Page 68 of Charmed, I'm Sure
Tonight was Thanksgiving Eve, which meant all hands on deck in the kitchen to prep for tomorrow’s meal. I loved cooking for the holidays. The house always smelled warm and savory around Thanksgiving, and sweet and downrightdivineduring Christmas. But no matter the holiday, we always premixed and prebaked most dishes, so all we had to do was heat them while the turkey fried. Yes, we fried turkey for both major end-of-the-year holidays.
My aunt hummed in response, her eyes rolling back in her head before returning to meet my gaze. “Your head is across town where Mr. Hallows is.”
She was right—and wrong—all at once, but I kept that to myself.
“Is he gracing us with his presence tomorrow?” Maddie asked from her spot at the stove, sautéing corn, peppers, and garlic.
Mother above, that smells good.
“No, I don’t think so. His sister and her fiancée are coming down.”I think. I hadn’t heard from Taylor much since the incident. Well, I hadn’t reached out to him much. It wasn’t intentional at first, but the more anxious I became, the more I tended to pull away, and I didn’t want him caught in the crosshairs of whatever was inevitably coming my way. Because it would come. It always did.
“Well, that’s too bad. I even got a sixteen-pound turkey this year,” Aunt Evie said with a sigh.
Despite our history, both my aunt and my sisters had warmed to Taylor, which brought a smile to my lips.
As if speaking his name had summoned him, my phone began vibrating on the counter a moment before the chorus from Big andRich’sSave a Horse(Ride a Cowboy)filled the sudden silence in the kitchen.
“He has his ownringtone?!” Meredith screeched from the breakfast nook, surrounded by a mountain of potatoes she was putting off peeling. “Oh my lanta, the ‘cowboy’ comment makes so much more sense now.”
I glared at my sister while hastily wiping my hands on a towel, snatching my phone from the counter, and heading out the door, laughter trailing from the kitchen in my wake.
Once outside, I inhaled deeply and slid the green circle to answer the call. “Were your ears burning?” I asked, then pinched the bridge of my nose at the sheer stupidity of that greeting.
“You talking about me, sunshine?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” I retorted with a light laugh.
Silence filled the line as I walked to the porch swing overlooking the front yard. Fireflies danced in the sage green moss hanging from the oak branches. A crisp wind wove through my hair, bringing with it the earthy scent of fall. It was peaceful—something I hadn’t felt in recent weeks. Something I hadn’t realized I desperately needed.
“How are you?” I asked when the quiet lingered.
“I’m alright. Tired, but fine. You?”
I hummed in response, my head bobbing on its own before I said, “The same, really. Work has been crazy lately. I sold out just about every day this week, which is amazing. But if I see one more pumpkin pie, I might vomit.”
His laugh was warm through the speaker, washing over me like that first breath of fresh, balmy air in spring—the kind that carried the scent of honeysuckles and azaleas. I closed my eyes and just existed for a moment, letting go of everything that had plagued my mind since weleft Baton Rouge. I let my worries over what would come from Sophie seeing us together vanish. Just for a minute, I allowed myself tobe.
Taylor and I talked for a while, about nothing and everything simultaneously. It was easy—effortless—and just what I needed.
When an hour had passed, the front door creaked open, and Maddie poked her head out. “Hey, we need you in here. Mer is planning a coup.”
“I’ll be right there. And tell her to keep away from my recipes,” I said with a chuckle. When the door clicked closed behind her, I returned my attention to my phone. “Hey, I’ve got to go. Mer is threatening to dismantle my dinner for tomorrow, and I’d rather not have to resort to takeout.”
I could hear his stifled laugh, and if I closed my eyes, I could picture it. I could see his megawatt smile and the little creases forming by his eyes, the way he would shake his head before it fell forward, his shoulders moving with amusement. I could see it all, and I missed it. I missedhim.
A burning sensation filled my nose, and I tilted my head back to stare at the porch ceiling, trying to quell the tears threatening to spill over.
Maybe I wasn’t as silent as I thought, or maybe he just inherently knew, but whatever it was, Taylor’s voice softened as he asked, “Mags, baby, what is it?”
“Nothing,” I squeaked, sniffing back emotions that wouldn’t surrender to my control. It had to be hormones. My period was coming or something because I didnotcry at the drop of a hat.
“Mags.”
“I just… ugh. I miss you, okay? Happy now?” I swiped a hand beneath my eyes as traitorous tears began to fall.
“Ecstatic.” I could hear the smile in his voice, and I pinched my eyes closed, waiting—and hoping—for him to continue. When he did, my heart leapt into my throat. “I miss you too, baby.”
Taylor
