Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
T he pale blue light of the morning filled Sirena’s bedroom, giving the space a sleepy lo-fi screensaver vibe. Giddiness shot through her body, making it impossible for her to go back to sleep. Sirena woke up holding the slip of paper Gus had given her. She read the words again, half scared that they would disappear if she stared at them too long. But the words remained and sent her heart into full-mouse-squeal, kick-up-your-heels, and hug-a-fluffy-pillow mode. She hadn’t dreamed in months, but last night her imagination made up for lost time. In her dreams, she had stayed with Gus by the carousel. They caressed and kissed each other until dawn on the boardwalk, beyond the need for words. In reality, Gus had kissed her for a little while longer, then took her home before midnight.
Gus never broke the game of jinx. His curly, thick beard tickled her skin, and the taste of him—sugar and crushed peppermint—made her lips buzz with excitement. He kissed her senseless by the boardwalk and never spoke a single word. His hands were deft and careful, roaming all over her face and shoulders but never falling below and exploring her body. Sirena touched her cheek, mimicking Gus’s fingers as he gently caressed her. The rogue was a gentleman. The rest of her body yearned to experience that thoughtful touch, but she went home. Even though she knew it was the right decision to end the night, a pin of frustration jabbed at her skin.
Kissing Gus was not part of the plan. Liking Gus was not part of the plan. But talking to him about her lost magic and her desire to reclaim her spark had lifted her spirits.
His kiss had filled her with a strange delight, an anticipation that she’d never felt before after she kissed a guy.
But this wasn’t a guy she kissed randomly; it was Gus Dearworth, the magician who peered at her as if she were a precious gem he found on the beach. She’d asked him to play with her and he said yes. Their game of jinx ended with them kissing. What excitement would their next game bring? The giddiness went up a notch and was now full-blown excitement.
Sirena threw off her covers. She might as well get up now and start the day. Sirena got out of bed, found her notebook in her purse, and tucked the paper into its pages. She hadn’t expected for things to move this quickly with Gus, but it had happened.
Liking Gus had the potential to be distractingly addictive, almost as much as any sugary treat left you yearning for more. She’d never been so charged with a single kiss like that first one; the electricity between them had powered a whole carousel.
Her stomach twisted in dismay. She had to keep it casual and fun between her and Gus. The month would be over in a blink, and then she’d be worse off than when she started—but this time around she’d possibly have a crushed heart. Sirena didn’t have time for anything as serious as possibly falling for Gus. Even though her lips still prickled from the delightful magic of their kiss, she couldn’t let herself give in to this spell.
Besides, why would a magician who could play with fire date a kitchen witch who couldn’t handle her own stove?
If she was going to figure out her next steps, then she was going to need some caffeine. Sirena went downstairs and into the kitchen. Lucy stood by the coffee maker in a gray and purple hoodie and fitted jeans. Her hair was tucked up under a crocheted beanie, almost making her look like one of the teenagers that she taught in her class.
“Good morning, Si!” she said sweetly. “You’re up early.”
“I couldn’t sleep much.”
Lucy pouted. “Oh, did you have a bad dream?”
“No,” Sirena said, groggy and annoyed. Her dreams were good, too good.
“Okay. Is there something on your mind?”
Sirena answered with a groan. She wasn’t ready to share the news that she was jonesing for a certain rainbow tweed magician who left her spellbound. Lucy would get super invested in this news, due to her romantic, loving heart, and might invite Gus over for dinner. No. It was too soon for Gus to be invited into the lovely chaos that was the Caraway family.
“I’m good, Lu.”
Lucy shook her head and poured herself a cup of coffee.
“Well, coffee’s on. Breakfast is in the fridge. I finished cleaning up the tea pantry last night. I think we’re good for the next year.” Lucy made a pew-pew party horn sound. “I’m killing it today.”
Sirena groaned. “Please, have mercy. Some of us aren’t this perky in the morning.”
“How’s work at the historical society?” Lucy asked.
Sirena gave her a look. Lucy rolled her eyes kindly. “You put me down as a reference, and Gus called me to confirm a few details. He takes his job very seriously.”
He also takes kissing seriously.
Sirena fought the urge to ask Lucy what he had confirmed about her résumé. He was probably wondering how she, an award-nominated chef, ended up slinging burgers in her hometown. She didn’t want to tell him the whole story, not wanting to risk seeing pity in his eyes.
“How do you like it?” Lucy said.
Sirena considered the past week. It was surprisingly enjoyable hunting through faded papers and finding recipes from fae, trolls, and other magical creatures who once called the Grove home. Even though they were long gone, their recipes and stories remained. It took her so long to go through the papers because she stopped every ten minutes to write down a piece of lore or fact that she wanted to remember.
“It’s fun,” she finally said. “I’m really enjoying learning more about the Grove.”
Lucy leveled her with a shocked stare. “You, the Caraway who slept through history class, thinks looking at old papers is fun ?”
Sirena scoffed. “Hey, I was working late at the Neptune Nook junior year, and I had first-period history. That’s not my fault.”
“I must be in an alternate universe, because I never thought you’d say that.”
Sirena shrugged. “Why not?”
Lucy seemed to grow sheepish, as if she were a nervous student being forced to introduce herself. “It’s so silly, but I always thought books and history things were my zone. I wish I could’ve joined you in the kitchen more, but I didn’t want to get in your way. Nana told me you had it handled, so I left you alone. Now you’re talking about my history stuff, and I want to completely geek out with you.”
A smile crept onto Sirena’s face. She’d never heard Lucy talk about being in her own zone. It was comforting to know her big sister felt the same way she did.
“You’ve cooked in the kitchen before,” Sirena said.
“Yeah, but not with you,” Lucy pointed out.
Sirena raised a brow at her words. It was true. Nana Ruth had insisted that as a kitchen witch, she couldn’t relinquish her stove or invite everyone into her space. Rule fourteen: You always stay in control of your fire. Yes, Sirena was in control, but she was also alone in her craft.
“Well, maybe it’s time for a change,” Sirena said.
Lucy raised her cup. “I’m down for it.”
She yanked out a mug from the cabinet, poured herself a huge cup, and returned the pot to the carafe. Sweet caffeine, feed me. Maybe today was the time for getting out of her magic zone even more. Sirena took a huge sip, gagged, and promptly spat it back out into the mug. It tasted as though someone doused her coffee with the striped treat of her childhood nightmares. Her senses were attacked with the nauseatingly sweet taste that she hated since she first went trick-or-treating.
“Candy corn?!” Sirena coughed. She dumped the brew in the sink.
Lucy sighed. “Gwen said everyone can’t stop drinking it at the bistro.”
Sirena noticed that Lucy held the cup but hadn’t taken a sip yet.
“Those people are under an evil spell. That was— blech . Please stick to brewing tea.”
“Whatever. Alex likes my coffee and my tea.”
A blissful look crossed Lucy’s face as she thought about her mer-husband to be. A whiny question popped in Sirena’s brain: Who likes your tea now? Maybe Gus would like your… tea. Sirena pushed it away. Pesky hormones weren’t going to get in the way of her wish. She wasn’t sure she wanted to make Gus a slice of toast after her confession by the carousel.
“So, are you headed to see another venue with Alex?”
Lucy groaned. “Don’t remind me. I don’t know where we’re getting married.”
She took a sip of coffee, spat it back out, and said, “Nope. That was just… nope.”
Sirena waved her arms around the house. “Get married here.”
Lucy poured the coffee into the sink and dropped the mug in there with a clatter.
“Where are we going to put the merfolk? It’s not big enough for all our guests, and we have two bathrooms that need serious work. We need a venue big enough for the ceremony and reception. Most places are booked up years in advance. What place is available now?”
“What about the historical society?” Sirena offered. Last week Gus had given a tour of the place to an adorable fae couple who were looking to host an engagement party.
Lucy stared at Sirena in sheer disbelief. “There’s no way it’s available. That place is gorgeous.”
Sirena clapped her hands excitedly. “It’s perfect. It has a full kitchen, there are five bathrooms, and there’s room for at least a hundred and fifty people.”
Lucy took out her phone from her sweatshirt pocket. Her fingers flew over the keyboard. “I’m emailing Gus right now. Maybe we can get a spot for next year.”
Sirena crossed her fingers on both hands.
“I’ll follow up with Gus when I see him on Monday,” Sirena said. She’d clip a few basil leaves from the windowsill garden and put them in Lucy’s purse for good luck.
Lucy perked up, phone still in her hand. “I’ll call Alex and talk to him about the location. I have a good feeling about this, Si! I think you might have saved my weekend. This news deserves a trip to the bookstore.”
“I’m going to the Farmers Square,” Sirena said. “I need to pick up a few things.”
“Is Callie going with you?”
Sirena frowned. “No, I’m shopping alone. Callie had an emergency meeting with her client.”
Lucy winced. “Yeah. I overheard Callie talking to her the other day. I’m going to give her grace because wedding planning is hard, but no one talks to our little sister that way.”
The familiar urge to soothe and help Callie rose within Sirena. She couldn’t take away Callie’s stressful work, but she could give her a warm cup of chamomile tea or make her favorite kitchen-sink cookies. Sirena hadn’t traveled back through time just to repeat her mistakes. Changing your habits took courage, and she was doing her best to be brave. Even though she was terrified to cook or bake for another person, she had to try.
“I’ll treat Callie to something nice when she gets home,” Sirena said.
“When you’re done food shopping, do you want to join me at Rain or Shine?” Lucy asked.
Rain or Shine Bookstore was the local indie bookstore and event space that was owned by their friend Poe. Lucy had helped design and decorate the place with her HGTV level of design talent. Lucy hadn’t invited her to go to the bookstore in a long time.
Sirena’s throat swelled with emotion. “Lu, are you asking me to geek out with you?”
“Absolutely,” Lucy said with a grin. “I think it’s time to try something new.”
Lucy kissed her goodbye and then left Sirena in the kitchen. Sirena looked from the roll of cinnamon raisin bagels on the counter to the fruit bowl on top of the fridge. Her stomach grumbled loudly. Indecision kept her from making a choice, so she remained by the sink.
What do you want?
Sirena glanced behind the fruit bowl and noticed the bag of peanut butter granola cereal. Perfect choice. She went into the fridge to get the milk for her bowl and thought about her next moves as she assembled her breakfast.
She wanted to cook an amazing meal for Lighthouse but hadn’t decided on a final dish. Sirena wanted to have fun and play around with Gus, but she didn’t want to lead him on and make him think that they were serious. She’d never been so vulnerable before with any man about her feelings and powers, but Gus wasn’t any man.
He was sheer magic.
She sighed roughly. Gus deserved a partner who was sure about him, and she wasn’t sure she could give anything more than friendship right now. The most successful relationship Sirena had ever had was with the ten-piece cookware set she bought in college, which she still used when it was soup-making weather. Love was not on the menu for her anytime soon.
Forget that love had never been available for her to order.
She’d talk to him on Monday about their situation, but for now she had to decide whether she wanted to wear jeans or leggings. The choices never seemed to end.
The twang of a local band singing a Top 40 hit song echoed over the Farmers Square of the Harvest Festival. Booths were filled with bundles of carrots, bags of sweet potatoes, and plastic crates filled with tomatoes. Hay bales were arranged nearby for people to sit on and eat their food. Gus cradled his hot apple cider, the rich aroma of the cinnamon stick tickling his nose and calming his nerves. It would be a miracle if he finished his drink before it got cold.
Diane was in full artistic mode and looking for a few items for the upcoming story hour at the playhouse. When Di got into this mode, she zeroed in on one thing and would obsess over it for hours. She had called him this morning at the last minute, asking him to help her stay on track to get the fairy-tale props for Tuesday’s story.
He glanced down at the massive pumpkin near his boots and sighed. “It doesn’t take this long to pick out a single pumpkin,” he said.
“I need the perfect one!” she yelled.
So far they had bought delicious red apples and green magic beans, and, of course, they were looking for the enchanted gourd. Gus looked to Diane in her black sweaterdress and sneakers, her arms gesturing to the pumpkin pile around them.
He should talk to her about something else to keep her from freaking out about the story props.
“How’s the bridesmaid gig going?” he asked.
A shadow crossed her face. “It’s fine. No one wants to wear the dress, but I had to remind them we’re supposed to be there for the bride. Red is a good color! Chiffon is fine! We’re going to pop in the photos! I’ll look like a cute tomato for a few hours just to make her happy.”
“I hope the bridal party’s acting right,” he said slowly.
Gus tried to remain cool, but he was concerned about whether Diane was taking on too much responsibility between wedding duties and playhouse work. He was ready to step in and help in any way she needed, whether to pay for her bridesmaid expenses or help her fix the puppet theater.
Diane gave him a side-eye. “Don’t worry, bro. I’ve got this. What I don’t have is a pumpkin that a faery godmother would love!”
“It’s going to be okay. You’ll find the right one.” He hoped his voice was soothing.
She hunched toward the ground to get a better look at her selection. Determination glinted in her wide eyes. “I need the best one. Listen, this is the pumpkin for our story hour! I don’t see a pumpkin fit for Cinderella. She wouldn’t ride any of these gourds to Atlantic City, let alone the ball!”
Nope. He failed to soothe her. “You’ve told me several times.”
Diane shot him a pleading look. “The babies need to believe that gourd is magical! It must be flawless. It needs to look pretty, like it fell out of a storybook! I want these kids to get so excited about our stories that they’ll want to read them all at the library.”
She’d be here all day if he didn’t assist her. This item was the last one she needed before they could go and get lunch at Mimi’s.
“Okay.” Gus put down his apple cider cup on the booth’s edge and repeated her qualifications. Magic. Flawless. Storybook pretty. He surveyed the collection around him, and his attention fell on a pumpkin to his left. Not too big, not too small, and round enough that one could imagine it transforming into a shimmering carriage. Bingo. Job done.
He picked it up and held it out to her. “Does this look magical enough?”
Diane inspected it and then glanced over his shoulder.
Her brow lifted. “Speaking of magical…” she sang.
Gus turned around. Surprise zinged in his chest once he saw Sirena. She stood a foot away in front of a pile of carrots, cradling a shopping basket in the crook of her arm. Her braids were loose around her lovely face. She wore a beige shirt underneath her burnt-orange jacket, and dark denim jeans. Gus studied how the jeans molded to her round, apple-shaped behind and showed off her zaftig body. Sirena put the dirt-flecked carrots in her basket, then looked in his direction.
“Hey.” Her brown eyes seemed to dance with disbelief.
Gus clutched the pumpkin to his side. His mouth went dry. “Hey.”
He didn’t break eye contact with Sirena. The last time they’d seen each other, they… were kissing. A lot. Intensely. Time slowed to a crawl. The sound dropped out, and all he could hear was his heart beating frantically. Everything moved at half speed, but his blood was racing in triple time. Sirena blinked and everything went back to normal. She came over to him and stood close by. Close enough that he could tuck a braid behind her ear. Close enough for a kiss.
Her voice was quiet. “What are you doing here?”
“I was picking out a storybook-pretty pumpkin,” he blurted out.
Sirena beamed at him. “That sounds sweet. I’m food shopping. Obviously.”
Diane took the pumpkin out of his arm but Gus didn’t move an inch. Sirena waved to Diane, who wordlessly slipped away to the cashier, leaving them alone by the pumpkin patch.
“What’s for dinner?”
She frowned a little at her basket. “I don’t know. I’m grabbing up whatever calls to me. I was thinking about making a carrot and apple soup.”
“That sounds good.”
“They have a sale on tomatoes, but I’m not sure I can eat all that soup myself.”
“If you need help eating it, feel free to call me.”
Sirena readjusted her shopping basket. It swung and knocked into Gus’s drink, spilling it on the ground. Aw, man. He literally had had only a sip of his cider.
She winced. “I’m so sorry. Let me make it up to you.”
He nodded. “Sure. I’d like that.”
“Let me go pay for my stuff. I’ll be right back.”
Sirena went over to the cashier’s table and stood in line with the other customers. Gus looked at Diane, who cradled her pumpkin to her side, a sold sticker taped to it. “So, what was that awkward attempt at talking?” Diane asked dramatically. “Are you two… dating?”
Gus frowned lightly. He didn’t date. “We were just saying hello.”
“Sure. Saying hello is what y’all call it nowadays.”
“Don’t start with me.”
Diane gasped. “You should ask her to go to the wedding.”
“I don’t know if I’m going yet,” he said. “I haven’t decided.”
He looked back at Sirena. An elderly man with a cane approached her and pointed to her basket. She spoke animatedly as she gestured to the items, as if she was talking to him about her dinner plans. Gus watched how her face lit up when she spoke about cooking and making meals. Who couldn’t see that she had a spark?
He turned to Diane, who watched him with a grin.
“I’m headed out,” she said.
His heart dipped. “You don’t have to go.” Gus was dropping the ball when it came to spending time with his little sister.
“I’d rather not be a third wheel.” Diane cocked her head to the side. “Besides, it’s about time you got all twitterpated.”
He reeled back at her suggestion. The last time he’d seen that word, twitterpated , was in a sixty-year-old love letter from a soldier writing to his love. If Diane was breaking out that old-school word, then she saw something he couldn’t or wouldn’t name. She was implying that he wasn’t merely crushing on her but that he was smitten. Sprung. Heartsick.
He didn’t do that—fall in love instantly—anymore.
“It’s nothing,” he insisted.
“He doth protest—greatly.” Diane gave him a wave and went off.
Gus waved back, then found Sirena, who was done checking out but still talking to the elderly gentleman, who was holding out a pen and small pad. She took the items from him and wrote a few short notes. It looked like she was writing down a shopping list for him. That was so sweet of her. Okay. So. It wasn’t nothing. It was a crush. Crushes went away, right? But the longer Gus watched Sirena scribble down a note and hand it over to the gentleman, the more he knew it was more than a crush. These feelings he had for Sirena weren’t a simple crush; it was something more. Something exciting.
Something close to being twitterpated. He shut down that thought immediately. All this talk of fairy tales, faery godmothers, and princesses was feeding his overactive imagination, and he needed to keep his head on straight.
Sirena returned to Gus, holding her tote bag over her shoulder. She looked around, confused. “What happened to Diane and your pumpkin?”