by Deanna Chase
Chapter Seventeen
“I think I might be dying,” Shannon said as she slumped into one of the chairs at Incantation Café. “I can no longer feel my arms.”
Silas sat across from her and promptly rested his head on the table, moaning about the ache in his back. “Never again. We should’ve hired movers. What were we thinking?”
“We were thinking that we don’t have the cash on hand for movers right now,” Shannon said irritably. She’d thought she’d been so clever with her money. She’d spent the past ten years diligently paying off her student loans while also funding her retirement. On paper, she was in great financial shape for a thirty-one-year old who managed a confectionary shop. She just didn’t have a lot of accessible cash reserves at the moment.
That was a minor problem since she’d just put a first and last months’ rent and a security deposit down on a small house three doors down from her grandmother’s house. Or rather the house where her parents would no longer let her live rent free.
Silas would’ve gladly helped out. The kid had oodles of money. But since he was underage, he only had access to a small amount each month. The rest had to be approved by their mother. When he turned eighteen, all of that would change.
“As much as my body aches right now, I’m still happy that Bellatrix left and went back to Los Angeles,” Silas said, sitting up and stretching his legs out in front of him.
“You don’t honestly think she’s going to stay away, do you?” Shannon asked as she glanced over at Hanna, who was behind the register ringing up a couple of tourists.
“No. But she’s gone for now, and that’s all that matters,” Silas said. He followed Shannon’s gaze. “Rock, paper, scissors to see who has to get up and get us drinks?”
“My arms don’t work, remember?” Shannon flexed her fingers and let out a groan. They’d moved Shannon’s couch and overstuffed chair, her bedroom furniture, the dining room set, and the bar stools, along with a bunch of boxes of stuff Shannon had collected over the years. Since the house was only three doors down, they hadn’t bothered to rent a truck. Again, another money saving move that they’d pay for when they couldn’t even get out of bed in the morning.
“Too bad Brian wasn’t in town. I bet he’d have moved everything for us,” Silas said wistfully.
“We’re not talking about him,” Shannon said and sent Hanna an imploring look.
Hanna let out a loud laugh as she slipped out from behind the counter and made her way over to them. “You two look like you need someone to carry you out of here.”
“Are you offering?” Shannon asked. “’Cause I wouldn’t say no. But I do need a latte first. And a piece of coffee cake. Make that two pieces and the largest latte you can make. Double shot.”
“Same,” Silas said. “And water.”
Hanna laughed. “Coming right up.”
Shannon handed her a credit card. “Give yourself a thirty percent tip for waiting on our sad butts.”
Hanna shook her head. “That’s too much.”
“No, it isn’t. Forget it. I’ll just write it on the receipt.” Shannon smiled up at the gorgeous café owner. “Thanks again. I know we’re a pain.”
“No, you’re not, and don’t worry about it.” Hanna pushed her dark curls out of her eyes and waved at someone as the door chimed.
Hope Scott strode into the café and up to the counter. After she ordered, she made her way over to Shannon and Silas. “Hey, kids. I hear you’ve had a rough day.”
“Moved. It sucked,” Silas said.
She nodded. “I’ve done far too much of that myself this past year. Although air magic usually helps. Did you run out of steam or something?”
“Shannon broke her wand about a half hour in, and after that everything went haywire,” Silas grumbled.
“It’s not like you were any help,” she shot back. “If you ever practiced, you wouldn’t be prone to dropping everything.”
He raised both hands, palms up in a what-can-I-say motion, but then winced at his aching muscles.
“Wow. You two are in rough shape,” Hope said. She eyed them. “You know, I do have a couple of openings at the spa tonight. Want to come in and let me work out those aches and pains?”
“Ugh,” Silas groaned. “I’d love to, but Levi invited me over. Tomorrow?” He batted his best puppy-dog eyes at her.
She chuckled. “He finally decided to let you back in his bubble, huh?”
Silas’s cheeks turned bright red as he glanced down at the table. “He’s not thrilled about the tabloid articles.”
“No. He isn’t,” Hope said, giving him a gentle smile. “But he also knows it’s not something you have control over. So as long as you don’t bring an entourage, I’m sure everything will work out.”
“An entourage. Gods.” He put his head back down. “Can’t I just take the rest of the year off and live here in peace for a while?”
Shannon reached over and patted his hand. “It’s probably better if you finish your obligation to Timekeeper. But whatever you want to do, I support you.”
He turned his head and peered at her. When he spoke, his voice was full of hope. “Does this mean you’ve decided to be my manager?”
“Yes,” she said with a sigh and rubbed at her forearms. “But I can’t do that until your birthday.”
“You can if I can convince Mom to let you start doing it sooner,” he said, his eyes narrowing the way they did when he was calculating something in that sharp mind of his.
“Si, we don’t need to rock the boat even more,” Shannon said cautiously.
“Yes. Yes, we do.” He suddenly stood and walked over to the counter to retrieve their order. His movements were smooth and confident.
“How is he doing that?” Shannon muttered. “I don’t think I can even get out of this chair without pulling a muscle.”
Hope cackled. “Youth. They bounce back faster.”
“Not that fast.” Shannon watched as Silas grabbed his drinks and pastries and then took off out the front door. Hey! Couldn’t he at least have brought hers to the table before leaving? She was still scowling after him a moment later when Hanna appeared with Shannon’s half of the order and her credit card.
“Silas took care of the tip,” Hanna said as she handed Shannon the receipt.
Shannon pursed her lips, studying the café owner. “You’re not just saying that are you?”
“Nope.” She pulled a twenty out of her pocket. “He wouldn’t let me make change either.”
Shannon felt pride well up inside her chest. Her brother was a good man. And considering he was raised by their parents, it was remarkable he’d turned out so kind. “Thanks, Hanna.”
“Sure, sweetie. Now let Hope work out those achy muscles tonight so you can actually move tomorrow.” She patted Shannon on the shoulder before heading back to the counter where Rex Holiday was standing with Rhys, Hanna’s fiancé.
Rex’s face lit up with a smile when he spotted Shannon. He said something to Rhys and then headed over. “Hey, ladies. How is your Friday night going?”
“Good,” Hope said. “I’m on break before I go back to work.”
Both of them turned their attention to Shannon. She let out a humorless laugh. “I’ve been better. I moved today and think I need a four-way limb transplant. Hope thinks she can save them with a massage.”
“I’d trust Hope on this one,” Rex said.
“You’re probably right.” Although Shannon was keenly aware that it was Friday evening, the night she and Brian were supposed to have their couple’s massage. She still hadn’t taken any of his calls. In fact, she’d blocked his number. Childish? Maybe. But she didn’t think that any man who lied to her deserved her time.
Shannon could still hear Silas questioning if the story of Brian’s engagement was true though, and that unsettled her. Maybe she should have talked to him to at least hear what he had to say. She shook her head. Now wasn’t the time to be mooning about Brian. Not when sexy Rex Holiday
was standing in front of her. Shannon waved at the empty chair next to her. “Have a seat.”
“I thought you’d never ask.” Rex sat down next to her and immediately ran a gentle finger over the bruise on the back of her hand. “What happened here?”
“Banged it on the banister railing when my brother and I were hauling my mattress upstairs.”
“And this?” His finger moved to a scrape on her forearm.
The connection was nice after a hard day of manual labor, but his touch was nothing like Brian’s. She didn’t feel any tingles or yummy shimmers of desire. Dammit. It sure would have been nice to be attracted to a guy who actually appeared to be available. She held back a disappointed sigh as she said, “I don’t even know. I’m not sure I even felt it when I did that.”
“I’ve been there before. Working on farms means I get all kinds of scrapes and bruises that I can’t explain at the end of the day.” He sat back in the chair and moved his hand to the table.
“How is it going at the Pelsh winery?” Shannon asked and then took a deep swig of her latte. The caffeine was like a shot in the arm, instantly perking her up.
“Good. They have a nice little vineyard out there.”
Hanna arrived and grinned at him as she handed him his coffee. “It’s only nice because we have a fabulous earth witch making sure we start off right.”
“Thanks for that lovely compliment,” he said, squeezing her hand lightly. “But your dad laid a fabulous groundwork before I ever even knew the Pelsh vineyard existed. I don’t think I could’ve asked for a better crop.”
“That’s what we like to hear.” She glanced at Hope and Shannon. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
“I’m good,” Shannon said, raising her latte. “This is perfect.” She turned her attention back to Rex. “Tell me more about the vineyard. What is it you do for the Pelshes, exactly?”
“I’m basically just tending the grapes, making sure the crop is in the best possible shape. The better it is in the beginning, the stronger it will be over time.”
“So you’re sort of like a consultant who comes in to get the place running in tiptop shape?” Hope asked, leaning in to give him her full attention.
“Something like that,” Rex said. “It’s going fantastic so far, but it will be even better when we find another air witch to help us get the vines tied up and work on aerating the wines.”
“You need an air witch? I’m an air witch.” Shannon said, leaning in closer. The muscles in her back screamed at her for moving, but she ignored the pain, keeping her full attention on Rex. He needed an air witch. She was an air witch. A second job would mean more money. Money that she’d need if she was going to try to buy her grandmother’s house when it went on the market. The only issue would be what hours she had to work. She still had her manager job at A Spoonful of Magic after all. “Are there specific hours or are they flexible?”
His expression lit up with interest. “Flexible. Definitely. Are you interested?”
Shannon nodded. “I need a part time job.”
“She’s a talented air witch, too,” Hope interjected. “If you’ve ever seen her wield that wand of hers, then you know what I’m talking about.”
Wand. Right. She’d need to replace hers ASAP. Like by tomorrow unless she wanted to go back to doing everything by hand. She wasn’t good at direction when only using her fingers.
“Sounds perfect. Do you have time to come out to the vineyard tomorrow?” he asked.
Shannon leaned in, giving him her undivided attention. “If you’re available in the afternoon, absolutely.”
“I’ll make sure I’m there.” He reached out, offering her his hand.
Shannon took it and said, “I can’t wait.”
After Rex left with Rhys, Shannon turned to Hope. “Are you still available for that massage tonight?”
“Absolutely.” Hope stood and gestured for Shannon to follow. “I was going to take walk-ins. You can be my first.”
Chapter Eighteen
Shannon’s apprehension slammed into her as soon as she walked through the doors of A Touch of Magic. Why had she agreed to come here on Friday night? The night that was supposed to have been her and Brian’s second date?
Right, she thought as she lowered herself into one of the chairs in the waiting room. She could barely move without wincing. This was one hundred percent for herself. She would not let thoughts of Brian ruin it for her.
As Hope went into the back to get her work area ready, Shannon flipped through a Witch’s Times magazine and admired a new line of wands. There was a sparkly red one that just screamed her name.
“Shannon?” Lena, the spa’s receptionist, called.
Shannon tossed the magazine on the table and winced when she pushed herself up. “I’m here.”
“Oh, good. Right this way.” Lena smiled at her and led her down the hall where the massage rooms were located. But instead of depositing her in one of the rooms, she kept going until they were out in the back garden.
Shannon spotted him right away. Brian was sitting at a table for two, candles lighting up his handsome face. A surge of irritation almost had her turning around and bolting back through the door. But Silas’s words persisted in her mind, making her wonder what exactly he had to say about his supposed engagement. At the very least she deserved a little closure, right?
“Shannon?” Lena asked, frowning. “Is everything all right?”
Shannon cleared her throat. “I thought I was just getting a massage with Hope. This date was supposed to be canceled.”
Lena’s eyes widened, and then she glanced at Brian and back at Shannon. “Um, okay. If you want to follow me back into the spa, I can check with Hope and—”
Shannon waved a hand, stopping her. “No, never mind. That isn’t necessary. Just please let Hope know I’m out here with Brian. As long as there is a massage for me by the end of the night, I’m fine.”
“Of course,” Lena said quickly. “I’m so sorry for the confusion.”
“It’s not your fault. Thanks, Lena.”
Shannon took her time walking the rest of the distance to the table where Brian sat waiting for her. When she finally got there, she paused and placed her hand on the back of the empty chair. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”
“Of course I’m here. We had a date,” he said, getting up and pulling her chair out for her.
She hated that he was so chivalrous. It made it harder for her to hate him. And at that moment, she was pretty sure she did hate him. Or at the very least, she hated how he’d made her feel and that she was actually going to sit down and let him explain. Did that make her weak? A bad feminist? Maybe. Maybe not. She pushed the destructive thoughts out of her head and sat back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Did you get any of my texts?” Brian asked when he was seated across from her again.
She shook her head. “It’s been a rough week. I ended up blocking you.”
Pain flashed in his dark eyes for just a moment before he nodded slowly. “I understand.”
“Do you?” she challenged. “I’m not sure you really have any idea what it’s like to find out the guy you just started dating is engaged.” There. She’d said it.
Brian took a deep breath and nodded. “You’re right. I don’t. But can you imagine getting a phone call first thing in the morning and learning you’re engaged to someone you’ve never actually dated?”
Shannon stared at him as if he had two heads. Had she heard him correctly? Was he trying to say that even he didn’t know about the engagement? That seemed… far-fetched at best. Or was it? Silas had warned her about the press. She just hadn’t considered that he might be right. “Care to explain that?”
“Are you ready to hear it?” he asked. There wasn’t any challenge in his voice, just a gentle curiosity.
Dammit if that wasn’t endearing. “I think so.” She sucked in a breath and let it out. “Listen. My brother is a major star. I s
pent some time in Hollywood when I was in college. I understand how crazy it can be down there. I also know that people tend to exaggerate the truth or just make up lies to get what they want. I’m willing to listen, but if you’re not truthful and I find out, there won’t be another chance. Understand? I hate drama. I hate the press. And most of all, I hate liars.”
“Then we have more in common than I realized, Shannon, because I feel exactly the same way.” This time when he smiled at her, it was full of all his charm, and he seemed as if he was amused. Like she’d said something that delighted him.
“All right then. Lay it on me.” She picked up the flute of champagne that was sitting in front of her and took a sip.
Brian leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table. “It’s pretty crazy. Are you ready for this?”
“I doubt it. But it’s been a crazy week, so go for it. It can’t be worse than my own mother kicking me out of my house.” Oops. She hadn’t meant to say that. She didn’t want to give him any details of her week until she heard what he had to say.
He lifted one eyebrow, the one that had a scar running through it. She briefly wondered how that had happened and made a note to ask him later. “We’re definitely coming back to that.”
She shrugged one shoulder, ignoring the pain, and waited. The candlelight around him made his skin glow, and she hated herself for noticing. She shouldn’t be warming to him already. He hadn’t even explained himself yet.
“Cara Manchester is the daughter of one of my father’s oldest friends. Or at least they were friends until a few days ago. They were also going into business together. Manchester and Knox Corps. Hotels and spas. Big business.”
“Okay,” Shannon said, frowning. “So what? This is one of those arranged, empire-building marriages?”
Brian laughed, but there wasn’t any humor in it. “Sort of? For years our families have made comments about how I should marry Cara. I always made a joke out of it because their pressure made me uncomfortable. I have never had any intention of dating or marrying Cara. In fact, she’s a crazy Hollywood type, and I couldn’t be more turned off if I tried. There is nothing there.”