Page 28 of Air Of Mystery
“Good to know.” I accepted the soaps. “See you around, Camilla.”
Behind me, the bell on the door jingled as a few people walked in. “Enjoy your afternoon at the library. Blessed be,” Camilla said, turning her attention to her customers.
Slipping out the door, I headed down the sidewalk and towards the library. I found myself slightly bemused from my visit toLotions & Potions. Camilla had been so open andfriendly...which I hadn’t expected. She was nothing like her sister Estella.
Half-sister,I corrected myself. While Estella was suspicious, more private and protective by nature, Camilla was a very public Witch, with an outgoing bohemian personality. Or as my mother would say: freewheeling.
Starting up the old concrete steps to the library, I automatically moved to one side as a few patrons were coming up and going down. Keeping my eye on the stairs, I jumped in surprise when a large, warm, male hand lighted on my arm.
I glanced up and into the face of Charlie Smythe.
“Hello, Skye,” he said.
CHAPTER FIVE
The last place I expected to run into Charlie Smythe was outside the public library. Yet here he was.He lives in Ames Crossing, I reminded myself. It was simply incredibly bad luck on my part to have run into him this afternoon.
He had an armload of books too, so I couldn’t even ask what he was doing here, unless I wanted to sound like a paranoid moron.
So instead of asking, I simply nodded and said, “Charlie.”
Charlie eased me to one side, allowing a few more teenagers to pass us.
“How have you been?” he asked after they bounded down the steps.
“Fine,” I said. “Staying busy. In fact, I was hoping to speak to Amanda Beaumont-Parker about some reference material. So, if you’ll excuse me.”
I’d gone up only one step before I heard him say, “Skye, I’m sorry.”
I paused and peered back over my shoulder at him. Good gods, he was a gorgeous man. For the moment we were alone, my stomach tightened in longing, and I fought hard not to let my physical reaction show.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated. “Sorry about the way things turned out on that night in June after Kenna and Tyler...”
“It simply didn’t work out between us,” I said, “for a lot of reasons,”
“Maybe,” he said evenly. “Maybe not. Thingsmighthave worked themselves out if you hadn’t disappeared on me. Using your witchcraft like that during an argument? It wasn’t fair.”
I acknowledged that with a slight tilt of my head. “I probably deserved that.”
“Listen,” he began, “why don’t we start over. I was—”
Before he could finish his sentence—or I could say anything else—my name and Charlie’s were being called.
Turning my head toward the voice, I discovered Gabriella Midnight-Marquette and her trio of children leaving the library. “Hey, Gabriella.” I waved.
Gabriella headed straight for us, all smiles. “Hey!” she said, stopping on the steps beside me.
I was damn tempted to hug her for the impeccable timing.
“Hi Charlie!” The kids surrounded him, and all began to talk at once.
“Hi kids.” Charlie smiled at the trio as they showed him their books and new book bags.
Gabriella pitched her voice over the noise of her brood. “I was going to call you this week, Skye, but instead I run into you here today. Perfect timing!”
“Perfect timing for what?” I asked, shifting the bag of soap to my other hand.
“Every year our ghost tours become more and more popular, and because of that, we wondered if you would be interested in doing a paranormal investigation at the mansion this October for your show?”
