A Charmed Life (Coven Corner #3) Page 7

  “I certainly hope you save some for me.”

  Sean shot a grin at her over his shoulder. “If you ask politely, maybe I will.”

  Bryony stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Brat,” Sean replied, laughing as he vanished into the kitchen.

  Hazel fiddled with the hem of the quilt. She usually kept her problems private. And now that she stood in Sean and Bryony’s house, listening to their light, playful…flirting…Hazel began to wonder if she’d made a mistake coming here.

  “Was it good?” Bryony said, cutting into her thoughts.

  Hazel shot her a dirty look.

  Bryony shrugged. “What?”

  “I expected that question from Sky. Not from you. Bryony, you have to see that this isn’t a good situation to be in, for Nick, for Phoebe, for me.”

  “Do you remember what you told me when I was struggling with my feelings for Sean last year?”

  Hazel paused, searching her memories, but she was too tired, too scatter-brained and frazzled, to remember.

  “No,” she said. “I don’t.”

  “You told me that a relationship is not necessarily something to run from. It’s not something to dread. It’s an adventure.”

  Hazel covered her face with her hands. “But this adventure could seriously hurt people. Phoebe is already troubled enough. You didn’t see her last night, Bryony.”

  Bryony frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “She had a nightmare.”

  Bryony went pale. “Hell’s bells,” she mumbled. “How bad was it?”

  “The house was levitating.”

  Bryony blew out a breath. “Okay, so that’s not good news. But what were you doing there?”

  “Nick called me. He didn’t know what to do.”

  The memory of Phoebe falling asleep in Hazel’s lap rushed back to her mind. Phoebe had been calm in her presence, not fighting Hazel like she usually did.

  Bryony patted the couch cushion beside her.

  “Come here and sit,” she said. “Talk to me.”

  Hazel told Bryony everything, from her fears for Phoebe to that constant attraction to Nick that she couldn’t break no matter how hard she tried.

  Hazel plucked at the quilt around her shoulders, the stitches beginning to fray from her worry.

  “In the end, it doesn’t matter how I feel about Nick,” she said. “My job is on the line here. So is Phoebe’s well-being. And I won’t jeopardize her.”

  Bryony sighed and ran a hand through her curls.

  “Hazel, honey,” she said. “I’ll be honest with you here. You’re irritating me just a little bit.”

  Hazel stared at her. “Excuse me?”

  “Don’t you ever get tired of being practical and proper? Nothing in life is as neat and precise as you want it to be. It’s a mess. You’re trying to keep your feelings separate from your work life. But that’s not going to happen.”

  Hazel began to sputter in protest but Bryony plowed on.

  “You pour your heart and soul into every kid that comes through the doors of Windywings,” Bryony continued. “Phoebe is no different. From what you’ve told me, it’s clear that you’ve impacted her life with more than just her lessons. You’ve become a solid foundation, someone to rely on. She opened up to you after that nightmare. And so did Nick. Don’t shut them out.”

  “I’m not. I just think—”

  “Maybe that’s the problem, Hazel. You’re thinking too much, trying to rationalize it away, to find an excuse that you can’t have this.”

  Bryony sat up and took Hazel’s hand.

  “But maybe you can,” she said. “You’ve tried to keep your heart locked away for so long, never letting anyone in. You thought you could keep your heart and your mind separate. It doesn’t work that way. You have one life, Hazel. Make the most of it.”

  Bryony kissed Hazel’s cheek and rose to her feet.

  “Now,” she said. “I’m sure Sean escaped out the back door by now. Would you like some coffee?”

  Hazel shook her head and glanced down at her bathrobe. She attempted to smooth her hair back into a ponytail, to gather herself together after the mayhem of the night.

  “No, thank you,” she said. “I should be going. Get cleaned up at home. School will be starting within the hour and I’d better be there on time.”

  “Suit yourself,” Bryony said with a shrug. “But think about what I said, all right?”

  Hazel nodded. She folded the quilt neatly, finally grasping at a semblance of normalcy. It felt good to put something to rights again, back in its proper place, even though she felt as if she was still flying out of control.

  As Bryony moved toward the kitchen, she paused in the doorway.

  “Talk to Nick,” she said. “Talk to Phoebe. The sooner the better. It sounds to me like they want you in their lives just as much as you want them in your life.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Hazel was distracted all day long. She rushed the magic lessons for the day—something she had never done before. And she even didn’t notice when Seline cheated, hexing the answers to her charms test in the air rather than memorizing them like she was supposed to.

  As soon as school was out, Hazel grabbed her broom and headed straight for Nick’s house. She hadn’t heard another word from him and she wondered what she faced when she reached him. She’d simply kissed him and run off. She wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to see her.

  When Hazel arrived, the garage door was open and Nick was underneath a hulking black Suburban. She cleared her throat. Nick flinched in surprise and bumped his head on the undercarriage of the car. He hissed, rubbing his forehead as he crawled out and stood. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

  “Miss Aven,” he said, hesitantly.

  “Please,” she replied. “Call me Hazel. I…” She glanced down at her broom’s handle, scrubbing her thumb over a dent in the wood. “I like to hear you say it.”

  Nick stood there for a moment, silent. Then he stepped toward her.

  “Hazel,” he said softly. He pulled a rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands off quickly, tossed the rag aside again. “About last night…”

  “I’m sorry I ran off,” Hazel said, glancing up at him.

  “If I pushed you into breaking your word—”

  “You didn’t,” Hazel cut in. “I was…scared, I guess.”

  Nick nodded. He kept his hands resolutely at his side, even though Hazel wished he would reach out and touch her. Set his hand on her waist like he had the night before.

  “And now?” Nick said at last. “Are you still scared?”

  “A little,” Hazel admitted in a whisper. “I think I’ve found something…very good. And I don’t want to ruin it.”

  Slowly, Nick trailed his fingertips across the back of Hazel’s hand.

  “I was thinking the same thing,” he said. “But I’d like to give it a shot. If you’re up for it.”

  His gaze tracked up to her face, eyes searching and carefully guarding a sliver of hope. Hazel’s heart stutter-skipped. She placed her hands on either side of his face, his skin warm beneath her palms.

  “I would like that,” Hazel said. “I would like that very much.”

  Nick blew out a faint, shivery breath of relief and his shoulders sagged slightly, releasing the tension he’d been holding. His hands settled on her waist, curving around to the small of her back.

  “Phoebe?” Hazel said, her gaze darting to the house.

  “Playing with Luna,” Nick replied.

  Hazel’s gaze had barely returned to Nick’s face before he kissed her so suddenly that his teeth knocked against hers and she sputtered a laugh of surprise.

  Nick pulled back with a wince. “Sorry, I didn’t mean—”

  But Hazel took his face in her hands and kissed him back soundly. She curled her fingers into his shirt with an insistent tug, pulling him close until he was flush against her, solid beneath her hands. He tasted like coffee and pumpkin pie. />
  Hazel slid her arms around his neck, humming against his mouth with contentment. Nick’s hands wandered up her back with firm pressure, warding off the chill of autumn with his body heat.

  He broke away first, resting his forehead against hers.

  “Are you okay?” he said, his voice a dry rasp.

  Hazel nodded. She bit her lip, feeling light-headed and giddy, as if she’d swallowed an entire bottle of champagne in one kiss.

  “You’re not going to run off on me again, right?” Nick said with a wry smile.

  Hazel groaned and dropped her forehead to Nick’s shoulder.

  “I can’t believe I did that,” she said. “It’s not like me, I swear.”

  Nick laughed softly, his hand skimming up and down her back in reassurance.

  “I figured as much,” he said. “You looked a little freaked out. I thought I’d give you some time to yourself before we talked things through.”

  He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. Then led her to a bench outside the garage.

  “We have to be careful with this, Nick,” Hazel said. “Phoebe is still the first priority. I don’t want her hurt because of…us.”

  Nick nodded. “You’re absolutely right.”

  “And we need to tell her everything. No secrets. She has enough to worry about without wondering if we’re keeping something from her.”

  “I agree.”

  “And we should keep everything…you know…” Hazel swept her hand, palm down, in a gliding motion. “As smooth as possible.”

  “Hazel,” Nick said, tilting his head to the side with a coy look in his eye.

  “What?” she said.

  “Since the moment you came into Phoebe’s life…” He paused then amended what he’d said. “Our lives. You’ve done nothing but provide a stable foundation for her to rely on. I’m not worried about this.”

  He held up their linked hands to emphasize his words.

  The sun broke through the clouds, casting his hair in golden light. Leaves rustled across the sidewalk, followed by a blast of cold wind that made Hazel shift a little closer to Nick, seeking his body heat.

  Nick tucked an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

  “We’ll figure things out as we go,” he said. “And if both of us agree that we’re causing Phoebe any harm whatsoever, we’ll call it quits. But we both have to agree. None of this head school teacher making all of the decisions business.”

  Hazel huffed a laugh and poked Nick in the ribs. He squirmed with a small yip of surprise and caught her hand. She tilted her head up to look at him.

  She never felt this…carefree with someone before. She could open up to him, let him see the fears, the worries, the concerns, and he would wait for her to sort things out until she was ready to talk.

  Hazel kissed the hollow beneath his ear and rested her head on his shoulder.

  “Sounds like a deal to me,” she said.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Hazel had never been so happy in her entire life. She felt as if she was floating, constantly giddy with a smile on her face. She’d never behaved this way before but she didn’t want it to stop either.

  When Hazel and Nick had told Phoebe, there was a long silence. Then Phoebe squinted at Hazel.

  “Do I have to call you Mama?” she demanded.

  “No,” Hazel replied. “You can continue to call me Miss Aven.”

  Phoebe twisted her mouth to the side and tapped two fingers on the kitchen table top.

  “Do I have to give up my room?” she said.

  “No,” Nick said, bewildered. “Why would you think that?”

  Phoebe shrugged. Her gaze shifted over to the kitchen counter than back to Hazel.

  “Could you teach me how to cast baking spells?” she said. “Especially for apple pie cupcakes?”

  Hazel raised her eyebrows and glanced at Nick. He spread his hands.

  “Don’t look at me,” he said. “I didn’t teach her to drive a hard bargain like that. She figured it out all on her own.”

  Hazel fixed her gaze on Phoebe.

  “That depends,” she said. “Do you like a crumble topping on your cupcakes? Or do you prefer a fruit pattern?”

  “Crumble,” Phoebe said with a sharp nod. “With lots of brown sugar.”

  “That’s the only proper way to eat a cupcake,” Hazel said.

  The smallest smile twitched across Phoebe’s face before she ducked her head and pushed away from the kitchen table.

  “Can I go play now, Daddy?” she said.

  “Sure thing, sweetheart. I appreciate that you listened.”

  She shrugged and a pleased flush colored her cheeks. Then she scrambled up the stairs in search of Luna.

  “That went better than I expected,” Nick admitted.

  “Is that a good thing?” Hazel said, hopefully.

  Nick slid his chair a little closer with a smile. “Definitely a good thing.”

  ***

  For the following week, Hazel caught only glimpses of Nick when he came by the school house to drop off or pick up Phoebe. Every muscle in her body itched to go to him, to kiss him until neither one of them could breathe.

  But she had a job she had to take care of first. And they had both agreed to keep their displays of affection to a minimum for a little while, in order to give Phoebe time to adjust.

  As the days slipped into October, every witch and warlock in Wildemoor was preparing for the Samhain celebration at the end of the month. Autumn hung crisp in the air, damp with dew, sharp with woodsmoke, and sweet with home baked goods.

  With Samhain and autumn intertwined, it marked the change of summer into fall, the growing season into the harvest season. It was a time to celebrate but also a time to reflect on what changes the new year would bring.

  Change.

  In only a few short weeks, it seemed change had been pelting Hazel left and right. And this new change, becoming an even bigger part of Nick and Phoebe’s lives, was one that she found herself welcoming with open arms.

  On Friday night, after Hazel had locked up the school and sent the last of the students home for the weekend, she turned and stopped. Nick was leaning against his truck, hands tucked in his pockets. He wore a flannel coat of red and black that made him look soft and warm.

  Phoebe jumped out of the truck, her boots clattering on the cobblestone road.

  “Daddy and I were wondering if you’d like to have dinner with us,” she said. “He helped me make macaroni and cheese.” She wrinkled her nose. “But I didn’t use any magic. I had to cook it the old-fashioned way. It took so long.”

  Hazel laughed at Phoebe’s impatience and stroked a hand down Phoebe’s hair.

  “I would be happy to join you,” she said. “Maybe we could make those cupcakes for dessert. With magic. Then we don’t have to wait so long to eat them.”

  Phoebe raised her arms in the air with a victory cheer and scrambled back into the truck.

  Hazel deposited her broom in the back of the truck and climbed into the cab. Phoebe squirmed with Nick on one side of her and Hazel on the other side.

  “You’re squishing me!” she declared.

  Nick sidled closer. Phoebe squawked in protest. Hazel met his gaze over Phoebe’s head and smiled.

  ***

  They never did get to making cupcakes. After Phoebe and Hazel had spelled the dishes clean, Nick drying with a hand towel, Phoebe fell asleep on the couch, her head on Hazel’s lap.

  Hazel combed her fingers gently through Phoebe’s tangled hair, working the knots out as smoothly as she could without waking Phoebe.

  Nick stepped into the living room and handed Hazel a glass of dark red wine. She accepted it with a nod.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  Nick settled on the armchair across from the couch and gestured to Phoebe, Hazel’s fingers idly plucking at a knot in her dark hair.

  “I would have thought there was a spell or two for that,” he said.

  “
Oh, there are at least half a dozen spells I could use,” Hazel replied. “But sometimes it’s a welcome change of pace to do things by hand, a little slower, take my time.”

  “Just enjoy yourself,” Nick offered.

  “Exactly.”

  Hazel glanced down at Phoebe and gently brushed away a lock of hair from the corner of Phoebe’s mouth. Phoebe’s skin was soft and smooth. Her breathing was steady and even, her entire body relaxed, one arm limply draped over Hazel’s knee.

  Something blossomed in Hazel’s chest as she sat there, looking at Phoebe.

  She was always protective of her students, working to ensure that they had a bright future full of possibilities. She taught them magic and she watched them grow in confidence with that knowledge.

  But it was different with Phoebe. Hazel felt as if Phoebe had left a greater impact on her life. She had glimpsed Phoebe’s deepest fears, walked through the volatile mayhem of magic to get to Phoebe, to reach through her nightmares and hold this little girl who was so scared and so fierce.

  “She made me promise,” Nick said.

  Hazel glanced up, eyebrows raised in confusion. “Made you promise what?”

  “Not to tell you. Dinner was all Phoebe’s idea. She wanted to make it special for you. Wanted to invite you over. But she made me swear that I couldn’t tell you.”

  “Why on earth would she do that?”

  Nick shrugged. “To save face, I guess. So you’d better keep it a secret.”

  “I won’t tell another soul,” Hazel replied.

  A pause of silence settled over the house as late evening turned into nightfall. The room grew darker but no lights were turned on, casting a blue-gray shadow over everything. But it wasn’t dismal. It was cozy. Comfortable. Hazel felt as if she had been living in this little house for years. Like it was…

  Home.

  At last, Nick sighed and set his glass of wine aside on the coffee table. He tipped his chin in Phoebe’s direction as he rose to his feet.

  “I should get her to bed,” he said.

  Hazel reached out and curved her fingers around Nick’s wrist.

  “Wait,” she said. “Five more minutes. Please?”