She waved a hand. “Don’t think anything of it, dear. I’m happy to help.”
My chest warmed. I liked having her call me dear. I wasn’t sure why I felt such a connection with this woman. Maybe my soul was just so starved for familial affection that I was seeing something that wasn’t there. My own grandmother and parents had been so distant that I was looking for it anywhere I could find it.
I hadn’t felt the same with Cecelia, however, even though I’d liked her very much. With a flash of embarrassment, I realized I’d been silent a little too long. I took a bite of a biscuit to give me a chance to compose myself.
“Great biscuits,” I said. “Thank you.”
“Any time, truly. I’ll look for those papers and deliver them to you if I find anything, all right?”
“Oh, I hate for you to go to the trouble.” I thought of how uneven the hillside was between our houses. “I’ll stop by tomorrow to see if you’ve found anything, if that works for you.”
“Perfect. I look forward to it.” She smiled again. “Perhaps tomorrow, I’ll be delivering good news.”
I hoped so, because I had no other leads at all.
Chapter
Twelve
Isobel
I was pretty high on life as I headed into town for girls’ night. My tea and biscuits with Judith had been a balm to my soul for reasons I didn’t want to explore too deeply. Going down that path meant facing the demons of my past, and I wasn’t interested in that right now. Maybe never.
Instead of driving, I decided to call a cab. For me, girls’ night meant a few glasses of wine. I had a feeling it meant the same for the other women since we were meeting at a place called Potions & Pinot, and I certainly shouldn’t be behind the wheel in that situation.
At the sisters’ clothing shop, I’d bought a dress in a silky fabric that was shot through with tiny sparkles. It was shorter and cut lower than the things that Tommy had liked me to wear, but that could be said of most dresses. Which meant I loved it, of course. I’d even picked out a pair of strappy, heeled sandals, which I’d been unable to resist. I wouldn’t be walking far in those shoes, but that wasn’t the point of them.
Poa was nowhere to be found as I left the boathouse, but I did see Rafe. He was walking out of the sea, shirtless and dripping water like some kind of ocean god. I halted dead in my tracks, unable to stop myself from staring. His body was insane, even more beautiful than I remembered from the first night I’d met him. Maybe because I wasn’t afraid for my life now, I could get a proper look at him.
And wow.
He had the kind of body built by years of hard work, tall and broad, with clearly defined muscle that made my palms tingle at the idea of touching him. He was just…perfect.
And now I was totally objectifying him.
Embarrassment shot through me, and I winced, feeling heat bloom in my cheeks. That was inappropriate. He was a person, not a pin-up model in some magazine from the eighties. I shouldn’t be ogling him.
He’d also stopped when he spotted me, and as I met his gaze, I saw something in his eyes that made me blush even hotter. There was no denying what I saw in his stare—attraction. Like, a lot of it.
We stood ten meters apart, but I could feel the connection between us like we were joined by a live wire.
“Um, I’m going out.” I hiked a thumb toward the driveway, where I could hear the cab approaching.
“All right.” He swallowed hard, and I could see his Adam’s apple bob.
It took more effort than it should have to tear myself away and walk toward the cab. But if I put a little extra sway in my hips, who could blame me? His gaze burned into me, and I was vain enough to want to present a good front—or back, as the case was. I didn’t need to be in pursuit of a relationship to do that.
The driver was a woman in her mid-fifties with brilliant red hair and dainty features. I thought she might be some kind of pixie, but I didn’t ask since it was sometimes considered rude.
“Aren’t you all dolled up,” she said, looking back at me in the mirror. “Looking lovely. Got a hot date?”
I grinned. “Girls’ night.”
“Even better. Does that mean I’m taking you to Potions & Pinot?”
“Indeed it does. Is it popular for girls’ nights?”
“They keep the place in business, though I prefer the cocktails myself. They make a mean Manhattan.”
“I’ll have to try one.”
“Tell them Anita sent you. They’ll make you a proper one.”
“I will.” I settled back into the seat as she pulled onto the main road into town. “Have you driven a cab around here a long time?”
“Twenty-five years. Wouldn’t leave Charming Cove for all the money in the world.”
“It’s a gorgeous place,” I said, looking out the window at the darkness. The full moon lit up the night, shining on the sea that I could see far in the distance. “I don’t suppose you know any handymen or contractors in need of work?”
“For Lavender House?” She scoffed. “Not a chance, darling. That place is haunted.”
“Not haunted, exactly. It’s been enchanted to have a personality, and it’s grumpy about the poor state of affairs it’s been left in.” At least, I was pretty sure that was the case.
“Well, as soon as it stops smacking the workers on the arse with floorboards, they’ll start working there. Can you guarantee that?”
“No, definitely not.” I sighed, totally able to see why people wouldn’t want to work there. I had a lot at stake, and a family connection. A paycheck couldn’t compete with that.
We reached Charming Cove, and Anita turned onto Foxglove Lane and headed toward the wine bar. She pulled over right outside. “Call when you want a ride home,” she said as I handed her the fare.
“Will do. And thank you.”
She nodded. “Anytime.”
I straightened and turned to Potions & Pinot, excitement thrumming within me. I was actually more excited than I’d been for my first date with Tommy. Even better, this excitement had less of a sickly feeling of nerves. Back then, I’d been a kid with my first boyfriend. Now I was a grown woman about to drink a bunch of wine with some new girlfriends. That was a different kind of excitement, and an easier one.
The bar itself was dimly lit by a quirky collection of vintage chandeliers, and the muted teal and burgundy walls gave it a cozy ambiance. Plants decorated the walls, sitting on shelves of varying heights.
I spotted Emma and Holly almost immediately. They sat with two other women at a high-top table, and there was one seat remaining for me. I walked over, already smiling.
“Isobel!” Emma stood and pulled out the barstool for me. “So glad you could make it. Love the dress.”
“Thank you for inviting me.” I grinned at everyone.
Emma made the introductions, explaining that the red-haired woman was Aria, granddaughter of Cecelia from Seaside Spells. She owned the Enchanted Garden outside of town and supplied most of the potion ingredients for the town’s businesses. The dark-haired woman was Tabitha, aunt and primary caregiver to Catrina, the feisty eight-year-old.
“She’s a real pistol,” I said before sipping the glass of white wine that Emma had poured me. “I like her.”