The Celtic Knot. Shannon MacLeod

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СКАЧАТЬ inwardly. This. Is. Not. Happening. I’m asleep. That’s it–I’m asleep, and I’m going to wake up any minute now and there’s going to be a retired couple from Ohio sitting across from me wondering what on earth my problem is. Any minute now…

      She swallowed hard and took a steadying breath. “It would appear you have love and romance in your future, my lord.”

      “Ah,” he murmured, giving her a very slow, sensual smile that made her toes curl inside her slippers. “I came here hoping to learn your name this evening, but in truth the woman haunting my dreams is a lovely blonde, not an ebony-haired beauty such as yourself.” As he spoke, he tapped the queen with a long, tapered finger.

      Finding her voice at last, she asked, “What dreams are you having, sir?”

      “I dreamt I was in a spring field and a woman stands in the shadows just at the edge of the nearby forest. I haven’t yet seen her face, only her long beautiful hair. I always wake too soon.” He reached up to touch the hawk touchstone around his throat as he described his dream, rubbing it absently between his fingers.

      Lily lowered her lashes to hide her astonishment. “When you see someone in a dream but cannot see their face, it means you haven’t met them yet,” she explained.

      “Then perhaps I’ll dream of her again tonight and this time I’ll see her face.” He smiled, reaching across the table to take her left hand and lift it to his lips. “My name is Ian Kelly, and it would give me the greatest pleasure to know yours.”

      “Lily Evans. Around here I go by Raven.” She raised a shoulder, indicating the gypsy tent.

      “Lily–indeed, a most beautiful name. Now tell me,” he stared pointedly at her hand, “I see no ring that another has claimed you as his, so my confidence is strengthened. Look at your cards again, milady, and tell me if you see me in your future.”

      She gasped, raising a hand to her throat in mock distress. “You tease me unmercifully, my lord,” she said with a demure smile.

      Ian’s voice was grave. “I do not tease,” he said,. “It would do me great honor if you would allow me to call upon you for perhaps…for…em…oh, bloody hell, what’s medieval for taking you out to dinner?” His eyes flashed with mischief and she burst into laughter, clapping a hand to her mouth.

      He grinned broadly at her reaction. “Does that mean you’ll go? I’m told I can be quite entertaining on occasion.”

      Before Lily could reconsider, she blurted out “I’d love to” then sat back and marveled at her audacity. She looked around for pen and paper to give him her number and panicked when she saw none. “I need something to write on…” she began.

      “I’ve got it,” he said, pulling out his cell phone to type in her name and number. “Not quite historically correct, but necessary, I’m afraid.”

      “I have the same phone,” she said.

      “I have excellent taste.” The smile he gave her made her melt inside. “Well, then…I fear I’ve taken up enough of your time this evening, so I’ll look forward to speaking with you soon.” he said, rising from the table. He turned to leave, but Lily stopped him with a tentative touch on his arm.

      “Wait,” she said. “How did you know? About my hair color, I mean.”

      With a mysterious smile Ian replied, “Mayhap you are not the only one with the sight, my dear.” She tilted her head expectantly at him and after a moment, he lifted one shoulder in a careless shrug. “Your eyebrows.”

      Flustered, Lily lifted a hand to her brow and heard him chuckling as he vanished into the crowd.

      * * * *

      “So where are you going for dinner?” Beth asked with unbridled glee.

      “He said he’d call. That’s all the info I have,” Lily said for at least the fifth time, her face blazing as she tried to hide her smile.

      “You actually pulled the Queen of Cups as the first card? And then the Ace of Cups and Eight of Wands? Are you sure you didn’t stack the deck?” Beth waggled her eyebrows in mock accusation. “So did you come right out and tell him you’re the queen and he’s going to fall head over heels in love with you?”

      Lily gave a deliberate snort. “I’m not even going to dignify that with a response.”

      Pausing in mid-gloat, an uncertain look crossed Beth’s face. “Wait…what about Lucas?”

      “Lucas…” Lily tapped her chin. “Maybe I’ll just let Bella decide.”

      Beth raised her eyes heavenward and folded her hands in prayer. “Please, oh please let Prince Charming be a cat lover.” Giving Lily a sidelong glance she said, “You were serious, right?”

      Lily sighed. “It doesn’t matter anyway. I’m only up to the I’ll call you phase so it’s still just a dream except now I’m awake. Besides,” she added, thinking about her handsome new acquaintance, “he probably won’t call. My luck just isn’t that good.”

      The rest of the evening flew by and worn out from the excitement, Lily readied for bed as soon as she got home. Undressing, she pulled her cell phone from her skirt pocket and saw she had missed a call. In her haste, it took several tries to retrieve her voicemail but when she finally reached her message, her heart skipped a beat at the lilting voice.

      “Hello, Lily, this is Ian Kelly. It was a pleasure meeting you and I wish you the sweetest of dreams this evening. We’ll talk soon.”

      She replayed the message over and over, and her last thought before falling asleep was that first thing in the morning she needed to buy a lotto ticket in honor of her improving luck.

      * * * *

      When Lily awoke Monday morning, the very first thing she did was listen to Ian’s message again before she even got out of bed. She stretched languidly and pulled her card for the day, the Six of Cups. Someone from my past, happy memories, she thought. Her gaze landed on the picture still lying face-down on the nightstand and a wave of guilt made her flinch. “I have no reason to feel guilty,” she reassured herself, “I’ve made no commitments to Lucas.” She rose at once and took the picture to the living room, settling it on the bookcase. Chewing her lower lip in indecision, she laid it face-down then turned to find Bella perched on the back of the couch. The cat’s mouth opened wide and she hacked as if dislodging a particularly stubborn hairball.

      Lily burst into laughter. “Your opinion has been duly noted,” she said.

      The office buzzed with the latest news–another woman had been found in the river, not far from the first. The other two ladies in the office, middle-aged Janice and twenty-something Irena, could talk of nothing else. Captivated by the events of yesterday and the possibility of what lay ahead, Lily only half-listened to the whispered conversations and called several times to hear the deep, sensual voice in her saved messages. It was a day of pure futility as she steeled herself not to think about it, but sat perched atop pins and needles waiting for her phone to ring again.

      Later in the evening the call finally came. Trying her best to maintain both composure and dignity, Lily scrambled across the couch to answer it, knocking over a bottle of spring water and startling Bella СКАЧАТЬ