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Marissa looked over the schedule for the next week until her eyes felt like they were going to cross. Thankfully her phone rang, interrupting her.
“Hey Rissa!”
“Kira! Thank god, please tell me you are at the back door and are itching to take the closing shift on Monday and Wednesday.”
“Sounds like you are working on the schedule for next week. Feel like a break?”
“Yes please. How’s your Gram doing?”
“Better, she’s up and getting around in a motorized wheelchair, she hates the thing, but the doc wouldn’t let he out of the hospital unless she’d promise to use it. Only thing is, I don’t like the idea of leaving her by herself and she won’t let a nurse come and stay.” In the background Marissa heard Granny, ‘I ain’t haven some person I Donna know poking through my stuff!’
Marissa smiled, that sounded like Granny all right. “Put Granny on the phone, I’ve got and idea that will solve both our problems.” This was going to be fun.
******
Three hours later Kira pulled into her parking place behind the coffee shop and Marissa helped carry in bags. “Rissa, I’m not sure if I want to kiss you, or smack you.”
“Dear, what you are going to do is step aside and let me kiss her.” A little old black woman with white hair pulled back in a bun said from behind Kira. Her voice was low but with only a hint of the quiver of age. Kira obediently stepped through the door and to the side. In rolled Granny, her right leg extended in front of her in a cast. “No respect of the old and infirm I tell ya, no respect.” Her voice was reproachful, but Marissa had been around her enough to be able to spot the gleam of amusement in Granny’s eyes.
“When we see someone old, we’ll be sure to be respectful. Nice wheels, now you’ll be able to chase down those annoying kids on those wheeled shoes you hate.”
“Oh come off it, and give me some sugar you.” Laughing Granny held out her arms to Marissa.
Marissa smiled and bent down giving the woman’s papery cheeks a kiss. “Its good to see you again.”
“Good to see you as well, what this I hear about you and some hot number in town?” Marissa shot Kira a death look, which she easily avoided by busily putting down the bags and going back out for more.
“Oh, don’t give her too hard of a time. Five days with me and even the director of area 51 would be spilling all his secrets,” Granny said giving Marissa a conspiratorial wink. “Now, tell me all about him.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Marissa threw up her hand in exasperation, the sat down in one of the chairs around the small kitchen table that served as a break table. “Its more like I’m friends with his sister and she tortures him by dragging him here almost every day,” Marissa paused thoughtfully.
“And what else?”
“Every day up until a few days ago.”
“Something happened a few days ago?” Granny prodded.
“Franny, that’s his sister, had been sending him to pick me up after closing. The other day, I forgot my keys and had to ask him to bring them. Half an hour later he barges in here, kisses me, then tells me to dive myself home, he needs to take a walk. I haven’t seen hide-nor-hare of him since. Even at the house he’s been able to avoid me.”
“Since when do you drive?” Granny asked startled.
“I don’t, he had to take his car in to a mechanic the next day.”
“That solves that. I thought I was going to have to call you and liar about not being able to drive down to see me.”
“You always did have a good ear for the important part of a story.”
Granny gave her a warm smile and pat on the back of her hand. “Oh that wasn’t the important part, just and interesting rabbit trail. So, he kissed you then disappeared out of your life?”
“More or less.”
“What is his head full of road apples? It’s a rare man that get his hands, or lips in this case, on a woman like you and walks away.” Granny patted Marissa’s cheek affectingly.
“How is it you always know just what to say Granny?” Marissa smiled and covered the old woman’s hand with her own.
“It’s a gift. Now how about you give an old woman a had putting some things away?”
*******
Around 5 o’clock Franny came dancing into the café, “You working all day?” There were only a few customers scattered around in the chairs, so she lazily leaned on the counter.
“No, I’m off at 6, Kira’s back, so I’ve passed the reigns back to her.” Marissa answered with a smile as she put away some clean mugs.
“Oh good, I really want to go shopping and there’s no one else to go with me. You up for it?”
“You buying dinner?”
“How does Carribian sound?”
“Sounds like I’m going shopping after my shift.”
“Lovely.”
The door to the back opened and instantly Franny stood up alert, her whole attention focused on the little woman in the doorway.
“I should have know, it was about time you lot showed your faces back in this town,” Granny said in her no-nonsence way.
Marissa watched as Franny went over to her, moving almost regally. She kneeled down next to the wheelchair, “Miss Marie, we were all worried when we hear about your accident. Did the hospital staff treat you well?” Franny spoke in a tone Marissa had never heard her use before. Sure there was affection, but almost a hint of something else, maybe it was reverence.
“I was treated just fine, please thank your mother for me, the flowers she sent were lovely.”
“You have not passed on the gift, have you?” It was said as a statement and not a question.
“It is no matter to you if I haven or haven’t. But you know just as well as I do that the girl isn’t yet ready, and her mother wouldn’t believe it if it reached up and tugged her braids.”
“And you know she will not get ready unless you train her.”
“And that be part of my reason for being here. Don’t you go worrying that pretty head of yours, the gift won’t be lost.”
“We will worry even if you tell us not to, you are our first line of defense. Last time there was a break in the line-”
“You weren’t even a glimmer in our mother’s eye. Now is not the time or place to be talking ghost stories, is it Marissa?”
Caught! Marissa had been trying to be discreet, and at fist she hadn’t even meant to listen but the conversation had been so odd, and then the way Franny was acting…well she just couldn’t help herself. No use pretending she hadn’t been listening now that she had been caught and singled out, “No ma’am, Saturday night at 10 o’clock was your usual time, want to start doing it again?”
“Sounds ‘bout right.” Granny looked back to Franny. “So, how has your brother been?”
“He’s been laying low the past few days, is that right ‘Rissa?” Franny flashed a cheeky grin.
“You mean to tell me Jason Havenward is the one who kissed you?” Granny sounded both shock and outraged.
Marissa couldn’t keep the color from flooding her cheeks, “Please, say that again, only a little louder. I didn’t think they heard you in the next parish.” She kept it to a mumble under her breath while refusing to look at Granny.
“Miss Havenward, please take the counter. Marissa, come with me for a moment.” Granny turned her chair and went back through the door.
“Granny, I can’t just leave-”
“Marissa Nicollet Andrea Laborde, NOW.” She didn’t have to raise her voice for Marissa to know not to argue.
“Best not argue with Miss Marie, I will handle things here.” Franny pushed Marissa toward the door.
Marissa rolled her eyes and did as she was told. Granny had positioned herself at he table. “Sit right here,” Granny indicated the chair to her left, Marissa complied. “Let me see your right hand.” It was held out without a comment. Granny bent over it, mumbling something Marissa could not understand. Without looking up Granny spoke, “How much do you know of your family history?”
“Family settled in the bayou around the time of the civil war and never left.”
“Do you know why they chose to settle there?”
“There were some stories that they were caught helping the underground railroad and went into hiding.”
“You were told they were in the underground railroad?”
“All Grams used to say was that they were suspected of helping the wrong side, I guess this being the south I always assumed it was the underground railroad.”
“So by saying the wrong side, your Grandmother meant the wrong side according to popular belief at the time?”
“I guess.”
“Do you know anything about Nicollet Andrea Narsisa Shayward?”
“She’s the matriarch that first settled in the bayou,” Marissa said slowly. “How do you know about her?”
“We have long memories in my family. Lady Nicollet lived here in ‘Norlins, and she was a lady in every way minus the official title. In order to protect those she helped escape, she herself went into hiding.” Granny finally looke dup into Marissa’s eyes. If she ahdn’t already been sitting Marissa would have had to sit down then. Granny’s eyes were bring and clear, but there was something off about them; their honey color was brighter, almost glowing. Then Granny blinked and her eyes were back to normal. “You carry much of her in you, and I’m not talkin’ jus’ ‘bout your hair and eyes.”
It took Marissa moment to find her voice, “Umm, my grandmother thold me that from time to time. She also used to tell me that once started it would finally be completed. She said a lot of things that made no sense.”
“Your grandmother had a gift of the sight, as do you. Now you should get back out fron before Franny blows up that complex coffee machine.”
Marissa felt shell shocked and more than a little confused as she went back into the café. The more she thought about Granny’s words, the more upset she became. Gift of sight? How could Granny know anything about that? She’d been so careful not to let anyone find out. People would brand her as evil, as a modern day witch, her mother had made sure that she knew the consequences of anyone finding out about her.
“Marissa, who is this girl? She claims you said she could cover for you while you were in the back,” one of the other barista’s, Tammy, asked annoyed.
Marissa stood there for some time non-responsive, finally Franny approached her cautiously. “Marissa?” Eye contact, that was a good sign, Franny murmured to herself. “Honey, are you okay?”
“Granny said-”
“Shhh, honey,” Franny stroked Marissa’s arm, stopping her from finishing what she was about to say. She knew better than to repeat what Granny said in open public. “We will go have a little sit down for a moment. Granny can have that effect on people.” Franny lead Marissa around the counter to one of the chairs in the corner. “Tammy, be a love and let Kira know Marissa is taking the rest of her shift off.”
Tammy sputtered something about not being a message girl for some chick she had a good five years on, but when Franny just ignored her, she did it. Kira was out of the office and in the café before Tammy had hung up the phone. “What happened?”
Franny had Marissa seated in a chair with a cup of tea at her elbow. “Miss Marie and her were talking in the back and I think she had a small fright is all,” Franny soothed. “I already called Jason to come ick her up and take her home.
Kira turned and looked at her Grandmother in the doorway. “Granny, I’ll not have you spreadin’ round your hokus-pokus and scaring people. Its one thing to tell your stories, this is something entirely different.”
“Don’t talk to me like a spoiled child. If you’ve got something to tell me, come here and do it, not yell it across your place of business.”
“I’m going to have a talk with my grandmother. Just make sure she gets some rest, and she’s to take tomorrow off.” Kira stood up and turned around and almost walked right into Jason.
“What happened?” There was a hint if panic in his voice.
Franny stepped up and laid a hand on his arm, “She’s fine, just had a bit of a scare is all.”
“What happened?” Jason repeated with an edge in his voice.
“Miss Marie and her had a tlak in the back and she came out a little upset.”
Jason kneeled down in front of the chair. “Marissa? Marissa honey, can you hear me?” Marissa gave a slight nod. “Good, we’re going to go home. Come with me.” Jason took her hand.
Marissa blinked and looked at him, “You’re taking me home?”
“Yes.”
“What, you aren’t going to threaten to toss me in the trunk?”
Jason laughed relieved, “Good to know you are starting to feel better. Come on, we will take you home.”
They were almost to the door when Granny spoke up, “Jason Havenword, you and I will have a word.”
“Later.”
“Later, it may be, but we will have a talk.”
*****
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Jason asked as he drove.
“Granny read my palm.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“I doubt her reading your palm would upset you that mauch. What idd she say that upset you so much?”
“You won’t laugh?”
“I will not laugh.”
“She told me some stuff that she shouldn’t have known. Things about my family, things about me.”
“People talk to Miss Marie, and you would be surprised how much she hears.” Jason tried to explain.
“No, she knew something about me that I haven’t told anyone. I wouldn’t have told anyone.”
“Like?” Jason prompted.
“No.”
“No, what?”
“I’m not going to tell you. I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t.” They sat in silence for a few minutes. After a while Marissa took note of their surroundings. “Where are we going?”
“I figured you could use some peace without Franny hovering.”
It didn’t take long for Marissa to realize they were heading toward the coast. Twenty minutes later Jason pulled the car into an empty parking lot next to the back. “This part of the beach tends to be quiet. I doubt we will see anyone else.”
The beach was quiet, except for the sound of the waves and gulls crying, Marissa didn’t hear a thing. They sat for a long time along the shore as twilight approached. It was a very calming place, just what Marissa had needed.
“Can I ask you a question?” Marissa finally broke the silence”.
“Ask away.”
“And you’ll answer me honestly?”
“As honest as I can.”
“Why did you kiss me the other night?” There. Elephant in the room pointed out, now time to see what he did about it.
Jason rolled his eyes to the sky, “How about you pick another question?”
“No, I want an answer to that question.”
Jason closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose; he was silent a long time. “Well?”
“I am trying to think of a way to explain that is not complicated.”
“Maybe you should go with the complicated and see if I follow along.”
“I had…an encounter. I guess you would call it, with an ex.”
“And that made you want to kiss me?”
“No, it ended abruptly between us, my family moved and she had responsibilities here.” He was looking out over the water now, now looking at her.
“So what, you ran into her on the street on your way to bring me the keys?”
“No, that would me impossible. It is more like I got a sudden reminder of her.”
“Why would it be impossible?”
“She is dead.”
“Oh.” Long pause. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” Was all he said in way of explanation.
“But you loved her, and looks like you still do.” Marissa rested her hand on his cool one.
“I miss her, and probably will forever. But that does not excuse my action toward you. It is only,” Jason turned to look at her again. He had the same look he would get from time to time, as if he was looking for something in her face. “You resemble my Nikki so much, at times I almost…kissing you was a mistake, and I am sorry, it will not happen again.”
It was full dark as they got up to head back to the car. Marissa looked around at the mist rolling over the ground and gave a chuckle.
“Care to share the joke?”
“Just good to know some things never change,” Jason gave her a perplexed look. “The mist. When I was growing up it was a joke that I attracted mist and fog.”
“Some cultures believe mist and fog is a living entity that protect something precious,” Jason suggested.
“What, like some kind of benevolent spirit?”
“Sort of.”
Jason was his usual quiet self on the drive back. After shutting off the car Jason sat very still for a moment. “I answered our question, do you mind answering one of mine?”
“Sure.”
“When I was getting your keys that night, I saw a very peculiar box on your dresser; where did you get it?”
“My grandmother, its sort of a family heirloom. Its been passed down through the women in my family.”
“From your Grandmother and not your Mother?”
“My Grandmother didn’t have any girls and it had to be passed down to a female of direct descendent.”
“Odd that a box would be a family heirloom.”
“The box is only part of it, the real piece is inside. It’s a beautiful broach, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Marissa gave a sigh. “It has a very sad story attached to it.”
“Oh? Do you mind telling me?” At Marissa’s confused look Jason explained: “I can not resit a good love story.”
“It’s a sad love story.”
“But it is still being told how many hundreds of year later?”
At that Marissa smiled, “Nearly two hundred. The story goes as it was told to me by my grandmother, that one of my ancestors named Nicollet was engaged right around the time the civil war started. Her and the man she was engaged to were targeted as part of the underground railroad. In order to protect each other they separated, but she never forgot him. She loved him so much she whore the engagement gift he gave her, that’s the broach, every day of her life, even on her wedding day. And so it is tradition that every woman who has owned the broach had had their picture taken in their wedding gown wearing the broach. The pictures get passed down with the box and broach.”
“But this Nicollet, she did marry. In most love stories she would have spent the rest of her life pinning away for the man she loved.
“I asked my grandmother about that, she said that Nicollet married to protect the man she loved. Something about no one would really believe he was dead until she married and it appeared as if she had moved on. Though she did wait until she was thirty. Which would have mad her an old maid back then.”
“Did you not tell Miss Marie that you did not know much about your ancestor.” Jason pointed out.
Marissa shrugged sheepishly, “Its not a story that is told outside the family.”
“But you told me.”
“True,” Marissa looked puzzled. “Just don’t tell my Grandmother I told you.”
“It will be as if no one had heard the story outside the family. We better get in the house before Franny decides to come out and check on us.”
Marissa looked over the schedule for the next week until her eyes felt like they were going to cross. Thankfully her phone rang, interrupting her.
“Hey Rissa!”
“Kira! Thank god, please tell me you are at the back door and are itching to take the closing shift on Monday and Wednesday.”
“Sounds like you are working on the schedule for next week. Feel like a break?”
“Yes please. How’s your Gram doing?”
“Better, she’s up and getting around in a motorized wheelchair, she hates the thing, but the doc wouldn’t let he out of the hospital unless she’d promise to use it. Only thing is, I don’t like the idea of leaving her by herself and she won’t let a nurse come and stay.” In the background Marissa heard Granny, ‘I ain’t haven some person I Donna know poking through my stuff!’
Marissa smiled, that sounded like Granny all right. “Put Granny on the phone, I’ve got and idea that will solve both our problems.” This was going to be fun.
******
Three hours later Kira pulled into her parking place behind the coffee shop and Marissa helped carry in bags. “Rissa, I’m not sure if I want to kiss you, or smack you.”
“Dear, what you are going to do is step aside and let me kiss her.” A little old black woman with white hair pulled back in a bun said from behind Kira. Her voice was low but with only a hint of the quiver of age. Kira obediently stepped through the door and to the side. In rolled Granny, her right leg extended in front of her in a cast. “No respect of the old and infirm I tell ya, no respect.” Her voice was reproachful, but Marissa had been around her enough to be able to spot the gleam of amusement in Granny’s eyes.
“When we see someone old, we’ll be sure to be respectful. Nice wheels, now you’ll be able to chase down those annoying kids on those wheeled shoes you hate.”
“Oh come off it, and give me some sugar you.” Laughing Granny held out her arms to Marissa.
Marissa smiled and bent down giving the woman’s papery cheeks a kiss. “Its good to see you again.”
“Good to see you as well, what this I hear about you and some hot number in town?” Marissa shot Kira a death look, which she easily avoided by busily putting down the bags and going back out for more.
“Oh, don’t give her too hard of a time. Five days with me and even the director of area 51 would be spilling all his secrets,” Granny said giving Marissa a conspiratorial wink. “Now, tell me all about him.”
“There’s nothing to tell.” Marissa threw up her hand in exasperation, the sat down in one of the chairs around the small kitchen table that served as a break table. “Its more like I’m friends with his sister and she tortures him by dragging him here almost every day,” Marissa paused thoughtfully.
“And what else?”
“Every day up until a few days ago.”
“Something happened a few days ago?” Granny prodded.
“Franny, that’s his sister, had been sending him to pick me up after closing. The other day, I forgot my keys and had to ask him to bring them. Half an hour later he barges in here, kisses me, then tells me to dive myself home, he needs to take a walk. I haven’t seen hide-nor-hare of him since. Even at the house he’s been able to avoid me.”
“Since when do you drive?” Granny asked startled.
“I don’t, he had to take his car in to a mechanic the next day.”
“That solves that. I thought I was going to have to call you and liar about not being able to drive down to see me.”
“You always did have a good ear for the important part of a story.”
Granny gave her a warm smile and pat on the back of her hand. “Oh that wasn’t the important part, just and interesting rabbit trail. So, he kissed you then disappeared out of your life?”
“More or less.”
“What is his head full of road apples? It’s a rare man that get his hands, or lips in this case, on a woman like you and walks away.” Granny patted Marissa’s cheek affectingly.
“How is it you always know just what to say Granny?” Marissa smiled and covered the old woman’s hand with her own.
“It’s a gift. Now how about you give an old woman a had putting some things away?”
*******
Around 5 o’clock Franny came dancing into the café, “You working all day?” There were only a few customers scattered around in the chairs, so she lazily leaned on the counter.
“No, I’m off at 6, Kira’s back, so I’ve passed the reigns back to her.” Marissa answered with a smile as she put away some clean mugs.
“Oh good, I really want to go shopping and there’s no one else to go with me. You up for it?”
“You buying dinner?”
“How does Carribian sound?”
“Sounds like I’m going shopping after my shift.”
“Lovely.”
The door to the back opened and instantly Franny stood up alert, her whole attention focused on the little woman in the doorway.
“I should have know, it was about time you lot showed your faces back in this town,” Granny said in her no-nonsence way.
Marissa watched as Franny went over to her, moving almost regally. She kneeled down next to the wheelchair, “Miss Marie, we were all worried when we hear about your accident. Did the hospital staff treat you well?” Franny spoke in a tone Marissa had never heard her use before. Sure there was affection, but almost a hint of something else, maybe it was reverence.
“I was treated just fine, please thank your mother for me, the flowers she sent were lovely.”
“You have not passed on the gift, have you?” It was said as a statement and not a question.
“It is no matter to you if I haven or haven’t. But you know just as well as I do that the girl isn’t yet ready, and her mother wouldn’t believe it if it reached up and tugged her braids.”
“And you know she will not get ready unless you train her.”
“And that be part of my reason for being here. Don’t you go worrying that pretty head of yours, the gift won’t be lost.”
“We will worry even if you tell us not to, you are our first line of defense. Last time there was a break in the line-”
“You weren’t even a glimmer in our mother’s eye. Now is not the time or place to be talking ghost stories, is it Marissa?”
Caught! Marissa had been trying to be discreet, and at fist she hadn’t even meant to listen but the conversation had been so odd, and then the way Franny was acting…well she just couldn’t help herself. No use pretending she hadn’t been listening now that she had been caught and singled out, “No ma’am, Saturday night at 10 o’clock was your usual time, want to start doing it again?”
“Sounds ‘bout right.” Granny looked back to Franny. “So, how has your brother been?”
“He’s been laying low the past few days, is that right ‘Rissa?” Franny flashed a cheeky grin.
“You mean to tell me Jason Havenward is the one who kissed you?” Granny sounded both shock and outraged.
Marissa couldn’t keep the color from flooding her cheeks, “Please, say that again, only a little louder. I didn’t think they heard you in the next parish.” She kept it to a mumble under her breath while refusing to look at Granny.
“Miss Havenward, please take the counter. Marissa, come with me for a moment.” Granny turned her chair and went back through the door.
“Granny, I can’t just leave-”
“Marissa Nicollet Andrea Laborde, NOW.” She didn’t have to raise her voice for Marissa to know not to argue.
“Best not argue with Miss Marie, I will handle things here.” Franny pushed Marissa toward the door.
Marissa rolled her eyes and did as she was told. Granny had positioned herself at he table. “Sit right here,” Granny indicated the chair to her left, Marissa complied. “Let me see your right hand.” It was held out without a comment. Granny bent over it, mumbling something Marissa could not understand. Without looking up Granny spoke, “How much do you know of your family history?”
“Family settled in the bayou around the time of the civil war and never left.”
“Do you know why they chose to settle there?”
“There were some stories that they were caught helping the underground railroad and went into hiding.”
“You were told they were in the underground railroad?”
“All Grams used to say was that they were suspected of helping the wrong side, I guess this being the south I always assumed it was the underground railroad.”
“So by saying the wrong side, your Grandmother meant the wrong side according to popular belief at the time?”
“I guess.”
“Do you know anything about Nicollet Andrea Narsisa Shayward?”
“She’s the matriarch that first settled in the bayou,” Marissa said slowly. “How do you know about her?”
“We have long memories in my family. Lady Nicollet lived here in ‘Norlins, and she was a lady in every way minus the official title. In order to protect those she helped escape, she herself went into hiding.” Granny finally looke dup into Marissa’s eyes. If she ahdn’t already been sitting Marissa would have had to sit down then. Granny’s eyes were bring and clear, but there was something off about them; their honey color was brighter, almost glowing. Then Granny blinked and her eyes were back to normal. “You carry much of her in you, and I’m not talkin’ jus’ ‘bout your hair and eyes.”
It took Marissa moment to find her voice, “Umm, my grandmother thold me that from time to time. She also used to tell me that once started it would finally be completed. She said a lot of things that made no sense.”
“Your grandmother had a gift of the sight, as do you. Now you should get back out fron before Franny blows up that complex coffee machine.”
Marissa felt shell shocked and more than a little confused as she went back into the café. The more she thought about Granny’s words, the more upset she became. Gift of sight? How could Granny know anything about that? She’d been so careful not to let anyone find out. People would brand her as evil, as a modern day witch, her mother had made sure that she knew the consequences of anyone finding out about her.
“Marissa, who is this girl? She claims you said she could cover for you while you were in the back,” one of the other barista’s, Tammy, asked annoyed.
Marissa stood there for some time non-responsive, finally Franny approached her cautiously. “Marissa?” Eye contact, that was a good sign, Franny murmured to herself. “Honey, are you okay?”
“Granny said-”
“Shhh, honey,” Franny stroked Marissa’s arm, stopping her from finishing what she was about to say. She knew better than to repeat what Granny said in open public. “We will go have a little sit down for a moment. Granny can have that effect on people.” Franny lead Marissa around the counter to one of the chairs in the corner. “Tammy, be a love and let Kira know Marissa is taking the rest of her shift off.”
Tammy sputtered something about not being a message girl for some chick she had a good five years on, but when Franny just ignored her, she did it. Kira was out of the office and in the café before Tammy had hung up the phone. “What happened?”
Franny had Marissa seated in a chair with a cup of tea at her elbow. “Miss Marie and her were talking in the back and I think she had a small fright is all,” Franny soothed. “I already called Jason to come ick her up and take her home.
Kira turned and looked at her Grandmother in the doorway. “Granny, I’ll not have you spreadin’ round your hokus-pokus and scaring people. Its one thing to tell your stories, this is something entirely different.”
“Don’t talk to me like a spoiled child. If you’ve got something to tell me, come here and do it, not yell it across your place of business.”
“I’m going to have a talk with my grandmother. Just make sure she gets some rest, and she’s to take tomorrow off.” Kira stood up and turned around and almost walked right into Jason.
“What happened?” There was a hint if panic in his voice.
Franny stepped up and laid a hand on his arm, “She’s fine, just had a bit of a scare is all.”
“What happened?” Jason repeated with an edge in his voice.
“Miss Marie and her had a tlak in the back and she came out a little upset.”
Jason kneeled down in front of the chair. “Marissa? Marissa honey, can you hear me?” Marissa gave a slight nod. “Good, we’re going to go home. Come with me.” Jason took her hand.
Marissa blinked and looked at him, “You’re taking me home?”
“Yes.”
“What, you aren’t going to threaten to toss me in the trunk?”
Jason laughed relieved, “Good to know you are starting to feel better. Come on, we will take you home.”
They were almost to the door when Granny spoke up, “Jason Havenword, you and I will have a word.”
“Later.”
“Later, it may be, but we will have a talk.”
*****
“Do you want to tell me what happened?” Jason asked as he drove.
“Granny read my palm.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“I doubt her reading your palm would upset you that mauch. What idd she say that upset you so much?”
“You won’t laugh?”
“I will not laugh.”
“She told me some stuff that she shouldn’t have known. Things about my family, things about me.”
“People talk to Miss Marie, and you would be surprised how much she hears.” Jason tried to explain.
“No, she knew something about me that I haven’t told anyone. I wouldn’t have told anyone.”
“Like?” Jason prompted.
“No.”
“No, what?”
“I’m not going to tell you. I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t.” They sat in silence for a few minutes. After a while Marissa took note of their surroundings. “Where are we going?”
“I figured you could use some peace without Franny hovering.”
It didn’t take long for Marissa to realize they were heading toward the coast. Twenty minutes later Jason pulled the car into an empty parking lot next to the back. “This part of the beach tends to be quiet. I doubt we will see anyone else.”
The beach was quiet, except for the sound of the waves and gulls crying, Marissa didn’t hear a thing. They sat for a long time along the shore as twilight approached. It was a very calming place, just what Marissa had needed.
“Can I ask you a question?” Marissa finally broke the silence”.
“Ask away.”
“And you’ll answer me honestly?”
“As honest as I can.”
“Why did you kiss me the other night?” There. Elephant in the room pointed out, now time to see what he did about it.
Jason rolled his eyes to the sky, “How about you pick another question?”
“No, I want an answer to that question.”
Jason closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose; he was silent a long time. “Well?”
“I am trying to think of a way to explain that is not complicated.”
“Maybe you should go with the complicated and see if I follow along.”
“I had…an encounter. I guess you would call it, with an ex.”
“And that made you want to kiss me?”
“No, it ended abruptly between us, my family moved and she had responsibilities here.” He was looking out over the water now, now looking at her.
“So what, you ran into her on the street on your way to bring me the keys?”
“No, that would me impossible. It is more like I got a sudden reminder of her.”
“Why would it be impossible?”
“She is dead.”
“Oh.” Long pause. “I’m sorry.”
“It was a long time ago.” Was all he said in way of explanation.
“But you loved her, and looks like you still do.” Marissa rested her hand on his cool one.
“I miss her, and probably will forever. But that does not excuse my action toward you. It is only,” Jason turned to look at her again. He had the same look he would get from time to time, as if he was looking for something in her face. “You resemble my Nikki so much, at times I almost…kissing you was a mistake, and I am sorry, it will not happen again.”
It was full dark as they got up to head back to the car. Marissa looked around at the mist rolling over the ground and gave a chuckle.
“Care to share the joke?”
“Just good to know some things never change,” Jason gave her a perplexed look. “The mist. When I was growing up it was a joke that I attracted mist and fog.”
“Some cultures believe mist and fog is a living entity that protect something precious,” Jason suggested.
“What, like some kind of benevolent spirit?”
“Sort of.”
Jason was his usual quiet self on the drive back. After shutting off the car Jason sat very still for a moment. “I answered our question, do you mind answering one of mine?”
“Sure.”
“When I was getting your keys that night, I saw a very peculiar box on your dresser; where did you get it?”
“My grandmother, its sort of a family heirloom. Its been passed down through the women in my family.”
“From your Grandmother and not your Mother?”
“My Grandmother didn’t have any girls and it had to be passed down to a female of direct descendent.”
“Odd that a box would be a family heirloom.”
“The box is only part of it, the real piece is inside. It’s a beautiful broach, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Marissa gave a sigh. “It has a very sad story attached to it.”
“Oh? Do you mind telling me?” At Marissa’s confused look Jason explained: “I can not resit a good love story.”
“It’s a sad love story.”
“But it is still being told how many hundreds of year later?”
At that Marissa smiled, “Nearly two hundred. The story goes as it was told to me by my grandmother, that one of my ancestors named Nicollet was engaged right around the time the civil war started. Her and the man she was engaged to were targeted as part of the underground railroad. In order to protect each other they separated, but she never forgot him. She loved him so much she whore the engagement gift he gave her, that’s the broach, every day of her life, even on her wedding day. And so it is tradition that every woman who has owned the broach had had their picture taken in their wedding gown wearing the broach. The pictures get passed down with the box and broach.”
“But this Nicollet, she did marry. In most love stories she would have spent the rest of her life pinning away for the man she loved.
“I asked my grandmother about that, she said that Nicollet married to protect the man she loved. Something about no one would really believe he was dead until she married and it appeared as if she had moved on. Though she did wait until she was thirty. Which would have mad her an old maid back then.”
“Did you not tell Miss Marie that you did not know much about your ancestor.” Jason pointed out.
Marissa shrugged sheepishly, “Its not a story that is told outside the family.”
“But you told me.”
“True,” Marissa looked puzzled. “Just don’t tell my Grandmother I told you.”
“It will be as if no one had heard the story outside the family. We better get in the house before Franny decides to come out and check on us.”