of color popped up on his face. He swiped his hand over his forehead. And then—thank God—he exited A Taste of Magic without looking back. All the trembles I’d hid surfaced. That man? He scared me like no one ever had.
I gave myself a few minutes to calm down. Hopefully, we hadn’t been loud enough to be heard in the back room, but I needed to settle myself before I could find out. If I’d screwed up this job for us, I’d never forgive myself.
I didn’t know if Miranda had actually shown up or not. Probably not, because I kind of thought if she had, I wouldn’t have to guess about it. She was pretty good about making herself known. Regardless, I didn’t think I’d be dealing with Troy again. The fear in his eyes told me he’d stay away from me and Alice.
Since I felt better, I went to help Jon with the Hendersons. It wasn’t necessary. Jon had it under control, with both Penelope and Grace smiling and chatting amiably. Like I said before, Jon was a master at charm. He could schmooze with the best of them.
I was fairly sure we’d be getting the Henderson job. And if we did, our business life would be right where we wanted it to be.
If only Jon and I were able to do the same with our personal lives, we’d be all set.
Chapter Fifteen
“Why are we doing this?” I asked Grandma Verda and Maddie. “Remind me, please.”
Maddie shrugged as she set the Ouija board in the center of my kitchen table. “I just want to see what happens.”“I don’t know. These things scare me. A lot.”
Grandma Verda chuckled. “Miranda in your bedroom doesn’t frighten you, but a piece of wood with some numbers and letters on it does?”
“Yes. Besides, she doesn’t seem to have any problems talking to me whenever she wants.” Though, she never said very much. That didn’t mean a Ouija board was the answer.
“My mother said Miranda tried to connect with her, but she never did with me. I always wondered about it,” Grandma Verda said.
Ah, that’s what her statement was about the other night. I’d never gotten around to asking, and she hadn’t volunteered the information before now. “Why do you think she’s trying to talk to me? I can’t figure that out.”
Grandma tipped her head as her gaze hit mine. “I’ve been thinking about that. Maybe because you both experienced heartbreak? The loss of a man, of a relationship, you loved?”
“Maybe,” I said, considering her words. “But even so, what happened to me with Marc is very different than what happened to her. I’m not pregnant, for one thing.”
“It’s just a guess. But if this works . . .” Grandma nodded toward the Ouija board. “Maybe you can find out for sure.”
She had a point. That didn’t mean I was on board with it, though. “I’m not convinced this is the right plan. Can’t we just wait and see if she comes back again?”
“Quit worrying. There are three things that can happen. One, nothing. Two, Miranda talks to us. Three, someone else talks to us,” Maddie said.
“Exactly. It’s number three that’s freaking me out.” I mean, come on, now that I knew magic existed, what’s to say there weren’t a bunch of creepy things out there that were also true? Like vengeful spirits and poltergeists? I shivered. “I really don’t want to do it.”
“Humor me, Liz. You brought me into this. I’d like to see what Miranda has to say with my own ears. Or eyes, I guess, in this case. We used to play with these things when we were in college. You never seemed afraid then,” Maddie said.
“Oh, I was. I just kept my mouth shut.”
“If you don’t want to try it, we don’t have to.” Maddie tapped her fingers on the board. “It’s just an idea. Verda’s right. Maybe direct questions will give you more information. Or maybe you’ll find a way to contact her when you want to, instead of always being surprised when she shows up.”
Grandma Verda slid me a look. “Let’s give it a go. I’d sure like to know what Miranda wants. She disappeared the other night almost immediately.”
“That’s normal for her.” Hesitantly, I sat down and placed my fingers on the plastic doohickey. Maddie and Grandma Verda did the same. “Now what?”
“I think you should try first, Elizabeth. She seems to be attached to you,” Grandma Verda suggested.
Sighing, I nodded. “We’re trying to reach my great-great-great-grandmother Miranda