Page 80 of Wild Scottish Rose

The fool hadn’t even asked me. I’d been sitting across from him, reading a book, when my phone had buzzed and showed a new booking. I looked up at him, and he’d grinned, then returned to the video footage he was editing. That was it. No discussion, no questions—he’d just gone ahead and booked two more months at the cottage. Which was stupid, really, because I’d have let him stay for free.

Which is probably why he’d booked it without asking me.

Frustrated, charmed, and overwhelmed.This was my new status quo.

Our nights consisted of one of us sleeping in the other’s bed, and when Owen wasn’t off investigating for his documentary, he’d grab a rake and help me in the garden. I never asked him, but oftentimes I’d find him already at work, spreading mulch or moving bags of dirt. It kind of scared me how seamlessly he’d moved into my life, because when he left, I was fairly certain I’d never get over it.

Tonight was the Autumnal Equinox, and I’d taken the time to read through Gran’s book. Now, I just had to find away to do my ceremony without Owen around. An idea occurred to me, and I texted Sophie to see if Lachlan could invite Owen to the pub. When she agreed, I dusted off my hands and smiled. There, I was free to do my witchy work in peace, and yes, I knew that I needed to tell him at some point.

Just not yet.

I didn’t know how to explain it, but the magick was my own secret. I mean, of course Agnes, Sophie, and Lia knew about it. They were involved with the Order of Caledonia in one way or another. But for the rest of my world? Nobody knew I was a garden witch. And I just kind of wanted to spend time discovering what that meant for me, all on my own. I wanted to be steady on my feet, certain in my power, when, or if, I shared it with anyone else. Now that I understood Owen’s endless thirst for knowledge, I also understood that he’d never ease up on me about my magick until he overturned every stone in his quest for knowledge.

But this was my gift.

My power.

I wanted to overturn those stones by myself.

And maybe I was a touch nervous about how he’d react. I hoped he’d be accepting, yet I was still trying to navigate the nuances of Owen’s relationship with his family, and how it all played into the day-to-day decisions he made. On one hand, he seemed to have made strides with putting up some boundaries with his mother. On the other, it was hard for me to miss how unforgiving he could be with seemingly small things. I wondered if that was from a lifetime of catering to a narcissistic mother who lived for being a victim. Maybe he’d run out of compassion for seeminglysilly mistakes, or perhaps it was he had a built-in distrust for reasons presented behind said mistakes. I’d overheard him firing an employee of his, and when I’d questioned him on it, he’d grown dismissive of my attempts to unpack his reasoning. Every time I’d work up the courage to tell him about my magick, I’d bump my head against an instance like that and hold back, wondering if he would dismiss me just as easily as he’d done his assistant.

I blew out a breath of frustration.

“What are you moaning about now?”

“I wasn’t moaning, I was sighing,” I said, turning to see Gnorman dangling his legs off a shelf in the greenhouse closet where I prepared my supplies for the evening ritual.

“Fine, sighing. What are you in a huff about?”

“I’m not in a huff,” I insisted.

“The only thing to make a woman sigh like that is a man, am I right, cutie?” Gnora winked at Gnorman as she strolled across the table. Gnorman sucked in his belly, almost toppling off the shelf in the process, and glared at me when I snorted.

Much to my everlasting delight, Gnora had taken one look at my greenhouse, determined it more than appropriate for her new accommodations, and had moved in. Gnorman had about passed out on the spot when she’d told him. Since then, they’d been doing this dance where Gnorman was increasingly flustered and frustrated around her, clearly a besotted male if I’d ever seen one, yet hadn’t yet worked up the courage to make a move. On her part, Gnora was firmly aware of her charms, used them at her whim, and left Gnorman stammering and stuttering in her wake.

“I think your girlfriend has the right of it,” I said, knowing the word girlfriend would send Gnorman into a tizzy, and was rewarded when he sprang up and patted his kilt, as though he was looking for something.

“I’ve just got to…there’s a thing. Eugene? What’s that, lad?” Gnorman cupped a hand to his ear, pretending that he heard Eugene calling, and scrambled down the shelves, racing into the greenhouse.

Gnora pursed her lips, shaking her head after him.

“You know he’s sensitive about me.”

“Sensitive? You’ve got to be kidding me. That gnome has done nothing but needle me about my love life. I’m delighted I get to return the favor.”

“Och, heissensitive. He brought me flowers last night and serenaded me when the moon rose.”

She might as well have told me that aliens landed and performed some weird experiment on everyone in Loren Brae.

“I’m sorry, what?” I pointed over my shoulder with my thumb. “That crabbit beastie…serenaded you?”

“He’s not so grumpy once you get to know him.” Gnora walked over to the candle that I was engraving with symbols for the equinox.

“Tell me what he sang.”

“You Look Wonderful Tonight.” Gnora sighed and clasped her hands in front of her. “Now if only he’d make a move.”

“Clapton? Nice.” I desperately didn’t want to think of the gnomes going at it in my greenhouse. Poor Eugene. Like he needed to be subjected to that. “No sexy time around the hedgehog, you hear me?”

---