The Legacy of Buchanan's Crossing Read Online Free Page A

yourself bodily harm. Besides, you’ll have my neck stiff from looking up.”
    Her smile wasn’t the only thing Cayden had inherited from Gran. She’d been the somewhat less fortunate recipient of her wild hair and vertically-challenged body, too. Except while Cayden was more than generously padded, Gran had none at all. When ponchos had made their brief reappearance on the fashion scene, Cayden had forbidden Gran to wear the one she’d woven herself, afraid if the wind kicked up hard no one would ever see Aileen Buchanan again.
    Cayden sat down on the faded sofa, unlaced her boots, inhaled deeply, and unleashed a long sigh. She was with Gran now. Everything would be all right.
    “‘Tis good to see you too, Cayden darling. I don’t mind saying, though, it’s awfully early in the day for such a sigh as that.” Beneath her thick round glasses, through the folds of her skin, one of Gran’s blue eyes winked. The uninitiated would never know that combined, those two eyes could pierce any defense. Her gnarled fingers reached out to brush a lock of Cayden’s hair, coming back with a red flower she’d plucked from it.
    “Such lovely things, columbines.”
    “Gran—”
    “Whatever it is, my darling, you can be sure the story’s best told over a nice cup of tea after a good breakfast.”
    “But—”
    Gran was already on her way to the kitchen when Cayden heard the growling meow. No matter how many times she’d heard it, it still made her jump.
    Not bothering to look behind her, Gran said, “Will you be joining us then, Rob Roy?”
    Cayden glanced down at the orange tabby who was Gran’s familiar, not even tempted to try to pet him. The old tom had been around as long as she could remember. He was big enough to eat a small terrier and mean enough to back down a Rottweiler. She’d barely prevented the former on one occasion, wisely stayed out of his way on the other. He glared up at her through his one good eye, flattened his ragged ears, and hissed. Then he turned in a graceful pirouette and sauntered into the kitchen after Gran, holding his crooked tail high.
    Cayden grabbed her backpack and followed at a respectful distance. She thumped it down on the wooden bench and pulled out a couple of fresh tomatoes she’d bought at the early market by the train station. The rest of the groceries could wait.
    She handed them to Gran. “Would you like to fry these with the eggs and rasher?”
    Gran held them under the soft yellow light over the sink. “Smooth as a baby’s behind, and no worse for having cushioned yours when you took that tumble in the ditch.”
    “How did you know?”
    “Could be I should have spelled the bag against mud and the blood of columbines, too. I know I’d have spelled that wee excuse of a skirt, if I were you.”
    Cayden reached behind her, patting her fat butt and felt a rip up the seam running just beneath her hand. Drat .
    “You know I can’t cast spells.”
    “True, your magic is other. ’Tis also far stronger than you guess. Yet surely you know enough to keep yourself out of the ditch.”
    “I thought you didn’t want to hear about it until after breakfast.”
    “And quite a tale it’ll be, I’m sure. Seems only last year you’d come rushing in, full of tears and fire. My wee wild warrior princess, breathless with the tale of some battle.” She turned her eyes to the backpack on the floor. “But no, it’s near ten years come and gone since you started making your own way in the world, and that old sack still guards its contents like they were its own heart.”
    “It was the best graduation present ever.” On an impulse, Cayden jumped up to hug her close. “Oh, Gran, I love you so much.”
    “There, there now, darling.” Gran patted her back. “It can’t be as bad as all that. We’ll sort it out, you and I, like always. After breakfast.”
    Cayden clung tighter to Gran, wanting more than anything to hold onto this moment forever. Her whole life, Gran had seemed so