Page 12 of Clearly Charmed

‘Uh, what time tomorrow should I be here to get Indy?’ His voice was robotic. Too much like Max was in those final days.

‘I’ll call you once I’ve assessed his status, made sure he can hold down some food and water,’ I replied just as woodenly.

‘All right. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’

He raced for the front door like he wanted to be anywhere but near me. I stayed planted in place, unsure if what had just happened was real or a very hot hallucination.

I pressed a hand to my lips, the feel of his mouth a lingering phantom’s touch. On shaky legs, I sank down onto a nearby chair, my head a jumble of shock, panic and a dizzying kind of euphoria I could not explain.

Flora trotted toward me and nuzzled my knees, instinctively knowing I needed comfort. A pall of dread seeped into my bones as I gazed at the closed door. My one shot at love had walked away from me. Any chance I ever had at a happily-ever-after disappeared the moment Max decided I was no longer part of his narrative or his future.

I was always going to be alone, and no matter how much I wanted to fight it, the truth was clear in the sound of spinning tires as Bryce’s SUV screeched away into the night.

Chapter Five

Suspicious of Outsiders

Nobody believed the online reviews about Drip! Drip! Hooray!

Like most of the colorful Victorian-style shops lining downtown Harvest Moon, the building that housed the apothecary was hard to miss. The outside was painted in a shade of deep blue with muted orange trim. Inside it was, in fact, a pharmacy that also housed one of the best coffee shops for a hundred square miles, according to its 527 five-star ratings.

I pushed through the creaky glass door and headed past the shelves crammed with ibuprofen, allergy medications and various drugstore shampoos. Fred Ellery, our longtime pharmacist, and winner of the town’s pie-eating contest for five years straight, talked to a tourist at the register. As I passed, he smiled and gave me a casual wave.

At the back of the store sat a horseshoe-style counter with gleaming steel-curved edges. My best friend, Elena, scurried around, balancing two small plates and a carafe of freshly brewed coffee, a warm nutty scent filling the air.

Lia sat at the white Formica counter reading the newspaper. Her dark curly hair drooped over her forehead in a big poof.

I slid onto the red vinyl stool beside her. ‘Aster’s not here yet?’

Lia glanced at the oversized watch on her wrist that had belonged to Grandpa Beau. When we’d lost him seventeen years ago, there was no doubt it would be hers. She’d always admired the way the old timepiece sat against his brown, weathered skin. How it made its own clicks and whirs that fascinated her.

She’d been the closest to our grandfather, who could coax a smile out of her when no one else could. Even though Lia kept her emotions tightly in check, there were moments when I’d watched her solid walls tremble. Like she was still grieving his death, and other things she would never speak about.

‘When is our little sister ever on time?’ She kept her eyes on the paper but added, ‘How’s the dog from last night?’

‘Doing well. I released him to his owner early this morning.’

I’d forgotten we’d decided not to open the clinic until one o’clock today, so my receptionist and vet tech were getting a well-deserved morning off. When Bryce appeared at the door first thing, eager to see his dog, I abruptly shoved his bill at him, advised that Indy should be on a bland diet for the next few days and ushered him straight out of the clinic.

‘You’re usually firm about not taking on emergency cases unless it’s someone local. What was different about last night?’

There was a small, irritated twitch in her jaw you’d never notice unless you knew her well. Out of the three of us, she was the most suspicious of outsiders, especially when they’d been influenced by the tales around town about our supposed ‘powers’.

‘I’d actually seen the dog earlier in the day on the trail. Met the owner.’ I tugged on my ponytail and lowered my voice. ‘I’d sensed there was something wrong with the dog, so it wasn’t like I could turn the guy away.’

She gave me a hesitant look. ‘I get it, but still…’

‘Don’t worry, Lee Lee. He’s from LA. He’ll tire of this place and go back to where he belongs soon enough.’ I hoped I was right because any future interaction with him was going to be all kinds of awkward, especially since my brain kept flashing back to that hot kiss, and the jarring way he’d pulled away.

‘You sure about that? Even though he was freaked out about his dog, he still looked at you like you were Vega, Lyra’s bright star, appearing right after sunset.’

I tried not to roll my eyes at Lia’s dramatics, but I had to admit I’d seen that look too as he pressed his hands against my cheeks. Searched my eyes for permission to brush his mouth over mine.

‘Who’s the brightest star?’ Elena set down a perfect London Fog in front of me, the sweet scent of vanilla syrup filling my nose.

Lia cocked her head in my direction.

‘Oh, okay, now I need details.’ Elena brushed back her curtain of long, shiny black hair, and set her elbows on the counter.