He gently released her as he raised her face with his finger.
“Drake, my name is Drake Adams. And I guess you’re telling me because you broke my bottle.”
A smile crept on his face, and as he wiped a tear from her face, he said, “And I think I’ve been waiting for you all my life.”
And then he kissed her.
Chapter 6
Friday Morning
Sunset had come and gone on the horizon, and so had much of Halona’s sorrow. As the sun rose on the new day, Halona prepared for the day, and for Drake, who she had invited to come by for coffee.
The evening before had been filled with a tenderness that Halona had never known. She sensed Drake felt the same. Still, it concerned her that she felt something, anything. What concerned her most was that she could not shake the feeling that the only thing she’d wanted more than Drake last night was her feeling that she wanted Drake forever.
After showering, she went to the closet and pulled a cream cable-knit sweater over her long locks. She stepped into a pair of cropped chinos and then slipped on her canvas flats. She took her mug of coffee and a fresh-baked pie to the balcony and sat with her thoughts. She played back a few scenes from the night before. The evening walk on the beach. How he had reached for and held her hand. How they had quietly talked, well into the morning. The look in his eyes each time their eyes met. The kisses they shared. That first kiss, that kiss had just been the start. She could feel. She didn’t know how it had happened, but suddenly her body sang with emotions.
How can a stranger stir such emotion? Why have I never felt so right with anyone? I thought I had once, with Rickie. What if I’m wrong about this? What if he isn’t anything like he seems? Doesn’t really matter. He will be leaving town soon.
She gently breathed in the morning air to rid herself of her thoughts and concerns. She took in the aroma of coffee beans and the sweetness of the apple pie that had just come out of the oven. When Scamp began to bark, she stood and looked over the railing. She smiled as she waved and motioned for Drake to come up the spiral staircase. As he reached the top, she couldn’t help but notice that he was even more toned than she had remembered.
“It’s great to see you.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She offered a seat and he sat as she reached for the coffee pot, dropping his backpack on the floor. She poured him a cup and then topped off her own.
“Thanks. Did you sleep okay?” he asked, and then he took a sip.
“I did. I was surprised. I felt quite spent though. How about you? Did you sleep well?” she asked with a warm smile.
He winked. “I slept only so I could dream of you.”
She smiled as she rolled her eyes. “Uh-huh.”
Drake laughed
She began to cut the pie. “Want some?”
“I thought you would never ask. Oh pie, yes, thanks.” He smiled and then looked out toward the beach. “This is nice, quite a cozy setup you have.”
“Yes, it is. I have been lucky to have this space.”
Funny, it felt so cramped here several nights ago, but now it does just seem cozy.
As he took a bite of his pie, she stood with the coffee pot in hand.
“Need a refill?”
Drake smiled and gave her a wink. “I’m not sure I can take any more stimulants.” He took the pot from her hands and placed it on the table. “That reminds me. Come here.” He pulled her into his lap and fed her a spoonful of pie.
She ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled her in to kiss her.
Halona lowered her gaze before she playfully asked, “How do we know it’s not just a spell?”
He laughed. “In this town, we may never know.”
She hopped off his lap and slid back into her chair as she watched the steam from her cup rise to form small clouds.
“So while I walked down Main Street this morning, I passed a lot of storefronts. Each had their own unique look. I see why you’ve stayed here.”
Halona smiled as she sipped her coffee. “It’s a great town. To say it is magical doesn’t do it justice.”
As they sat across from each other, they shared stories, glimpses, and smiles. Halona smiled as she leaned in toward him. “Are you going to the pavilion today?”
Drake raised a brow. “Only if you’re going to the shop.”
Halona laughed. “In that case, no. So I guess for now, my only plan is to take Scamp out.”
“Let’s do it. I’ll send a text not to expect me.” Drake pulled his phone from his backpack.
Halona stood and went into the apartment. She grabbed some water, her purse, and the leash. Scamp got so excited he jumped on his hind legs. Halona sent a text to Jenn and then pushed her phone into her bag as they walked back to the balcony.
* * * *
As they held hands, they conveyed that magic in this town was alive and well. They paused to embrace, and they kissed… and kissed… and kissed. Suddenly they began to laugh as they remembered where they were—standing in the middle of the sidewalk.
Drake lowered his head as he placed his hands in his pockets, in an obvious effort to curtail his desire. “So you mentioned you had two shops?”
“Yes, would you like to see our magic shop? I share it with my cousins.”
“Magic shop? Uh-huh, yep, spell. I knew it.”
Just then three teenage boys approached.
“Hi, Miss Jacobs, hi, Scamp, sir.”
The three huddled around Scamp, petting him from every angle.
Halona spoke with a smile. “Hi, guys, no school today?”
“No, there’s a teacher conference later today. We’re actually on our way down to your salvage yard to see if we can help out.”
“Oh that’s great. Thanks, guys.”
Drake, his eyes wide, asked, “Say, don’t tell me Jacobs Jaws is yours too.”
“It is, from my dad’s side of the family. My Uncle Frank owns the other half.” She looked up at Drake with a smile, feeling a ray of hope for the first time in a long time. “My uncle’s a wonderful guy. I would trust him with my life. He’s been practically a second father to me. He manages the company for us, with my cousins Jeremy and Josh.”
As they continued their walk, Drake said, “Forgot to ask, any brothers or sisters?”
Halona smiled. “No, my parents had me late in life. They would often say they were fortunate to have me. My name is a combination of both their names, Hal and Mona. They also loved knowing that my name meant ‘of happy fortune’ to Native Americans.”
Halting their movement, he pulled her in close as he brushed her hair away from her face. “That is wonderful. Ha-lo-na, the name suits you.”
“What about you, any siblings?”
Drake pressed his lips together. “Nope, I’m an only child as well. I actually had a great childhood, great parents. My dad died, though, when I was seventeen. My mom passed two years ago.”
He smirked. “Oh, but I do have two ex-wives and three kids.” He laughed as he backed up, suspecting she would playfully smack him. “Just kidding, never been married, no kids. But with you, if you want, I’d have a dozen.”
She giggled. “You would, huh?”
He pulled her into his side. “So, let’s go see where all that magic happens.”
Halona flashed a smile. “See where the magic happens, huh? You want to go back, start on that family, do you?” While he laughed, she continued, “Actually, we need to head back that way. The shop’s right across the corner from mine. Like I said, everything I need is right here.”
Both laughing, they turned around as they picked up their pace, Scamp happily leading the way.
Chapter 7
“Here it is! This is Mystic Tides,” Halona said.
“This is an impressive building!” Drake looked up, taking in the whole experience, taking special notice of the beautiful carpentry.
“Wow, this place is beautiful. Look at this woodwork.” He reached to touch the shelves as he eyed the molding.
He then glanced in the direction of the glowing fire. He looked to his right to see the colorful children’s area. “Kids must love that.”
His gaze began to dart around the room. “Why do you have so many fire extinguishers? There must be over a dozen of them.”
Halona laughed. “Oh you’ll see, or I should say, you’ll meet her.”
Drake chuckled concernedly. “That doesn’t sound good.”
She wrapped her arm around his as she called out for the girls.
“Hey, guys, anyone here?”
“I hope someone’s here. There’s a fire in the fireplace. Of course there are enough extinguishers for that,” he said, playfully teasing her.
Halona laughed. “You would think that would be an indicator.”
She led him to the back, and they viewed one of the rooms from the doorway.
“This is the special collections room. My cousin Syd established it. She’s spent countless hours obtaining these volumes.”
Drake said, “Very nice. I hope I can take a peek at those books sometime.”
“Over here is a tiny sampling of some of our herbs. My cousin Beth is our herbalist. She’s such a natural, has a real affinity for this. She has healing abilities too.”
“I’ve had a little experience with herbs, in my younger days,” Drake said as he lifted his brows.
She looked at him flirtatiously. “And you’re already showing an ability to heal.”
Drake smiled and leaned his head back. “I am, you say?” He pulled her close as he wrapped his arms around her. As they embraced, a large black and white cat sauntered out from the delivery area, zigzagging around their legs in a circular maze.
“Hi, Orca. This is Beth’s baby, so she must be here.”
Orca and Scamp were now greeting each other. Being of similar size, and with the coloring of their coats, they practically mirrored each other.
Bethany stepped out from behind the curtains of the herb area.
“Hi, Halona!” She gave her a hug and then reached out to shake Drake’s hand. “Hi, I’m Bethany Kent, Halona’s cousin.”
“I’m happy to meet you, Bethany. I’m Drake,” he said as he flashed a smile.
“I was trying to fill him in on the walk over here.”
Smiling, Bethany replied, “Oh, that could take forever.”
Halona smiled. “I’m glad he’s meeting you first. Together, we can be a little overwhelming.”
“That we can.” Bethany laughed. “But they’ll be here soon. They just ran out to get some pastries to have with coffee. So hopefully, you guys will stay, at least until they get back. You know they won’t forgive you if you don’t.”
“Oh no.” Halona grabbed Drake’s arm. “Here they come now. Brace yourself.”
As Sydney and Grey entered, Halona heard Sydney laughing.
“You almost singed her. I thought Beth would need to treat her.”
“Look at all the fur. What do you expect?” Grey retorted, laughing.
Bethany called out to let them know they were in the back.
As the girls turned the corner, Sydney, holding Glimmer, shouted out, “I knew it!”
“Well, well, well.” Grey nudged Sydney’s arm. “Who do we have here?” Grey walked around them both slowly, as if checking out Drake’s butt before returning to Sydney’s side.
Bethany shrugged her shoulders at Halona as she offered a sympathetic glance.
“Grey, Sydney, this is Drake Adams,” Halona said.
“Very nice to meet you, Drake,” Sydney said as she shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Sydney,” Drake said with a smile.
“It’s so nice to meet you, Drake. Pastry?” Grey said as she held out the box.
Drake glanced at Halona. “No thanks. I already had plenty this morning.”
“I’m sure you did!” Grey said as she raised her eyebrows.
“Grey…” Halona smiled as she rolled her eyes and placed her hand on Drake’s chest. “Sorry.”
“So, you’re new to town. I would have remembered you,” Grey continued.
Drake raised his brows. “Likewise and, yes, I am. I’m here for the festival. I’m involved in the play.”
Sydney replied, “Oh, that’s your play?” She motioned for everyone to move to the sofas as Bethany placed a tray with a pot of coffee and cups on the table.
“I added a special herb.” Bethany smiled.
“Thank you.” Drake then addressed Sydney as they all reached for their cups. “That’s a beautiful room over there.” He nodded in the direction of the library.
Sydney placed her hand over her heart. “Thank you, it’s my haven. I just had the special cases completed; my husband, Nick, crafted them. They are intended to further protect them from dust and such, but mostly from fire.” Her eyes grew big while she glanced toward Grey. The girls all laughed, except for Grey.
Halona turned to Drake. “She’s our fire starter. I’ll explain later.”
Grey smirked. “Very funny. Drake, have you met Nick? He looks like Thor.”
Drake pursed his lips as he looked at Halona. “Oh. No, I haven’t.”
Halona leaned into Drake, almost afraid to ask the next question, knowing she might have to answer it as well.
“I’m sorry I missed your call last night. What did you guys do?”
Grey lifted her hands up. “That’s right. We called you, but you must have been busy.” She winked. “We painted the town red, went to Poisons and Potions, and had a few too many too. Actually, I think we should all go back tonight.”
Sydney nodded. “I wouldn’t mind. We had a lot of fun. Drake, I know you’re new in town but feel free to ask anyone to join us.”
Drake nodded as Grey chimed in, “Only if they’re hot.” She shrugged. “Sorry, but it’s a requirement.”
The other girls rolled their eyes.
Grey held her hand out. “What? I’m not dead. I can look; I just can’t touch. Speaking of such, Halona, we ran into Jim. He asked about you, concerned as always.”
Bethany said, “Jim’s a friend of ours. We’ve all known each other a lifetime.”
“He’s hot too.” Grey winked and then chuckled to herself as if entertained by her own private joke.
Sydney said, “Speaking of a lifetime, how’s business over at your store?”
“Business is great. The girls will be back to help Jenn and me, like they do every fall. I figure we will all be doing extra in preparation for the festival.” Halona tucked her hair behind her ears. “I know I expect to be pretty busy.”
Grey winked at her. “I’m sure you will be.”
* * * *
When they left Mystic Tides, Halona and Drake wanted to spend time alone, so they decided to get brunch. They stopped a few blocks away at The Banishing Bistro, an enchanting place that faced the shore. The restaurant had a French appeal with a coastal vibe. The building’s rustic stone exterior had ivy climbing above the massive slate doorframe. Small terracotta planters hung above the windows, forming crescents, and the area was filled with small circular, wrought iron tables and chairs, the backs of which were also crescent-shaped. While seating was plentiful, it stilled conveyed intimacy. The bistro just effused romance, like a whisper bringing lovers close.
Each seating area had its own appeal, but with Scamp in tow, they went to the more secluded pet area, near the garden wall. The small table, with an awning overhead, would provide some needed shade. Sitting across from one another, they stretched their arms across the table, and his hands clasped around hers.
Halona quietly spoke. “I know you’re only in town for your play, and we don’t really know each other very well, but when the play ends, I’ll be sorry to see you go.”
Looking intently into her eyes, he said, “Then I won’t.”
She rolled her eyes and smirked. “You will just up and move here, after knowing me, what, a day?”
Smiling, he said, “It doesn’t take even a day to know I want to be with you.”
Drake reached into his backpack. He got out his black journal.
“I’m sorry. I just thought of an idea for a line change in the play, and I want to write it down before I forgot.” He gave her an impish grin as he tapped his temple with this finger. “Once it’s written, I’ll remember it forever. Enhanced memory.”
“Yeah, you should write down that you’re moving here, so you don’t forget.” Halona laughed.
Drake arched his brow. “That, I could never forget.”
Halona leaned forward across the table. “That’s the journal you bought at the store. So you are using it?”
“It’s worked out great, just the right size for moments like this.”
“Hasn’t the play already been performed in other towns?” Halona asked.
“It has, but I like to make subtle changes, to relate more to where we’re performing.”
“I think it’s great you can get inspiration anywhere. Hope I inspire you.” She leaned in. “Hope it’s a part about a pretty witch.”
“Actually you did, and it is.” He smiled.
The waiter returned and placed the mimosas on the table and then quickly retreated. They sat, sipping and gazing into each other’s eyes.
“I have a few songs I’m tinkering with.” He handed the book to her. “Here, take a look and tell me what you think.”
As she held the journal, she felt warmth as she leafed through the pages.
“I love this one, ‘Stormy Seas,’ the one you sang at the park.”
“That’s the one I wrote for you.”
“You wrote it for me? Just that day?”
“Yep. I’ve been meaning to ask, who was the little girl with you?”
“She’s one of the little girls in Syd’s class. She was sad that day, so we had ice-cream and then went to the park.”
“Yet another thing to love about you.”
Mystic Tides Page 21