Chapter Nineteen Lyra
There was no way I still loved Rabbie. I didn’t even know the man anymore. He could have entirely changed since high school, gotten into a cult, and he probably thought that Chappell Roan was a type of cheese.
Plus, he ate cold baked beans out of a can for supper.
What kind of person even did that?
I wondered if he’d been able to do something with the hedgehogs. I’d felt bad, leaving him with a kitchen full of the wee beasties, but there was nothing that could be done. I didn’t even fully understand what was happening, so I wasn’t going to be a good source of information for him.
I’d needed to get out of there, because ten seconds more, and I would have been wrapping my legs around his waist and inviting him to butter my scone.
Still, a tiny part of me felt bad about leaving him with all those hedgies.
“Good morning, gorgeous.”
I turned, a smile blooming, until I saw Vaughn approaching me, and my face fell.
“Were you hoping I was someone else?” Vaughn asked, holding a hand to his heart and pretending to be wounded.
“What? No, not at all.” I shook my head in earnest. “How are you this morning? How are you finding Briarhaven?”
“Och, it’s a cracking wee town, isn’t it?” Vaughn smiled, leaning one elbow against the wall over my shoulder, standing a touch closer than I would have preferred. “Had a great meal at the pub but would love for you to show me around once we’re finished filming.”
“You can drive around the entire place in fifteen minutes. Show yourself around.”
My eyebrows went up at Rab’s voice, and I looked under Vaughn’s arm to see him standing behind the producer, a glower on his handsome face.
Vaughn’s lips quirked, and he dropped his arm, turning to Rab.
“Aye, mate. I’ll do that. I just find exploring is always better with a local.”
“Felicity?” Rab called, keeping his eyes level on Vaughn.
Felicity appeared at Rab’s side, a Christmas scrunchie in her hair, looking oddly bereft without her usual overflowing tote bag on her arm.
“Good morning.” Felicity beamed at us.
“Vaughn’s looking for a local to show him around Briarhaven. Think you’d be up to the task?”
“Oh, I’d love to.” Felicity clapped her hands and bounced a bit. “There’s just so much to see. Knox really did a great job when he rehauled the place. Have you been to the Dragon’s Hoard yet?”
“I have not.” Vaughn gave Rab an unreadable look as he passed, and Rab’s grin widened until it looked almost threatening.
See? I’d been right when I’d told Ruth it would be scary if people smiled all the time.
“Was he bothering you?” Rab asked, and I blinked up at him, confused. I’d been about to apologize for Vaughn and explain that I hadn’t been flirting. Taking a step back, until my bum hit the wall, I tilted my chin up at him.
“No, it’s fine. He’s hoping to take me out after filming wraps up is all.”
“Which you’ll say no to,” Rab said, his green eyes deepening in color as he stepped closer.
“Excuse me?” Initially, I had thought about saying yes to Vaughn’s invitation for a date, but since he’d so gleefully thrown me to the wolves yesterday, I’d realized he wasn’t the type of man that I wanted to be dating. Still, that was my choice to make. Not Rab’s.
“You heard me.”
“You don’t get to dictate who I date.”
Rab just looked at me, his gaze unwavering, and I shifted beneath his scrutiny.
What was he trying to say? What did this mean?
For the past year he’d done everything in his power to avoid me, and now he was telling me who I could date?
And kissing me until I couldn’t see straight and hedgehogs exploded around the room?
Even thinking about the kiss again sent a rush of heat through me.
The coffee cup Rab was holding shifted, blurred, and then Rab was swearing softly under his breath as he tucked a hedgehog to his chest.
“You’ve going to have to get this under control, darling.”
“Me? It’s not me,” I said, my heart hammering as I stared at the wee hedgie cradled against Rab’s muscular chest.
“Och, lie to yourself all you want, Lyra, but this is one hundred percent your doing.” Rab leaned closer, his mouth inches from my ear, his breath hot against my skin. “And I know why it’s happening.”
“Don’t make assumptions,” I stammered, stepping back and sliding along the wall until I was away from him. “You know what they say about those.”
A grin flashed lightning quick on Rab’s face before he turned to scowl down at the hedgie in his hand.
“It’ll be our little secret.” Rab turned as a whistle sounded. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Dropping this wee lad at the Familiar’s Nest. Sorcha’s watching over the lot of ’em. We can’t release them with the owl infestation.”
With that, Rab left, even though we were being called to set.
“An owl infestation that we have you to thank for.” I turned to see Mandy Meadows, dressed all in black again today, her eyes rimmed with smudgy liner.
“You can’t put that on me,” I said, frustrated. “It’s not my fault our family is cursed.”
“And yet. You haven’t done a damn thing to break your end of it, have you?”
“That’s categorically untrue.” My hands clenched. “We’ve been doing the research. Just everything comes up a dead end.”
“Must be because the Charms suck now that Sloane is in charge.” Mandy sniffed, as though my inability to break an ancient curse reflected the strength of our coven.
“That’s unfair. And they don’t suck. And you’re still a part of us, no matter how much you ignore my attempts to bring you back.”
“Why the hell should I come back? You’re destroying what I’ve built.
” Mandy’s eyes narrowed, and she hunched, bringing her face closer to mine.
“You’re all just playing at magick, when I was the real deal.
It’s why you’re going to lose this competition.
All of you MacGregors… just a blight on this town with poorly executed magickal skills. ”
“What the actual f—”
“If you’ve got a problem with the lass, then you’ve got a problem with me as well.”
Mandy whirled to see Marcie, pink hair tied in warrior braids, slapping a rolling pin into her hand. Muscles bulged in her arms, and she’d opened her mouth enough to show just how sharp her teeth were. Mandy stiffened next to me.
“I’m not—”
“You are. I’ve been watching you, Mandy Meadows. You’re trying to get in Lyra’s head with your nonsense, and I won’t be allowing it. Not on my watch.” Marcie slapped the rolling pin once more, and Mandy took an automatic step back.
“Ladies?” Vaughn interrupted.
Marcie turned and Vaughn threw his hands up in the air, reading her intention accurately.
“And you,” Marcie continued, marching forward. “Keep your eyes on your work, not on the contestants. And make sure everyone cleans up better. Last night I found several bowls with hardened dough stuck to them. I’ll be adding any damages to the expense sheet.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Vaughn nodded, swallowing as Marcie stormed past. Mandy followed, not sparing me another glance.
I was seething because I’d actually cared about her. Hadn’t I been the one to check on her repeatedly this past year? I’d been convinced that eventually I’d be able to help her come back to the coven.
“All good? Where’s Rab?” Vaughn asked, reaching up to run a finger under the collar of his shirt.
“Right here.”
I didn’t turn as Rab’s voice sent a shiver down my spine.
He was right about me needing to get control over my emotions.
If I didn’t, the baking competition was about to become overrun with hedgehogs.
Forcing myself to remember how he’d hurt me, and not the way his kisses had awoken something long dormant inside of me, I brushed past Vaughn to join the line of contestants waiting to walk onto set.
Felicity whispered furiously with Mandy, and they both cast me a look over their shoulders. I didn’t care what they were gossiping about. If they wanted to be mean, that was their choice. I’d just kill them with kindness.
I pictured Ruth with her tiny sword and smiled. She would certainly have a different opinion on what I should be doing. But, since I didn’t carry a sword, and my magick was not even close to functioning normally, I just had to fall back on my strengths.
Which were charm, more charm, and the charmiest charm to ever charm.
“So exciting, isn’t it, ladies? I can’t believe we coven sisters get to be on the same show.
” I injected my voice with syrupy sweetness and beamed at them both when they looked back at me.
Felicity responded instantly to me, all smiles and bouncy excitement, whereas Mandy continued her campaign of misery.
“It’s like actual Christmas Day,” Felicity gushed, gripping my arm, “cooking with our family.”
“Gag me,” Mandy grumbled.
“Gladly.” I beamed at Mandy, fluttering my lashes a bit, and she gave me snake eyes in return.
I wanted to be like Sloane or Nova, happily abrasive when the need arose, but it just didn’t suit me. It felt like I was trying to squeeze myself into a too-small one-piece swimsuit. I sighed.
“Mandy—”
“All right, everyone, take your places.” An assistant producer ushered us into the room, and there was no more time for talking. Once again, our aprons were folded neatly at our tables, ingredients were lined up, and Nevin and Kelly stood at the front of the room, hands clasped behind their backs.
“Sorcha was able to take the hedgie but has requested that we slow down with delivering them to her, if possible,” Rab said under his breath.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
He was the enemy. The worst. He’d ripped my heart out and—
“Quiet on set.”
I snapped my eyes open and waited through the countdown before action was called. Nevin and Kelly jumped to attention and began their usual welcome spiel before turning to us.
“As we know, yesterday’s challenge brought with it some, shall we say, difficulties for one team…” Nevin smiled creamily in my direction. “How are we feeling after the catastrophe yesterday, Lyra?”