Page 25 of Bewitched & Bewildered
Laurel crosses her arms. “My tarot reading was right.”
“Tarot reading?” Rowan lifts a brow.
“Thecardswere right,” I say, “but your interpretation was incorrect.”
“It was close. It’s a return of the past, like I said it would be.” Laurel inhales deeply and wanders through the tiny space. “And it’s emotional.”
It’slonely. The jars are empty. The only spot of life is the flowers I placed on the countertop. They’re pure white against the dusty, rustic shop. Their energy is lively compared to the staleness in the room.
I still won’t thank Ozan for the bouquet.
“I feel like I’m missing something,” Maple says, sitting behind the counter. “Are we reopening the apothecary?”
Maple and Laurel seem more eager than I am. Theireyes sparkle. Mom should have giventhemthe shop. Why didn’t she?
“I want to,” I say, “but I can’t do it without your help. Rowan is helping with the books and numbers?—”
“What can I do?” Maple asks.
Of course, sweet Maple is on my side without me explaining myself. She agrees even faster than Rowan.
“Um…” I let out a flustered laugh. “This is my first time running a business. I’m not surewhatto do.”
“We’ll figure it out together,” Maple says. “We need to contact the suppliers—and start whipping up potions and spell kits…”
“And I need to organize the books,” Rowan says.
“And I”—Laurel flips her hair over her shoulder—“will do the hardest part of all.”
“What is that?” Rowan asks.
I would consider Rowan’s job the most burdensome, considering the state of our finances. Rowan likely agrees, but she lifts a brow rather than saying as much to Laurel.
“Marketing,” Laurel says. “It’s all online now.”
I frown, considering her offer. “Actually… that’s true.”
“Oh, trust me. I know.” Laurel slips her phone from her pocket. “I can get us on socials in no time. I always wanted to do it for Mom.”
“Good idea.” I smile proudly, my gaze moving over each of my sisters. “It’s going to be different this time. Ro says we need to raise the prices.”
Maple grimaces. “It’s a necessary evil. Mom hasn’t raised them since the 90s.”
I nod. “She was operating at a loss—but we still have a house to renovate.”
“There’s a lot to do,” Rowan says. “And there’s still the matter of actually running the place. Day-to-dayoperations. If those aren’t on point, nothing else matters.”
“That will be on me,” I say. “I’m between jobs right now, and I intend to make this place my full-time job.”
“It will be splendid!” Maple says.
My gaze drifts back to Laurel. “And maybe…”
Laurel looks up from her phone. “You want me to work the counter?” Her voice goes flat.
We all took turns working the counter in our teenage years, and Laurel was always the best. The customers like her, and most people around town know her. That doesn’t mean she enjoys it. Her attention moves fast, and she gets stir-crazy in the cramped space.
“I’ll be working with you,” I say. “You’ll never be alone. Almost never…” I mutter the last words under my breath.
