Heartwishes (Edilean 5)

S

he was glad for the quiet after the long day. She picked up her canvas reading bag, put her cell phone and a box of letters dated 1775 in it, and went outside to read.

She was still searching for Winnie, still trying to find out more about the Heartwishes Stone. One thing she’d decided was that she would not make her dissertation about the Stone. Seeing the way the people of Edilean were so fascinated with the idea of being granted wishes, with everyone thinking what they’d wish for, made Gemma see the Stone as dangerous. What if the story of Nell’s wish coming true got out? No amount of telling people that everything that happened was just a coincidence would stop what could become a stampede. People would descend on little Edilean in massive numbers—or on the Fraziers.

Gemma didn’t like to imagine all the things that could happen if the world heard about a Stone that could grant wishes.

To not make the Stone the basis of her dissertation wasn’t an easy decision for her. A paper on an unusual subject that was backed up by facts could get her a very good grade—and that would help her get an excellent job.

But it wasn’t worth it, she thought. A good grade, even a great job wasn’t worth the risk. Besides, she’d rather get the job on her own merits, not because she’d started a riot.

She was in bed by ten. At midnight, she was awakened by her phone buzzing. It was a text message from Colin asking if she’d help him buy furniture for his new house. She knew what he meant, but she couldn’t help texting,

The stores are closed now. Go to bed.

He texted back.

Funny. Meet me at Fresh Market at 9 a.m. tomorrow?

Will be there.

she wrote back and turned off her phone.

This morning after she’d eaten, she took some time deciding what to wear. Was this to be considered their first date? she wondered. Were they going to one of those splendid furniture stores where everything cost a lot, or to one of those warehouses with no heating or cooling?

She had her hand on her only silk blouse when she thought that Mrs. Frazier and Jean would go to the classy place. Colin was a warehouse-type man. She put on jeans and a pink linen shirt.

When she got to the grocery—she’d used MapQuest to find it—she didn’t see Colin. When he stepped out of a big black pickup truck, she smiled. “I guess the Fraziers change vehicles often.”

“What?” Colin asked. “Oh, yeah, sure. You ready to go? I have drinks in the cab.”

He got in the driver’s side, leaving Gemma to get in by herself. She had to step up high to get in. There was a gym bag on the floor and his hair was wet. It looked like he’d worked out this morning. She wished he’d invited her, but from the bleak expression he was wearing, maybe he’d needed to be alone. It was obvious that something was bothering him.

Colin started the big truck and pulled onto the road. “It’ll take over an hour to get to the store. Hope that’s okay.”

She said it was, but then they were silent. After about ten minutes, Gemma couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you one of those men who wants a woman to beg him to tell her what’s wrong?”

He glanced at her. “What does that mean?”

“You know, the man sighs loud enough to blow magazines off the coffee table, she asks what’s wrong, he says nothing is, and it goes from there. It can take hours to get him to tell her that he’s angry about something his boss did.”

“That’s not me,” Colin said. “At least not usually. But tell me, if a man’s that much trouble, why does she bother trying to get him to tell her what’s wrong?”

Gemma threw up her hands. “Survival! He won’t leave her alone until she does drag it out of him, that’s why! He won’t let her read, watch TV, talk on the phone, nothing until he’s told her whatever he’s fretting about.”

Colin raised an eyebrow. “Last boyfriend?”

“Last two boyfriends!”

“All right, I won’t be number three. Jean and I had it out yesterday, and the things she said are still bothering me.”

Gemma waited for him to continue, but he said nothing. “So you are one of those men who needs to be coaxed?”

“I’m trying to figure out where to begin.”

“That’s my problem too,” she said. “I want to know about the Heartwishes Stone, but I think I need to go back to the beginning, to the first Frazier who came to the U.S.”

“Was that a subtle way to tell me to start at the beginning?”