“Early class today?” I asked, working to keep my expression neutral.
From the dark circles under her eyes, it’d been a long night and the coffee in her hands likely wasn’t the first one of the day. She took a long pull from the cup, leaving red lipstick marks behind. “Yeah. I hate the early classes,” she grumbled, tugging her bag off. She dumped it unceremoniously by the front door and shuffled into the kitchen like a zombie. “Is there coffee?”
I sat down at the table. “A little. You’ll have to warm it up.”
“It’s still so weird having you home in the middle of the day,” she said from the kitchen.
“Tell me about it,” I grumbled. I slipped my phone into the pocket of my own—non ripped—jeans. “So, I just got off the phone with Holly.”
A pause. “Oh?”
“Yeah. I’m thinking of taking a trip out there, maybe spend a day or two visiting the harbor.”
“Um, that sounds nice. When—uh—when were you thinking of going?”
“Maybe in a week or two. You’re more than welcome to come with me,” I replied. “You could pick Holly’s brain for more potion-making secrets. You know, if there’s something you’d rather talk about face-to-face instead of over text message.”
Harmony poked her head around the corner. “She told you, didn’t she?”
“She did.” I nodded. “Why didn’t you say something? I’d have thought you’d be halfway packed and screaming from the rooftops! This is your dream job.”
She padded into the dining room and dropped into the seat opposite mine. “It is.”
“Okay … then why aren’t your happier?”
“I don’t know if I should take it.”
I frowned at her. “That’s insane. Of course you should. What other job could possibly tempt you?”
She sighed. “I had an interview at a real estate office last week. It’s a real job, Stace, with good pay and paid time off and the chance to move up. I could help out more with bills and stuff around here, and, you know, grow up.”
I sank back, the pieces finally falling into place. “Harmony, you’ve wanted to work with potions for as long as I can remember. It was your best subject at the academy. You can’t give up an opportunity like this. There will always be jobs like the one at the real estate office. What Holly’s offering is one in a million.”
“What about you?” she asked, her voice small.
“You don’t need to worry about me, Harmony. I’m fine. In fact, I’m better than fine.” I gestured at the paperwork to my right. ‘I’m filing for my own business license and have some meetings set up. I’ll be booked with clients in no time.”
She cocked her head, her eyes narrowing slightly.
“Don’t give me that look.” I smiled at her. “Besides, you’re the little sister. It’s not your job to take care of me.”
She grinned. “Oh? I must have missed that section in the rulebook. Would you mind pointing it out for me?”
“I’ll do you one better, I’ll highlight it and have it framed.”
We laughed but Harmony’s smile faded too quickly. “I guess I just feel a little guilty. I know I’ve hurt you in the past when I’ve left. And I don’t want to do that again. When dad was sick or mom was being flakey, it was always on you while I ran around, mostly making an idiot of myself.”
She paused and looked down at the table. “I felt like maybe this was the one time I’d get a chance to kind of pay you back. If I stayed here and held the fort down while you figured out your next step.”
“Oh, Harmony.” A rush of emotion surged through me and I swallowed a lump in my throat.
“Not in a pity-party kind of way,” she hurried to add.
I pushed away from the table and went to hug her. “I love you. No matter what. And I’ll miss you like crazy, but you have to take this apprenticeship with Holly. You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t see what’s possible.”
“You’re sure?” she whispered, her own voice clogged with emotion.
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
We stepped apart and I smiled at her. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, sis. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“Right back atcha.”
Chapter Sixteen
Caleb let us borrow his SPA-issued SUV for the trip to Beechwood Harbor. The agency probably wouldn’t approve of the unofficial use, but Caleb promised it wouldn’t be a big deal. And it beat paying for a rental. Every cent was going toward my new venture, and I didn’t want to squander any of my small nest egg.
“Are you nervous?” I asked as we set out on the highway that would lead us to the small coastal town.
Harmony, one hand stuck inside a bag of chips, offered a small shrug in reply.
“It’s okay if you are, you know,” I said with a grin.
She popped a chip into her mouth and pondered it. “More excited, I think,” she finally replied. “I still can’t really believe any of this is happening. I mean, a year ago, I was broke and homeless, still getting over that jerk, Jess.” She scowled at the name. “Now, I’m going to be working for one of the best potion masters in the entire haven!”
Harmony shook her head, a bemused smile on her face. She looked like she’d just won the lottery. And, I supposed, in a way, she had. The opportunity before her could branch off into all kinds of different possibilities, each brighter than the next.
I was happy for her, but couldn’t help wishing the path before my own feet looked as solid. A week ago, I’d filed the information required to be officially recognized as a business within the haven world. That was the easy part. I could do paperwork and fill out regulation forms in my sleep. It was the steps ahead that seemed a little hazy.
It also felt a little lonely. CeeCee was keeping busy with her position at the Jasmine hotel. Caleb had his work with the SPA that never followed a set schedule. Even Patrick had recently started dating a woman from the second floor of our building and was less available for random chats about gardening tips or informal restaurant reviews.
I’d had a hard time keeping my smile firmly in place as Harmony had packed her belongings and chattered on excitedly about all the ideas she’d been coming up with since accepting the apprenticeship.
“You’re going to be great, too, you know,” Harmony said, stirring me from my mental wallowing.
I glanced at her, and she smiled. “I mean it, Stace. Those harpies from A Touch of Magic better watch their backs.”
I laughed. “We’ll see. Right now, I haven’t even decided on a business card logo.”
“You will,” she said. “You’ll call me in a few weeks, stressing out about your overflowing calendar.”
I hoped she was right. From my vantage point, there wasn’t a solid plan B in place. At least, not one that would allow me to stay in the Seattle Haven.
Harmony reached for the car’s radio and scanned through the local stations, cycling through twice before she landed on one she liked. She sang along and watched out her window as the miles rolled past.
We took our time during the drive, stopping a couple of times to get out at various viewpoints. Harmony took pictures of us together on her phone. We had lunch at a tiny Mexican restaurant, eating some of the best tacos I’d ever had in my life and joking about how bummed Patrick would be when we told him about it.
The three-hour drive took us over five with our frequent stops, and when we arrived at the stately cliffside manor twilight was settling over the small seaside town. It was every bit as charming and quaint as Holly had described and I couldn’t help but feel swept into a storybook as I pulled into the driveway. I parked behind a cherry-red sports car and cut the engine. Harmony peered out my window, gaping up at the large historical home. “This place looks like something out of a storybook.”
“It really does,” I agreed.
“It’s so different than the havens,” she added. “I’ve never lived in the human world before. Traveled through, but nev
er anywhere like this.”
I smiled at the gentle note of worry in her voice. “You’ll adjust. Besides, from the sound of your list of ideas, you’ll hardly ever leave Holly’s workshop.”
She laughed at that and nodded. “True.”
“Think about how quiet it will be at night,” I said. “Nothing but the wind and the ocean.”
“That sounds amazing,” she breathed.
“Now, come on,” I said, throwing open my door. “I’m not carrying all these bags in by myself.”
Harmony met me at the back of the SUV and we each grabbed a bag.
“How you managed to accumulate all this stuff is beyond me,” I muttered, heaving the large duffle up higher on my shoulder. “What do you have in here? Bricks?”
When she’d arrived on my doorstep, she’d only been carrying a small backpack, but over the last year, her wardrobe had grown and required a trio of suitcases and the duffle.
Harmony shot me a grin as she took the third case by the handle. “Don’t tell me you haven’t been dreaming about all the closet space you’ll have back, now that you don’t have to share.”
I laughed and shut the hatch. “It might have crossed my mind.”
“Guess you’ll need to book some clients quick, so you can make enough money to fill it up,” she replied, throwing a playful elbow my way.
“Preaching to the choir,” I grumbled as we started for the front porch.
The manor’s door opened just as our feet hit the first step on the wraparound porch, and Holly appeared in the doorway. Her long auburn hair was tied back in a long ponytail and she was dressed casually in a pair of faded jeans, a t-shirt, and a pair of chunky sneakers. “You’re here!” she exclaimed, throwing the door open wider. “Do you need help with your bags?” she asked, not waiting for an answer before glancing over her shoulder and bellowing, “Adam!”
When no reply came, she turned back to us and rolled her eyes. “He’s off in cyberspace.”
Harmony glanced at me and I explained that Adam St. James, Beechwood’s resident mischief-maker and former town flirt, was a tech wizard.
“Literally?” Harmony asked. “I didn’t know that was possible. Tech and magic don’t usually play nice together.”
“Oh, no. Literally he’s a shifter. He takes on a dog form,” Holly jumped in to explain, taking a bag from Harmony before ushering us inside. We shuffled through the foyer and stopped in the formal living room.
The interior of the house matched the outside to perfection. Just as there hadn’t been a blade of grass out of place in the yard, the interior was equally well-appointed and cared for. Polished wood floors ran throughout the house, a soft light bouncing off them from the decorative sconces and light fixtures. The art and decorations all had a certain old world charm to them but with an artful touch here and there that kept it from looking like the set of a historical movie.
“You can leave your stuff here,” Holly said. “I’ll have Adam take everything upstairs later.”
“Are you sure?” Harmony asked, glancing at the pile of bags.
“Of course! Now, come on, I’ll show you to your bedroom.” Holly took the first two steps and then turned back, beckoning us to follow. “How was the drive?”
I dropped the duffel, rolled my shoulder a few times, and followed Harmony and Holly up the staircase. “It was great. We lucked out with the weather.”
“We stopped a few places along the way,” Harmony added. “Then we drove through town a little when we got here. I can’t believe how small this place is!”
Holly laughed. “I remember that feeling. Trust me, you get used to it and then when you go into the city, it feels so big and loud.”
Holly would know. She’d moved—not by choice—to the small town after running into some trouble with the SPA a couple years ago. Though looking at her now, it was hard to remember her living any other place. The small town wasn’t supernatural, but it had worked its magic on Holly, and I didn’t think she’d ever leave it.
Would Harmony feel the same if given enough time?
Holly showed Harmony the room that would be hers. It was spacious and came completely furnished with a full-size bed, bookcase, dresser, and a generous closet. She’d be sharing a bathroom with Evangeline Loren, one of the other roommates sharing the large house. Evangeline was a former supernatural soap-opera star who’d transplanted to the harbor from the flashy Los Angeles Haven.
As we descended the stairs, the front door swung open and a blonde woman stepped inside. She wore running clothes and stared down at her phone with an intent gaze.
“Meryl?” I said, recognizing her profile.
“You hired an SPA babysitter?” Harmony asked, sliding me a quick scowl.
Meryl was wearing earbuds and didn’t hear us but when she glanced up from her phone, she started. “Anastasia? Harmony?” She reached up and removed one of the buds. “What are you two doing here?” she asked with a delighted laugh.
“Harmony’s our new roomie,” Holly answered. “She’s going to be my apprentice.”
Meryl smacked her forehead with the palm of her hand. “Stars! I don’t know how I didn’t make the connection.”
Harmony still looked skeptical. I scoffed and tossed my hands in the air. “Oh, for crying in a cauldron, Harmony. I did not—” I looked to Meryl for backup, quickly explaining, “She thinks I hired you to look after her.”
“It’s sheer coincidence, I assure you,” Meryl laughed. “The agency’s seen a spike of supernatural residents in Beechwood Harbor and wanted an agent posted here full time, just to keep an eye on things.”
“Uh huh.” Harmony frowned. “Why do I get the feeling those eyes are going to be on me, more often than not?” she asked under her breath.
I smiled and nudged her with my elbow. “Guess you better make sure you keep your nose out of trouble.”
“Are you staying for dinner, Anastasia?” Holly asked.
“I don’t think so,” I replied. “I’m still pretty full from lunch. Besides that, I should head back. It’s another three hours to the city, and I’d like to take advantage of the tiny bit of daylight left.”
Holly looked disappointed, but I knew she understood. I wasn’t eager to get back behind the wheel for another long stretch of driving, but I didn’t want to intrude too much. Harmony didn’t need her big sister hovering around as she met her new roommates and settled into her new home.
“Maybe we could go see the workshop?” she asked, giving Holly a tentative glance.
Holly smiled. “Absolutely! We can order pizza when we get back.”
“I’m headed up to shower and change,” Meryl said, pointing at the stairs. “It was good to see you again, Anastasia. Say hello to the boss for me.”
I smiled. “Will do. And it was nice to see you too.”
We exchanged a glance and she gave me a knowing smile. She might not be there as a babysitter, but I knew she’d look over Harmony all the same.
I wasn’t sure how much Harmony knew about Holly’s record with the SPA. They’d done a good job of keeping her … adventures out of the public record, but I’d heard most of the stories firsthand. Trouble followed Holly around like a lonely dog, and I was thankful she had her new business ventures to keep her busy. If nothing else, they would keep her from racing headlong into danger with Harmony one step behind her.
At least, I hoped.
Knowing Meryl was around helped ease the niggling fear that I hadn’t fully realized was bouncing around in the back of my mind.
I embraced Holly, quietly thanking her for finding a place for Harmony, and then promised to come for a longer visit soon.
Harmony walked me back out to the SUV, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her ripped-up jeans. It was colder along the coast than it had been back in Seattle, but in another month or two, it would warm up. For a long moment, we stood in silence, neither of us sure what was left to say.
“Thanks for driving me out here,” Harmony said, breakin
g the silence. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay the night and drive back in the morning? The bed in my room is plenty big enough for us both, you know.”
“Thanks. But I’ll be fine. Besides, I didn’t leave food for Peaches.”
“Patrick could go over and feed her,” Harmony suggested, her voice shrinking.
I smiled. “It’s your first night here. You don’t need your big sis hanging around.”
“What if I just want her?”
I pulled her into a hug. Tears stung my eyes and I gripped her even tighter. “You’re going to do great. I can’t wait to hear about all the potions you two come up with.”
Harmony sniffled, nodding silently against my shoulder. After a moment, she laughed. “I don’t know why I’m being so clingy! It’s not like this is my first time away from home, or something. Stars!”
I laughed softly and stepped back, still keeping my hands on her arms. “I’m taking it as a compliment.”
Harmony wiped at her eyes before her eyeliner could run. “Thank you, Stace. For everything. I know that doesn’t begin to cover it, but—”
“I know,” I interrupted, smiling softly as more tears blurred my vision. “And you’re welcome. I honestly couldn’t be happier for you.”
“Thanks.” She looked down at her scuffed sneakers.
“Remember to listen to Holly,” I said. “She’ll keep you out of trouble.”
Harmony held back a smile. “Why do I feel like this is my first day of academy all over again?”
We laughed and I pulled her back in for another embrace.
“I don’t … I don’t know what I would have done without you.” I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to continue. “When you showed up on my doorstep that night, I didn’t even realize how lost I was.”
Witchy Weddings: A Magic Witch Mystery Series: The complete Touch of Magic series Page 42
