“Thomas receives a year’s supply of ice cream from Stars and Cones,” Florian announced. “Thanks to the owners for supporting the tourism board and this competition.”
Thomas gave an awkward wave to the crowd before accepting his certificate.
“Second place is awarded to Adam Forrest for the maze sculpture,” Florian said.
Marley jumped up and down. “That was such a good one.”
Adam shuffled up to accept his award and I noticed Rick in the crowd. It was difficult not to. He waved when he saw me.
“Who’s that?” Marley asked, distracted by the enormous minotaur.
“His name is Rick. He and Adam co-own Paradise Found, the garden center.”
Marley continued to stare. “His horns are huge. How does he get in and out of doorways?”
“He has his tricks,” I said.
“Does he now?” Linnea asked, peering around me to glimpse the minotaur.
“I’ll introduce you later,” I said. “I think you’d really like him.”
“I wouldn’t object to finding out,” my cousin replied.
Florian announced that the sorcerer’s prize was a trip for two to Castaway Cove. I didn’t miss the hopeful expression on Adam’s face as he located Rick in the crowd. Rick, of course, was too busy looking in our direction to notice. I felt a pang of sympathy for the kind sorcerer. Unrequited feelings were the worst.
“I think we can all agree on the first place winner,” Florian said. “Maisie Cranshaw, please come up and accept your prize. A very generous gift card for The Magic Words.”
“The castle,” Marley cried, delighted.
“There was no contest, really,” I said. The pixie’s attention to detail was unrivaled.
Maisie seemed nervous to accept her award from Florian. Her wings fluttered so fast, they were almost invisible.
“Would you like to say a few words?” he prompted.
Maisie glanced at the crowd. “I’m used to addressing teenagers and their parents in a school setting. This crowd is a tad bit bigger.” She cleared her throat. “Thank you for this award. I’m proud of my work, but I’d like to take a moment to talk about Grover Maitland.” She made brief eye contact with the Maitland family before she continued. “He was a lovely elf with a ready smile and an inquisitive mind. He liked the stories in history class, but he hated memorizing facts. Although he pretended to be annoyed by her, he loved his little sister fiercely. He even mentioned her in class on occasion because she was the one who shared stories with him about the historical figures in our textbook. He pretended not to be interested, I’m sure.” She smiled at the young elf. “But he was listening, Cindy. Trust me, he was.”
The Maitlands huddled together, as though a strong gust of wind might blow them apart.
Maisie finished her speech and shook Florian’s hand again before blending with the bodies on the beach.
I didn’t waste any time introducing Linnea to Rick. He seemed to take her blinding beauty in stride. Linnea needed someone who wouldn’t be intimidated by her or her famous family. Or her ex-husband, for that matter. I had a feeling Rick would be an ideal choice.
And now it was my daughter’s turn for companionship.
“Come on, Marley,” I said, taking her by the hand. “There’s a little girl called Cindy I want you to meet.”
Once Marley and Cindy discovered their mutual love of books, it was clear I was no longer needed. Marley shooed me away and I took full advantage, intending to have another look at the winning sandcastle. As I ventured inside for another tour, Sheriff Nash slipped in behind me.
“There you are, Rose,” he said. “Been looking all over for you.”
I continued working my way through the castle, admiring the details I’d missed the last time. “Not very hard,” I replied. “I was right in front of the stage.”
“With Hale?” he asked. I detected a hard edge to the question.
“No, Alec’s gone out of town,” I said. “I don’t know when he’ll be back.”
The sheriff moved to stand beside me as I appreciated the large sand-sculpted fireplace. “Don’t know when he’ll be back, huh? I thought you two were declaring your eternal love for each other.” He paused. “That’s the way it seemed at Strange Brew, anyway.”
“You should know better than that,” I said. “First of all, there’s no such thing as eternal love.”
The sheriff frowned. “That’s a bit cynical, Rose, even for you.”
I experienced an unexpected rush of anger. I knew it was misplaced, but I couldn’t stop myself.
“I never asked for any of this, you know,” I said, waving my arms around like a lunatic. “Marley and I were fine back in New Jersey. Okay, my life may not have been perfect, but at least it wasn’t painful. We had the basics down—heat in the winter, food, and electricity. Marley was excelling, of course, because she’s amazing. She’s like the tree that grows in Brooklyn.”
The sheriff cocked his head. “What tree?”
“Never mind,” I said heatedly. “The point is—I didn’t ask for this life. I could’ve continued down the path of ignorance and Marley and I would have been absolutely fine.” A simple life with PP3 in our two-bedroom apartment, uncomplicated by strong emotions and family ties.
“But wouldn’t you rather be better than fine?” the sheriff asked softly.
I fell silent. Alec was right; Sheriff Nash was a good guy. He didn’t deserve my frustration. It should’ve been Alec standing here, enduring my freak-out moment.
The sheriff took a step closer. “Listen, Rose. I don’t know exactly what happened between you and Hale. Frankly, I prefer it that way. The fact remains that, for whatever strange reason, I have these pesky feelings for you that refuse to go away.” He let his words sink in. “So, if you’re interested in being better than fine, I’d like to roll the runes and see where this relationship goes.”
Relationship? The word made me shudder. “I don’t know, Sheriff. You’ve got to feel like I’m not worth the trouble at this point.”
He placed both hands on my shoulders and looked me squarely in the eye. “For starters, I’d like you to call me Granger. And you’re right, Rose. You’re a heap of trouble, but I think you’re worth it.” He gave me a lopsided grin. “And, let’s face it, sometimes trouble can be fun.”
“You think I’m fun?” I echoed. “Not a pain in the butt? The intrepid witch that interferes with your ability to do your job?”
“You’re all those things, Rose, but they’re not deal breakers. I still want to spend time with you. Get to know you more.” He stopped talking and scratched his scruffy jaw. “Do you want me to stop calling you Rose? I feel like a hypocrite telling you to call me Granger and I’m still using your last name.”
I couldn’t resist a smile. “Honestly? I don’t mind when you call me Rose.”
“Good.” He cocked his head. “You are interested, aren’t you? I’m not making up this thing between us in my dim werewolf brain.”
“Your brain isn’t dim, Granger,” I said, and his name felt odd on my tongue. “It isn’t that I’m not interested. It’s just that I’ve been confused and…overwhelmed by so much change. I haven’t been in a relationship since Karl—haven’t even looked—and in Starry Hollow I’ve been…” I struggled to find the right words. Words that captured my asylum-worthy state of mind. Finally, I let out an exasperated sigh. “My life feels very complicated.”
His brow wrinkled. “So what does that mean? You don’t want to date at all?”
“It means I want to take it slowly,” I said. I’d jumped into Alec’s arms at the first opportunity and look where that stupidity got me. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake with the sheriff.
He looped his fingers through mine. “You set the pace, Rose. Watching you that night at karaoke…” He shook his head, remembering. “I realized I wasn’t doing myself any favors by holding back and acting cool. I hated seeing you with Hale. Life’s too short for regrets, but if you
need to move slowly, then I understand.”
I stared at the sheriff—at Granger. He was absolutely right. Life was too short. My parents had taught me that. Karl had taught me that, too. When would I learn the lesson the universe was desperate to teach me?
“What? No snappy comeback?” the sheriff prodded.
His hand was warm over mine. I stared at his fingers, strong and reassuring. In that brief moment, I understood what Linnea must have seen in Wyatt all those years ago. Why she threw caution to the wind, despite her mother’s objections.
“Why don’t you come over for dinner next weekend?” I asked. “Saturday.”
“To the cottage?” he asked, surprised.
“Yes, I’ll cook for you and Marley.” And hoped no one suffered horribly as a result.
He appeared pleased. “Are you sure? It’s a big deal, right? Having someone over to spend time with your daughter?”
I nodded. “It is a big deal, Granger. The question is—are you up for it?”
He puffed out his chest so that his gold star gleamed in the sunlight. “For you, Rose? Always.”
Thank you for reading
Thank you for reading Magic & Mayhem! If you enjoyed it, please help other readers find this book so they can enjoy the world of Starry Hollow, too ~
1. Write a review and post it on Amazon.
2. Sign up for my new releases via e-mail here http://eepurl.com/ctYNzf or like me on Facebook so you can find out about the next book before it's even available.
3. Look out for Magic & Mercy, the next book in the series!
4. Other books by Annabel Chase include the Spellbound paranormal cozy mystery series.
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
Magic & Mayhem Page 18