Page 12 of Enchant the Dawn

“Lovely day, isn’t it?” the woman remarked.

“Yes, very.”

“I don’t suppose you’d sit a spell and keep a lonely old lady company?”

Maddy hesitated only a moment before sitting beside her.

The woman smiled again. “I’m Ava.”

“Maddy.”

“Nice to meet you, dear.”

“You too. I’m sorry you’re lonely.”

Ava shrugged one shoulder. “At my age, it’s to be expected, I suppose. Children grow up and move away. After a certain age, visiting Grandma isn’t as exciting as it once was. They’d rather be on their phones with their friends.”

Maddy felt a twinge of guilt. She hadn’t seen her grandparents in several months. Of course, they lived clear across the country, so it wasn’t as if she could just drop in and say hello. But there was no excuse for not calling. Or shooting off a quick text.

“You must have plenty of company,” Ava said. “Especially young men.”

“Not really.”

“No? A pretty girl like you? I don’t believe it.”

Maddy sat back, completely at ease in the woman’s company. “I was dating a guy about nine months ago, but it didn’t work out. There was just no spark between us, and he didn’t really want a wife. Just someone to clean his house and do his laundry.”

“You’re better off without that one,” Ava said solemnly.

“I agree.”

“I’m sure you’ll meet someone.”

“Actually, I did. Just the other day.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

“He’s gorgeous and polite and seems really nice. We went out to dinner together.”

“Are you going to see him again?”

“I don’t know. I hope so.”

“Give me your hand.”

“What?”

“I’m going to tell your fortune.”

“I don’t believe in that sort of thing.”

“No matter.” Ava reached for her hand and turned it palm up. She studied it for several minutes. “Your young man will call on you again. You will learn things about him that you may find hard to understand, perhaps even a little frightening, but he will never hurt you. He will protect you from harm.”

A chill ran down Maddy’s spine. “He . . . he already did that. A man broke into my house a couple of nights ago and he rescued me.”

Ava nodded. “He will always do so.” She paused a moment, then said, “You will have a very long life. And one day, you will have a son. Perhaps more than one. Happiness will be yours,” Ava said. “If you are brave enough to reach for it.”

Maddy stared at her. There was no way Ava could see her future, and yet she spoke with such certainty, it was hard to dismiss her predictions.

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