Page 54 of The Pumpkin Spice Spell
Her answer’s immediate. “Of course. Stay as long as you need to stay. Cobweb doesn’t mind.”
And I don’t miss it, how her eyes brighten at the idea. How her voice softens. How her hands fidget like she’s trying to tuck her excitement into the folds of her cardigan and pretend it’s not there.
“Just Cobweb won’t mind?” I tease.
“I don’t mind, either,” she says softly.
“Want help with those?” I nod to the open box beside her.
She nods, and just like that, we fall into step.
We unpack the books together, shoulder to shoulder, dust jackets brushing our knuckles every few minutes. She reads off titles, sorts them by genre, and passes me stacks to shelve.
It’s quiet work, but I like it. Cobweb naps on a windowsill. Somewhere outside, the wind knocks a few dried leaves against the glass.
“This really is the heartbeat of Wisteria Cove,” I murmur.
Willa glances over. “You think so?”
“I know so.”
She blushes, but she doesn’t argue.
We keep working.
“Ivy’s been around more,” Willa says after a bit, her voice dropping into something gentler. “She’s a realtor’s assistant now. She has to help them prep the house to sell.”
I slide a novel into its spot and pause. “Well, someone has to do it.”
“She hates it,” Willa admits. “Says she wishes she could just walk dogs for a living.”
I smirk. “Honestly? Same. What happened to the doggy daycare job she had?” I ask.
“They cut her hours, and she wanted to take the real estate job. Her stupid boyfriend made fun of the doggy daycare gig. He’s a piece of work,” she mutters.
I don’t like this guy. I’ve heard enough to know he’s a jerk.
“She’s good with animals, though. But real estate would be good for her, Ivy could charm the bark off a tree if she had to. She just feels bad that she’s sellingyourhouse.”
“Well…hopefully someone buys it who wants to make it an actual home,” I say quietly.
She softens, gives me a smile like it’s just for me. “She won’t say it, but she’s doing it for us,” Willa says. “We’re trying to get the building next door. She wants to maybe get her real estate license, but you know how she is. She’s had a lot of jobs.”
“The one right next door?” I ask, pointing to the left of the building.
She nods. “If we can buy it, Rowan will turn it into Salt & Root. We’d finally have enough space for an herbal workshop, a yoga studio on the top floor, and an apothecary shop. And maybe a little tea bar.”
I glance at the wall between the shops, trying to picture it. “That would be great.”
“I hope so,” she says, and there’s a flicker of hope in her voice. Fragile but determined.
I nod. “It will. The three of you make magic. Everyone in this town knows it.”
She looks at me, really looks at me, and for a second I feel like I’m the only man in the world.
“You always say the exact right thing,” she says.
I laugh. “I’ve said plenty of wrong ones.”
