Chapter Sixteen
Blair was quiet on the ride back to town, the hundreds of thoughts swirling through her mind giving her a headache.
After seeing the damaged festival equipment in the shed, and after hearing Agatha’s description of the festival’s opening ceremony, Blair knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that there was magic in the festival somehow.
And that magic had been there since the fall festival started one hundred years ago.
The mayor literally opened the festival with what sounded like a spell. Did that make the mayor a witch?
That was enormous. Blair’s parents had come to Moonbeam Hollow pretty much as unofficial refugees, fleeing an area of the world that was not tolerant to witches just living their lives and harming no one.
They’d left their friends and families, changed their name and settled in a place with an unfamiliar culture.
Their father had always told Blair, Belinda and Bianca that he picked Moonbeam Hollow because the name sounded like a fairy tale, and when he saw the quaint little town that was open and accepting to newcomers, he knew this would be a safe place for his family.
He said it was better for witches to be alone, to have no community of their own, because they could escape notice in smaller numbers.
One or two different people in a place was tolerated, even accepted.
But once there were enough of these different people, enough that they could gather and make a community, then people saw them as suspicious.
People thought they would harm the status quo.
But apparently, Moonbeam Hollow had magic of some sort the whole time.
Did that mean there were other witches here, too?
It was a strange feeling. On one hand, Blair had always wondered what a relationship – whether it was a romantic one or even a friendship, would feel like if she didn’t have to lie.
If she could know other witches and even celebrate the things that made them different together.
But Blair had always resigned herself to the fact that it wasn’t possible.
History had shown repeatedly, all over the world, that where there were many witches, there were witch hunters.
But none of this proved that the mayor was a witch. Witches, and the ability to use magic, were hereditary – and the mayor’s office wasn’t a hereditary position. Hazel Fairwood had been mayor for over a decade, but before her it was someone unrelated to Hazel.
When they got to the Moonbeam Hollow town limits, Blair looked at the sign: Moonbeam Hollow, Where Nature is Our Strength. Was the town motto part of the spell, too?
‘So . . .’ Luke said. ‘Am I taking you to your home or mine? I can make you dinner. Nothing fancy.’
He’d been quiet on the drive home, too. Maybe also preoccupied with everything they’d learned today. Or maybe weirded out that Blair was being so quiet.
And it was a good question . . . Did she want to go to his place, or go home?
She’d enjoy herself at his place. A lot.
Like, a lot, a lot. But again today, something had shifted in her feelings for Luke.
When he’d told her about his mother, and about why he was building her a bakery, it had melted Blair’s heart.
How could she be mad that he was building a competing business when it was for such a kind, caring reason?
Luke had truly grown into a remarkable man.
And he had a lot in common with Blair. They’d both made sacrifices for the family they loved to ensure they were safe and comfortable.
What would it be like to be loved by a grown-up Luke Caldwell?
It was dangerous to grow emotionally attached to him.
Blair couldn’t let him in to her life the way she could when they were teenagers.
She was responsible for too much now. She’d have to lie, and that wasn’t fair to him.
Luke would be an amazing partner. Not only was he spectacular in bed, but he was caring, funny and loyal, and he deserved someone who could be all in. And that wasn’t Blair.
But he was only here temporarily, so maybe he knew to keep his heart protected. Plus, after the bombshell realizations about her town today, Blair really wanted to turn off her brain. ‘Let’s go to your place,’ Blair said.
Luke smiled so wide that his cheeks probably hurt.
Blair took out her phone and texted her sisters’ group chat, telling them that she got to talking with Melody and Aarushi in town, and they decided to go for dinner at the Chinese restaurant.
She didn’t feel any guilt for lying to Belinda and Bianca. Blair deserved this.
When they got to Luke’s apartment over the bakery, he turned on the lights and tilted his head with concern. ‘You okay, Blair? You were quiet on the way home.’
Blair took off her knee-high boots. ‘Yeah, just worried about the festival.’
Luke went into the small kitchen and opened the fridge. ‘Do you eat fish? I picked up some cod yesterday.’
‘Love fish.’
‘Excellent.’ He took a tray of fish out of the fridge along with some cherry tomatoes and green beans.
‘Can I help?’ Blair asked.
After giving her some potatoes to peel and slice, Luke prepared the fish by seasoning it and placing it on a bed of vegetables. ‘Are you thinking about joining the festival committee?’ he asked.
Blair shook her head. ‘No.’ Putting on the festival was a ton of work, and right now she wanted to focus her free time on figuring out who was trying to destroy it.
‘Good. After what happened to the mayor and to Earl, I think it’s safest to stay far away from the festival.’
Blair raised one brow at Luke. ‘I mean, I’m not staying away from the festival. I’ll still have my stall there. And aren’t you launching the bakery at the festival?’ Ugh, she needed to stop reminding herself that this bakery was going to be her direct competition.
He nodded, then frowned. ‘Yeah, I mean, that was the plan. I just don’t like the idea of you being in an organizing role after what happened to the others.’
Blair put her knife down and stepped close enough to Luke that she could smell his sandalwood scent. ‘Aw, Luke Caldwell, it almost sounds like you care about what happens to me.’
He chuckled, then leaned down to kiss her forehead. ‘I’ve always cared about what happens to you, Blair.’
She blinked. Always? Blair went back to her cutting board to finish slicing the potatoes. What was she doing? Now they were making dinner together. This wasn’t casual, it was cozy and domestic.
When she didn’t say anything for a while, Luke looked at Blair with a light-hearted smile. ‘We’re friends, right? I’d hate for my bedroom buddy to be hit with a mystery ailment. I prefer your body in working order.’
Blair laughed. This was fine. They were fine. Friends cooked together all the time. Luke was keeping to their original agreement: casual only. Friends with benefits. He was doing what he needed to protect his heart, and it was up to Blair to do the same for hers.
* * *
After a perfectly light and delicious meal of oven-baked cod with tomatoes, green beans and potatoes, they had their ice cream. (They’d grabbed her favourite flavour, Muskoka Mocha, on the way home.)
‘That dinner was nice,’ Blair said after polishing off her bowl of ice cream.
The whole day had been nice. Yes, Blair was disturbed about what she’d learned at the festival grounds, but making and eating dinner with Luke had been lovely.
It gave Blair the whisper of what a real relationship would be like with the man.
Luke chuckled. ‘I don’t know if I should be flattered. Nice? Is that the best you can do? My mother taught me to cook. She’d be devastated if she heard you calling my skills nice.’
Blair rolled her eyes. ‘Always fishing for compliments, Caldwell. Fine, you’re a great cook. And even better at running into the grocery store to get me ice cream. Now it’s your turn to shower me with praise.’
With his lopsided smirk, Luke’s eyes narrowed. ‘With pleasure, Briarwood. You’re . . . gorgeous.’ He took her hand in his. ‘Your pumpkin spice lattes are the best in the world.’ He pressed a kiss to the back of her hand. ‘But do you know what the best thing about you is?’
Blair melted, just like she always did when he used that dark gravelly tone. ‘Mm?’
‘Your mouth.’ He licked the inside of her wrist, sending a current straight to her core. ‘Your tongue, too.’
‘Why do you like my mouth?’ she asked with a shaky voice.
‘I like it when you lick me like a popsicle.’ He leaned forward and placed a quick open-mouth kiss on her lips.
‘Your lips are full and exquisite, and you’ve never had a problem using them to call me out on my bullshit.
You use those lips to debate me, or even just talk to me for hours, but then your tongue peeks out to lick your bottom lip when you’re eating ice cream and all I want to do is maul you.
Your lips are a wonder, Blair Briarwood.
’ He paused, clearly loving the effect he was having on her, then leaned forward to suck lightly on her neck. Luke was the one with talented lips.
Blair put her hand on his cheek – in awe of this solid, remarkable person who had somehow found his way back to her – and kissed him.
Hard. And he responded with equal ferocity.
Those nice things he said about Blair weren’t really her, they were just what Luke could bring out in her.
He’d always inspired her confidence and even fearlessness.
That little voice inside her that normally told her she wasn’t capable of really getting close to someone vanished around Luke.
Before long they were lying on the sofa with Luke’s hands everywhere, under her sweater, down her tights. Blair groaned into his mouth, her nerves firing in overdrive. She rocked against his erection, loving the rough drag of his stubble against her cheek.