Page 28 of Flirty Fall Fling

He wears a smirk I’m starting to recognize.

My heart flutters, and every alarm bell goes off.

As if he can read my mind, he speaks. “Enjoy it.”

I take his words at face value and try to take in every passing second, wanting to remember this for some reason. We drink the tea until it’s gone. Before we leave, I move inside and grab a bucket of water, making sure to douse the coals. I load everything I came with.

“Are you turning off the lights?” Jamie asks.

“No,” I tell him. “I’m returning after I take you back to the shop.”

I half expect him to ask to stay, but he doesn’t. We climb into the car together, and I start the engine. I turn on the radio for the drive down and realize we spent three hours at the cabin.

The drive back is quiet. His window is cracked, and cool air fills the car. The gravel turns to pavement, and soon, Pine Haven’s downtown lights grow closer. I park outside Charmed Cauldron and kill the engine.

“Saturday,” I say. “Same time.”

Our bodies are too close in the cab.

“Two days?” he asks.

“Don’t want you getting attached to me,” I say, shooting him a wink.

“Keep playing hard to get.” He opens the door and climbs out. Before shutting it, he leans down and ducks his head back in. “Good night, Blaire Witch.”

“Night, Jamie.”

He holds my gaze for a beat longer than I ever imagined he would. The door closes, and he walks to a Mustang parked a few blocks up. I pass him with a wave and take the block back through town. At the first stop sign, I glance down at my mood ring, seeing the color violet again. I pull it off and drop it into the cupholder.

When I return to the cabin, it’s exactly how I left it.

I start a small fire and realize I’m still wearing his jacket. I keep it on and lie down on the couch.

My eyes grow heavy as I think about how he looked at me tonight. I convince myself it’s nothing because it can’t be.

8

JAMIE

It’s just past noon on Saturday, and I’m standing on the deck, enjoying my fourth shot of espresso while counting down the hours until I get to see Blaire again.

I walk inside and grab my phone that’s face down on the counter. There are a few unread messages from Patterson, checking in with me to see how I am. I didn’t tell him I booked the witch for ten hours or that it cost me a hefty fifty thousand dollars. I’ve decided to keep that information to myself for now.

At six, I shower, dress in nice clothes like I’m going on a date, and grab my jacket. Before I go down the mountain, I put down the top of the Mustang. Leaves rustle across the road as I hug the curves on the scenic drive.

When I arrive at the shop, there’s a note taped to the door. My name is written on the outside. I pull it off and read her neat handwriting.

J,

Please meet me at the manor. Intuition called. Slight change of plans.

BW

I grin and tuck the note into my pocket, then drive a few blocks to her place. A couple lingers on the sidewalk across the street with their phones out, posing in front. It’s a historic home, a tourist attraction, and I’ve seen postcards of it at the grocery store.

Once the coast is clear, I get out of the car and move through the gate, then stroll down the sidewalk leading to the porch. The amount of pumpkins, lanterns, and plastic bats has doubled since last week.

I climb the porch steps two at a time. As I lift my hand to knock, the door opens.