Page 48 of Witch You Weren't Here

Time slipped around her like a gentle river, tables filling up, Leon and another waitress bringing out food. Alex came in too at one point and Harry sat up on the edge of the stage, taking a break to have a drink and chat to him, their ease with each other obvious.

Kay hadn’t even realised that she’d finished her drink until Leon slid a big cup of coffee in front of her. She thanked him, sitting up from the slouch she’d sunk into.

‘Figured you could do with a cup of solace. Sounds like you’ve been having an exhausting journey and these seats will have you falling to sleep if you’re not careful.’

‘Is there an influence charm on them to make people want to stay?’ she asked, lacing her hands around the warm mug.

Leon raised an eyebrow. ‘Since that would be exploitative, I will choose to take that as a sign that you are enjoying your visit, rather than an accusation.’

‘Could it be both?’ she dared to say and was rewarded by Leon’s laughter. Harry was right. Leon did appreciate candidness.

‘It appears so. May I?’

‘Sure. It’s your place,’ she pointed out with a laugh.

‘I think customers would stop coming altogether, let alone want to stay, if I sat myself down beside them, uninvited.’ He slid in opposite her, setting a thick earthen plate loaded with large cookies down. ‘I’m enjoying your visit too,’ he said, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his knuckles. ‘It’s great to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.’

‘Have you?’ she tried to keep her voice light, even though the simple statement sent everything inside her up in a flurry.

‘For sure. When we first got together, he’d always mention you. “Kay has this theory about Leonardo da Vinci.” “Kay cracks up at this movie, even though it’s terrible.” That sort of thing.’ Leon grinned at her.

‘Oh. That’s really … weird?’ she blurted out. It was weird though. Unless … it kind of proved that Harry had liked her as a friend, but never had any romantic feelings towards her. Surely he wouldn’t have chatted to his new boyfriend about her if he had?

‘Is it? You were important to him.’ Leon glanced at Kay as her heart betrayed her with a painfully hopeful flutter. ‘It took his seer ability, sending him after you, to prise him away from Ashworth Hall.’

Kay took a sip of the frothy coffee, licking foam from her lips, to buy herself a moment. ‘What? No. He was in Prague doing a signing. It was just a coincidence that we bumped into each other.’

‘Sure,’ he snorted. ‘Witches’ lives are just full of “random coincidences”. He’s been asked to do a lot of signings over the last couple of years. He said no to all of them. Then the one he finally says yes to has him bumping into you when you’re about to be stranded and need some help getting home.’

Leon was great, but he was obviously deluded. There was no way Harry’s itchy magic compass had sent him all the way to the Czech capital, just to help her get back to Joe’s wedding. She wasn’t going to argue about it, though. ‘Why has he been saying no? He loves travelling, doesn’t he?’

Curiosity killed the cat, Kay. But she couldn’t seem to help herself. Was it something about Leon or something he’d put in her food that was making her lose her brain to mouth filter?

‘He hasn’t told you about his dad?’

‘What about his dad?’ Had he been demanding things from him? Getting him involved with the business when Harry had his own career? Influencing him to stay at Ashworth Hall to represent the family?

‘It’s not really my place to say. I’m surprised you don’t know, though.’

Kay’s inner hedgehog quills flared. That wasn’t her fault. And also … she hated the implication that Leon knew Harry better than she did. Even though it was inescapably true. They’d had a relationship. They were friends who shared the details of their lives with one another. ‘We’ve not exactly been on talking terms for a long time.’

‘I know.’ Leon glanced over his shoulder at Harry, drumming his fingers on the table for a moment. ‘I’m glad you’ve forgiven him.’

‘I … I don’t know that I have forgiven him yet,’ she told Leon, an almost complete stranger, with a surprising amount of honesty.

‘Why not?’ Leon frowned at her, but she could tell it was more curiosity than censure.

She mentally smoothed her quills down. ‘Because I still don’t know why he did it.’

‘Oh, OK.’ He lifted his head from his hand, waving it in dismissal. ‘That’s an easy fix. You’ve got a tongue in your head, haven’t you?’

She made a choked little laugh. He made it sound so simple.

The funny thing was, for a moment, it did seem pretty simple. Just ask Harry what happened.

But then a wave of fear crashed over her again as she imagined what he would say. Answers she probably didn’t want to hear. But how would she ever move on if she didn’t at least try to find out?

She took a deep breath. ‘Are these for anyone in particular?’ she asked, pointing to the plate of gooey cookies in front of Leon.

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