Page 88 of Under Daddy's Spell

“No, no, no,” she cried as she bent and scanned every shelf. “There must be a bottle of Fiji in here somewhere.”

Angie hurried over. “Did Madame Lucinda know what to do?”

“Yep, to undo a spell, repeat it in reverse.” She moved aside a few bottles on the bottom shelf to see behind them.

“What are you looking for?”

“I have to recreate what I did the first time, exactly. I need spring water not purified, and the Fiji is all gone.”

Angie twisted and looked behind her. “I took the last one earlier. It’s still unopened. Let me grab it.”

While Tessa nearly collapsed with relief, she ran to the end of the counter and back.

“How else can I help?” she asked as she handed it to her.

Tessa glanced at her. “I wish you could, but it has to be me, and I have to do exactly what I did the first time.” She squeezed her friend’s hand. “But I’d appreciate the moral support.”

“I don’t know how moral making a potion to undo another potion and give it to a man who didn’t know about the first potion is, but I’m here for you, girlfriend.”

“I was right. You think I’m a horrible person.”

“No. I think you’re stressed up to your eyebrows. I also think your dad is an ass for leaving you with all of this. More than anything I think you’re making a mistake doing anything that might drive Jordan away because he’s exactly what you need, but you’ve got to do you.”

“I only want to be with him if he truly wants to be with me, Ang. Do you hear what I’m saying?”

“I do.” She hugged her then pulled up a stool close by but not in the way. “I’ll be over here praying it doesn’t work.”

“Ang!”

“Hey. I’m team Jord-i-licious all the way. But if he wins you, it means you win, so I’m also team Tessa. So, it’s all good.”

“I think that makes sense, though I’m not sure, and I don’t have time to figure it out now.”

“I’ll explain later,” Angie assured her. “For now, get to conjuring.”

She’d lost her napkin placeholder, so it took her a few minutes to find the page, then she read over the two halves of the recipes in reverse twice. When she filled a glass of tap water, poured it out, and muttered, “Oh, for cripe’s sake,” Angie snickered, but otherwise she sat quietly watching.

Once she poured the potion out and rinsed and put away her improvised glass chalice, Tessa moved away from the counter now empty of everything except the grinder and remaining herb mixture.

“You’re on, Ang.”

“Magical muffins coming right up,” she exclaimed as she hopped off her stool.

“Make them exactly the same way,” Tessa stressed as she walked by.

“Got it. It’s a good thing I replenished the peaches yesterday.”

While Angie baked, Tessa called Jordan and begged for a change in plans.

“Can we have a quiet evening in?” she asked him. “It’s been a really long tiring week, and I’m not up to a big night out.”

“Tableau isn’t going anywhere, baby. We’ll do a rain check. I feel like this is my fault for keeping you up two nights in a row. You have someone scheduled to close for you, right?”

“Georgia comes in at five.”

“Good, then we’ll have a quiet night in. Rufus is still at my place, so that’s one less worry. We’ll pick up supper on the way home and get you tucked into bed early.”

There was one more worry. He just didn’t know it yet.

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