you’re going to explain this to Rory?” Mary Jane asked.
“Did you read my mind?” I grabbed a towel.
“No.” She chuckled. “But after this many years, I know that look on your face. Why don’t you tell him that Tom is back here for work?”
“Well, that would be lying.” I swiped the counter.
“Not technically. He is back here and he is working.”
“Tempting, but maybe I should just tell him the truth.” I tossed the towel into the bin.
She shrugged. “If you say so, but I still say it would be easier to leave out the complete truth.”
“I love how you can twist things around to make them seem perfectly okay.”
“It’s my talent. What can I say?” She beamed.
As I moved over toward the telephone, the bell jangled above the door. I turned around and saw Rory headed my way. He had a smile from ear to ear, but he wouldn’t be smiling for long. I hadn’t been expecting to see him until our date tonight. Today was a day for surprise visits apparently. Until Tom had entered my life again, I had been thinking of my date with Rory, and by the smile on Rory’s face, I knew he was thinking of it, too. Now I had a lot more on my mind.
“Hi there,” he said.
Just as he neared, I heard the kitchen door swing open and I knew without turning around that Tom was standing behind me. The silence hanging in the air made me shiver. I was sandwiched between two gorgeous men. How about that for a thought? The stunned look on Rory’s face was worse than I’d imagined it would be. Who would speak first? I guessed it would be better if I did. Where was Mary Jane’s chattiness when I needed it?
“Rory, how are you?” Tom asked.
“Tom.” Rory nodded.
Well, that was a start, I suppose. I needed to get Rory alone and explain why Tom was back. No matter what I said, he’d probably be suspicious of Tom’s visit. The ‘magic business’ lie Mary Jane had suggested was sounding like a better idea by the second.
“I just stopped in to say hello.” Rory glanced over my shoulder. “What is he doing here?” he whispered.
“He’s back in town for a little while. It’s a long story, but I’ll explain later.” I glanced over my shoulder to see if Tom was still in the kitchen.
“Don’t be so suspicious,” Mary Jane said as she walked by. She always pretended not to be listening, but she never could fake it for long.
Rory looked at her, then back to me. “Sorry. I guess I’m just suspicious of him is all. He came here before to shut down your café, so I don’t want him to try anything like that again.”
“I don’t think anything like that will happen this time,” I whispered so Tom wouldn’t hear me.
Rory let out a deep breath and looked out the window.
After a couple seconds, he turned to me again. “Not to mention the way he kissed you when he left. I know he has feelings for you. I can see it in his eyes. I guess the question I have for you is do you have feelings for him? I don’t want to lose you.” He slipped down onto a stool.
Wow, I hadn’t expected that. Sure, Tom had kissed me, but that had been months ago.
I sat on the stool next to him and took his hand in mine. “There’s nothing going on between me and Tom. You have nothing to worry about.”
He sighed and nodded. “Okay, if you say so. You just let me know if he tries anything. Magic or no magic, I’ll knock the guy out.”
Great. That was all I needed. Tom and Rory fighting. Maybe both of them needed a little of the happy potion. No one would want to fight with a spell for happiness. Would they? I guess I was about to find out. According to Grandma Imelda, everyone got the magic, either from Mystic Café or other places around town. I just hoped that Tom didn’t go for one of those magic haircuts. They might be magic, but there was nothing magic about the styles.
“I’ll be sure to let you know if he tried anything.” Maybe more dessert would take his mind off my new employee. “Are you going to stick
“Did you read my mind?” I grabbed a towel.
“No.” She chuckled. “But after this many years, I know that look on your face. Why don’t you tell him that Tom is back here for work?”
“Well, that would be lying.” I swiped the counter.
“Not technically. He is back here and he is working.”
“Tempting, but maybe I should just tell him the truth.” I tossed the towel into the bin.
She shrugged. “If you say so, but I still say it would be easier to leave out the complete truth.”
“I love how you can twist things around to make them seem perfectly okay.”
“It’s my talent. What can I say?” She beamed.
As I moved over toward the telephone, the bell jangled above the door. I turned around and saw Rory headed my way. He had a smile from ear to ear, but he wouldn’t be smiling for long. I hadn’t been expecting to see him until our date tonight. Today was a day for surprise visits apparently. Until Tom had entered my life again, I had been thinking of my date with Rory, and by the smile on Rory’s face, I knew he was thinking of it, too. Now I had a lot more on my mind.
“Hi there,” he said.
Just as he neared, I heard the kitchen door swing open and I knew without turning around that Tom was standing behind me. The silence hanging in the air made me shiver. I was sandwiched between two gorgeous men. How about that for a thought? The stunned look on Rory’s face was worse than I’d imagined it would be. Who would speak first? I guessed it would be better if I did. Where was Mary Jane’s chattiness when I needed it?
“Rory, how are you?” Tom asked.
“Tom.” Rory nodded.
Well, that was a start, I suppose. I needed to get Rory alone and explain why Tom was back. No matter what I said, he’d probably be suspicious of Tom’s visit. The ‘magic business’ lie Mary Jane had suggested was sounding like a better idea by the second.
“I just stopped in to say hello.” Rory glanced over my shoulder. “What is he doing here?” he whispered.
“He’s back in town for a little while. It’s a long story, but I’ll explain later.” I glanced over my shoulder to see if Tom was still in the kitchen.
“Don’t be so suspicious,” Mary Jane said as she walked by. She always pretended not to be listening, but she never could fake it for long.
Rory looked at her, then back to me. “Sorry. I guess I’m just suspicious of him is all. He came here before to shut down your café, so I don’t want him to try anything like that again.”
“I don’t think anything like that will happen this time,” I whispered so Tom wouldn’t hear me.
Rory let out a deep breath and looked out the window.
After a couple seconds, he turned to me again. “Not to mention the way he kissed you when he left. I know he has feelings for you. I can see it in his eyes. I guess the question I have for you is do you have feelings for him? I don’t want to lose you.” He slipped down onto a stool.
Wow, I hadn’t expected that. Sure, Tom had kissed me, but that had been months ago.
I sat on the stool next to him and took his hand in mine. “There’s nothing going on between me and Tom. You have nothing to worry about.”
He sighed and nodded. “Okay, if you say so. You just let me know if he tries anything. Magic or no magic, I’ll knock the guy out.”
Great. That was all I needed. Tom and Rory fighting. Maybe both of them needed a little of the happy potion. No one would want to fight with a spell for happiness. Would they? I guess I was about to find out. According to Grandma Imelda, everyone got the magic, either from Mystic Café or other places around town. I just hoped that Tom didn’t go for one of those magic haircuts. They might be magic, but there was nothing magic about the styles.
“I’ll be sure to let you know if he tried anything.” Maybe more dessert would take his mind off my new employee. “Are you going to stick
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