tea did nothing
to help. Outside, dark rain clouds added to her gloom. Where was
the sun when she really needed it?
Somehow at work she got though the long
morning. Just before eleven, Tracy Bolin and her mother came into
the reading room. Tracy waved to Cassie, and she waved back before
returning to the Hornbook and the Library Journal book reviews.
At eleven-thirty, Cassie put away her work
and left for lunch. The weather had cleared and the bright sun made
her don her sunglasses. Luck was with her, and she had no trouble
finding a parking place only a block away from Tula’s Tea Room.
Kinesha, Tula’s waitress, greeted Cassie and
seated her. “How yo’ doing today, Cassie? Nice day out there.”
Pretty and plump, Kinesha’s warm smile, brilliant against her brown
skin, lifted Cassie’s spirits.
“It is now with the rain’s gone. I’ll have
the avocado sandwich and a pot of tea. Please tell Tula I’d like to
see her when she has a minute.”
“You got it.” Kinesha hurried off in answer
to the bell as two more customers entered.
Cassie sat at her usual table near the
kitchen. A few minutes later, Tula came out with a tray, a red pot
of Tula’s Special, two cups, and Cassie’s avocado and sprout
sandwich. Tula unloaded the tray and poured tea for each of
them.
“I think you’re right about getting a social
life.” Cassie smiled at her friend. “The celibate life is getting
to me.”
Grinning, Tula raised her cup and sipped the
steaming tea. “Good, then you can meet my new friend.” Her eyes
sparkled over the rim of her cup.
“New friend? As in male?” Cassie teased.
Willowy and striking, Tula met, dated, and discarded men with
almost boring regularity. “How long will this one last?”
“Umm, not sure about that. He has... Let’s
say he has distinct possibilities.”
“Seems you said that last time. You can
introduce me on Friday.” Cassie grinned at her.
“You’ll come then?”
“I guess so. Anyway, I found out the name of
the dream man.”
“Oh?” Tula paused in refilling her cup to
study Cassie’s face.
“Ian McLeod, an up-and-coming young
businessman.”
“Married?” The familiar smell of cloves and
mint filled the air.
“Uh,” Cassie stirred her tea in a figure
eight, “I don’t think so, but he’s probably got a girlfriend. All
the good ones do.”
“So?” Tula leaned forward, an avid gleam in
her amber eyes. “He’s a good one? What are you going to do about
him?”
“Nothing.” Cassie stared down at the steaming
surface of the tea.
“Come on, Cassie, why not?”
She looked up at her friend. “What in the
hell could I say to him? A rabbit wants to kill you?” She shook her
head. “He’d never believe it. I’m not sure I believe it.”
Leaning back, Tula grinned and touched the
rays of the sun pendant. “It sounds strange, but you know the
rabbit stands for something or someone. You just have to figure out
what.”
Cassie nodded. “Yeah, but I haven’t made much
progress so far.”
“You are going to tell him.” Tula made it a
statement, not a question as she rubbed her pendant.
“I don’t know.”
Tula sighed and shook her head. “Then if
something happens to him, how will you feel?”
“Lousy, but what can I tell him?”
Shrugging her eloquent shoulders, Tula sipped
her tea and then set the cup down. “I don’t know, but you have to
warn him. You had a bad enough time over the Latham child. I know
you don’t want to repeat that.”
Cassie froze, her cup halfway to her mouth.
The new dreams brought back all the old pain and guilt. She hadn’t
listened to those visions until too late. She had let Rod’s
scoffing keep her from acting. Ellie Latham had died, and she had
been responsible for the child’s death. Cassie couldn’t bear the
thought of being responsible for another death. That Tula put it
into words only made it worse. Cassie set the cup down with a
thunk.
Taking Cassie’s hand in both of hers, Tula
squeezed
to help. Outside, dark rain clouds added to her gloom. Where was
the sun when she really needed it?
Somehow at work she got though the long
morning. Just before eleven, Tracy Bolin and her mother came into
the reading room. Tracy waved to Cassie, and she waved back before
returning to the Hornbook and the Library Journal book reviews.
At eleven-thirty, Cassie put away her work
and left for lunch. The weather had cleared and the bright sun made
her don her sunglasses. Luck was with her, and she had no trouble
finding a parking place only a block away from Tula’s Tea Room.
Kinesha, Tula’s waitress, greeted Cassie and
seated her. “How yo’ doing today, Cassie? Nice day out there.”
Pretty and plump, Kinesha’s warm smile, brilliant against her brown
skin, lifted Cassie’s spirits.
“It is now with the rain’s gone. I’ll have
the avocado sandwich and a pot of tea. Please tell Tula I’d like to
see her when she has a minute.”
“You got it.” Kinesha hurried off in answer
to the bell as two more customers entered.
Cassie sat at her usual table near the
kitchen. A few minutes later, Tula came out with a tray, a red pot
of Tula’s Special, two cups, and Cassie’s avocado and sprout
sandwich. Tula unloaded the tray and poured tea for each of
them.
“I think you’re right about getting a social
life.” Cassie smiled at her friend. “The celibate life is getting
to me.”
Grinning, Tula raised her cup and sipped the
steaming tea. “Good, then you can meet my new friend.” Her eyes
sparkled over the rim of her cup.
“New friend? As in male?” Cassie teased.
Willowy and striking, Tula met, dated, and discarded men with
almost boring regularity. “How long will this one last?”
“Umm, not sure about that. He has... Let’s
say he has distinct possibilities.”
“Seems you said that last time. You can
introduce me on Friday.” Cassie grinned at her.
“You’ll come then?”
“I guess so. Anyway, I found out the name of
the dream man.”
“Oh?” Tula paused in refilling her cup to
study Cassie’s face.
“Ian McLeod, an up-and-coming young
businessman.”
“Married?” The familiar smell of cloves and
mint filled the air.
“Uh,” Cassie stirred her tea in a figure
eight, “I don’t think so, but he’s probably got a girlfriend. All
the good ones do.”
“So?” Tula leaned forward, an avid gleam in
her amber eyes. “He’s a good one? What are you going to do about
him?”
“Nothing.” Cassie stared down at the steaming
surface of the tea.
“Come on, Cassie, why not?”
She looked up at her friend. “What in the
hell could I say to him? A rabbit wants to kill you?” She shook her
head. “He’d never believe it. I’m not sure I believe it.”
Leaning back, Tula grinned and touched the
rays of the sun pendant. “It sounds strange, but you know the
rabbit stands for something or someone. You just have to figure out
what.”
Cassie nodded. “Yeah, but I haven’t made much
progress so far.”
“You are going to tell him.” Tula made it a
statement, not a question as she rubbed her pendant.
“I don’t know.”
Tula sighed and shook her head. “Then if
something happens to him, how will you feel?”
“Lousy, but what can I tell him?”
Shrugging her eloquent shoulders, Tula sipped
her tea and then set the cup down. “I don’t know, but you have to
warn him. You had a bad enough time over the Latham child. I know
you don’t want to repeat that.”
Cassie froze, her cup halfway to her mouth.
The new dreams brought back all the old pain and guilt. She hadn’t
listened to those visions until too late. She had let Rod’s
scoffing keep her from acting. Ellie Latham had died, and she had
been responsible for the child’s death. Cassie couldn’t bear the
thought of being responsible for another death. That Tula put it
into words only made it worse. Cassie set the cup down with a
thunk.
Taking Cassie’s hand in both of hers, Tula
squeezed
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