Page 108 of Clearly Charmed

‘You do.’ Aster beamed at her. ‘Well, I mean you have three.’

Elena blinked back more tears and swiped the magazine off the counter. ‘Do you want me to read it and tell you the verdict?’

My sisters turned to me for an answer. I trusted my best friend. She’d warn us if the fallout was going to be bad.

‘Go ahead,’ I whispered.

Elena flipped the pages and then stopped at the center spread. Her gaze flew back and forth across the page, and I swear not one of the McGuire girls took a single breath for the next few minutes.

When she was finally done, she laid the magazine down and closed the cover.

‘Well?’ Lia prompted.

‘Is it bad?’ Aster heaved out.

With a gleam in her eye, Elena said, ‘Who wants more coffee?’

She strutted away, and Lia grabbed the magazine. Her shoulders trembled as she began to read the article to us. The opening paragraphs were cinematic, describing the hiking trails, the town and the community. There were portions dedicated to Veggie Fest, and the hard work done by the firefighters and SAR team, especially during Mara’s rescue.

I held on to each beautiful line, hearing the cadence of Bryce’s voice in my head. How he managed to paint such a colorful and fascinating picture of the place I loved. Lia pulled in a steady breath and read out loud the portion about the town’s history, and its strange ties to magical lore.

She was nearly to the end when she stopped abruptly, her eyes blinking like she was holding back a whirlwind of emotions.

No. It was bad.

Why hadn’t Elena warned us?

‘Did he talk about the fire? What he saw in the woods?’ I asked.

A shockingly wide smile lit up Lia’s face. She pushed the magazine across the counter until it sat in front of me. ‘Read the last lines. I’m pretty sure they’re a message for you.’

Chapter Thirty-Six

Not the Kind of Magic That Turns Frogs into Princes

Flora loped a few paces ahead of me on the trail. Her ears bounced against her head, and there was a sweet prance to her feet. All morning she’d been a bundle of energy. Nudging her wet nose against my cheek to wake me. Circling my legs in the kitchen while I packed our bag for a hike. It was like she could read my mind. Feel the anticipation and repeated stutter of my heart, which I was wondering now if she could.

Ever since I’d read Bryce’s final lines in the article, it’d played on a constant loop in my head. The hidden message so discreet, he knew I was the only one who’d understand.

I wandered into Harvest Moon, Colorado a jaded and cynical man. The whispers about magic seeming like nothing more than a badly told joke. A ploy to draw in tourists. But when I hiked up to one of the ridges at sunrise, witnessed the dark blue sky being slowly painted with the colors of a new day, I was reminded that there are many kinds of magic. There’s a hint of sorcery in the way the town’s residents plant seedlings, resulting in monstrous vegetables the size of a small lawnmower. A spellbinding draw in the way the mountain breeze becomes a siren song, pulling you higher into the clasp of nature’s embrace. But the most stunning, most mythical, element to Harvest Moon is its people and how they love and care for one another. The way they cheer on their greatest feats like growing a pumpkin the size of a golf cart. Or circling up the community when one of their own is hurt or lost.

Yes, it is true. There is magic in Harvest Moon. It’s just not the kind of magic that turns frogs into princes or mice into footmen. It’s more enchanting than that, but you’ll only know that truth if you visit this place, hike to its most secret ridge on a Saturday morning, the second week of November and discover what kind of spell it will put on you.

A heady rush of anticipation spread through my veins as I recalled those final lines of his article. Now, he was only a few steps away. He’d be flesh and blood before me. Close enough to touch. To press my mouth to his. Hear that low rumble in his chest as I kissed a sensuous path down his neck.

My breathing picked up at the thought. Heat spread across my chest. Maybe I didn’t need this heavy winter coat after all.

Flora pulled on her leash, urging me on. Birds chattered in the trees. Bunnies scampered among the low-lying brush. A few warm stares from deer in the deeper parts of the forest focused on me.

Was my connection to animals magical? I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t change how I felt about what I did. In fact, it made me more passionate. Made me appreciate what it brought to my life.

With prodding from Bree and Jessa, I’d agreed to hire more help for the practice. Open for a few more hours on Saturdays. Hold more vaccination and neuter-and-spay clinics in other counties. I even considered doing speaking engagements covering the positive aspects of running a small-town practice, and how it can not only help the locals but the outlying farm communities as well.

Did I still get the weird customers who came in and asked inappropriate questions? Sought out spellbooks and signs of hidden pentagrams in small corners of the clinic? Yes. But it was easier to swallow now that I’d accepted who I was, and what I wanted. For the first time in my life I felt content, and most importantly, whole.

Flora let out a sharp bark and took off at a sprint. I raced after her up the steep slope and around a corner to where a narrow outcrop looked out onto the forest. I couldn’t hide my smile as she careened toward Indy. Chased him in a circle. The old pals reunited once again.

Bryce leaned back against the rock. A black ski jacket covered his broad shoulders. He’d cut his hair and let his stubble grow out to a healthy five o’clock shadow.