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“I like this fellow!” Philomena declared. “He knows how toscheme.”
“He’s always been a smart one,” I agreed with her silently. And then to Ky, out loud, “That would be great. Are you sure getting it to me won’t be aproblem?”
“I got here the first time easily enough, didn’t I? But why don’t we all meet up in town. If you can make an excuse to head over there. I can get everyone together tomorrow—we’ll have a littlereunion.”
My voice caught. It took me a moment to force out the next words. “I—Tomorrow probably wouldn’t be the best. My fiancé is arriving, so I should be here to show himaround.”
Ky barely moved, but his eyes flickered and his voice dropped just slightly. “Your fiancé,” herepeated.
I bit my lip. It shouldn’t matter. I’d never been more than friends with any of the guys. But for the six years in which we’d explored every inch of this estate together, building forts and stealing apples from the orchard and all our other childhood adventures, they’d been the closest friends I’d ever had in my life, then or since. Now Derek would have to comefirst.
That didn’t mean I should have to cut everyone else I cared about out of my life,though.
“Yeah,” I said. “That’s why we’re back. To prepare—we’re going to be married in a couple months. But when that happens, my family will have to start respecting me as an adult, finally. And since they can’t be bothered to in the meantime, what they don’t know won’t hurt them. I could find a reason for a stroll into town the day aftertomorrow.”
“All right,” Kyler said. “How about noon, then? If you go to the Bluebell Café and get a table on the back patio, it’s on the same alley as my dad’s hardware store. We can cut through there and join you without anyone being the wiser.” His eyestwinkled.
“That should be perfect.” Having a definite plan made my spirits lift. But— “Your dad owns a hardware storenow?”
Ky’s expression turned suddenly awkward. “Well, you know, there was less work while your family wasn’t in residence— It’s turned out well. He mostly lets his employees run the store and he does repair work and minor construction jobs around town. He likes the hands-onwork.”
Of course. That made sense. I couldn’t expect the world to stay exactly the way it’d been when I was thirteen. People had to move on. Like I had, at least inpart.
“I’m glad he’s happy,” I said. “And I’ll definitely be on that patio at noon in twodays.”
Ky gave a bob of his head in acknowledgment. He paused, and then stepped toward me, offering myribbon.
“I think you should hold onto this,” he said. “In case you need us, and you can’t reach out any other way. Tie it to the gate again, and as soon as any of us sees it, we’ll come wait for you—by the stone bridge on the stream. That’s deep enough in the woods that no one should notice usthere.”
My gaze slid to the small carrying case packed with necklaces and bracelets—and the five ribbons of different colors that had been braided together with this one. The gift the boys had given to me right before Dad and Celestine had carted me off to the city. “I still have the others. I’ve always held on tothem.”
“But the more you have, the better prepared you’llbe.”
He smiled as he said it, but the concern behind those words—and all the good reasons he had to be concerned—hung between us. I took the ribbon from him, my fingers brushing his. The feel of his warm, dry skin and my awareness of his presence now that he was standing just a couple feet away left my nervesjangling.
He was really here. One of my boys. And what a man he’d grown upinto.
“Okay,” I said, looking at the ribbon instead of Kyler. “I’ll remember that. Thankyou.”
“Always, Rose,” hesaid.
The urge ran through me to cross that short distance between us and wrap my arms around him. To hug him with every shred of my gratitude that he was here, that he still cared, that he was bringing me back to the others. But I held myself in place, that exhilarated sensation still racing throughme.
I couldn’t say for sure it was only gratitude I was feeling right now. I wasn’tsupposedto be feeling anythingelse.
To my combined relief and disappointment, Ky backed away. “I’d better let you get your sleep,” he said. His tone softened. “It’s really great to see you again,Rose.”
When he’d disappeared back out the window, I sat down on my bed. My heart was thumping again. Sleep? Maybe sometime nextcentury.
“Was that one of the childhood friends you’ve told me about?” Philomenaasked.
“Yeah.”
“Hmm.” She shuffled her feet against the duvet. “Are you quite certain he was only afriend?”
I rolled my eyes at her. “I think I can tell the difference.” But that statement felt like a lie before I’d even finished saying it. I sucked in a breath. “Maybe, toward the end, there were some feelings developing that were a little more than friendly. But none of us ever acted on them. I couldn’t have acted on them. A witch isn’t even supposed to be friends with the unsparked. So it doesn’tmatter.”
“It seems to me you’re already breaking that rule at least a little. AndIhaven’t got any specialspark.”
