Someone had cut the grass in the dog park earlier today, and the fresh smell would probably always remind her of this moment. Behind her, a young dad and his two daughters romped with their border collie. She’d remember those happy sounds, too, which were so at odds with the way she felt inside.
She’d never forget the way Griffin looked, either. He’d shaved before coming here. Not only was his chin smooth, but there was a small speck where he’d cut himself with the razor. The closer he came, the more she could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
Not surprising. He might wonder if she’d whip out a wand and put another spell on him. Meeting her had taken courage. Or love. She didn’t dare think about the second option.
He stopped about ten feet away from her, as if wanting to keep some kind of distance. She couldn’t blame him for that, either, although ten feet wouldn’t have protected him if she’d had devious plans.
She held out both hands in front of her, palms up. “I promise not to do anything magical to you or Daisy.”
“Okay.” He didn’t sound convinced. “But I’ll stay here, if you don’t mind.”
She nodded. She’d have to speak loud enough that the dad and his kids might be able to hear, but maybe that was fitting, that her apology be a semipublic one.
Meanwhile Daisy was going nuts wanting to close the distance between them. She whined and pulled at the leash, while her tail whipped back and forth in anticipation.
Lily started to give her a command to calm down, but Daisy wasn’t her dog anymore. Griffin might resent her attempt to control Daisy’s behavior.
Instead she focused on what she had practiced in her head a dozen times. “Thank you for . . .” She had to stop and clear her throat. “Thank you for meeting me tonight.”
“You’re welcome.” His voice was grave, all laughter and lightness gone.
She regretted that, too. She’d always loved Griffin’s laugh. “Last Tuesday night was a charged environment, and although I said I was sorry that night, I’m not sure you were in a mood to hear it.”
“Oh, I heard it. It just seemed . . .”
“I know. Not enough. And it wasn’t enough. So let me try again.” She took a deep breath and held his gaze. “Griffin, for my own selfish reasons, I took away your free will and caused you pain through no fault of your own. That was unforgivable, and I’m ashamed of my actions. I can’t give you back those days and nights I took from you, but I want you to know that I’m deeply sorry for the problems I visited upon you.”
He stared at her in silence for many long seconds. “That’s it?”
Her stomach churned. She hadn’t made things right with that apology, but then, a mere apology really wasn’t enough. “If there’s anything you want me to do that would in some way make up for—”
“No, no. I’m not looking for payback. I just . . . I just wanted to know if you had anything more to say.”
“No.”
He nodded, and some of the tension eased from around his mouth. “Okay.”
“But I would love—”
“What?” Instantly the tension was back. His shoulders stiffened and the suspicion that had begun to disappear from his eyes returned.
“I wanted to give Daisy a hug and tell her I love her. That’s all. You can stay there if you want, but if you’d let her come over to me, I’ll send her right back.” She clenched her hands together and held her breath. Surely he would give her this one small thing.
He hesitated.
“Griffin, this isn’t a trick or a maneuver. I just . . .” She ran out of things to say. Either he would let her give Daisy one last hug or he wouldn’t.
His chest heaved. “All right.” He leaned down to unhook Daisy’s leash.
As Daisy broke free, Lily dropped to her knees and held out her arms. Daisy bounded into her embrace, moaning with delight.
Lily tried to be stoic, but having an armload of warm, wriggling, joyous dog broke through the tight control she’d had over her emotions. But she didn’t want Griffin to see her cry, so she buried her face in Daisy’s fur.
She did a very poor job of telling Daisy all she’d intended to say. The words came out all choked and soggy. Daisy seemed to understand, anyway. She kept trying to lick whatever part of Lily’s face wasn’t pressed against her silky coat.
With great effort, Lily reined in her emotions. Keeping her head down in the hope Griffin wouldn’t notice she’d been crying, she stood and gave Daisy one last scratch behind her ears. “Good-bye, Daisy,” she murmured. “Now go back to Griffin.”
Daisy stood, tail wagging slowly, and gazed up at her.
“I mean it. Go to Griffin.”
With obvious reluctance, Daisy turned and walked back to him.
Lily swiped at her eyes. “Thank you, Griffin.” She didn’t dare look at him or he’d know how upset she was.
“No problem.”
She detected sympathy in his voice, and she didn’t want that. As she heard the click of the fastener on the leash, she lifted her head briefly. “Good-bye.” Then she walked briskly, keeping back and shoulders straight, toward the gate.
Once she was home she could give in to the sorrow cascading through her at an alarming rate. But not now, when Griffin was watching. After walking through the gate, she turned for home.
She’d gone nearly a block when she heard a shout behind her. She turned in time to see Daisy, leash and all, leap over the gate and race in her direction. Next came Griffin, who vaulted the gate and sprinted down the sidewalk, calling Daisy’s name.
Like a linebacker going for a touchdown, Daisy dodged the pedestrians and kept her eye on Lily. When she arrived, she screeched to a stop and sat at Lily’s feet, panting and smiling.
“Oh, Daisy.” Lily fought the tears she’d just recently brought under control. “That wasn’t good.” Then she took Daisy’s leash and held it while she waited for Griffin to catch up.
Breathing hard, he came to a stop in front of her. “Here.” She handed him the leash. “I guess you need to hold on a little tighter.”
“Yeah.”
“I do hate long good-byes.” She managed a watery smile. “See ya.” Then she turned and continued down the sidewalk.
“Wait.”
She paused and slowly turned to face him. “I can’t hold on to my emotions much longer, Griffin.”
He stepped closer, close enough to touch. “Then don’t.”
She lifted her gaze to his, afraid to hope but afraid to lose sight of what might be right in front of her face, too. “What . . . what do you mean?”
“Let go.” He dropped Daisy’s leash. “I’ll catch you.”
“You can’t drop Daisy’s leash so you can catch me. You need to hold on to her.”
“Where do you think she’d go? She’s with the two most important people in the world to her, the two knuckleheads she’s trying to bring back together.”
He sounded almost as if he might want that, too. Lily swallowed. “I suppose we must seem pretty stupid to her. She doesn’t understand how complicated this is.”
“Maybe it’s not so complicated.” Griffin drew her into his arms. “When I saw that you were willing to walk away, I realized something.”
Being held by Griffin was so wonderful she closed her eyes to savor it.
“I love you.”
Her eyes popped open. “What?”
“That’s a hell of a response.” He smiled. “You’re not supposed to question it. You’re supposed to say it back.”
“But maybe you don’t really. Maybe it’s an aftereffect, a holdover from the—”
“Nope. It’s the real thing. I know what a love-potion crush feels like. It blurs stuff and makes a guy dazed and confused. This is a whole other feeling. Instead of blurring things, what I’m feeling for you now is bringing everything into focus.”
“Oh.” She could believe he was focused, because he totally ignored the people passing by on the sidewalk, people who had to walk around them, wheel baby st
rollers around them, even steer skate boards around them.
Griffin gazed at her intently. “In fact, this feeling snapped into focus about the time Daisy ripped the leash out of my hand and came after you.”
“But then you were forced into following her. Maybe if she hadn’t run, you wouldn’t be standing here.”
“Maybe I wouldn’t be. Maybe it would have taken me a few hours before I pounded on your door.” Keeping one arm firmly around her, he cupped her cheek in his hand. “I’m not as impulsive as you are. I need you to teach me to act on the spur of the moment and do crazy things.”
“Like cast a spell on you?” She didn’t want him to ignore her previous crimes now and bring them up later.
“Thank God you cast that spell.” He stroked her cheek with his thumb. “I was too stupid to realize how much I needed you. The potion would never have worked so well if I hadn’t wanted you desperately. And I still do. Daisy understands that. She knows we belong together.”
At the look in his eyes, Lily’s knees grew wobbly. “We do?”
“Yes. Especially if you can find it in your heart to love me.”
Now she was really wobbly. To steady herself, she wrapped her arms tight around his neck. “I can find it in my heart.” Pressing closer, she lowered her voice. “To be honest, I can find it in all sorts of places.”
“Mm.” He leaned down, his mouth hovering over hers. “But this is about more than sex, you know.”
“I know.” She felt so good that it was a wonder she wasn’t giving off tiny sparks. “It’s about love. I love you and you love me.”
“For real this time.”
She sighed, filled to the brim with happiness. “Yeah, for real.” And so it was. Of all the times Griffin had kissed her, and there had been some spectacular kisses among them, this one was the best.
Epilogue
Griffin stood next to Jasper at the end of a carpeted aisle between rows of white folding chairs. At the other end a rose-covered gazebo decorated with white ribbons awaited him. The gazebo was surrounded by brilliantly colored flower beds and emerald stretches of manicured grass.
Beyond it, Lake Michigan sparkled in the sun, and the swish of the waves blended with the notes of a white baby grand positioned to the left of the assembled guests. A slight breeze from the lake brought with it the scent of roses and cut grass.
The setting was magnificent, designed to be savored. Griffin wasn’t in a savoring mood. He wanted this part over with, and the sooner, the better.
Jasper spoke in a low voice so the man standing a short distance behind them, Ambrose Lowell, wouldn’t be able to hear. “I still can’t believe it’s legal for him to conduct the ceremony.”
“I ran his credentials through the system. He’s licensed to do the deed.” As the only lawyer in the family, Griffin knew he should be more concerned about the legality of being married by a wizard.
But he really didn’t care, just so he made it to the honeymoon. In his briefcase lay airline tickets to Paris. The prospect of seven days and six hot nights with Lily in a city designed for lovers had wiped out any other thoughts.
“I’ll bet there was some magical funny business involved in those credentials,” Jasper said.
Griffin looked over at him. “Jasper, do you really give a damn?”
Jasper grinned. “No. I’m just looking for a way to distract myself so I won’t go crazy waiting for the whole thing to start. Why the hell didn’t we just elope?”
“Hey, don’t look at me. I suggested it several times. It wasn’t a popular choice.”
“You’ll both be glad you went through with this,” Ambrose said from behind them.
Both Griffin and Jasper turned. Griffin hoped the wizard hadn’t overheard the comments about his legal status. “I’m not so sure I’ll be glad,” he said. “Getting married is fine, but going through all this—”
“Gives it added significance,” Ambrose said.
“Speaking for me,” Jasper said, “the wedding’s loaded with significance already. I don’t need the fancy outfits and the hordes of people.”
“Ditto.” Griffin looked forward to having Jasper as a brother-in-law. They thought a lot alike, and Jasper would be the brother Griffin had never had.
“You probably don’t need the fancy outfits,” Ambrose said, “but it gives the hordes of people something nice to look at. And you definitely need the hordes of people.”
Griffin shook his head. “Not this guy. I’d be happy to stand in front of a JP with my best friend and both sets of parents as the only witnesses.”
Ambrose rocked back on his heels and looked wise. “Are you feeling joy at the thought of this marriage to Lily?”
“Oh yeah.” Griffin wasn’t sure joy even covered it. Such deep happiness filled him every time he thought about spending a lifetime with the woman of his dreams that he caught himself smiling constantly. “I’m bordering on ecstatic. I don’t know how well you know Lily, but she’s the most beautiful, most—”
“Well, except for Anica,” Jasper said. “Anica’s an incredible, amazing—”
“I suggest you two avoid that argument,” Ambrose said. “But you’ve made my point. You’re both filled with joy, as are your two brides. Can you even imagine how much positive energy that will generate? Are you so selfish you wouldn’t want to share it with as many people as possible?”
Griffin stared at him. The guy had a point. His divorced parents had been kind to each other for the first time since the divorce. Kevin and Miles had been in exceptionally good moods lately because they could see that their friend was genuinely happy.
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Jasper said. “But I have to admit, I’ve never seen my parents looking so happy.”
Ambrose smiled. “There you go. Aha! The processional music is beginning. Remember, you’re not just getting married today. You’re spreading joy.”
With those words Griffin’s perspective shifted. He found himself cherishing every moment that followed. The colors glowed brighter than before, and when he reached the gazebo and turned, he looked, really looked, at the face of each guest seated before him. Ambrose was right. They all reflected the joy he felt.
In the name of simplicity, each couple had chosen only one person to stand up with them. Lily and Griffin had decided on Kevin, while Anica and Jasper had picked Anica’s former neighbor Julie. As Kevin walked Julie down the aisle they seemed touched by magic, and Griffin wondered if a romance was brewing. More potential joy.
Then Daisy arrived bearing four rings tied to her collar, which created merriment among the guests as they applauded the prancing dog. Daisy radiated joy right back to them.
Finally, the most joyous moment of all convinced Griffin that Ambrose was very wise, indeed. Lionel appeared with Lily on his right arm and Anica on his left. Griffin’s breath caught as he gazed at Lily, the most beautiful bride in the world.
Her white satin dress was sleek and sexy, exactly like the woman wearing it. A crown of flowers held a veil that cascaded down her back. No hiding behind a wisp of white for his lady. She looked directly at him, her gaze warm, and his heart swelled. Yes, this was joy, joy enough to share, joy enough for a lifetime of loving.
Have fun with Lily?
Read on for an excerpt from
her sister Anica’s story in
Blonde with a Wand
A Babes on Brooms Novel
Available from Signet Eclipse
The night Anica Revere turned Jasper Danes into a cat started out innocently enough.
They’d dated for nearly three weeks, and tonight lust ping-ponged across the restaurant table. Anica had anticipated this moment since she first glimpsed this dark-haired Adonis with golden eyes. Although Monday wasn’t a common date night, Jasper’s favorite restaurant was open and he hadn’t wanted to wait for the weekend to see her again. All the signs pointed to finally Doing It.
He studied Anica as if he wanted to lick her all over, which sounded great to her, e
xcept . . . she still hadn’t mentioned a significant detail, one that could be a real buzz kill. She hadn’t told him she was a witch.
With chemistry this strong, she was so tempted not to tell him, but one mistake with a nonmagical man was enough. The image of Edward racing out of her bedroom a year ago still pained her.
He hadn’t even bothered to grab his clothes. Sad to say, a Chicago police squad car had been cruising by the apartment building and poor Edward had been arrested using a Keep Lake Michigan Clean leaflet as a fig leaf substitute.
She’d heard all about it from her neighbor Julie, who kept a video camera running from her third-story window in hopes that she’d get something worth airing on her brother’s independent cable show, Not So Shy Chi-Town. That clip made it on the show, no problem. To avoid legal repercussions, Edward’s features had been scrambled so no one except Julie and Anica knew who it was.
“You’re frowning,” Jasper said. “Anything wrong?”
Good thing he wasn’t a mind reader. “No, no. Sorry.” She smiled to prove that everything was hunky-dory.
He reached for her hand. “What do you say we get out of here?”
Whoops. She wasn’t quite ready to be alone with him. Better to reveal her witch status in a public place, where she could resist the urge to prove that she had special powers.
That had been her biggest mistake with Edward. He hadn’t believed her, and she’d worked one teensy spell to convince him and had been inspired by what was at hand, so to speak. He’d left before she could explain that his penis would return to its normal color in a few hours.
“I’m fine with leaving,” she said. “But there’s chocolate mousse on the dessert menu. Let’s get some to go. Mousse could be . . . a lot of fun.”
“Mm.” His gaze grew hot. “I like the way you think.”
As he signaled their waitress, Anica searched for the least threatening way to explain her unique gifts. After her experience with Edward, she dreaded broaching the witch situation. Maybe she should retreat to a quiet place for a few minutes and ask for guidance.
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