Page 16 of Witchful Thinking

“You’re on their side,” Alex mused.

“They must’ve had a good reason to buy you a house.” Horatio patted his arm one final time, then pulled his hand away. “I don’t know why, but this gift came from the heart. Respect it, but be careful.”

“What did they give you?” Alex asked cautiously.

Horatio blew out a sharp breath. “Oh, they gave me a hot air balloon ride.”

“You hate heights.”

“Don’t tell them. I think they forgot.”

Alex glanced around, making sure that no one could overhear them. Many a Grove citizen would love a chance to catch a merman and see if the myth was true. Legend claimed that if you caught a merman, you’d be granted your greatest wish. He didn’t want to find out if it was real.

“The full moon is tonight. Are you going out for a swim?”

Horatio drew his lips in thoughtfully. “I wasn’t planning on it. I’d figured I’d skip this time around.”

Dwyer merfolk usually transformed with the phases of the moon. The fuller the moon, the greater his transformation, and his aquatic form resembled the classical storybook paintings.

The bartender delivered their drinks.

Horatio paid, took his drink into his hand, and made a pleased sound. “This looks good. Let’s smile and finish out the night. We’ll check out the house tomorrow.” He directed Alex to his drink. “Take a sip of that, then come back to the table. We’ve got this.”

What was there to get? No one had taken a picture of the house!

Alex held up a hand, the conversation at the table replaying in his brain.

“Hold up. You got upset about them buying a house—especially this house. What’s up with it? It’s not cursed, is it?”

Horatio studied Alex, a silent debate playing on his face. It seemed to Alex that he shook off whatever he wanted to say and instead said, “We’ll deal with it tomorrow. Enjoy your day.”

The two brothers took a moment, toasted, then tasted their Stargazers. Alex sampled the drink and nodded. It was soft and sweet, with hints of vanilla, pineapple, and rum. He especially liked the vanilla, which was warm and comforting. He brought the glass close and inhaled, the scent bringing back memories. The first time he’d tasted fresh vanilla had been with Lucy, who’d brought the bean to school for their cooking class. Years after, whenever he tasted sugar cookies, he thought of Lucy and sent good energy in her direction.

He breathed in again. The oil she wore had rubbed off on him. Her touch remained with him even hours after he’d seen her at the carnival. He’d broken his vow in less than twenty minutes with Lucy, allowing himself one touch for his birthday. Her proximity made every part of him tingle with inconvenient want. The panic lessened as the scent soothed him. He returned to the table. The rest of the meal was uneventful, pleasant but strained. Mom kept shooting him nervous glances, while Pop gave him a layered warning look.

Horatio tipped his tumbler to him.

Meanwhile, the keys now in his pocket held him down like a ship’s anchor.

It seemed that wild seahorses couldn’t make him stay in the Grove, but real estate kept him in town. This feeling—of being rooted in one place—made his heart pound in his ears and his knees lock. Merpeople didn’t do this—they didn’t stay in one place for a while. Even his parents had leaned into the nomad lifestyle until some mystic force had settled them here in Freya Grove. It was odd and even a little hypocritical. Mom and Pop had literally given him the keys to the domestic lifestyle they’d thoroughly avoided for most of their lives.

He’d check out the house, but that didn’t mean he’d stay.

This place wasn’t going to get in the way of his plans. Even if he was making these plans day by day. One waiter, flanked by two others, approached their table holding a silky chocolate ganache birthday cake, alight with a large striped candle. Alex sat up and faced them with a grin. The flame flickered as the cake was placed in front of him. Alex’s family and a few diners sang the Stevie Wonder version of “Happy Birthday,” rocking back and forth and clapping to the song’s classic melody.

“Make a wish, Al,” Mom said warmly.

His chest tightened and he paused. What did his heart wish for? That was a trick question, because the real question was how many hearts did a merman have? He believed he had two hearts. One heart was currently kicking in his chest like an eighties action star escaping an abandoned warehouse. His other heart had walked away from him at the festival. He’d messed up. He should’ve made things right between them before he left. Alex, for all his flirty, smooth charms, had never told Lucy why they couldn’t be together. She needed someone reliable, dependable. He lacked the courage to be real with her.

Alex focused on the candle in front of him. He didn’t make birthday wishes, believing that they were a waste of energy, wanting something that he’d never be able to get.

But tonight, surrounded by his family, he closed his eyes and wished.

I want another chance to make things right.

He inhaled, then exhaled, letting his wish out into the world.

Chapter Six

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