Page 22 of Bewitched & Bewildered
“Cleanse them.” He lifts a brow.
It’s an obvious answer, but he shouldn’t point it out as if it is!
“Brilliant,” I say.
“If you’re going to keep dragging your feet with your grand reopening, you should get used to getting your ingredients from me.”
“Excuse me?”
“Lupine is the only apothecary in town these days…”
“We’re opening next week,” I say.
We’re not. Maple and I briefly discussed the opening, but we don’t have any solidified plans.I thinka week should be enough time.
“What?” He lets out boisterous laughter.
“Why are you so surprised? It’s not as if we have a lot to do. Preparations will be easy…”
“You can’t reopen in a week.”
“Why? Does that get in the way of your opening?” I lean in. My face is inches from his. “Good.”
“No.” He smiles. “That won’t be a problem for me, and I’m sure it hasnothingto do with me. You said you’ve been planning this for a while, right?”
“Right!”
Wrong. When my mother died, I decided never to open the shop again. I can’t sell it either. It wasn’t until this moment that I knew it would be reopened, and now, there’s a new fire in me.
I turn on my heel and snatch the vase right back up. “I’ll be taking this.”
“Good. I got it for you.”
“Great. Thank you.”
“Great.”
He’s annoying—and I want to tell him, but the words are lost in a huff as I storm from the shop. He hasn’t opened for the day, and a small group of witches is already waiting outside.
I hate when Ozan is right—and he is in this case. The people of Starbrook, and the surrounding towns, need their supplies. I’ve been ignoring them, but I can’t keep doing that.
I can’t give up on my mother either.
“Are they open?” An unfamiliar witch peers past me into the glass.
He won’t be opening for half an hour, but while I’m here… I’ll make his day more challenging.
“Yes,” I say. “Go on in.”
I stride to my car, and once seated, I send two texts toRowan.
Juniper
I need your help.
With finances.
Scratch that.
