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“I am.” She tucked her light brown hair behind her ear and set a flat wooden jewelry box on the counter. “Yesterday was the last training session for this year’s instructors. They’re on their own now.”
I lifted the lid on the box she’d brought along. Earrings with fine glass drops dangling from silver threads, bracelets made of hemp and woven with Fimo beads, and necklaces with chunky sea glass pendants lined the velvet bottom. She’d been busy after work. Violet made some of the most sought-after jewelry on the island, but sold exclusively in my shop. The perk of being my best friend since we were in kindergarten. A bond that formed when Donovan Latham put a cricket on her skirt at recess, and I shoved his face in the mud until he apologized. Even with the deep discount I gave her, she was still one of my best money-makers. Her pieces would be gone before the end of the weekend.
I grabbed her hands and squeezed. “I have so much to tell you.”
“Same. Can you take a break?” She turned her big hopeful eyes on my grandma.
“Go on.” My grandma waved us off. “I’ll hold down the fort until Ella gets here.”
We stepped outside and crossed the street to Capricorn’s. I still wanted that caramel latte I didn’t get yesterday. Gretchen Nguyen ran the bakery and coffee shop, and people made special trips from the mainland just to get a box of her cupcakes. The outside of Gretchen’s business looked similar to my shop, with Valencia flower pots and striped awnings over the windows, except she had a powder blue storefront. Unlike me, she continued the candy-colored theme inside. Her walls were painted a cheerful yellow, with bright artwork from local elementary school kids pinned to the walls. The tabletops resembled a peppermint swirl, and a tall cabinet stood against one of the walls, featuring the mugs her wife, Kylie, made in their kiln at home. Each one was unique and could be bought for forty dollars. I owned twelve of them.
I waved to Gretchen as we walked in the door. “When are you going to let me steal away some pieces from Kylie to sell in my shop?”
“Keep dreaming, Raynor.” Her dark eyes sparkled with humor as she leaned against the counter. “Did you come by for coffee, cupcakes, or gossip? Because I’m stocked up on all three. Though the gossip might not do you much good, since it concerns you and a certain beloved town leader making out in front of the hotel.”
“What?” Violet whipped around to face me. “I need details. Now.”
I let out a long-winded sigh. “There was no making out. You know how it is. I’ll walk past Wes on the street and people will say they saw us on a date. It’s been four years. This town needs to get some new material.”
“Maybe if the two of you stopped throwing each other looks and got on with fucking already, people wouldn’t talk so much.” I went to high school with Gretchen, and she hadn’t been one to waste time mincing words back then either.
“She has a point,” Violet said.
“She has no point, and this conversation is closed.” I crossed my arms, and Gretchen and Violet exchanged smug smiles across the counter. “I’ll take a caramel latte. To go.”
“Coming right up, lady who doth protest too much.” She grinned as she put together our drinks, no doubt pleased with whatever tidbit she thought she’d picked up about me and Wes.
Violet and I took our lattes outside, where a cool breeze from the ocean took the edge off the rising morning sun. We walked past the park, where Donovan was already out playing checkers with Stewart Koning, like he fit right in with the eighty-year-old men. Violet waved, and he excused himself from Stewart to jog over. His chocolate lab, Sandy, trotted along beside him.
Despite the cricket incident from kindergarten, Violet and Donovan had been close since elementary school. Their friendship suffered a slight hiccup nine years ago, when Violet confessed to being in love with him and he claimed he didn’t return her feelings, but it had since recovered. They’d been practically inseparable since Donovan moved back home a year ago.
Violet crouched down to rub Sandy’s ears. Sandy thumped her tail hard against the concrete, in doggie heaven. “I missed my sweetie, yes I did. How’s my baby been these last two weeks without me?”
“I’ve been fine, thanks for asking,” Donovan said.
“I wasn’t talking to you, dumbass.” Violet stood and gave him a playful shove.
He laughed, slinging an arm over her shoulders. A pale blue light sparked from her hand, and a deeper, richer blue glowed from Donovan’s. My eyes widened as I pressed my fingers to my open mouth. Violet let out a soft gasp and pressed a hand to her neck. Donovan took a step back, removing his arm. The light died.
“What the hell?” Donovan shook his hand, as though it had betrayed him. “I thought only you and Wes had those X-Men powers.”
“Apparently not. When’s your birthday?”
“September fifteenth.”
Of course. Donovan was a Virgo, like Seth, but Seth wasn’t here to receive any powers. Violet was a Pisces. The positive to his negative end of the magical battery. My grandma was sure everyone who’d felt the earthquake had powers, but so far, Wes and I had been the only ones to touch and activate them.
Until now.
“Let’s go somewhere to sit down,” I said. “There’s a lot the two of you need to know.”
