Page 35 of Air Of Mystery
I blinked in surprise. “You did?”
“Yes. It was very informative. I especially liked how you talked about the history of the building and the land. How was your meeting with Gabriella?”
“It went well,” I said cautiously. “We chose a date in October.”
“I bet you’re excited about that.”
I narrowed my eyes. While his tone and facial expression had remained neutral, I could sense that he was still conflictedabout it all. Especially as he was standing right beside me. “Well,” I said, opening my car door, “good night.”
“You staying clear of that old creepy Victorian in Alton?”
I hesitated. “I haven’t been back yet.”
He frowned. “Yet?”
“I’m still waiting for permission from the owner to return.”
“Why in the hell would you ever go back there?”
We stood on opposite sides of my open car door. It wasn’t much of a shield from the frustration that was radiating off of him.
“Witch business.” I patted his hand where it rested on top of my door, fully aware that it was a dismissive gesture. “There’s nothing for you to worry about.”
In a flash his hand turned over and held onto mine. “You’re not going to brush me off that easily,” he said. “You’re going back in there to remove any traces of Kenna’s magick. Aren’t you?”
I simply raised one eyebrow in response. Clearly, he had remembered what I’d said.
“So the camouflage you did that day won’t last indefinitely?” he asked next. “It does have a time limit?”
I inclined my head in acknowledgment. “That’s one way to look at it.”
“You shouldn’t go in there alone.”
“I hadn’t planned on it. But thank you for your concern.” Somehow, I managed to make that sound polite instead of condescending.
For a long moment we stared at each other, neither of us knowing what else to say. Finally, he released my hand. “Take care of yourself, Skye.”
I nodded. “See you around, Charlie.”
He nodded. “Yes, you will.”
Surprised at his statement…which had sounded like a warning, I slipped into my car and started it up. It took all of my self controlnotto check the rear-view to see if he was standing there watching me drive away.
Squaring my shoulders, I reminded myself that it was best to put Charlie Smythe in the past. After all we’d barely gotten started before things were derailed by my family’s drama. Or let’s just call it what it was and say: the witchcraft.
We had dated. It didn’t work out. Period. End of story.
There was no sense mooning over something I’d never truly had, or lusting after a man who didn’t approve of me—or what I did for a living.
Focusing on the road ahead of me, I drove back to Alton and told myself to concentrate on my upcoming investigations, my channel, and throwing my big sister an amazing bridal shower. There was plenty to keep me occupied. It was going to be a busy summer.
***
The first episode for the investigation at the haunted restaurant in old St. Charles dropped, and the comments and the amount of likes were some of the best numbers I’d ever had since starting the YouTube channel.
I told Brynn the date for her shower was secured but did not tell her the location. Naturally she was curious, but I waved away her questions and promised to reveal all soon. After a quick confab with Kenna, Cordy, and our mother, it was decided that Kenna was going to take care of the desserts for the bridal shower, and Mom and Cordelia promised to pitch in and help me make the rest of the food. Mom and Dad would travelup for the bridal shower and then stay for the weekend and visit before heading back to Florida.
With the ball rolling along, I sat down and mocked up some invitations on my computer one night, that way Brynn would have final say in the look of the invites. Of course, I went with floral themes and some autumn ones as well.
