Chapter 19
GRANT
“Hey, man.” Tyler gets up from the cafe table he”s sitting at.
We shake hands and do the guy-half-hug where we lean in and clap each other on the shoulder. Then we sit down at the table.
It”s Wednesday morning, and I just dragged myself out of Sirona”s bed to meet him for coffee. I take a long drink of my latte—I”m basic, just milk and espresso. We were up late for the fourth night in a row, and it”s starting to take a toll. Tonight, we might have to go to bed a little earlier, so we have time for sex and sleep.
Not that I”m complaining. If I have to be exhausted, I”d much rather it be because I”m having an excess of amazing sex than, say, being on call for 36 hours.
”So how you doin”?” Tyler pulls a piece off his croissant. I”m starving, so I ordered a bacon and egg sandwich, which they should bring out any minute. My mouth waters, looking at his pastry.
”I”m doing really well,” I say. To my surprise, I mean it. I”d been in a major funk since my injury, but ever since I started fake dating, then really dating Sirona, things have turned around in a big way.
He gives me a knowing smile. ”So things are good with Sirona.” It”s not a question.
I can”t stop myself from smiling back. Everything about her makes me feel more at ease. Peaceful. Understood.
And, of course, horny.
”Yeah, things are really good.” I shove away the thought in the back of my brain that I”m leaving in just a couple weeks. It gives me a panicked feeling I hate. So I ignore it.
”And what about?—”
Tyler is interrupted by the arrival of Honey at our table. She”s holding a plate with my breakfast sandwich on it.
”Morning, gentlemen.” She gives us each a wide smile.
”Hey.”
”Morning.”
She sets my food down, then puts her hand on the back of my chair and leans on it. So she”s staying to chat.
“What”s up?” It”s a little unsettling to have her hovering right over my shoulder.
”Nothing. Just thought I”d say hi to my favorite cousin”s boyfriend.”
Tyler shoots me a confused look. I shrug.
”Anything in particular you need?” I ask at the same time Tyler says, ”We were kind of in the middle of talking.”
”I”m sorry. I won”t hang around too long. I just wanted to remind Grant to let the rest of us see Sirona on occasion.” She pats my shoulder.
”Don”t worry, he”s leaving soon,” Tyler tells her. ”They need to get in all their”—he raises his eyebrows—” couple time while they can. You”ll have her back soon enough.”
I feel like the butt of a joke I don”t totally get. It”s not a pleasant feeling.
”Bye, Honey,” I say. I stop myself from shooing her away. There”s blunt, and then there”s just being an asshole.
”See you at dinner Sunday,” she says as she heads back behind the counter.
At Tyler”s questioning look, I explain, ”Family dinner at Sirona”s mom”s every Sunday. I”ve been going.”
”So it”s pretty serious.” Again, not a question.
Something warm blooms in my chest with his words. Yes, it”s serious. ”I mean... I guess.”
He raises his eyebrows. ”We”ve barely hung out since you two started dating.”
I don”t miss the hint of hurt in his voice. ”I know. I”m really sorry. I need to do better about that.”
He waves off his apology. ”I get it. You have a limited amount of time.”
I hold in a sigh. For months, all I could think about was getting back to Chicago, getting this surgery, then getting back to work. Now, anytime I think about it, my chest feels heavy. I”m dreading it.
Which is all sorts of fucked up. It”s not like I”m going to give up the career I”ve worked my ass off for, just because I”m infatuated with a woman. Even if it does feel like more than infatuation, it can”t be. It”s only been a few weeks.
”How about tonight? Let”s get dinner. Or go hiking. Watch a Brewers game.” I don”t even know if the pro baseball team out of Milwaukee has a game tonight. But Sirona is going to dinner with Evan, so I”m free. Not that I”d admit that to Tyler.
”Yeah, sure. Let”s go hiking, then we can get a pizza from the diner.”
My mouth waters just thinking about pizza from Grilled Cheese Diner. Chessie makes the best pizza I”ve had in my life. Honestly, if it involves cheese in any way, Chessie”s is the best. ”Sure, sounds good.”
We finish our food and drink our coffee in silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Tyler cuts it with a groan.
”I don”t know what time I”ll be back, though. I might only have time for pizza.”
”Where”re you going?” I assumed he was heading to work after this.
”Taking my mom to La Crosse again.” He shakes his head and shifts in his chair. ”She”s having some health stuff, and if Sirona”s clinic can”t treat it, the medical care around here is shit.”
That is definitely the downside to small town life. The nearest urgent care is three towns over. And for any sort of specialist, you have to go to La Crosse. And if they can”t handle it, you either go up to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, or down to Madison. All that driving definitely takes a toll.
”What”s going on?” I ask, my medical mind intrigued for the first time in forever. It feels like a rusty bike chain in my brain.
”This is way TMI, but she was peeing blood, and has been having recurring bladder infections. It”s been better the past month, but she”s going for a checkup today.” He tosses back the last of his coffee, then gets up to take the empty mug to the bussing tub in the corner.
I”ve known Tyler since elementary school, so I”ve known his parents almost as long. Mr. and Mrs. Chambers have always been great to me, better than my own dad often was. ”I”m really sorry. That sucks.” I wish I had more to offer, but other than a short rotation in medical school, I have no experience with urology.
He leans back in his chair and crosses his arms. ”What you need to do is give up on surgery, come back here, and open a clinic.” He uncrosses his arms and snaps his fingers in my direction. ”I”ve got it. You and Sirona open a clinic together. You do the sciencey medicine and she does the magical medicine.”
For an instant, I can picture exactly what he”s proposed. Me and Sirona with offices next to each other in a small practice on the edge of town. A couple exam rooms. An apothecary room for her.
But I blink the idea away. It”s ridiculous. ”I can”t just become a general practitioner. I”ve spent six years studying to be a surgeon. I”d have to go back and do a whole new residency. I think it”s three years.”
Tyler shrugs. ”Does the world need another hotshot surgeon? Or does Owl Cove need you?”
”What the hell? I”ve wanted to be a surgeon since we were kids.”
He cocks his head to the side. ”Have you? Or did you decide to become one because you knew it”s what your dad wanted?”
His comment takes my breath for a moment. What always happens when I think about my dad and how hard he pushed me. How conditional his love was.
But Tyler”s starting to piss me off. What is with him today? ”Yeah, my dad put the idea in my head. But if it was all about him, I would”ve given up on it after he died.”
Tyler”s expression says he disagrees. Whatever. He can think whatever the fuck he wants.
”Are you happy in Chicago?”
The fuck? ”When did this turn to a therapy session for me?”
”Because you”re my best friend, and for the first time in about a decade, you”re happy. And I want that for you. I think it”s ridiculous to give that up for a career that drains you and makes you miserable.”
I”m done. I can”t have this conversation anymore. I shove back from the table, pick up my dishes, and stalk over to deposit them. I pause next to the table. ”I need to go for a run.” Clear my head and get rid of the angry energy coursing through me. ”I”ll text you about pizza.”
”Grant, just think about what I said. You don”t have to become the town doctor. But you don”t want to be a big city surgeon either.”
I stalk out of the cafe and into the street, pissed I can”t slam the door behind me.
SIRONA
I take a sip of my wine and glance across the diner table at Evan. ”I”m just not sure how to tell him.”
I”ve confided in Evan about my knowledge regarding Grant”s hand. He”s very practical, and I could use the advice of someone who doesn”t immediately go to magic to solve problems.
He uses his fork to push his salad around on his plate. ”This dressing is amazing, by the way. You should try it.”
Chessie has a new house dressing made with goat cheese, honey, and lavender. And I”m sure it”s fantastic, like everything she serves. But I”m not interested in condiments right now.
”Way to avoid the subject.” I glare at him as I take a bite of my beet burger. I don”t even like beets, but Chessie manages to make them tangy rather than bitter. She”s amazing.
He sighs and sets down his fork. Leveling his gaze at me, he says, ”What do you want me to say? You need to tell him. He”s a decent guy. He”s not going to shoot the messenger. But he will be mad if he finds out you didn”t tell him.”
I know this. Rationally, I know all this. ”I”m just so tired of being the Grim Reaper. Why do the deities give us these powers but then add so many strings? Either they want us to help people or they don”t.” I let out a frustrated sound.
”I think you know what you have to do.” He stabs his fork into his tortellini.
Yes, I do. ”I was kind of hoping you”d tell me how to do it.”
He gives me a wry look. ”Sorry. You know him much better than I do.”
We”re silent for a few minutes, eating. I can tell I”m irritable because his chewing is loud enough to annoy me. But that”s my problem, not his. So I shove it down.
”Did you talk to your grandmother about it?” he finally asks.
”Yeah. She said the same thing. And she”s researching it for me, to see if there”s a spell we haven”t thought of that might be able to help.” I haven”t talked to her since Monday. I assume she”d call or text if she found something, but I should check in with her after dinner.
”So there you go.” Evan shrugs. ”I”m sure she”ll find something.”
I don”t disagree. Nana”s resources are vast. She probably will find a spell. But what will be the price we have to pay to do it?
I don”t mention that part to Evan. I don”t have the energy to have that discussion, especially when right now it”s all hypothetical. I can”t say what I”m willing to sacrifice until I know what I”m being asked.
From Evan”s tone, I can tell he considers this the end of the conversation. As much time as he”s spent around witches, given that he practically grew up at our house, there”s still so much about magic that he doesn”t understand.
”How are things going with Grant, anyway?” Plate empty, he pushes it away from him. ”You want dessert?”
Chessie, of course, makes amazing desserts, but I”m close to full. I shake my head.
”You two seemed very... close. At the festival.”
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth, remembering how he never let go of my hand when we were together. Remembering how he couldn”t wait to get me home and had to drag me out to the woods so we could make out.
”I”ll take that as a confirmation that things are going well.”
I know what he”s getting at. He”s not subtle. ”And you want to know how well.”
He doesn”t quite pull off the nonchalance he”s going for. ”You”re my best friend. Of course I want to know.”
I make a scoffing sound. ”I love you, Evan, but don”t bullshit me. This is about the curse. You”re asking about the curse.”
He rolls his eyes. ”Fine, yes. It”s crossed my mind.”
Full, I set down the last bit of my burger. I move my plate to the end of the table to make it easier for our server to collect. ”I don”t know. I would think we would know somehow that the spell is broken. And so far”—I shrug—”nothing.”
His expectant look falls. ”Nothing?”
”I”m sorry.”
”So you”re not in love with him.” He sounds almost angry. I”ll assume he”s angry at the situation, not at me. I can”t help how I do or don”t feel.
”I don”t know how I feel about him,” I say honestly. ”I might be falling in love. I think maybe I am. But I”ve also clearly never been in love before, so I don”t even know how I”d know.”
”Believe me, you”ll know.”
I don”t bother mentioning that I will most certainly know quite clearly, as it will break the curse. Though I”m still holding out hope that Morgan and Bronwen simply believing I”m in love will work.
I need to set up another sister night, so I can subtly work on convincing them I”m in love. I pick up my phone and quickly type in a reminder. ”I just remembered it”s been a while since we had a sister night. I need to schedule one,” I tell Evan as I type.
”What are you two going to do when he leaves?”
My chest squeezes painfully. I hate even thinking about it. Because what I said is true, I do think I”m falling in love with him. Maybe I don”t even need to convince my sisters. I just need to wait another week. I”ll probably be completely lost, head over heels in love by then.
And then he”ll leave and break my heart. But hey, my sister”s a love and relationship witch. She can just make me a spell to repair my shattered heart.
”I mean, what can we do?” I say in answer to Evan. ”Long distance doesn”t make any sense, since neither one of us has any intention of leaving where we live. We always knew this had an expiration date. We tried to keep it more casual, but it definitely isn”t anymore for me. And I don”t think it is for him either.” At least we”ll be heartbroken together.
Cold comfort.
”Yeah, it”s definitely not casual for him. He”s wild about you.” Evan makes a face that”s equal parts annoyed and happy. ”After watching you two together last weekend, I guarantee that.”
Warm tingles spread through me. Yes, it means he”ll suffer too when he goes back to Chicago. But it would feel awful to be in this deep for him and not have him feel the same.
Evan puts his elbow on the table and props his chin in his hand. ”So, do you think you just know when the curse is broken? And Morgan and Bronwen will too?”
I shrug. ”I would think so. We certainly felt something when it was cast.” I shiver, remembering that dark, windy, eerie night. ”And even if we somehow miss it, Nana will know. She”s so connected to the energy of magic, she can tell. It”s like how Jedis could feel a disturbance in the Force.”
He chuckles. This isn”t the first time we”ve compared Nana to the fictional Jedis. ”You”ll tell me, right?”
Somehow I knew this conversation would come back to Bronwen. It usually does. ”What are you going to do if this curse ends, and she still doesn”t fall in love with you?”
Jerking back, he gives me a nasty look. ”Why would you say that? Do you not want me to be with your sister?”
”Of course not! I”d love if my best friend ended up with my sister. I love you both and you know it. But Bronwen, she”s... well, Bronwen. I don”t know that she”ll want to settle down even without a curse.”
My youngest sister is a bit of a wild child. She fills in with Celestial Academy on the road sometimes, playing several instruments. And for a group of rock stars, they”re all in awe of her ability to party. She”s settled down a little since Sabrina was born, but she”ll always have her untamed streak.
And Evan is her opposite in so many ways. He”s calm, steady, dependable. He”d probably be an incredible influence on her, and she on him. I”m just not sure she”ll see it that way.
”I know it”s been harder on you, but it”s hard on me, watching you all these years. Loving her when she can”t love you back. I don”t want that to be your forever. Please tell me that if she isn”t interested, you”ll move on.”
”How exactly am I supposed to do that?” he snaps. ”I moved to Milwaukee for two years, saw her exactly once in that time, and still didn”t get over her.”
I shouldn”t have brought it up. It”s the same conversation over and over. And I don”t know how to help him, other than to break this stupid curse.
It”s the only thing that will help any of us.
”I”m sorry.” I give him a sheepish smile. ”If that does happen, we”ll figure it out. But any woman, including my sister, would be a fool not to fall for you.”
He”s silent a moment and I can almost see the shifting emotions move through him. Eventually he gives me a teasing smile. ”Except you, right?”
”Obviously. You”re basically my brother. Ew.”
”C”mon, let”s get outta here.” He pushes his chair back and stands.
I follow suit.
”I got the bill,” he says over his shoulder as we head for the door.
I laugh dryly. Chessie never charges anyone in the Goode family. Our dinner is free.
”That joke never gets old to you, does it?” We step into twilight on the sidewalk.
He slings his arm around my shoulder and pulls me against his side. ”No. And it never will.”