurt, either.”

“I understand midwives have to be supervised in this century, but I’m still surprised you hired a male doctor.”

“That was Olivia and Peg and Julia’s suggestion, since the clinic will also offer family medicine,” Rana explained. “They pointed out that folks around here are still quite traditional and would feel more comfortable with a man being in charge. In fact, they suggested we look for someone in his late sixties or early seventies, white-haired or balding, with a cranky bedside manner. Oh, and if he has an accent, it better be Canadian.”

“Are you serious?” Carolina said on a gasp. “Who wants a cranky doctor?”

“Peg also thought recruiting a hunter or fisherman would be easier than finding a woman willing to move to the middle of nowhere.”

“What about the crisis center? Please tell me you aren’t searching for a man to run a shelter for abused women.”

“Not actively,” Rana said. “Olivia claims we can’t discriminate on matters of gender or age or race, but she’s confident we’ll find a qualified
female
administrator.”

“A woman who likes to hunt and fish?”

“I seem to recall you went hunting with Alec.”

“Just once,” Carolina muttered. “It was more boring than fishing. Alec left me sitting on a rock freezing my backside for three hours, and the only critter I saw was an obnoxious red squirrel. It ran up a tree beside me and proceeded to tell the entire forest I was there, until I finally got it to shut up by tossing it bites of my apple. Oh, speaking of men,” she rushed on. “Have you heard you’re getting a police chief?”

“It’s been decided, then? Olivia told me the councilmen from Spellbound and Turtleback were only
discussing
the idea.”

“Well, they finally agreed. Duncan called Alec Saturday night and said he tried to hire Rowan or Dante or Micah, but Nicholas refused to give up one of his men. Father suggested he offer the position to Niall MacKeage, but Duncan is against it.”

“Why? Niall would make a wonderful police chief. Besides being a laird, he was a great warrior back in the twelfth century. That’s why your father brought him here as a potential husband for
you
.”

“Yeah, well, Jack Stone had to drag Niall into the police station when some parents complained that he was stalking their sixteen-year-old daughter.”

“Stalking?” Rana said in surprise. “But that doesn’t sound like Niall. Wait,” she said with a laugh. “He would see nothing wrong with pursuing a pretty young lass, as most twelfth-century girls are married and have a babe by the time they’re sixteen.”

“Yeah, which is why Greylen and Jack had to sit Niall down and explain modern courtship. Anyway, Duncan asked Alec if he wanted the job, but my very wise boyfriend said he was perfectly happy being a ski bum seven months of the year and a supportive husband and doting daddy the other five.”

“I hope you realize what a lucky woman you are, Caro.”

“Really? I prefer to see myself as smart.”

“Yes, I definitely meant
smart
.” Rana finally came to the end of the camp road. “I’ve reached town, so I’m going to hang up and pay attention to traffic.”

“Spellbound has traffic at eight thirty on a Monday morning during mud season?”

“
Geriatric
traffic. Apparently the grange ladies are also meeting this morning to discuss their summer project.”

A soft groan came through the earpiece. “Any idea what they’re planning to spring on the poor townspeople this year?”

“When I was in the Trading Post Friday afternoon, Ezra mentioned that Janice Crupp asked him to keep an eye out for any storefronts coming up for rent that would be appropriate for a historical museum.”

“But
you’re
trying to find a building in town. And Spellbound needs a women’s clinic a lot more than it needs a museum.”

Rana turned at the sound of a racing engine to see Christina Richie peering over the steering wheel of the fast-approaching red sedan, even as she recognized Janice Crupp in the passenger’s seat beside her. “Preserving a town’s history is also important,” she said as she scurried into the church’s driveway.

“What’s that noise? Are you already nearing the waterfall or is that a . . .”

Rana lost the last of Carolina’s words when the car suddenly gained speed as it passed by, just as she also spotted a pickup with three women in the front seat crossing the bridge from the opposite direction—both vehicles apparently headed for the one remaining parking space across from the Drunken Moose.

“Mom!” Carolina shouted over the screech of the pickup braking to a halt when Christina Richie shot into the space ahead of it.

“I’m okay,” she assured her daughter, only to gasp when the victorious car’s right front tire hit the remains of an old snowbank, driving the sedan’s nose into the air before finally rocking to a halt at a precarious angle.

“Sweet Athena, what’s going on?”

“Two vehicles, one parking space, and some very determined women,” Rana said, only to give a squeak and bolt for the closest storefront when the thwarted pickup suddenly shot toward the church’s driveway. “Don’t worry, Caro,” she said dryly. “I definitely won’t be purchasing a motorcycle.”

“Walking doesn’t appear to be any safer. I guess you really do need a police chief, if for no other reason than to write traffic tickets.”

“I hope he has balls of brass if he intends to ticket the grange ladies.”

“Mother!”

“Because the driver of the losing vehicle just got out and shot Christina Richie a very unladylike gesture. Bye, baby. I’ll give you a call this evening and bring you up to speed on our progress.”

“Okay. Tell everyone I said hi and that I’ll see them in a couple of weeks.”

“I will. You give Alec my love. Oh, and be a dear, would you, and tell him I was able to fill his request and that it will be here in plenty of time.”

“What request? And in time for what? Mom, what are you and Alec up to?” Carolina asked when Rana said nothing.

Rana pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. “Bye, daughter. Take good care of my grandchild,” she said, hitting the
END
button.

• • •

Joining the small gathering of women sitting at the window table overlooking the Bottomless Sea, Rana shed her jacket and sat down to an interesting conversation.

“Mac told me it’s nothing to worry about,” her daughter-in-law, Olivia, said to Duncan’s wife, Peg. “And until I see otherwise, I have to agree with him.”

“But you have to admit that ever since they got a new leader a few months ago,” Peg returned, “they’ve been acting weird. They all started wearing those freaky tunics and baggy pants, and since January, only the men come into town. We never see the women anymore or any children. I’m beginning to agree that the colony looks more like a cult now rather than a simple commune of hippies.”

“Near as I can tell, it’s people from away who started calling them a cult,” Olivia countered. “As far as the locals are concerned, the colonists have been good neighbors for the last four years. Ezra has been selling the organic vegetables they grow at his Trading Post for the last three summers.”

“My dad said they canceled an order for clear cedar boards,” Julia interjected—Julia being Nicholas’s wife and whose father owned a cedar mill a few miles north of town. “They wanted the lumber to build a large communal sauna, but when Dad called them in February to say he’d filled the order, the new leader told him they’d changed their mind.”

“Duncan said they’re practicing some sort of magic,” Peg added. She looked at Rana. “He told me Titus thinks they’re trying to create a new god.”