~
“The shower’s spitting out brown water … again!” Dorothy announced as she walked into the breakfast room and headed towards the table by the window for her morning brew and a full English breakfast that she heartily tucked away every day.
Angela eyed her over her coffee cup. It was true to say that the woman was showing a new lust for life, even in the way that she moved around since they’d got to the Inn there had been a marked improvement.
There was magic in the air, and Angela liked the feel of the place. It felt like home – all welcoming and full of promise for each new day, and they might have only been there for a little under a week, but everything felt better – even her hip wasn’t grating as much as it used to.
Things looked brighter, and colours seemed more vivid. Smells held more appeal and were crisper, the way that they used to be when she was younger, and well before the smell of disinfectant clogged her nose and lingered while she was eating.
“I think it doesn’t like you,” Angela said, returning her coffee cup to the coaster on the fresh, clean linen table cloth that Sarah replenished every day from the stock that she’d found and laundered.
The place really did have a homely feel about it. Like it wanted to be lived in, as if it needed to breathe in the life inside of it, and give back. There was definitely magic in those walls, and little doubt considering its occupants over the years.
Sarah’s family had built it way back when and had always lived there. Admittedly, it was an Aunt on her father’s side of the family, who hadn’t had children of her own and had left the place to Sarah when she’d died, but, it was still a family connection.
Witches one and all. It felt like they still lived there.
“How can a shower not like me?” Dorothy sighed and rolled her eyes. “I think you’re going senile.”
“I think you should both eat up; we’ve got plans to make,” Sarah announced as she stalked into the room with a fully loaded plate in each hand and served them their breakfast.
“Ooh, yummy.” Dorothy eyed the food with glee; she had found that shiny thing that had snatched her attention away from what she was saying.
It wasn’t just a new lease on life that the woman had. Her appetite had increased tenfold.
“I think you’re already senile, so we make a great team,” Angela snorted.
“I think you should shut your yaps,” Dorothy offered back with something of a smug smile as she eagerly snatched up her knife and fork – more than ready to dive into her breakfast.
“I think I should have left you with the prison warden and made my break for it.”
“Ladies, please,” Sarah said as she walked back into the room carrying a rack of toast and her mug of coffee. She placed the rack down on the table and went to put her mug on the table cloth.
“Coaster…” Angela said; flicking her wrist and using her magic to shoot one across the table right under Sarah’s mug.
“Thanks,” Sarah said, parking her backside down in the chair and reaching for a slice of toast.
“You’re welcome,” Angela smiled. “You know, it feels good to use my magic again – openly that is. Although, it still feels a little rusty.”
“Much like your hip,” Dorothy offered back.
The light of amusement was in her pale blue eyes as she stared off against her friend.
“Have you taken your pills today?” Angela asked with a superior smile. “I like to hear you rattle when you walk; it’s much more civilised than a cowbell around your neck.”
“Ladies, please…” Sarah tried not to laugh at their antics because she found it only seemed to encourage them, but she already loved their company, and they certainly gave each other the runaround.
She’d been right. There was never a dull moment.
“Go ahead, dear … the cow is chewing her cud; you’ll have a moment or two before she swallows to get the words out.” Angela offered with a sweet smile.
Dorothy offered her a death glare, chewing faster, and then Angela jumped in her seat as the sting of the elder’s magic hit her on the backside.
“You did not just…” Angela bit down on her annoyance and eyed the woman right back.
Dorothy swallowed down hard.
“Perish the thought.” The elder said, not really trying to look innocent of her crimes while Angela chewed on an invisible wasp.
“I’ll call the local plumber to sort out the shower. I found a number in some of Aunt Chloe’s things. We’ll sort out that brown water in no time,” Sarah said; trying to distract the witches.
She lifted a pen and made a note of it on the little pad that she carried around with her everywhere – she was getting quite a list of things that needed to be done.
“Zap me again and see what it gets you,” Angela said, eyeing the woman over the rim of her cup.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dorothy offered; this time she’d said it as innocently as she could.
Dorothy huffed before she turned her attention back towards Sarah.
“Would you like me to do that, dear?” She asked, and Sarah looked like a goldfish for a long moment.
“If you don’t mind.” She shrugged.
“Of course not. I like to be useful…”
“It’s been a while,” Dorothy muttered, and Angela ignored her.
“And you did take us in,” Angela reminded Dorothy; while berating her with her eyes.
“Yes, you did,” Dorothy smiled.
“I told you last night – I like having you here.” Sarah meant every word.
She actually hated the thought that they might decide to up and leave. Or maybe someone from the care home might track them down.
“And we like being here,” Dorothy assured her.
“More than you can imagine,” Angela agreed.
“Good. Settled then. You’re staying … right?” Sarah eyed one and then the other. Both witches had satisfied little grins on their lips, and their eyes sparkled with happiness.
“Right!” Angela said first.
“Definitely!” Dorothy agreed.
~
~
~
“Do you see what I see?” Dorothy asked as she craned her neck to get a better look at the young man that had turned up to fix the shower.
Both women sat in the shade of the large rowan tree, not that it offered a lot of shade, but they didn’t want to be out in the glaring sunshine and get even more wrinkles from squinting too much and for too long.
“I still have my eyesight … thank the Goddess,” Angela shot back as she too craned her head on her neck, moving it this way and that as she tried to take the whole of him in.
He was one big muscle man. Good looking too and both ladies enjoyed what they saw.
With his broad shoulders and arms the size of Popeye, well, not quite Popeye, he was something to behold. It had been a while since either of them had seen such a perfect specimen of mankind.
“He’s … perfect…” Dorothy said grinning.
“You’re drooling …!” Angela berated her. “And he could be your grandson.”
“I think I’d remember giving birth to a child,” Dorothy tossed back, looking a little sheepish. Angela twisted her head on her neck and looked at the woman as if she’d just popped out a set of false teeth and dropped them in her lemon water. “For Sarah, you old lush … have you been on the booze again?”
“No, I leave that to you,” Angela shot back and turned to watch the sexy plumber man climb the steps towards the front porch of the Inn.
“Oh, yummy – back in my day I could have covered him in melted chocolate and licked him from head to toe…” Dorothy offered, and Angela put her hand to her chest and groaned.
“I think I vomited a little in my mouth.” She pulled a disgusted face. “Can you not say things like that, because it makes my mind shiver and want to shrivel into senility, just so that I never have to think about it again?”
“Party pooper,” Dorothy hissed.
“Tramp,” Angela offered back.
Both women stood as one when the man walked out of sight towards the front door.
“Race you around the bush to get a better view,” Dorothy said with a teasing smile.
“My hip says bite me,” Angela tossed back.
“You’re too old to say bite me,” Dorothy berated her.
“You’re never too old for anything much, and if you think you are, then you’ve already lost your zeal for life,” Angela said, quick to move off to a better location.
“True…” Dorothy said, before she realised that the witch had gone without her.
His Mate – Seniors can be found on Amazon, and a box set of the first three books is available.
Happy Reading!