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Jeannie looked at Kay, who said, “He’s right. I bewitched him, but now I’m the one who’s under his spell.” Kay turned back to look up at Damon.
“Well, it’s about time,” Jeannie scoffed as she walked past them toward the register. “You had to have begun to feel like a spinster with two of your sisters practically married off.”
Kay’s eyes widened in surprise, but Damon laughed softly as they followed her. The plastic pumpkins thudded softly on the counter where he set them, and he said, “We forgot the duct tape. I’ll go get it.”
After Damon walked away, Jeannie studied Kay with a piercing gaze.
“I’m sorry.” Kay didn’t like seeing her upset and said, “I was trying to keep things quiet. I swear the Butler twins were the first people I told, and that means you heard the news seconds after they did.”
“I know. That’s not what I’m concerned about.” She pursed her lips as if she was trying not to say something.
“Tell me, Jeannie. You know it’ll only eat you up inside if you don’t.”
Jeannie chuckled. “Truer words have never been spoken.” Her expression turned more serious. “You better watch out for Jessie Green. That woman has the look of the devil in her eyes when she talks about you.”
“She talks about me? In here?”
“Came in last week to see if I knew of any shop spaces that might open up. The woman wants to horn in on your town.” Jeannie lifted her chin. “I told her that if anyone opened a magic shop it would be one of our island witches and not someonefrom away.”
Kay smiled, not only because she could imagine how that conversation went, but because the people of Night Meadow Island had each other’s backs. “Thank you, Jeannie. You’re right. The Knights wouldn’t like another witch to push their way onto the island.” An idea came to Kay. One that would ensure Jessie understood who she was messing with by trying to wiggle onto Knight witch territory, and she acted on it before thinking it through. “In fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve got a spirit ancestor or two who would make sure of it.”
Jeannie’s eyes lit up, making regret hit Kay hard. She’d just handed the shopkeeper a story idea, and it was sure to spin out of control. Kay jumped a little when Damon slapped the roll of tape down on the counter.
“You okay?” He asked when he looked at her face.
“I’m fine.” Kay tried to shake off her feeling of dread, but it wasn’t just about the rumors Jeannie might tell; it was what the woman said about Jessie. The annoying witch may not have powerful magic, but Jessie was strong enough to cause some damage, and Kay was worried about what that might mean.
20
Damon
Damon’s phonecontinued to ring as he stared at it, unsure if he wanted to answer Jessie Green’s call. He’d given the idea of working with the woman serious thought. While it would be nice to get a product line launched and distributed throughout her multiple shops, one thing stood in the way—Kay.
The woman he loved and Jessie did not get along, and the last thing he wanted to do was upset Kay. But Kay was also the reason he wanted to form a business relationship with Jessie. Over the past few weeks of being with her and falling deeper in love, he’d realized something important. He no longer wanted the fame of his internet celebrity career. Before, he’d craved the attention and adoration of fans, but now that he had the woman he planned marry, he’d knew all he really needed was her love and devotion. Their forever love was real, true, and what had been missing in his life all along.
He glanced at his phone again when it dinged with a voicemail notification, and Damon took a sip of his coffee, wondering if he should listen. The choice was made for him when Natalie entered the kitchen dressed for work.
“Another day at the salt mines?” Damon teased. She frowned as she filled her coffee cup, and she brought the pot over to pour him more. As hot liquid splashed into his mug he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I think I need a change. I’m not sure I want to be a librarian anymore.” She opened the fridge and poured a hefty amount of sweetened creamer in her cup.
Natalie had been at her job for less than a year, and Damon thought she may not be giving it a fair shake, or perhaps there was a problem at work she didn’t want to deal with. “Okay. What’s going on?”
She sat down at the table and let out a heavy sigh. “I love books, and I love helping people find books they’ll enjoy, but I feel as if my real knowledge is wasted.”
He recalled how she had focused her studies on the occult. “Witchcraft?”
She nodded. “It’s rare that anyone comes in to ask about books for it, and the other librarians joke when they do. They act as if it’s not a real thing, and…” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t care, should I?”
Damon reached his hand across the table to his sister. “You care because it matters, Nat.”
“The thing is I’m proud of being a witch. But you know me; the last thing I want to do is make waves. It’s just— Well, if Barbara waves her fingers at me one more time and asks me to hex a patron she doesn’t like, I might lose it on her, and she’ll be the one who needs to worry about a hex.”
Damon chuckled. His sister was too sweet and mild mannered to do such a thing. “I’d like to see that.” But she was clearly distraught, so he didn’t dismiss her feelings. “It has to be hard to work with people who don’t respect who you are. Do you think she has any idea how much that behavior upsets you?”
“She knows. I teared up one day, and she told me I was overreacting and that I needed to get a stronger backbone if I wanted to last in a customer service job.”
Compassion filled Damon before it made way for anger. “Natalie, the reason you’re unhappy is because that behavior is unacceptable. Your gut is right on this one. Who is this Barbara person?”
