Anna watches her brother as he disappears into his office. Then with a sigh, she says, “I need to call Dorian, and then I have a building permit to take care of.”
The door opens again, and this time, it’s a family. The dad steps forward while the mom and two kids hang back. “Do you know where we can rent bikes?”
“The bike shop is just a few blocks to the north, on the other side of the post office,” Anna says warmly. “You’re almost there.”
“We’ll let you work,” Ash says to his sister, following the family out the door.
“It was nice to meet you, Kit,” Anna calls.
I glance at the crabapple tree when we step outside, looking for Rowan. But the flowers are too dense to see him from here.
Ash looks at his phone, checking the time. “It’s still a little early for lunch. How about we head to the garden nursery?”
“I’ll never turn down a trip to buy flowers.”
“Perhaps it won’t be as busy as the rest of the town,” he says, though he doesn’t sound hopeful.
I peer into the tree one last time as we pass under it, but the branch Rowan was perched upon is empty.
“What is it?” Ash asks, realizing I’ve become distracted.
“Nothing.” Pulling my eyes from the crabapple, I hurry to catch up with him.
Chapter 6
Don’t Go Cheap on Alchemy Supplies
After a long day in town, we arrive back at my house at just after five in the evening.
“I’ll help with your groceries.” Ash steps out of the cabriolet and ties the horse to the fence. He then goes around the back, where there’s a small shelf just large enough to carry a few bags.
I didn’t buy a lot, but it should be enough to tide me over until I make a real order.
Arms full, we walk into my aunt’s cottage garden together. I’m already content from an afternoon spent with my hands in the soil, planting the council-approved flowers, but my happiness grows as I breathe in the smell of sun-warmed flowers.
Ash pauses in the overgrown walkway. When I look back, I find him standing still, eyes closed, reluctant smile on the sharp bow of his lips.
“Sorry,” I say, wincing.
Slowly, he opens his eyes and meets my gaze in the golden evening light. “Your magic is potent.”
“We’re in my season,” I remind him. “My magic is strongest in the summer.”
He walks up the path to join me. “I’m almost afraid to see how powerful you’ll be mid-July.”
Amused, I shift my grip on the fabric shopping bags. “No one has ever called me powerful.”
“Maybe that’s because you weren’t growing in the right garden.”
An unexpected pang of homesickness makes me wince. Right garden or not, it was still home. And I miss it.
Ash notices—of course he notices. One minute he’s basking in the bliss that is my magic, and the next, it’s ripped away from him. He frowns like he’s not sure what to do with emotional me, giving me the same look he might bestow upon a three-legged stray dog.
“Sorry,” I say again, turning to the door to unlock it, wishing my emotions weren’t on display. “I’ve never been away from home before.” I push the door open. “You can come inside. Or if you’d rather, you can leave the bags on the front step, and I’ll grab them after I set these down.”
Chester waits for me, vibrating with glee, his fluffy body dancing as I walk into the living room. As always, the little pomsky cheers me up, chasing away my lingering sadness.
“Give me a minute,” I tell him.
