Change (19 page)

Cora moved
some of the small ornaments so she could dust underneath and around
them. She hated that dust got everywhere in this place, but at
times like this, she appreciated that it was keeping her
occupied.

The chime
above the shop door sounded and her back went rod straight as she
turned to see who had entered. She exhaled the breath she'd held in
her lungs as she watched Mrs Rogers walk into the shop. For once
she was happy to see the elderly lady.

“
Good morning,
Mrs Rogers,” Cora said, smiling at the woman.

“
Good morning,
dear. How are you and your young man today?”

Cora held back
the sigh. Mrs Rogers had asked this same question since she'd
witnessed the whole flower fiasco.

“
We are good,
thank you for asking.”

Mrs Rogers,
satisfied with Cora’s answer, went about her business collecting
items whilst Cora resumed the dusting. She barely heard the chime
above the door, but from the corner of her eye she saw Jack spring
from his seat.

Damn
it.

“
Jack,” she
shouted as she whirled around to see who had entered.

The man stood
as tall as Jack but for some strange reason she had to do a double
take. At first she thought Ayden had walked in to the shop but it
wasn't him.

“
Jack, I don't
want to be having any funny business wi' you.”

Cora
recognised the lilt in his voice. He was Irish. She rushed over to
Jack as he cornered the man. There was no way Jack could win
against a man that was built like the Hulk, or like
Ayden.

“
What's your
name?” Jack demanded.

“
Ciaran Nolan.
I'm here to see Cora.”

“
I'm
Cora.”

“
Dia
Dhuit.”

The way the
man's topaz blue eyes smiled at her reminded her of Ayden. They
look so alike she would put them down as brothers. The similarities
were uncanny. Cora wasn’t ashamed to say that it knocked her a
little. She found herself smiling at this stranger.

“
What?” she
asked in question to his greeting.

“
It means
hello in Gaelic,” Ciaran smiled. “How are you?”

“
I'm fine,
thank you,” she said, feeling confused.

She could see
that Jack was confused by Ciaran’s greeting too. Ciaran wasn’t
acting like Tommy or Quinn. They were both so forward, so
disgustingly blunt, but Ciaran was actually being polite. This put
her on the back foot on how to handle this.

“
Did you like
the gift?”

“
I did...
thank you.”

“
Where is this
conversation going?” Jack asked impatiently.

“
I wondered,
Cora, if you would like a hand in the shop today?”

She was pretty
sure her mouth had just dropped wide open. Was he serious? He
wanted to help her in the shop? She looked at Jack who also looked
shocked. What the hell was she meant to say? Jack looked at her and
then looked at Ciaran again before he shrugged his shoulders. If
Jack didn’t have any objections, she couldn’t think of a reason why
this man couldn’t help in the shop.

“
Sure, Ciaran,
that will be fine.”

“
Grand, what
do you want me to do?”

“
Errrmmm, you
could move the bookcases in the middle of the floor and give the
floor a buff?”

Ciaran nodded
his head and asked where he could drop his belongings. She directed
him to the small room. As Ciaran made his way to the little back
room, Jack shook his head.

“
What the hell
is going on?” Jack hissed, frustrated.

“
Ask me
another question, Jack. I haven’t got a clue.”

“
He must have
a game plan.”

“
Is everything
all right, dear?” Mrs Rogers asked, stepping around the large
bookcase to look at them.

“
Everything is
fine, Mrs Rogers. We have a new helper today,” Cora answered
smiling at the woman.

“
Oh,
wonderful,” Mrs Rogers said, nodding her head.

Cora waited
until Mrs Rogers returned to her business and then leaned into
Jack’s body, partly because she needed to whisper and partly
because she needed the contact.

“
Well, at
least he isn't being obvious about the whole dating thing. It makes
a refreshing change if you ask me.”

“
Huh, yeah it
is rather strange, it is also unnerving,” Jack replied.

She watched as
Ciaran sauntered out of the small room, like he was there to work
and started moving the bookcases. She shrugged at Jack and resumed
her dusting.

Cora was half
way through the chest of drawers when she heard the flat door
open.

“
What is going
on here?” Tabitha asked as she entered the shop a few moments
later.

“
Pleased to
meet you ma'am. Ma names Ciaran Nolan.” Ciaran extended his hand
grasping Tabitha's.

“
Nice to meet
you, Ciaran. Cora, can I have a word in the little room
please?”

Cora left her
duster on the side and followed Tabitha into the room. Tabitha’s
leaf green eyes were questioningly wide.

“
Do you mind
telling me what is going on?”

“
Well, he came
in all polite asking if he could help in the shop. I didn't know
what to say.”

“
You say no.
I’ve heard the words leave your mouth often enough. You do know who
he is, don't you?”

“
Yeah, I'm not
that stupid, Tab.”

“
Someone will
get hurt in this whole mess, I just hope you know what you are
doing, please be careful.”

“
Tab, I
haven't got a clue what I'm doing. I don't want to hurt Jack. I
don't want to hurt anyone other than Alastair.” Cora felt the
tension take hold of her. She was already beginning to panic. “I
can't, this whole thing is-”

“
Okay,”
Tabitha soothed. “I'm sorry, I know this situation is very
distressing for you.”

Cora hugged
Tabitha releasing the turmoil that was swirling around inside her
as Jack popped his head around the door.

“
Ciaran is
asking if it would be okay to have a cuppa.” Jack shrugged his
shoulders and pulled a face. “I really don't know what to make of
him. He's stumped me.”

“
See, Tab, I'm
not the only one confused about this whole thing.”

“
Yes, well, we
shall all be on our guard when it comes to Alastair’s little games.
You can tell Ciaran if he wants tea he can make it
himself.”

With that,
Tabitha walked into the shop.

“
Does having
Ciaran in the shop make things weird?” Cora asked Jack.

“
Honestly? I
don't know, Cora. It would be easier if he was a pig and asked you
out, at least we'd know where we stood, but I can’t help thinking
that this may be his game plan... I haven't got a clue,” he sighed,
pushing his hand through his hair.

Cora walked
into his arms and hugged him.

“
Oh, sorry,”
Ciaran said and stopped when he realised he'd interrupted them. “I
was just coming in to make my tea, your boss told me to make it
myself,” he smiled sheepishly.

Cora smiled
politely. “Sure, help yourself.”

Jack led her
out of the room.

*

She avoided
Ciaran mainly because she didn't know what to say to him. Jack was
sat at the table reading his book and he actually appeared to be
reading it now. The chime above the door sounded and she turned to
see Alastair and Tavish walk into the shop.

Great. Just
what she needed. “You, both of you, get out of the shop. I don't
want you in here.”

“
Nou Cora,
there is nae need tae be hasty.”

“
There is
every need. Out!” she snapped.

Jack, despite
the present company in the shop, had launched himself so he landed
directly next to Cora.

“
You heard
her.”

Alastair
inclined his head. Cora wasn’t sure if it was an invitation or
challenge to Jack, or if he was simply going to leave the
shop.

“
Cora, is
there anything you'll be needing me to do?”

She turned to
Ciaran and was just about to say no when Jack cut her
off.

“
Yeah, Ciaran,
you can come outside and listen to what Alastair has to
say.”

Tabitha
entered the shop at that moment and without a word of explanation
as to what was happening, she followed Cora on the
street.

“
Yer really
wanna discuss business haur on the street?” Alastair asked
perplexed.

“
Yes, because
I don't want you in the shop. Tabitha, would you please do
something so people can't hear?”

Cora watched
as Tabitha muttered something under her breath and threw what
looked like blue dust around them. With a nod of her head as the
signal that they could go ahead, Cora looked at Alastair. “What do
you want?”

“
A've tae come
tae see why yer not dating.”

“
I'm not going
to,” she said, matter of fact.

“
Nou we huv
discussed this afore, yer know whit will happen and yer know that
yer huv nae choice. Dae yer want me tae dispand the
coven?”

“
No.”

“
Well, why huv
yer not been dating?”

Cora looked at
Jack, hoping he could give her some inspiration for an excuse.
Seeing nothing but anger in his face, she turned back to Alastair.
“I haven't had the time.”

“
Yer lying,
Cora. A've heard word from Quinn and he says yer told him nae aboot
a date.”

“
Well, that
isn't entirely true because I told him no,” Jack informed
Alastiar.

“
Yer huv nae
reight. This has nothin' tae dae whit yer.”

“
Again,
Alastair, you seem to struggle with the whole she has rights part.
You cannot force someone to go through this, and just to reinforce
it, she is my girlfriend. I’m sure if you have a wife, I highly
doubt it because frankly have you seen yourself, but let’s
hypothesise, would you like it if I chose men to suddenly date
her?”

“
Cora.”
Alastair ignored Jack which she could see sent his rage soaring.
“Yer will date or A will be doing the pickin' for yer. Yer
understand? A don’t want tae use ma element on yer but A will if
needs be.”

“
Oh, and you
obviously needed to use your element at the meeting.”

“
That wa’
somethin’ that had tae happen.”

“
So you could
show us who the boss was, I get it.” She leaned closer to Alastair.
“Usually people do big things like that to cover up the small
things...” she whispered.

Jack snorted
next to her, she heard Tabitha hold back her laughter. Alastair
looked like he was struggling to swallow a rock. His jaw was
popping as the blue of his eyes hardened. “Yer will abide by ma
rules, Cora,” he growled.

She could see
the ebony curtain fall around her body. Before it took her, she
snapped, “Yes, fine, I understand!”

“
Whit's this?
Yer already huv a date haur?” Alastair looked at Ciaran.

“
No, Ciaran is
helping in the shop and if you consider that a date, then the rest
of them can help in the shop too,” she grinned at Alastair and had
the satisfaction of seeing the anger flash in his eyes.

“
Huh, well,
get the dates sorted or else yer coven will be nae more. An haur’s
yer ring, in red, like yer requested.”

Alastair threw
the ring at her. Tavish nodded his head with finality and turned
with Alastair.

“
I bloody hate
that man!” Jack cursed.

“
Yeah, he's a
piece of work,” Cora agreed.

She hated that
her hands shook whenever she was in the prescence of Alastair. For
some reason that man got under her skin, and she didn’t know how to
make him disappear. Cora refused to live her live feeling like
this, inferior in comparison to him. Alastair was nothing compared
to the members of the Corenthio Coven. She would show Alastair what
she was made of. He won’t know what’s hit him.

19

ONE DOWN, MORE
TO GO

Ciaran handed
Cora a cup of hot chocolate which she accepted with a smile. She
watched as he walked over to Jack and handed him his drink. Jack
nodded and continued reading his book. Jack had already finished
one of the books from Tabitha's shelf, a history one which he’d
assumed would be boring, it had been alright. He’d spent every hour
down here so she figured he was going to get through plenty more
books.

Without really
seeing it, Ciaran had snuck his way in through the back door and
had bizarrely been accepted into this strange situation. Ciaran had
been helping in the shop for an entire week, and even though they
never spoke, it wasn’t awkward between them. They accomplished a
sort of comfortable silence.