Page 21 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Spread out across our breakfast table was the most extensive Tarot reading I’d seen my aunt do in a long time. Ten cards lay face up in a Celtic Cross, the answer to whatever question she’d asked glaring up from their faces.
Skirting around me to sit back at the table, Aunt Evie steepled her fingers in front of her lips, her eyes raking over the cards as if she looked hard enough, they would give her another answer. Though I wasn’t as fluent in reading them as my aunt, there were two that stood outamong the rest; my eyes were drawn to the ominous imagery of Death and the flames erupting from the Tower.
“I’ve done this reading three times now, and it’s the same each time. Death, destruction, and rebuilding.”
As I ran my eyes across the cards again, they snagged on the Lovers. Quirking a brow, I picked it up and twisted it between my fingers. “What’s this got to do with the storm?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.” Aunt Evie hurriedly said, snatching it out of my hand and placing it back in the spread.
“Oookay. Well, we’ve dealt with storms our whole lives. So, we do what we always do. Double-check our enchantments over the property, make sure there’s gas in the generators, and go to the store before all hell breaks loose and all the bread and beer are gone.”
“Magnolia,” she breathed, her head shaking from side to side as she rested her brow in her palms.
“Okay, fine. Margarita supplies, no beer.” When she didn’t lift her head, I slid into the booth next to her and leaned my head on her shoulder. “It will be fine, Aunt Evie. It always is.”
It had to be. There was no way we’d survived Katrina and Ida only for some bitch named Melissa to wipe us out.
We had been sitting in silence for a while, both studying the cards as we nursed our mugs of coffee when Maddie walked into the kitchen.
“What’s… going on?” she asked, her brows raised skeptically as her eyes flicked between us and the table.
“Storm’s coming,” I supplied as I watched Aunt Evie run her hands along the card faces.
Head bobbing in understanding, Maddie poured herself a cup of coffee and came to join us at the table. “Do you need help with the enchantments on the shop, Mags?”
“Maybe? I’ll check them when I go in today.”
Maddie joined us at the table, and I let my mind wander as I stared out the stained-glass windows that framed the far wall, the sun’s rays painting the kitchen in a kaleidoscope of colors as it shone through the panes.The calm before the stormwasn’t just a saying down here; it was a reality. The sun was always brighter, the wind mellower. Even the sunsets were more vivid, like whatever benevolent being upstairs was determined to give false hope to those who didn’t know better. But we did.
Downing the last sip of my coffee, I pressed a kiss to my aunt’s cheek and went to get ready to take on the day.
My head fell back as I rounded the corner that led toCharCutie. Instead of the nearly empty street I was accustomed to, I was met with a tall, lean, frustratingly gorgeous new fixture next to my door. I swear the Mother was laughing at me. Because that’s what this had to be, right? A cosmic joke?
Expelling a heavy breath, I kept my eyes straight ahead as I marched toward my shop.
“Good morning, Magnolia,” Taylor said a little too cheerily for a Monday morning.
“Taylor. To what do I owe this displeasure?”
“Ouch. I’m wounded.”
Tilting my sunglasses down to peer over the frames, I let my eyes run down his body before coming to settle back on his face. “I think you’re fine.” A sly smile pulled at his lips, and I rolled my eyes in response as I pushed the frames up onto my head. “You know what I mean.”
When I finally got the door unlocked, he skirted around my back and pushed it open. “After you.”
My foot paused over the threshold, and I cut him a glance. “We’re not open yet, Taylor.”
“I know,” he said, palming the back of his neck as a faint flush colored his cheeks, and he met my gaze. “But I wanted to talk to you about something, if that’s alright?”
With a resigned sigh, I pressed against the door to hold it open and gestured for him to enter. Flicking on the lights, I leaned against the frame and watched as he slowly looked around my little shop. He’d been there before, but it was like he was taking it in with fresh eyes. And when his gaze landed back on me, my breath hitched. Why? Who fucking knows… ok, I might have known. The man was gorgeous…frustratingly annoying,like a weed you can’t get rid of in your garden… but gorgeous, nonetheless. His deep teal Henley hugged every curve of muscle in his arms and was pushed up to his elbows, his jeans tight in all the right places, and those infernal glasses were perched on his nose. He looked like Clark Kent without the stupid bang swirl.
Pull it together, Mags.
Mentally shaking myself for letting my mind wander, I pushed away from the door and started my opening duties. I was earlier than expected, and Jae wouldn’t be in for another hour or so, but I liked it that way. It was quiet and gave me time to think. But with Taylor hovering, I wasn’t going to be able to check my enchantments like I’d planned to.
“How was your Halloween?” he asked as he leaned against the counter, his sapphire eyes boring into mine.
Quirking a brow at his odd question, I turned my attention to my kiosk screen and booted up our POS system. “It was fine.”
