Chapter 2

Gretna

“What’s in Canada?” Jack asked, frowning.

“Is that a serious question?” Alex retorted. “There’s a lot in Canada. We’re not going to the entire country, Jack, just to one small piece of it.”

He nodded. “Which small piece?”

“West coast, just north west of Vancouver.” She studied him, her expression one of fond exasperation. “Jack, please, listen to me. This is not work. It is not a test. It’s a vacation. Please .. relax.”

Jack stared out the window. Below him was an indistinguishable expanse of brown glimpsed briefly thru a lacy veil of white cloud. The plane had been thirty minutes late taking off because one passenger hadn’t checked in on time. It wasn’t a long flight – a few hours, nothing more but he didn’t mind flying. He quite liked it. There was something about .. escaping which struck a chord deep inside. He said nothing more but continued to shift restlessly.

“Jack, what is it?” Alex asked, her voice patient.

“Alex, don’t take this the wrong way .. an’ the way I say it, you probably will, but .. why me? I have dreamed of this for so long that, now it’s happening, I can’t quite believe it. Will you pinch me?”

“No, I won’t.”

“Please,” he begged. “Just so I know it’s real.”

Sighing, Alex pinched his forearm.

“Thank you.” He settled a little. “So, why me, Alex? Why on earth did you choose me as your vacation friend?”

“Because I like you, Jack,” she replied. “I like spending time with you. Because … ” She shrugged and laughed. “Because you distract me yet keep me grounded. You talk way too much but you make me think. You give me another perspective. And, most of the time, you’re fun.”

She waited for his reaction. There wasn’t one. At least, not a spoken one. Jack gazed at her, his eyes wide with surprise. He was speechless and Alex was charmed. If she’d known that telling him the truth would have had this effect, she would have done it years ago.

Eventually, Jack flushed scarlet and looked away. “I .. I never knew. I never even suspected.”

She squeezed his hand. “Jack, you came into my life and turned it upside down. You were a major pain in the ass but .. I don’t know, there was some kind of innocence in you which got to me. And that is why I asked you to come with me on vacation. I hope you enjoy it as much as I will.”

He nodded slowly, his brow creased in a puzzled frown. “When was I a major pain in the ass? I don’t remember that.”

Alex shrugged. “Probably it was nothing to you but it was for me. Don’t worry about it. What counts is now. And .. I know I said it isn’t work and, strictly speaking, it isn’t but .. I will be doing some exercises. I think you should too.”

“Are you saying I’m outta shape?” he asked. “Sure, I could lose a few pounds, I guess. Is it a health spa?”

“Not exactly,” Alex replied. “It’s a more a health spa for the mind.”

“Oh … Right. One of those hippie meditation places. Everyone sits on a rug, staring at nothing, an’ saying ‘ommm’ a lot.”

She laughed. “You’ll see when you get there.”

*****

They got on the road during the late lunch time traffic. Alex drove; Jack leaned back, closed his eyes, and slept. She was cheered by how green everything was. The last time she’d made this journey, it had been December and the countryside had been bare limbed trees, snow, and gritted roads. Now, it was late spring, poised for the leap into summer. The sky was blue, hardly a cloud in sight, it was warm and birds were singing. Alex felt her nerves relax, her muscles unwind, all the problems of day to day life in the Legacy slip away. She wasn’t sure how long she’d stay in Gretna but she had promised herself at least a week. It depended on Jack’s reaction to the place. Even if he decided not to take part in some of the mental exercises, there was still a lot he could do. Walk the countryside and get back to nature. Maybe go fishing. Or he could stay in the cabin and catch up on his sleep. Jack had a knack of talking to people which got them on his side. In the past he couldn’t remember, that knack had gotten him into trouble more than once. Trouble with the cops, trouble with the Legacy. But he couldn’t remember it. To him, it had never happened. Only Alex knew the truth of why that was, and she would never say. But he would find something to do in Gretna, she was sure. She hoped he would learn to stretch his gift. She hoped the Gretna experience would settle him, calm him, make him a new man.

Jack snuffled and shifted, and opened his eyes. “Did I fall asleep?” he yawned, sitting up.

“Yeah, but you had an early start today so I understand.”

“Wow .. this isn’t at all how I imagined Canada to be. I thought .. mountains, lakes, glaciers. The occasional city in between a whole lot of wide open space. But it’s really green.”

“It wasn’t, last time I was here.”

“When was that?” he asked.

“December, two years ago.”

“You came here in December?” he exclaimed, swiveling to stare at her. “What are you? Crazy? It must have been .. twenty below!”

“More than that, I think,” she agreed. “But .. I just had to come. I’d read so much about this place – ”

“Canada?” he queried.

“The place we’re going,” Alex corrected, amused. “There were so many questions to be asked that .. Derek let me do a fieldtrip. He came with me, because he needed time out, but we both got dragged in. And then .. well, the others had to come find us an’ it got a little nasty but, now, I’m going back.”

“A little nasty,” Jack repeated. “How little is a little?”

“Jack, it’s in the past. All that matters is that I have a standing invitation to go back and I’m taking it.”

“Some hippie commune in the back of beyond.”

“No. A small community of artists and sculptors, very high tech in a very discreet kind of way.”

“Artists an’ sculptors. We’re gonna do painting?” he ventured.

“Throwing pots. Painting. Weaving. Carpentry. They built the whole place themselves. They’re totally self sufficient. The cabins are beautiful. The valley is beautiful.”

“Uh huh. An’ the people? Are they beautiful?”

“Are we talking actual, physical beauty?” Alex asked.

“We could be,” Jack hedged.

“They’re ordinary people. But they have a beautiful attitude. Well .. most of the time they do.”

He nodded. “So .. these outwardly ordinary, inwardly beautiful artists an’ sculptors .. who got just a little nasty, enough for you to call in reinforcements from San Francisco .. did what to bring you up here on a fieldtrip?”

Alex swung off the main highway onto the lesser road. “They’re different, Jack. Wait till you meet them. Then you’ll understand.”

*****

An hour later, Alex brought the rental car to a halt at the top of the valley. Jack leaned forward.

“Behold,” Alex invited. “Gretna.”

“It looks really … Did you say Gretna?”

She glanced at him. “Have you heard of it?”

“Alex .. you aren’t gonna propose to me, are you?” he swallowed. “Because .. I’m not ready for marriage. I do like you a whole lot but .. this is so sudden. I really need time to think this over.”

“Jack, you’re getting confused with Gretna Green in Scotland. This is Gretna. A community .. unlike any other.” She started down the road. “This is a vacation, not a honeymoon.”

“Thank God,” he muttered. “That didn’t come out as I meant.”

“It’s okay,” she laughed. “I’d never do that to you, or to anyone.”

Jack shrunk down, mortified. “I’m starting this all wrong. Maybe I should’ve stayed in Vegas.”

“C’mon,” Alex cajoled. “Give yourself a break. You know nothing about this place and the reason I never told you that it’s called Gretna was to avoid exactly that reaction. If I’d called you and said ‘Jack, will you come with me to Gretna?’, you’d still be in Las Vegas.”

“I guess. I just have to .. lighten up.” He sat up again. “It looks really pretty. Kinda isolated though.”

“For a reason,” Alex replied.

“What reason?”

“Don’t be so suspicious! You’ll find out. Jack, you will be welcome here. Trust me.”

Alex drove along Main Street and pulled up outside the general store. “Wait here,” she said. “I’ll go get the keys to the cabins and pick up some supplies.”

He nodded and watched her vanish into the store. There was a strange atmosphere to the place, he thought. Not antagonistic, more the opposite. He really did feel welcome, and that was rather unsettling because he knew nothing about Gretna nor its inhabitants .. beyond the fact that they were artists and sculptors. Complete strangers smiled at him as they strolled past. Jack smiled warily and nodded back at them.

Alex came out again, carrying brown paper grocery sacks and Jack hurried to help. She smiled hesitantly at him.

“There’s been a slight mix up,” she began. “When I asked if I could bring a friend, they assumed we’d be sharing. So it’s just the one cabin.” She blushed slightly. “Two bedrooms though.”

“That’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

Alex angled her head. “Are you okay?”
“I’m not sure. There’s .. something strange about this place, Alex. People are acting like they know me.”

“In a way .. they do,” she said. “And not because they’ve seen your show in Vegas. Let’s get settled in, some coffee on the go, and I’ll explain.”

They drove on to the end of the street, negotiated the slightly winding road at the end and then headed along the shady track which led to the cabins. Alex parked beside the first cabin, a large log building set beneath mature trees.

“Here we are. This is home for a few days,” she announced.

The first cabin. It was proof to her that, this time, she was welcome in Gretna. The last time, she’d been allocated the very last cabin on the trail.

Jack unlocked the door and warily pushed it open. “Wow … This is fantastic!”

Alex peered over his shoulder into the lounge. It was a large room with striped ethnic rugs on the floor, a bare stone hearth but with a pile of logs at the side, functional but comfortable furniture. Jack went in and she followed. Off to the right was a kitchen. From the lounge to the left was a doorless opening leading to a passage which, in turn, led to the two bedrooms and bathroom. Everywhere was bare, polished timber and ethnic prints, stripes, rather plain yet very tasteful.

“What a fabulous place,” Jack breathed. “It’s like .. being outside inside.”

He found the doors at the other end of the lounge and pushed them open. Outside was a broad deck with steps down to an area of neat lawn which faded into the green gloom of the trees. In the distance, there was the hint of sparkling water.

“An’ it’s so quiet, so still … ”

“I told you, Gretna is a community unlike any other,” she breathed.

“And you said you’d tell me why,” Jack reminded.

“Let me get the coffee on.”

He went to follow her into the kitchen then veered off to finish unloading the car. He brought in their bags and left them in the passage. They’d decide later which room would be used by him and which by her. For now, he had questions he couldn’t put into words.

Alex poured the coffee and returned to the lounge. Jack sat opposite her.

“Gretna first came to my attention a few years back,” she began. “Every so often, it would advertise on the internet, not for visitors but for people to come live here. The invitation wasn’t directed at everyone, only a very select few. People like us.”

“Investigators ..?” he hazarded.

“Psychics,” she amended. “Gretna is home to just about every kind of psychic. Telepaths, clairvoyants, telekineticists, healers, weather manipulators, you name it, they live here. That’s why, in a way, they do know you. They recognize that you have a gift. Now you know this place is here, any time you want to come back, you can. Time out where people genuinely understand what being psychic actually means. It’s .. very liberating. I’ve wanted to return for a long time, Jack. I want to explore my gift. Stretch it a little. See where it takes me. Here, I can do that. I want to try doing things I’ve never done before. Channeling, for instance. There’s a guy here called Noah; he paints for Picasso, Monet, Canaletto. Others, I’m sure, compose music. If you don’t want to try any of that, it’s okay. Just .. being here is relaxing.”

He nodded. “It is. Yeah, absolutely. I’d like to try some of that stuff. They run classes?”

“Not as such but we’d sit in with one of them, see what happens.”

“And .. if something goes wrong ..?”

“Jason, the community leader, is the town’s psychic healer. I’m going to see him tomorrow, say hello. You want to come along?”

“Yeah.” Jack sat back, frowning but in thought rather than uncertainty. “Y’know, Alex, I think I could live in a place like this.”

Alex felt a small thrill of alarm. “Jack, you’ve been here less than an hour. It’s a lovely place, yes, but .. think about the winter, think how much you’re a big city guy. You’d get bored, I know you would. See how you feel in a few days. A week.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay.”

*****

As the sun set over the distant hills and Alex made a start on preparing supper, Jack announced he was going for a walk down to the lake, or at least toward the hint of water he’d seen earlier.

“How long will you be?” she asked, glancing round at the bustle in the kitchen. “Supper will be done in about an hour.”

“I’ll be back long before that. Alex .. thank you for bringing me here.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied and frowned as he strolled out, his hands thrust deep into his pockets.

Jack Chivikian was a very centered guy, some might even say self centered. He might not be first in line to exploit the emotionally vulnerable anymore but his first consideration was still himself. His personal safety. In some cases, his survival. Following quickly on from that first thought was always how he could help to make things better, but, for a split second in any situation, he was there, front and center stage, basking in the spotlight.

He was a brisk person. He hurried everywhere. Not even giving him a fake past could alter that part of his personality. It seemed he was always flinching ahead of some blow to his body. And, yet, in a tight corner, Alex knew Jack was like a rock. He could be beaten down, and beaten badly, but he never quit. He was a fighter in his own unique way. He’d bounced along the bottom, and, without any help from her or the others, had turned his life around. So, when the chance came up to give him a past he was worthy of, Alex had taken it. His basic personality was still Jack Chivikian, and nothing she could do would change that.

Yet .. it seemed Gretna had. She watched him with slightly anxious eyes as he strolled across the lawn and vanished into the trees. He didn’t hurry. He had a soft, dreamy expression on his face. It was as if Gretna had wrapped a comfort blanket around his shoulders and let him nestle. Alex wasn’t sure if she liked this. Gretna hadn’t affected her in that way, nor Derek. The others hadn’t stayed in the town and, besides, by the time they’d arrived, every sense was on alert for danger.

She shook her head. “Alex, it’s a vacation. People relax on vacation,” she told herself out loud, her tone practical. “You brought him here hoping he’d calm down so why are you worried when it happens?”

Alex went back to the kitchen to continue supper.

Jack slowed to listen to the last notes of birdsong as they settled for the night. Soon the air was tranquil, undisturbed. There wasn’t even a breeze to stir the leaves overhead.

What a fantastic place, he thought yet again. If I’d only known this was here, that it even existed, I would’ve come long before now. Psychics … People either laugh at us and think we’re pulling a scam on them or they believe but not completely. We’re not .. genuine people. We’re freaks of nature somehow. Always hiding something. That isn’t fair because .. you know why? This gift isn’t always a gift. It can be a curse too. It’s like .. trying to figure out the picture on the box lid from a couple of pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. Being a psychic is a challenge and, at times, a very stressful one. Yet, here, wow .. no stress. Here, ordinary people are the freaks of nature because they can’t do what we can. Here .. I’m just like everyone else. I fit in. They understand exactly what it’s like.

Yeah, I’m a big city guy. Vegas isn’t as big as LA but it has noise, lights, people, money. It’s where I work, where I live .. but it isn’t home. I think I’ve only just found where home is.

The light was slowly starting to fail and Jack picked up his pace a little, realizing he hadn’t brought a flashlight with him. There was a path of sorts thru the trees but nothing formal, nothing graveled or edged with lights. And he was glad about that. This place, the cabin in the woods, was just about perfect. Even the town itself, with its businesses and homes, was close to perfection. There was no obvious commercialism. Everything in Gretna was tasteful and discreet.

It wasn’t a lake, he discovered. It was a pond formed by the widening and then narrowing of a broad stream. It was dark colored by the time Jack got there, the surface flickering with fireflies and the scant remnants of the reflected sunset. He paused to admire it as he listened to the gentle sound of running water and he breathed deeply of the forest loam.

“Evening,” said a voice and Jack jumped a little. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I thought I was alone out here,” Jack replied. “It’s a really beautiful spot.”

“Yes, it is. I often walk out here at sunset. I think this time of year is my favorite.”

Jack turned to the man who was leaning against a tree. “You live here all year round?”

The man nodded. “I was one of the first. Helped found the community. I got .. very tired, very sick of living out in the world. I had this vision .. not a psychic vision,” he elaborated with a quick smile, “of a place where people like us could be accepted for who they are. A secluded, isolated community .. kinda like a monastery but without the vows. You a visitor?”

“For now, yeah,” Jack replied. “Just arrived today. I’m staying with a friend in the cabin at the end of the trail. A week. But I really wish I’d known about this place before. It’s … ” He shook his head. “It’s a haven. A retreat. Like you say, a monastery but without the vows. You don’t have to explain or .. make excuses. You can just .. be.”

The man nodded again. “You don’t have to leave.”

Jack was about to say that he had a life outside, a job. He was needed .. but the words died in his throat. He examined his life under the bright, harsh light of objectivity.

“No,” he agreed, “I don’t.”

“Gretna isn’t for everyone. Some psychics need to be out in the world; they come here an’ find it too slow, too dull. But the others, the ones who hurt, the ones who are damaged, they stay. They know when they get here. Gretna has a powerful call, an’ it can heal, given time. You enjoy your stay. Think about it. You’d be welcome here.”

Jack smiled. “Thank you. I’d .. better be getting back. Maybe I’ll see you again. My name’s Jack, by the way. Nice meeting you.”

“You too,” the man said.

Jack left the pond and began to retrace his steps. What a really nice place this is. I have no idea why Alex had trouble when she came here last. These people were nasty ..? No way.

Alex had switched on the lights in the lounge and drawn the drapes, making the cabin glow like a jewel in the night. Jack paused where the trees started to thin to gaze at it, and he could feel the tension in his muscles seeping away. The air was so pure here – no lingering traffic exhaust, no pollution, no smog. He knew he’d sleep well tonight. In fact, he felt really tired now.

Alex opened the door to peer into the darkness for him. A delicious smell of cooking wafted out.

“I’m here,” he called, moving forward again. “I’m here, Alex.”

She smiled hesitantly. “Did you enjoy your walk?”

Jack nodded. “Yeah. It was great. Mmm, that smells good.”

“Thank you. I don’t often get the chance to go wild in the kitchen.”

“That’s a shame,” he responded. “Let’s eat, huh? I don’t wanna waste all your effort.”

“Okay,” Alex agreed, watching him carefully. Maybe bringing him here hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

*****

After supper, they took their coffee to the lounge and sat down at opposite ends of the sofa.

“Last time I was here,” Alex said, “I had a much smaller cabin a lot farther into the woods. The stove didn’t work, there was no hot water in the shower. The electricity went out. I didn’t have a relaxing time at all. It’s so different now. And I don’t have to do my usual work, which is really great. I don’t suppose you brought any books to read because I didn’t tell you anything, and there isn’t exactly any nightlife here – ”

“It’s okay,” Jack interrupted. “In Vegas .. no matter where you go, there’s always noise. Slot machines, the handles being cranked. It’s a fantastic place, the Strip. No other place like it in the world. But .. there’s a lot to be said for silence.”

Alex stared at him. Jack Chivikian. Mr Motor Mouth. The guy who talked about nothing just to fill a silence. He had definitely changed.

“Is it Gretna, Jack?” she asked softly. “Has it worked some .. kind of magic on you?”

He sipped his coffee. “I think it must have.” He sat forward a little. “When I was down at the pond earlier, I met one of the residents. Not a visitor but a guy who lives here all year round, an’ he said something which .. reached into me an’ struck such a chord.”

“What did he say?” Alex whispered.

“That people know when they get here.” He grinned quickly. “Well, obviously, they know they’ve arrived because they’re here, but that wasn’t what he meant. He said Gretna has a powerful call, an’ people know when they get here. I know what he meant, Alex. I know this place has been calling to me an’, now I’m here, maybe I’m meant to stay. It feels like .. I’ve come home.”

She thought about that. “Gretna is a very different place, Jack. I’m not saying your feelings are wrong but they could be caused by the fact that it is so different here. A change is as good as a rest, yeah? Gretna couldn’t be more opposite to Las Vegas if it tried. If you want to stay at the end of this week, I won’t drag you back, but give yourself time. Let the newness wear off a little. That’s all I ask. Anything less would be a hasty decision and you could regret it.”

He nodded. “Sure. That makes sense. I mean, what am I used to? Heat nearly all year round. The desert. Blue sky. Hardly any rain. And snow is what happens at the Grand Canyon, not in Vegas. I’m not sure I could last out here in the depths of a Canadian winter.”

That was more like it. Alex felt she’d averted a major mistake being made. Act in haste, repent at leisure.

“And the other thing about Gretna you have to remember is that everyone here has to contribute. Building, decorating, plumbing, making goods to sell in the stores. Your job, Jack, is .. being a psychic. Here, that’s nothing special. Do you have any other ability?”

“I don’t think I do,” he admitted sadly.

“Can you cook?” Alex asked.

“I can use a microwave,” Jack replied hopefully.

“That could do it,” she said but she didn’t sound sure.

“Well .. now I’m here, maybe I can learn a new skill.”

“Yes, that’s very true,” Alex agreed. “And, tomorrow, we’ll go into town, meet Jason and Noah, and Nic at the diner. Not our Nick, this is another Nic, a Dominic. We’ll find out what’s on offer and sign up for some lessons.”

He nodded. “Good.”

“You might have already met Noah or Nic. They were both founders of Gretna. Amazing really. To just turn up, at the same place, within days of each other.”

“Could be I have met one of them. He didn’t tell me his name but he did say he was one of the first and helped found the community.” Jack stretched wearily. “I think I’ll grab a shower an’ have an early night.”

“I brought books, if you’d like to read before you sleep,” she offered.

“Not tonight,” Jack smiled. “I am beat. It’s this clean, country air, an’ the quiet.” He winked. “See you in the morning, Alex. Sleep tight.”

She followed him into the passage. “Which room are you taking?”

“The end one,” he replied. “The one overlooking the garden. Think I'll leave the window open so the birds can act as my alarm call.”

Alex watched as he picked up his bag and headed into his room. Thoughtfully, she did the same. She unpacked and put her clothes away in the drawer unit and the closet, set her shoes by the door. Then she took one of the books and returned to the lounge but she couldn’t get into the subject. The change in her friend was too profound to be lightly set aside as a result of being on vacation. And what he had said had struck a chord in her too.

Gretna has a powerful call. Alex had never felt she’d want to live here permanently but she had felt a need to return. She was here. People knew when they got there. She’d felt it. A sense of calm. She’d felt it from the place the last time, even if she hadn’t sensed it in the people. This time, it was a lot stronger. Here .. yes, she did feel at home. Jack seemed to feel it even more – he felt he’d come home.

Alex sighed. A week was not so much to ask. He could defer any decision for seven days. By the end of that interval, he’d probably be climbing the walls, tired of the solitude and the isolation, the lack of nightlife. Gretna didn’t even have a bar.

I’d hoped he’d come out of this a different man. I thought it would’ve taken a little time for that to happen. Guess I was wrong …

She put the book down and went to prepare for bed.

*****

Alex woke to the sound of birdsong and the heady fragrance of roses. She lay still, letting the peace overwhelm her. Even on a quiet day on Angel Island, when nothing big or dangerous was in the immediate future, there was a pervasive sense of activity. Unless she was sick, there was no reason to lay in bed. Nick would be knocking on her door. Derek would be asking if she was all right. Rachel might be sent to check on ‘the patient’. And all because Alex wanted to take thirty minutes’ time out before rising to face head on whatever the day held for her.

I should feel terribly guilty at laying here .. but I don’t. It’s not exactly early but it isn’t late either. And this is my vacation.

“Alex? You awake?” Jack called.

She laughed quietly to herself. “Yeah, I’m awake,” she called back in a patient voice. “Why?”

“I thought we were going into town. Meet people. I’ve fixed breakfast.”

Alex groaned slightly as she rolled onto her side. “Okay. Give me twenty minutes.”

“It’s a beautiful day. I don't know how you slept so late.”

She paused to look at her watch. Eight thirty one. “Well, I had an early start yesterday as well, plus I had to drive all the way here. An’ the fresh air does get to you.”

Outside, Jack leaned against the wall next to her door. “I woke in the night. Around two, I think. An’ I looked out the window. Gee, the sky was so clear, an’ so dark. I went back to sleep … I don’t think I dreamed once. I must have but I don’t remember.”

“I don’t recall dreaming either, but that isn’t unusual.”

He listened to the sound of the shower. “Can we eat out on the deck?”

“What ..?”

“Doesn’t matter.” Jack went back to the kitchen and poured coffee into two breakfast cups. He was frowning.

Why don’t I remember? I’ve got a good memory. Places, people. But .. I don’t remember meeting Alex the first time. I just .. feel I’ve known her a long time. Surely, I’d remember the first time I met her. Or Nick. Or Derek, or Rachel. These are people who are my friends. Important people. So why don’t I remember?

He buttered toast because anyone could make toast, and then sat down at the small table.

Is it important that I fill in these holes in my memory? Isn’t it more important that .. I have friends, an’ how I met them doesn’t matter so much as the fact that I did. Alex said I was a major pain in the ass – what in hell did I do? – but it was probably nothing. Yeah .. he reluctantly accepted. But what she considers to be a major pain is something I’d think of as a massive disaster. And that is not nothing. I wouldn’t sweep that under the mental rug. Alex hasn’t changed in all the time I’ve known her an’ I’m not sure exactly how long that is, so .. does that mean I’ve changed?

“Hi,” she smiled as she came in. “Toast! There could be a future for you yet in the diner.”

“That’s if I choose to stay,” he responded. “Last night .. whoa, I came over all weird, didn’t I?”

“It was a long day, Jack. Tiredness can make us say strange things. Feel strange emotions. And, it must be said, Gretna is a wonderful place.” She smiled at him. “I have something of an advantage. I came here and, within twenty four hours, we were hip deep in snowdrifts. Once you’ve seen that, tried to walk thru it, felt the deep, bitter cold .. it kinda changes your thinking. Gretna is, to me, a lovely place to visit but I wouldn’t want to live here.”

He nodded. “I still think I would. During the summer anyway. I could be a snowbird, head back to Vegas in the fall. There isn’t a rule against that, is there? I could work the winter, live in a motel like I used to, an’ keep a place up here for spring an’ summer. I’d put money into the local economy. I could be a big asset to Gretna.”

Alex frowned. “I’m not sure they’d want that .. but it isn’t for me to say. That’s down to you and the residents to work out. If you decide to stay.”

“It could be my way of contributing .. if I can’t cook, paint, build, plumb, or make stuff.”

“Discuss it with Jason,” she advised. “He won’t try to pull a fast one on you, Jack. You can trust him.”

He drank his coffee and looked anxiously happy to be on his way. Alex quickly chewed and swallowed, musing on the fact that her relaxing, learning experience in Gretna was going to start with indigestion, then rose to her feet.

“Let’s walk,” Jack suggested before she did.

“Are you sure?” she queried.

“Uh huh. I have a week. Six days now. I wanna learn as much as I can.” He shrugged. “I might as well start with learning my way around.”

They walked into town. They didn’t march but they didn’t stroll either. It was one thing to be said for Gretna, among all the other good things – it accommodated walkers. Traffic was practically non-existent. Everyone walked everywhere.

Alex led the way because she’d walked around the town before. They arrived on Main Street forty minutes after leaving the cabin and she began to point out the local landmarks – the art gallery, the diner, the community hall. When they reached a side street, she turned the corner.

“Jason’s place is down here,” she said.

“Could we go to the diner first?” Jack asked.

Alex halted. “Sure. You want a soda or something?”

“I wanna see if that guy’s there. The one I spoke with last night.”

“Okay.”

They walked down the block and crossed to the other side of the street. Alex pushed open the door and the bell jangled cheerfully.

There was a moment of quiet contemplation, then the guy behind the counter smiled warmly.

“Alex! You came back at last. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Nic,” she responded. “Thanks for asking. How are you?”

“Little older, little wiser. Coffee? On the house.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “This is my friend Jack. He’s on vacation with me. Is Noah around?”

“Should be in shortly,” Dominic replied. “Pleased to meet you, Jack. Sit down. What is it you do?”

“I’m … I have a show in Vegas. Mind reading .. although it isn’t. It’s .. hard to explain.”

“Know what you mean.”

“That’s what I love about this place!” Jack exclaimed. “You know, an’ I don’t have to explain.”

The bell jangled again. Alex turned. “Noah!”

“Alex. It’s damned good to see you again. How’re you doing?” he asked, hugging her. “You look great.”

“I’m fine. I’m here on vacation and I would really like to try channeling.”

“Sure!” Noah agreed. “You an’ your friend? Or just you?”

Alex looked over her shoulder.

“Absolutely,” Jack nodded. “I’m Jack.”

“I’m Noah.”

They shook hands and sat down at the counter.

Alex raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Jack shrugged. “Who else is a founder, Alex?” he whispered. “The guy I met in the woods .. wasn’t Nic or Noah. Who else is there?”

She frowned. “I don’t know, Jack. But we’ll find out.”

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