Page 82 of Clearly Charmed

‘That was the truth.’

‘Bullshit. Were you waiting for the minute I finally fell asleep last night so you could sneak into your office and write all the sordid details about Mara’s search? How long have you been building my family tree, Bryce? Because that looked like it took a long fucking time.’

Sensing my anger, Flora growled and took a step in front of me.

Bryce paled and let out a thready breath. ‘When I don’t understand things, I write, Dani. What you read was private. It was me puzzling out what I saw yesterday. Trying to make sense of the connection I witnessed between you and your sisters. There are things at work in this town that aren’t normal. How animals react to you. The way you can feel their aches and pains. How Lia can hear the woods. Connect with the land. I’ve talked to at least six couples in town who swear what Aster can do borders on the supernatural. And last night…’ He laid his hands on the top of his head and walked in a tight circle. ‘The lights shattering. I thought it was the electricity, but I checked the fuse panel this morning, and it looks like Rich replaced it a few years ago.’

‘We’ve been over this,’ I flung back. ‘Each of us girls does have a gift, but it’s not magic. We understand animals, people, the land. As for the lights, the bulbs could have been defective.’

His shoulders crumpled. ‘I noticed the other night at dinner that when Clo got worked up, the chandelier above the table flickered.’

‘Now you’re reaching. Making things fit the narrative you need to tell.’

‘No. I’m trying to get to the truth.’ He sank down onto the step. ‘This last year has been a mess for me. It’s like if I can’t write, I can’t breathe. It’s the only thing that makes sense in my life.’ He tugged on his hair again. ‘I’m trying to figure out a way to do this where I can tell the story without hurting you or your family. Please, just give me time to figure it out.’

‘And what does that look like exactly?’

‘I’m trying to balance things. Write an article that will get me back to work but will also tell a real story about this town. You, your family, are a part of that tale. I’ve seen it in the way the town treats you and your sisters. Clo. You’re respected. Admired. That won’t change once the article comes out.’

It was exactly what my grandmother said, but they were both wrong. People in town didn’t think I noticed, but I caught the odd lingering gazes tossed in my direction at the clinic, the market, the pharmacy. The slight tilt of the head, puckering of lips, the fixed stare, as if they were questioning if my magic simmered just below the surface of my skin.

That old article had stripped my ability to relax. To believe people could see me just for me. The salt circle thing had been a hoax, but that journalist’s words had carved a small dark hole into my heart. I couldn’t let Bryce make that wound any deeper. Not for me. Not for my family.

Flora leaned in close as if sensing my heartache. ‘You should leave now,’ I said as firmly as I could.

‘Please, let me come inside. Explain more of my thoughts about the story. How I’m desperate to make this work with us.’

He was so earnest. It’d be easy to let him in. Allow him to spin some story to placate me. But when I looked at him now, all I saw was Max. A man full of empty promises and lame excuses. And Aster’s gift be damned. Believing in a man who was only going to betray me was not a trap I was walking into again.

‘No, I’ve seen enough to understand where this is going.’

His eyes went sad as he stood. ‘My article isn’t due for another few weeks. I’m here if you change your mind. Want to talk.’ He turned and made for his car and then stopped. With his back still turned, he said, ‘Mo told me about Max. How he hurt you. Some people wait a lifetime for what’s happening between us. Don’t throw it away because you’re scared.’

Flora let out a low whine, and I urged her through the front door, unable to watch him drive away. Once we were inside, I slid down and let the tears come again. Flora lay across my lap to comfort me. Another aching sob filled my chest as I considered if Bryce was right. Was I scared to let him in? To trust him?

Flashes of the day Max left, suitcases in hand, filled my mind. It was just another reminder that I was a failure, because I couldn’t protect my family, or my own damn heart.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Always Two Steps Ahead

‘You are not hiding in this clinic for one more minute.’

Bree leaned against the door leading into the main exam room. Her bright pink scrubs were covered in dog hair and surgical scrub solution. ‘Jessa and I are going to play pool at the tavern, and you’re coming with us.’

‘Not tonight.’ I placed more gauze squares and cotton swabs into the cabinets above the sink. ‘The other rooms have to be restocked. There’s also a ton of charts that need updated notes, and Flora desperately needs a bath.’

It sounded like an excuse, but it was true. Every morning for the last week I was up at dawn and out on the trail with Flora. I tried to convince myself it was because I wasn’t sleeping, but it was more about the fact that I did not want to run into Bryce.

Jessa appeared in the doorway, and the two of them stood in warrior stances. ‘We’re not letting up until you agree,’ Bree pressed. ‘This is your town, and you can’t let some outsider dictate your movements.’

In a fit of frustration yesterday, I let it slip about my fight with Bryce. How the plans for his article were about to blow up my entire family’s life. Bree suggested intimidation in the form of a few local loggers. Jessa asked if we could booby-trap his cabin. After I talked them both off the ledge, they watched me silently. Quietly pushed treats in my direction. Fielded any problems or complaints I didn’t need to know about.

‘Come on, Dani. One beer. One slice of Mo’s terrible pizza that comes straight out of the box and right into the microwave. A couple of games of pool. It’ll be a good distraction,’ Jessa begged.

They stood as a united front, and I’d hear about it for weeks if I didn’t give in.

‘Fine.’ I pointed a stern finger at them. ‘But when I’m ready to go home, no guilt trips.’