Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 325(@200wpm)___ 260(@250wpm)___ 217(@300wpm)
“I did as well,” Sarah added softly.
“Speaking of Heartmates,” Harmony said, a teasing glint in her eye, “how's that monster under your bed? I mean, you're still here so I guess he didn't eat you up last night.” She winked. “Or did he?”
My cheeks got hot at the memory of Shadow’s fingers buried inside me, his deep voice whispering praise about how good I was to take him so deep and how beautiful I looked when I was coming.
“He, uh, his name is Shadow,” I said, pressing a hand to my hot cheek.
“Oh my God—something happened with him, didn't it?” Harmony asked, grinning.
“Something spicy from the look on her face.” Sarah laughed.
“We…got to know each other,” I admitted. I was embarrassed, but not ashamed. They weren’t mocking me—just teasing a little.
Harmony and Sarah nudged each other and giggled.
“How exactly did you get to know each other?” Sarah asked with a smirk. “And please don't be embarrassed. The first time I invited my Heartmate, Rath, over to my house to talk, I accidentally brewed a lust potion and drank it and came on to him way too strong.”
“You never told me that story!” Harmony exclaimed. “How strong are we talking?”
“I climbed in his lap and stuck my boob in his mouth,” Sarah said dryly. “And I'd only met him the day before.”
We all burst out laughing. I relaxed and told them about the memory tea working and about how Shadow had protected me as a child—and how he’d remembered me all these years, even though I’d forgotten him.
“I guess he's been watching me all this time, wishing he could come back into my life but he's stuck here in the cottage—actually, he's stuck in the bedroom,” I said.
“Hmm, is there any way to get him out of there?” Sarah asked.
I shook my head.
“I don't know, but I wish I could find a way.” I felt myself blushing again. “I, um, really like him. A lot.”
Harmony smiled.
“I can see that you do. Hopefully you'll find a way.”
“I hope so too.” I cleared my throat. “All right, well we need to get on with this knitting lesson.” I spoke briskly, eager for a change of subject. What had happened between Shadow and me was still fresh and new…not something I wanted to share the intimate details of.
I handed out yarn and needles and the three of us settled on the plump denim couch, with me in the middle.
“Okay,” I said, holding up my needles, “We’re going to start with the long-tail cast-on. It gives a nice, stretchy edge.”
We worked slowly, and I guided them through how to make a slip knot, how to measure a tail of yarn about three times the width of their project, and how to hold the yarn the right way. There were a few tangles, a lot of laughter, and even more dropped stitches, but within an hour, both Harmony and Sarah had made progress on their first scarves—Harmony’s in royal blue, Sarah’s in lavender.
They were naturals, especially Sarah who picked knitting up very quickly.
“I want to learn more,” she said as Harmony stretched and said it was time to get going.
“Me too—when can we come back?” Harmony asked.
“Well, anytime is good for me,” I said. “It's not like I have a job.”
“You should open a knitting shop,” Sarah told me. “Your living room is big enough—you could have classes every night if you wanted to.”
“You know, that's always been a dream of mine,” I confessed. “But the overhead…” I shook my head.
To open a real knitting shop, I’d need so much more—needles in every size and type—circular, straight, double-pointed. Yarn of every fiber and weight—wool, cotton, alpaca, acrylic blends. Stitch markers, darning needles, project bags, a ball winder, books and patterns…the list went on and on.
I’d also need a little counter for payments—some kind of register to hold money, since they didn’t seem to have credit cards here in Hidden Hollow. Maybe even a small coffee and tea nook to hold a Keurig machine and a tea pot with lots of mugs and plenty of cookies for the cozy vibes.
It sounded impossible. How could I get all those things when I had no money at all?
“No,” I said, shaking my head reluctantly. “I’d need too many things I don’t have and don’t have any way to get in order to start my own shop.”
“What about the Wishing Tree?” Harmony asked.
“The what?” I frowned.
“The Wishing Tree—I’ve heard it grants wishes on the night before All Hallows Eve. It’s supposedly right outside the town limits. You walk outside the magic bubble and wish to see it, and there it is. Then you tell it what you want and it’s supposed to grant your wish.”
Sarah frowned.
“I don’t know if that’s safe—there’s a reason we all stay inside the magic bubble. Some dark Creatures live out there, beyond the town’s boarders.”