by Deanna Chase
“Nobody here knows about my past. And I’d like to keep it that way.” She visibly swallowed and then continued, “I’ve worked hard to move past all of that. I don’t want my boss and the rest of the town gossiping about me. Would you mind keeping the events of that time to yourself?”
He almost let out his own humorless bark of laughter. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about their shared past with anyone. He gave her a gentle smile before turning serious. “There’s no need to worry. I have no intention of revisiting our time in Berkeley with the residents of this town. That’s your story to tell when and if you want to. Not mine.”
She dragged her intense gaze away and stared over his shoulder. “Thank you.”
“There’s no need for thanks. You know I’d never betray your trust like that.”
Her lips curved up into the tiniest ghost of a smile. “You haven’t changed.”
This time he did laugh, thankful he didn’t hear any bitterness in his chuckle. Weeks ago, he might have. “I think that remains to be seen, but hopefully I’m still the same guy you met on that stoop years ago.” He winked at her. “And since you seemed to trust that guy okay, why don’t you let me help you move your stuff? I’m happy to, you know. And Shannon is right. Until I get a lease on a music space, I don’t have a lot to fill my time.”
She hesitated.
Chad stared down at her, wishing with everything he had that she’d say yes. It wasn’t that he was excited about moving furniture, especially with his messed-up hand. He just wanted to do whatever he could to make up for past mistakes. One day he’d tell her his part in that awful night when she went to jail, but not until she was ready to hear it. In the meantime, he was determined to be her friend. “Come on, Luna. My air magic will make it a heck of a lot easier on you. Not to mention, I already own a truck. You don’t have to do everything on your own, you know.”
Her smile vanished, and he wanted to kick himself. That had been the exact wrong thing to say, and Chad should’ve known better. If there was ever a human who was determined to not rely on anyone, it was Hope ‘Luna’ Scott. He cleared his throat. “I just meant you have free labor at your disposal. You’d be crazy to turn that down, right?”
She stared at her feet for a moment, and when she lifted her head, her expression had finally softened. “Your air magic and truck would come in quite handy.”
He felt his shoulders relax as he gave her a little smile. “Ah-ha. That sounds suspiciously like a yes.”
She chuckled. “You’re awfully excited to move some furniture, Chad. I think maybe you need to get out more.” Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she added, “Sign up for a dating app or two and get out there before you turn into an old spinster.”
Why do I want a dating app when the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen is standing right in front of me? Oh hell. He wasn’t going there. She was a kid. Or she had been when he’d known her. She had to be twenty or twenty-one now. All grown up with a fulltime job and moving into her own place. Snap out of it, Garber, he ordered himself. Luna Scott was off limits. “What makes you think I’m not dating anyone?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
Her eyebrows shot straight up. “Oh? You have a girlfriend?”
“No,” he admitted with a shrug. “I just wondered why you were so convinced I had no prospects.”
She laughed again. “Please. In this town? If you had taken someone out, we all would have heard about it. The gossip runs through this town like river rapids.” It was her turn to wink. “Okay, Mr. Helpful. Tomorrow at nine? Pick me up at the café, and we’ll go move some furniture.”
“Nine,” he repeated with a nod and grinned at her before he walked off, determined to secure that music store lease.
“Well hello there, Chad,” Miss Maple said, leading him into her office. She pushed a lock of her curly gray hair out of her eyes and removed her apron, revealing a flowy peasant blouse and skirt that looked like they were vintage early-seventies.
“What’s this?” he asked as she handed him a paper cup. He took a sip and let out a small moan of pleasure as the rich chocolate hit his tongue.
“Salted caramel hot chocolate. Sounds like it’s a winner.” She sat down in her plush office chair and leaned back.
“Absolutely. That’s better than…” His face heated as he swallowed his words. Talking about sex in any capacity with Miss Maple seemed inappropriate.
“Better than a poke in the eye?” she asked, her eyes glinting in the sunlight streaming through the window.
“Sure.” Chad chuckled and placed the cup on the edge of her desk, leaning in. “I’m ready to make a deal on the retail space next door.”
She raised one perfectly waxed eyebrow. “You are? Does that mean you’re amenable to the two-year contract?”
“Yep. I’m in. Just as soon as the contract is ready, I’ll be by to sign it,” Chad said. When he’d previously spoken to Miss Maple, he’d requested a one-year contract. But she’d said she was only willing to rent the space to someone who intended to put roots down in the community. She’d already gone through two out-of-town tenants in the last three years who’d fallen in love with the quaintness of Keating Hollow but hadn’t been ready to really invest in the community. Frankly, she was tired of the revolving door and the frustration of the townspeople when they saw another business close due to half-hearted attempts to fill a need within Keating Hollow.
Miss Maple clapped her hands together. “Excellent.” With a smile claiming her lips, she opened a drawer and pulled out a file, handing it to him. “I knew you’d come around to my way of seeing things.”
Chad chuckled and shook his head. “You were that sure, huh?”
“Sometimes I just get a feeling about people.” She sat back and waited for him to read the contract.
When he was done, he glanced up. “There’s no first and last month’s rent listed. Or a security deposit.” He pushed the file back to her. “Add those in and I’ll sign today.”
She pushed the file back to him. “You’re taking on a two-year lease. This is me meeting you halfway. Besides, I know how to track you down,” she said with a teasing smile.
He snorted. Considering his stepmother lived in town and was his only remaining relative, she had a point. He whipped out his pen, signed, dated, and slid the contract back to her. “Thank you.”
She reached across the desk and clasped her hand over his. “You’re welcome.” After making a copy of the lease, she handed Chad the paperwork and the keys.
Chad pocketed the keys and felt a bit of weight lift off his heart. Ever since the day he’d broken his hand, he’d felt rudderless and completely gutted by the consequences his stupidity had rained down on him. But now, he had a purpose and something to bring to the community that had saved him once before when he’d needed it most. He gave the older woman a grateful smile as he reached for the door knob. “I’ll see you soon.”
“Chad?” Miss Maple said, stopping him.
“Yeah?”
“I know you’ve found yourself here in Keating Hollow because of an unfortunate circumstance.”
Unfortunate circumstance. He almost laughed at the characterization. If that’s what she wanted to call beating the crap out of the biggest jackass he’d ever met, then sure. He could go with her version.
“I just think you should know we want you here, and Keating Hollow needs you,” she said, her expression earnest. “Luna, in particular, needs you.”
Her words stabbed him right in the heart, and he felt himself retreating to that dark place that could swallow him whole for days on end. He wanted to argue with Miss Maple. Tell her in no uncertain terms that she was wrong. Instead, he just said, “Thanks for the retail space.” Without another word, he left her office, silently closing the door behind him.
Chapter Three
Luna ordered a large caramel latte, a skinny mocha, and two chocolate croissants as she tried to ignore the nerves jumping in her stomach. Calm down, she told herse
lf. It wasn’t as if this were a date with Chad. He was just going to help her move her stuff. Nothing more, nothing less.
That’s a lie. She wanted to demand that the voice in her head shut its trap, but she knew that was futile. Her inner conscience had a big mouth.
“Happy moving day,” Hanna said cheerily. “I bet you’re looking forward to giving up that commute every day.”
Luna smiled at her. “You’ve got that right. I might even get a bike and pedal myself to work on the sunny days now that the weather has turned nice.”
Hanna glanced out the front window. “That’s a good idea. Just know that the weather turns quickly around here sometimes. Especially in the spring. It will be sunny and warm and then a half hour later the storm clouds roll in off the ocean, and it can get ugly fast.”
“Really? So far I’ve just seen some mist and light rain,” Luna said, peering out at the clear, sunny sky.
“That’s what makes it tricky.” She gave Luna a smile and then nodded toward the front door. “Have fun today.”
Luna turned and spotted Chad strolling through the door. His lips curved into a quiet smile.
“Morning,” he said, his blue eyes scanning her.
She glanced down at her worn skinny jeans and faded secondhand T-shirt and shrugged. “Moving day clothes.”
He lifted his gaze and let out a small bark of laughter. “You look more like you just stepped off the cover of Rolling Stone. Nice boots.”
“Um, thanks.” She felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment as butterflies fluttered in her gut. Was he flirting with her? He was. She was sure of it. And though she knew letting him get under her skin was a terrible idea, she couldn’t help but enjoy his attention. She glanced down at her black, lace-up motorcycle boots. They weren’t exactly her first choice for moving furniture, but the sole on one of her sneakers had come apart the night before. It was either her boots or sandals. The boots were safer.
He chuckled. “Come on, Luna. Let’s go get you moved.” He waved at Hanna.
“Wait. Breakfast,” Hanna said, pushing the coffees and bag of croissants toward them.
“Thanks. That’s kind of you,” he said.
“Luna ordered it.” Hanna’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she winked at Luna.
With Chad behind her, Luna made a face at Hanna and mouthed behave.
Hanna’s grin widened. “Have a good day, you two.”
Luna picked up the bag and the cup with his name on it.
After she handed it to him, he took a sip and eyed Luna with a raised eyebrow. “You remembered.”
“You ordered it the same way for over a year. I figured it was a safe bet,” she said, berating herself for feeling self-conscious about remembering a detail about him.
“It definitely was.” He pressed his hand to the small of her back as they walked out of the café.
Luna closed her eyes, hating how much she liked the way his hand felt. Dammit. She was not supposed to be going moony over this guy. He was about ten years older than her. Surely he didn’t see her as anything more than just a younger-sister type. Or, more likely, she was just someone who always needed his help. And she hated that.
“Hop in,” Chad said, opening the passenger door of his truck.
“Thanks.” She climbed into the seat and moments later, they were rolling down the road, headed out of Keating Hollow. “Croissant?” she asked.
“Sure.” They were silent as they passed groves of redwoods and nibbled on chocolate croissants. The traffic was light since it was later in the morning and a weekday, and Luna started to feel like they were the only two people out on the highway. It was disconcerting because her new life seemed to melt away, and her palms grew sweaty as she tried not to stare at the handsome man beside her. Suddenly she was seventeen again and in awe of the gorgeous man who’d never been anything but kind to her.
“So,” Chad said, glancing over at her. “Catch me up on your life since we last saw each other.”
Luna’s stomach rolled with unease, and she glanced away, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to dispel the flashbacks of a time she’d never wanted to remember or talk about to anyone, let alone Chad.
“Luna?” he asked, concern evident in his tone. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Dammit. She let out a sigh, hating that she was showing any kind of weakness. “I’m not upset,” she said, now gazing at the river that snaked along the side of the highway. “It’s just weird to talk about. Most people don’t know my past.”
“Right.” The truck rumbled down the road another couple of miles before he added, “You can talk to me, you know. I’d never judge you or betray your trust.”
“I don’t—” she started.
“Or you don’t have to talk to me at all,” he said, cutting her off. “I get it. Have you ever heard me talk about my past?”
That got her attention, and she turned to study his face. His expression was grim, but his lips were set in a determined line. “No. Never. All I ever knew about you is that you were some sort of piano prodigy and you spent some time in Keating Hollow as a kid before you were accepted into a performing arts school.”
“You remembered that part about Keating Hollow?” he asked.
Her face heated, and she wondered if he suspected that part of the reason she’d ended up in the small town was because of him. It wasn’t as if she’d expected to run into him. Last she’d heard, he’d still been traveling the world to play concerts and had even been laying down tracks for some recording artists. She hadn’t actually expected him to ever show back up in the small town unless he happened to be visiting his stepmom. It was a big stretch to think she’d actually run into him.
No. Hoping to run into him hadn’t been the plan at all. But he’d talked about the community of Keating Hollow with such fond memories, she’d already felt like she knew the place. Not to mention she had other reasons for heading north. Not least among them was the fact there had been an opening at a new spa, and when she spotted the ad, she’d jumped on the opportunity.
“Yeah,” she said quietly. “You always made it sound like a magical place.”
He laughed, his eyes full of amusement.
She replayed back her words in her mind. With an embarrassed chuckle of her own, she said, “I guess that’s obvious and a major understatement. I just meant that the town sounded like heaven compared to the city. And when I saw the ad for the spa on a job site I was following, it was a no-brainer to apply. I was tired of the concrete jungle and fast pace of the city. Plus, I’d been commuting from the north bay up to Eureka before I got my apartment there a few times a month to work with Healer Snow. That lasted for about a year. I was tired of that drive.”
“Sounds like it was the perfect situation for you,” he said.
“I guess so.” Until you showed up, she added silently. But even as the words rolled through her mind, they didn’t exactly feel as true as they had the first time she’d run into him at Rhys and Hanna’s engagement party. She’d been terrified of the town finding out she had a record and, if she was honest, afraid of being forced to face her own past. But now… He was just as easy to talk to as he had been three years ago.
“Tell me about the work you do with the healer.” His eyes were on the road, paying attention to a particularly curvy section, and she was glad he wasn’t looking at her when she spoke her next words.
“Um, you know I’m an earth witch, right?” she asked.
He nodded, still maintaining focus on the road.
She cleared her throat. “It turns out I’m skilled at helping the human body heal itself. So Healer Snow asked if I’d be willing to participate in some experiments with her, and now I’m helping her administer breakthrough treatments that honestly are life-saving. It’s been… incredible, really.”
Chad shot her a glance of pure awe, but then quickly focused on the road again. He didn’t say anything, and Luna’s palms got even sweatier. How come he wasn’t asking questions? Everyone al
ways did, and even though she rarely knew how to answer them, she knew that what she did was rare and special, causing intense curiosity. But Chad was just driving along as if she’d told him that she was Healer Snow’s coffee girl.
Just as Luna was about to let out a huff of irritation, the truck swerved off the road into a lookout area over the river. Chad slammed the gearshift into park and turned to face her. His gaze was intense when he asked, “You have a gift so powerful that you’re helping Healer Snow save lives?”
A nervous giggle bubbled up from the back of her throat. “Um, I wouldn’t exactly put it that way, but yes. What I do has helped cure rare conditions and isolate problematic genes.”
“Put it what way?” he asked, appearing genuinely confused. “That you’re powerful or that you save lives?”
As usual, he’d just called her out on her modesty when it came to her gifts. For as long as she could remember, Chad had been the only person during her formative years to see her as someone worthy of praise. Now Healer Snow and her clients at A Touch of Magic clearly showed appreciation, but that was different. They didn’t know the real her. The one she hid away from everyone because she just knew they’d find out she wasn’t worthy. Luna shook her head and scolded herself for succumbing to those destructive thoughts… again. Logically, she knew that she was worthy of love, respect, and friendship. It was just that her heart didn’t agree. It had grown a shield, and she was not at all interested in letting anyone have a piece of it again.
“That I’m powerful,” she said with a shrug. “I don’t think I’m any more gifted than any other witch.”
He snorted. “Okay. If you say so.”
She knew that tone. He clearly didn’t agree with her assessment but was willing to let it go. It was one of the things she liked about him most. He didn’t hide what he was thinking, but he also didn’t feel it was necessary to argue just to be right.
Chad put the truck back in gear and pulled onto the road. “How did you find out you had the ability to heal people?”