Chapter 9 #2
She ignored that thought, which she knew stemmed from the part of her brain that still wanted him. That had always wanted him.
“Magnus here. We’re fine. Heading back to Harmony Glen soon. Over.”
“Good. Sven was worried. Over and out.”
Magnus switched off the radio and turned to her. “We better get back. As much as I would like to stay here and continue to explore what just happened, I am beyond town limits, and I really don’t want to start making out with you and have an important piece of me fall off.”
She grinned. “No. I wouldn’t want that to happen either, but I do have to ask what happens now. I mean…I work at Room with a Tomb.”
“And you will continue to work there. Things won’t get weird, but…
” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I would like to have that date we never had. Just in Harmony Glen rather than Tallowfield. Do you think…do you think we could maybe have a do-over? Especially since I haven’t cursed you and you’re not Yrsa reincarnated. ”
A knot formed in the pit of her stomach.
Tell him what you fully saw.
Only, she couldn’t. She wanted that date, so she selfishly nodded. “I’d like that too.”
“Good.” He helped her to her feet and then kissed the back of her hand. “I’ll text you and we’ll do this date properly.”
“Deal.” She wanted to linger here, but she knew they’d better get back. “Let’s go before your head falls off and you can’t drive the boat, because I’m sure Finn wouldn’t want his rental returned with a belching or burning outboard motor.”
Magnus threw his head back and laughed. “No, I suppose he wouldn’t.”
Mercedes took his hand and they walked out of the cabin together, back to the boat by the shore, but all the while she worried about what she saw when she touched the cursed ground, and what Magnus would think when she had to break the truth to him about it all.
When she got back to Hetty’s, she headed straight to the bathroom to have a shower and change into some warm clothes.
After she’d dressed, Hetty force-fed her some warm soup and a grilled cheese, which Mercedes immensely appreciated, but it was hard to eat when all she was thinking about was that kiss and how on the boat ride back to the marina, she sat next to Magnus and he had an arm around her, keeping the chill away.
After dinner she headed back to her room and curled up on the bed and tried to sleep, but she couldn’t. All she kept thinking about was that kiss. Her phone chimed and her pulse skipped a beat, but it was only Pearl texting her. She’d hoped it was Magnus.
Pearl: I heard you were stuck out on the lake.
Mer: From who?
Pearl: Finn. R U Ok?
Mer: Yep.
Pearl: You were with Magnus?
Mer: I was.
Pearl: And?
Mer: What do you mean and?
Pearl: When I left, you two HATED each other.
Mer: We’re fine.
Pearl: I feel like there is something you’re not telling me.
Mer: We’re fine. I’m fine.
Pearl: Well, I’ll be home for the grand opening in a couple days. Then I’ll be able to tell if you’re telling me the truth. You’re being suss.
Mer: I’m not being suss. Whatever that is.
Pearl: Suspicious.
Mer: I’m not hiding anything.
Pearl: Ok. Sure. I’ll see you in a couple days.
Mercedes set down her phone, sighing. Even miles away and over messaging, Pearl could tell that she was hiding something, like how she was supposed to be the reincarnation of Yrsa, like how she kissed Magnus and liked it.
Like she knew she would.
How she wanted more than just that kiss. It had been a long time since she’d had sex, and as she closed her eyes, she pictured Magnus, wet from the shower, before he covered himself with a towel.
All those rock-hard muscles and how she’d wanted to run her hands over him. Just thinking about that moment, all warm and fuzzy from their first kiss and him telling her that he wanted to take her on a do-over date, made her body thrum with anticipation.
She still wasn’t sure it was the smartest choice to go out with him.
Things always seemed to happen when the two of them got together.
Explosions, belching dryers, nudity, ghosts complaining about said nudity, almost falling into a koi pond.
She smiled to herself and left her room to check on Hetty, who was crocheting in the living room.
Hetty had been beside herself when she found out that Mercedes was out on the lake in that storm, but Mercedes understood why.
Pearl had told her how her father had died, so Mercedes knew the whole family was wound tightly when it came to storms, and especially cloud to ground or, in this case, water lightning.
“Pearl texted me and she’s coming home in a couple of days for the bed-and-breakfast opening,” Mercedes said, taking a seat in the plush floral chair across from the recliner where Hetty was crocheting.
“Yes.” Hetty’s eyes lit up and a smile curved on her lips. “It’ll be so good to see her and hear about her classes.”
“What’re you crocheting?”
Hetty looked down at the white yarn in her hand. “I don’t know. Something just hit me to start crocheting it. It might be a ghost. When I crochet my little familiars, I tend to go into a bit of a trance.”
“Familiars?”
“Well, I call them that. Cryptid Cuties, and they’re sold in the store and also at Ogram’s farm market just outside of town.
I’m hoping Magnus and Sven will sell some in the Dead and Breakfast. They’re quite popular with tourists.
” Hetty held it up. “This one looks a little like a ghoul, doesn’t it? It needs red eyes.”
Mercedes leaned forward and did see the resemblance. It was cute and looked like a little amigurumi version of Magnus.
“I’ll buy that one when you’re done, Hetty. He’s cute.”
Hetty smiled knowingly. “I thought as much. You would be good for Magnus. I know you had a rocky start, but I feel like you both need to stop being so stubborn about a misunderstanding and the bad first date.”
Mercedes cringed. “How much do you know?”
“Oh, everything. The revenge date, all that.” She smiled sweetly. “I don’t want you to buy this though. It’ll be yours.”
Heat rushed to Mercedes’ cheeks and she fought the urge to wipe her suddenly damp forehead. She wasn’t used to sharing things with a mother figure. At all. Her mother was not a warm and fuzzy or loving mother. Hetty seemed to actually care about her children.
Actually, most of the residents in Harmony Glen truly seemed happy.
Her phone buzzed and it was the MONZTR dating app. She opened it and saw a message from Magnus.
Magnus: I know I have your cell, but I thought I would do this properly over the app.
This is where it all started, and if we’re going to start fresh, then I figured I’d ask you out here like I did a couple months ago.
How about dinner at my place? I’ll cook.
Tomorrow, which I know is your day off, how about six?
She grinned and then she looked over at Hetty, who was smiling to herself, as if she knew too.
Mer: Sounds good. Can I bring anything?
Magnus: Just yourself. Come in through the front door. Sven will be gone. It’ll just be us.
Mer: Sounds good. I’ll see you then.
Mercedes closed the app. Now she wished that Pearl was coming home tomorrow, because she’d be able to help her choose an outfit. Even though they’d texted for so long, and she worked for him, blew up his dryer on occasion, the idea of this date was a bit more nerve-racking than the first.