beginning wispy traces of winter in the air, after the harvest months when our family and friends from the farms in the village can attend. The magistrate recites the wedding vows, and we say our part. I am wearing the ring my new husband has given me, and he is wearing mine. Rings are not a popular tradition at this time, and many where we live believe adorning oneself in any way is vain and sinful. Still, my new father-in-law has bought the thin bands for us because he wants all to see that his son and I are connected to one another forever.
“The round bands represent eternity,” my new father-in-law says, “and your love will span eternity.” His eyes are brimming with joy for his son and me. I think my new father-in-law is not only rich but also kind. I can see where my husband’s empathy has come from.
“I shall never leave you ever,” I say to my husband. He promises me the same.
I look at him and know he is generous and loving. I know that he would do anything for me, this day and always. I am blessed.
CHAPTER 6
James heard Jennifer’s high-heeled footsteps tip-tap down the hall. Without knocking, she walked into his office, flipped on the lights, and closed the door behind her. He didn’t look up, his pen poised over his notebook, his eyes glued to his book.
“Good evening, Professor. Haven’t seen you in a few nights.”
“Been busy. Midterms coming up, you know.”
“You always have an excuse. You need to get out more.”
He leaned his head against his chair. “People have been saying that a lot to me lately.”
“It’s true. You wall yourself off like you’re a leper or something.”
“Leper?” He mused over the word. “I never thought of it like that, though I suppose it’s not far from the truth.”
“You’re not contagious.”
“I can be.”
Jennifer walked behind his chair and put her hands on his shoulders.
“Fishing for husband number three, I see.” He smiled, somewhere between amused and perturbed, as he shrugged out from under her touch.
“As a matter of fact I am. Are you biting?”
“Me bite? I don’t bite, remember? Besides, I’m too old for you.”
“I’m thirty-four, so I’m older than you.”
“That’s a matter for debate.”
She watched as he pulled his wire-frame eyeglasses from his shirt pocket, and she laughed when he put them on.
“Still going for the Clark Kent/Superman look, I see. I like it. It’s sexy.”
“Actually, I was going for the Professor Henry Jones/Indiana Jones look. I thought it was more appropriate.”
James looked out the window at the heavy night sky, smelling the storm dropping from the east. The dark clouds matched his somber mood and he welcomed the rain. “Thanks for helping me find Amy,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do after Drew moved away. It’s been too long—I can’t go back to doing things the old-fashioned way now.”
“You and my family have known each other too long and you have done too much for us. You know we’ll help you however we can.”
“Your family helped me first. You always leave out that part of the story.”
“We’re just glad you’re back in Salem. You’ve been away too long.”
James still stared outside, lost somewhere in his thoughts. “Are you sure we can trust her?” he asked. “Amy, I mean. I know you wouldn’t have asked her if you didn’t think so, but you can never be too careful.”
“You worry too much, James. I’ve known her family a long time and she’s kept a lot of secrets for me. Her mother is in my coven. Everything is going to be fine.”
Outside the raindrops splattered the window in a pattern of blots like a Rorschach test. He smiled when he realized the pattern he saw was long curls and full lips. Jennifer stood silently, leaning her hip against his desk, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him.
He looked at the time on his cell phone and saw he had five
“The round bands represent eternity,” my new father-in-law says, “and your love will span eternity.” His eyes are brimming with joy for his son and me. I think my new father-in-law is not only rich but also kind. I can see where my husband’s empathy has come from.
“I shall never leave you ever,” I say to my husband. He promises me the same.
I look at him and know he is generous and loving. I know that he would do anything for me, this day and always. I am blessed.
CHAPTER 6
James heard Jennifer’s high-heeled footsteps tip-tap down the hall. Without knocking, she walked into his office, flipped on the lights, and closed the door behind her. He didn’t look up, his pen poised over his notebook, his eyes glued to his book.
“Good evening, Professor. Haven’t seen you in a few nights.”
“Been busy. Midterms coming up, you know.”
“You always have an excuse. You need to get out more.”
He leaned his head against his chair. “People have been saying that a lot to me lately.”
“It’s true. You wall yourself off like you’re a leper or something.”
“Leper?” He mused over the word. “I never thought of it like that, though I suppose it’s not far from the truth.”
“You’re not contagious.”
“I can be.”
Jennifer walked behind his chair and put her hands on his shoulders.
“Fishing for husband number three, I see.” He smiled, somewhere between amused and perturbed, as he shrugged out from under her touch.
“As a matter of fact I am. Are you biting?”
“Me bite? I don’t bite, remember? Besides, I’m too old for you.”
“I’m thirty-four, so I’m older than you.”
“That’s a matter for debate.”
She watched as he pulled his wire-frame eyeglasses from his shirt pocket, and she laughed when he put them on.
“Still going for the Clark Kent/Superman look, I see. I like it. It’s sexy.”
“Actually, I was going for the Professor Henry Jones/Indiana Jones look. I thought it was more appropriate.”
James looked out the window at the heavy night sky, smelling the storm dropping from the east. The dark clouds matched his somber mood and he welcomed the rain. “Thanks for helping me find Amy,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do after Drew moved away. It’s been too long—I can’t go back to doing things the old-fashioned way now.”
“You and my family have known each other too long and you have done too much for us. You know we’ll help you however we can.”
“Your family helped me first. You always leave out that part of the story.”
“We’re just glad you’re back in Salem. You’ve been away too long.”
James still stared outside, lost somewhere in his thoughts. “Are you sure we can trust her?” he asked. “Amy, I mean. I know you wouldn’t have asked her if you didn’t think so, but you can never be too careful.”
“You worry too much, James. I’ve known her family a long time and she’s kept a lot of secrets for me. Her mother is in my coven. Everything is going to be fine.”
Outside the raindrops splattered the window in a pattern of blots like a Rorschach test. He smiled when he realized the pattern he saw was long curls and full lips. Jennifer stood silently, leaning her hip against his desk, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched him.
He looked at the time on his cell phone and saw he had five
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