SPIRIT DANCE    ISBN 0-373-19893-1   September 2007
copyright 2006 Mia Zachary and Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd.
 

Ben cocked his head to the side. “Hey, Sisi. How come I’ve never seen you do card tricks or make stuff dist-appear?”

“I’m waiting to get my own show in Las Vegas.”

She kept her tone lighthearted. There was no way either the man or the boy could have known how deeply their offhand remarks wounded her. But inside Siobhan flinched.

Her family tree was one of knowledge, of healing and of foreseeing. She was directly descended from the great wizard Taliezar on her mother’s side and from Walks With Thunder, the legendary medicine man, on her father’s. The power of ancient bloodlines spanned centuries and should have come down to her, as it had her older sister, Sîan, and the youngest, Shona.

She wanted to be a healer, a medicine woman in the tradition of the Díne, her father’s people. She wanted to be able to ease pain and take away hurt and cure illness. But desire meant nothing in the face of destiny. Though she knew it wasn’t possible to heal everyone, she had never been able to heal anyone. At least not with magic.

However there was a small measure of hope. If a witch hadn’t come into her powers by the age of twenty-five, or lost control of her gift, she could check into The Magecraft Treatment Center in Arizona.

And so Siobhan had moved to Sedona, a place of enchantment, a center of power, a haven in the high desert. In this rare city where the idea of Old World magic and New Age mysticism was not only tolerated but also openly encouraged by the tourism office, all were welcomed who sought what was lost. Or merely hidden.

Although she was technically a Novice, the five years she’d been devotedly attending classes at the Center had earned her the privilege of attending Invocator-level seminars. However, she’d taken every class available to no apparent end. Despite her heritage and unwavering dedication, she hadn’t exhibited the tiniest hint of astral energy...

Her teachers swore that she had the Gift. But she wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be allowed to attend The Center before Regina St. John placed the silver N beside her name in The Archive. Siobhan’s gift must be so deeply hidden that she could only conclude her destiny didn’t include witchcraft.

Instead she drew on centuries of herb lore and years of study to create body lotions and bath salts, healing in her own small ways. Luminous, her herbal product shop, successfully catered to the New Age hobbyists and the vacationers. And though her customers swore she had a ‘magic touch’, in this city where the paranormal was an accepted norm, she felt like a fraud.

Siobhan chose a bright red fruit from the basket on the counter and slyly offered it to Ben along with her best cackle. “Can I tempt you with an apple, my precious?”

“Sure, thanks.” Oblivious to the Snow White reference, he took as big a bite as he could manage without one front tooth. “But Daddy, you know you’re wrong about ghosts. Mommy visits me all the time.”

She watched grief, frustration and worry chase across J.B.’s features before he forced a little smile. “Imaginary friends are a lot of fun, aren’t they? But ghosts are different, they’re not real.”

“They are so real, Daddy. One time, I heard Grandma say she’s not surprised about me coz you used to talk to your great grandma after her heart attacked her and-”

“Hey, sport, we’ll talk about all this later, okay? Why don’t you go over there and pick out a nice gift for your Aunt Lissa’s birthday.”

“Okay,” Ben replied around a half-chewed bite of apple. I’m gonna smell all the purples and pick the bestest one.”

As he trotted around the herb solarium in the center of the shop toward the displays of candles, J.B. gave a heavy sigh.

Siobhan spoke casually, though her heart ached for both of them. “He’s still not adjusting, huh?”

“I just don’t understand it. Gabrielle’s been gone almost two years.” His brows furrowed over his troubled gaze as he watched Ben from across the room.

“Well, for him to lose his mother at such a young age--”

“Yeah, I know.” His reply sounded both impatient and tolerant, like he’d heard this too many times before. “That’s not what I meant. It’d be one thing for Ben to still be grieving, but he doesn’t seem to understand that she’s dead.”

A drunk driver had instantly left him a widower and single father. Both his and Ben’s lives were ripped apart, but J.B. had handled it better. He’d had no choice. Ben was still so grief stricken that he constantly talked to his mother, acting as though she were alive and with him.

When a former Army buddy offered him part ownership in Airstar Adventure Tours, J.B. had jumped at the chance. Thinking it best to get away from Baltimore and the memories haunting them, he’d quit his job and transferred to Sedona. Where, unfortunately, nothing had changed. Living in a place renowned for vortexes and harmonic convergences didn’t make it easier to ground Ben in reality.

Her pale gaze reflecting compassion, Siobhan briefly touched his forearm. The heat of her fingertips tingled along his skin, exciting and calming him at the same time. “I don’t know what you’re going through, having never lost someone I love, and I know you’re taking Ben to a child psychologist. But maybe this is what he needs to do.”

“I understand that, part of me really does. But ‘his mother’ has disrupted the class a couple times and he’s started acting out at home.”

“What do you mean?”

Scratching the back of his neck, J.B. glanced over to make sure Ben was out of earshot. “He’s not making friends in first grade. The other kids think he’s weird for talking to invisible people. And he’s breaking things or hiding them around the house. When I try to talk to him, he swears his mother did it.”

“Oh, dear. What does his doctor say?”

“That because of his age and what little time he remembers with Bri, this is the only way he can deal with the loss.” He smirked without much humor. “Basically, stuff that’s bound to have me paying his hourly rate for another few years.”

She offered a comforting smile but to his disappointment didn’t touch him again. “A lot of kids have imaginary friends and they grow up just fine.”

He noted her defensive tone with a grin. “Are you talking about yourself?”

“Um, actually, I had, uh, three invisible playmates. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather.”

“Interesting names.”

Embarrassment tinted her cheeks. “They were the fairy godmothers in Sleeping Beauty, one of my favorite movies.”

When he moved closer, her pupils dilated and her full lips parted slightly. She was tall and lithe, with shining ebony hair that fell straight down her back. From a distance she looked every inch a Navajo princess. Up close however Siobhan’s face had the creamy skin of her Celtic ancestors and startlingly pale green eyes.

Taking secret pleasure in her reaction to his nearness, he lowered his voice to an intimate level. “Can I tell you a secret?”

“Of course,” she whispered, angling her face toward his.

“I had an imaginary friend, too.”

She gave him a little shove and rolled her eyes. “Sure you did, J.B.”

“I did. Being a military family, it seemed like as soon as I made a new friend, one of our fathers got reassigned and we had to move. But I always had Super Spot.”

Siobhan crinkled her brow, obviously trying not to giggle. “Um, ‘super spot’?”

J.B. shrugged, hands spread. “Hey, Dad wouldn’t let us get a real dog so...”

“Super Spot. More powerful than a teddy bear, able to leap tall bed pillows in a single bound.”

The sensation of warm contentment spread over him as he listened to her musical laughter. That had been the first thing he’d noticed about her when he and Ben had moved into the house next door. Her grace and stately posture belied a down to earth nature that fascinated him.

He’d used humor to get Siobhan to open up to him over the past six months. She’d been a good neighbor to him and a great babysitter for Ben the few times he’d flown sunset tours. He sensed her interest but, other than coffee and conversation, there’d been nothing more.

That didn’t stop him from trying, though. “You know, I might think you’ve cast a spell on me, but you’re too beautiful to be a witch.”

Oddly, that brought a scowl to her features. “Do you honestly think witches look like ugly, hunch-backed old hags with gnarled fingers and warts?”

“You look like exactly what you are, a gorgeous and very desirable woman.” Her expression hovered somewhere between flattered and annoyed. “What? Didn’t you think I’d noticed?”

She ducked her head, a smile curving her lips. But before she could respond, Ben called out. “Daddy! C’mere, c’mere. Let’s get this one!”

J.B. winked at her. “Excuse me a minute.”

*          *            *

“The only excuse for letting that man walk away is so you can stare at his butt. That ass is seriously fine.”

Siobhan yanked her eyes away from J.B.’s denim-covered derriere and turned to her best friend and store manager. She bit her lip when she noticed V’Leria’s latest hair color. The turquoise blue streaks were actually an improvement.

“Tell me again why you haven’t ridden that hunkcycle yet?”

“Shh! Will you stop it, Valerie?”

V’Leria nudged her in the ribs with a sharp elbow. “Will you start? You live right next door to that gorgeous morsel of manhood. He’s obviously hot for your bod- he flirts with you every chance he gets. So, what are you waiting for?”

Acceptance. Someone to believe in her, especially when it was getting harder and harder to believe in herself. Her past relationships had only led to heartache. The wizards she’d dated wouldn’t abide her lack of powers, fearing the deficiency would be passed down. Meanwhile mortal men couldn’t stand the idea of her being a witch.

It would have been one thing if she just dabbled in the Craft or acted a part for tourists looking for a thrill to tell the folks back home. But an actual spellcasting, magic- wielding Witch? They thought she was delusional. Apparently that included J.B. He often flew helicopter tours through the most challenging gorges and canyons. But apparently his daring didn’t extend to the supernatural.

Which was a real shame. J.B. was sexy and funny and handsome in a rugged, life-weathered way. He had somber hazel eyes tempered by a quick, boyish smile. Judging by the way his RANGER tee shirt stretched across his chest, she had to agree that his body was ‘seriously fine’. She liked him, a lot, and it would be an easy decision to see where this attraction led.

But they were neighbors and there was Ben to consider if things didn’t work out. She watched J.B laughing with his son while they smelled different candles. Although he seemed so open and carefree, she easily saw the shadows across his heart. And frankly she had enough emotional baggage of her own.

“J.B. flirts with every woman he sees, Val.” At that very moment, he was winking at an older woman as he held the front door for her. “See what I mean?”

V’Leria propped one hand on her bare midriff and thrust out a leather-clad hip. “He doesn’t flirt with me. He doesn’t lean in close or gaze into my eyes or whisper in my ear.”

Siobhan held her tongue, knowing better than to say that, with all of her piercings, a man would have trouble finding V’Leria’s ear. “It doesn’t matter. There’s no point in pursuing an attraction when he’s got his hands full with a troubled child.”

“Sure, honey. Keep telling yourself that the kid is what’s holding you back.” With a condescending pat of the shoulder, V’Leria walked over to help the new customer.

Siobhan ignored her and smiled as J.B. and Ben approached with a basket of scented tea lights and bath beads. “I see you found one you like.”

“Yep. Now Aunt Lissa will smell like a honey garden.”

She glanced at the calligraphy on the label to see that she’d written ‘honeysuckle gardenia’. As she tucked the label into the basket, J.B. moved next to her. He rubbed a few strands of her hair between his fingers then held them to his nose.

“You, on the other hand, smell more earthy. Like fresh cut grass and sunshine.”

Her pulsed tripped into overdrive, thinking that his skin always had a warm, slightly musky scent. Like summer nights and pheromones. She wondered if he smelled that way all over. And how his skin would feel beneath her hands. And how his hands would feel on her. And how he would taste--

“Um, is there anything else you need?” She dragged her eyes away from J.B.’s amused gaze. “Or are you guys all ready to check out?”

“I’m thirsty,” Ben complained.

She chuckled, a little envious that it was so easy for children to ask for what they wanted... She glanced at J.B. from under her lashes. The she crooked a finger at Ben. “Come on over to the juice bar and let’s see what we have for you.”

J.B. accepted the basket Ben thrust into his stomach. “How about some apple juice, sport?”

“Nah.” The boy scrunched his forehead, sounding out the menu. “What’s a fruit in-foo... infoo-something?”

Siobhan chose a clean pitcher from the rack. “An infusion? It’s different fruit juices mixed with brewed teas or blended with herbs.”

“Like a magic potion?”

“Sort of. They’re supposed to make you feel good. I can either make hot ones or turn them into frozen smoothies.” She tucked errant strands of hair behind her ear and pretended to be indecisive. “Gosh, I can’t figure out which you’d like better.”

Ben’s eyes lit up. “I want the smoothie kind!”

“Manners.”

He sighed at his father. “Please. An orange one, Sisi.”

“One creamsicle coming up, sir.” She filled the pitcher with ice cubes, then poured in orange juice and milk. She added a quarter cup of lemonbalm tea for calming and relaxation then turned on the blender. “What about you, J.B.?”

He teased her, dramatically arching one eyebrow. “Aren’t witches supposed to mix their potions in a fiery cauldron under a full moon or something?”

She replied with thinly veiled sarcasm. “Actually, I use stainless steel pots and sterilized glass bottles in accordance with Arizona’s state health regulations.”

“You sound more like a scientist than a witch.”

She topped Ben’s smoothie with whipped cream and a straw, then handed it to him with a smile that fell away when she looked back at his father. “The difference between magic and science is a matter of a few centuries. It wasn’t that long ago people went to the village witch for their remedies and cures.”

J.B. scoffed. “I’ll stick to modern medicine, thanks. It’s got a better track record than hocus pocus and snake oil.”

From over by the bookcases and reading chairs, V’Leria gave a low whistle. “Ooh. Now you’ve done it.”

“Hocus pocus, huh?”

This was the sort of prejudice that drove her mad. They were living in the twenty-first century, for heavens sake! This was Sedona, not Salem during the Burning Time. And while science could explain a lot, miracles happened every day. Siobhan got another pitcher and started grabbing bottles from the small refrigerator.

“Well then, since I don’t have any magical powers, you shouldn’t have any problem drinking something I make, right?”

Ben held out his nearly empty cup. “Mine is pretty good, Daddy. Wanna sip?”

“No, thanks, sport.”

Siobhan banged the ice tray with unnecessary force. “What’s the matter, J.B.? Scared I’ll put a hex on you? Worried that I’ll turn you into a frog?”

“You can do that? Cool.” Ben started hopping around. “Turn Daddy into a frog, turn him into a frog!”

“No, she can’t do that.” J.B. dropped a hand onto his son’s shoulder in an attempt to quiet him. “Siobhan isn’t a witch. There’s no such thing as witches or magic potions.”

“Double, double toil and trouble,” Siobhan muttered sotto voce as she gave the drink a final stir. Then she handed him the frothy pink liquid. “Bottoms up, Pendleton.”

He reluctantly accepted the plastic cup, aware that every pair of eyes in the place watched him. He didn’t believe for one second that Siobhan had magical powers- or that she might poison him. But there was something about the wicked gleam in her eyes that had him worried.

Feeling ridiculous for hesitating, he went ahead and took a small sip. Actually it wasn’t bad, a little sweet maybe. But to amuse Ben, who was staring at him with wide-eyed anticipation, J.B. made his voice tremble. “What’s in here anyway?”

“Mango, cranberry and passionfruit juices. Along with some other stuff.” Siobhan’s wide grin was pure challenge. She made a beckoning gesture. “All of it.”

He took an exaggerated breath and made a show of gulping it down just as V’Leria gave a theatrical yelp. “Siobhan! That wasn’t one of your love potions, was it?”

He choked for a second, but managed to drink the rest of the juice. When the cup was empty he set it on the counter but didn’t say anything. Instead he pretended to sway a little on his feet, one hand pressed against his belly.

Ben goggled at him, his voice hushed. “Well, Daddy? Did it work? Are you in love yet?”

J.B. gazed at Siobhan, meeting her challenge with one of his own. He wasn’t sure about love, but lust? He’d been in lust from the moment he’d seen her over the hedgerow separating their back yards. He promptly recalled the sight of her body in shorts and a tank top as she bent herself into a yoga pretzel; the way her full lips had parted in surprise when she’d noticed him...

He finally broke the stare and looked down at his son. He twisted his face into several grotesque expressions then suddenly croaked like a frog. Over Ben’s hysterical giggles, he declared, “It worked! Siobhan must really be a witch after all, kiddo, ‘cause I’m suddenly crazy about you.”

As J.B. scooped Ben up for a bear hug and some tickling, Siobhan laughed along with them. But, inside, she felt her chest constrict with sudden yearning. How long had it been since she’d felt a man’s arms around her? How many times had she imagined holding a child’s soft body against her own?

Now, watching J.B. with Ben, she had to admit her longing involved that child and that man specifically...

After J.B. and Ben had left with the gift-wrapped basket, V’Leria sidled up to her with a sly look. “So, how long do you think it will take?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Val.”

“Really?” She cocked her head to one side. “Because unless my eyesight is going, I saw you add rosemary and verbena teas to J.B.’s drink. I got top marks in Miss Delilah’s Potion vs. Poison class. Aren’t those two herbs known for opening the recipient to new love?”

“Are they?” Siobhan crossed her arms and feigned innocence.

“You know they are.”

She offered her friend a cynical laugh. “It won’t work anyway. Miss Marion looked so disappointed this morning when I was the only one in class who didn’t levitate the feather. I’m telling you, Val, I’m this close to being labeled a no-mag.”

V’Leria smirked. “I don’t think so. From the look on J.B.’s face just now, you’re this close to getting laid.”