Page 31 of Charmed, I’m Sure (Witches of Bellevue #1)

Geaux Time

Taylor

“Oh. My. Lanta,” Jaelyn exclaimed, taking another hefty sip from her frozen coffee, her eyes rolling back in her head as she let out an appreciative hum.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” I replied with a chuckle. Footsteps echoed against the hardwood in the hall, and I jolted upright from where I had been leaning against the small island, my head snapping in that direction.

“It’s just me,” Meredith trilled, her arms raised in mock surrender, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.

“Mags will be out in a sec. Now, where—” she drew out the last word, glancing around the small kitchen.

“Ah! There it is!” Swiping her coffee from beside the sink, she took a deep sip and hummed in the same way Jaelyn had.

“Is it really that good?” I asked skeptically.

“It’s coffee, chocolate, dairy, and caramel. It’s basically all the food groups.” A slurping sound punctuated her statement as Meredith’s eyes bore into mine, holding a challenge akin to her sister’s.

I had just opened my mouth when I heard the soft click of boot heels.

I still hadn’t closed it by the time Magnolia stepped into view, rendering me speechless.

Her jeans hugged her curves before gently flaring around her feet, and the purple sweater somehow made her eyes shine even brighter.

Those incandescent blues seared into mine, a faint pink coloring her cheeks as a teasing smile lifted her lips.

“You’re gonna let a fly in, cowboy.”

I snapped my mouth shut, and when I smiled back at her, the pink in her cheeks deepened.

Jaelyn’s laughter was barely muffled as she buried her face in her arm on the countertop. From my periphery, I could see Meredith cover her mouth with a hand before composing herself.

“So, wait.” Jae’s head popped up, her eyes wide before narrowing on me and flicking to her friend. “Are y’all… dating?” she demanded incredulously.

“I guess the coffee kicked in,” Meredith whispered to no one in particular.

My eyes widened as the color in Magnolia’s cheeks deepened.

Had she not even told her best friend? The look on her friend’s face suggested she hadn’t.

When neither of us answered, Jaelyn spun the stool she was perched on, fixing her friend with a look that could only be described as “What the fuck?”

“Magnolia Lynn Bellevue! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me!” Jaelyn screeched.

“Oh, come on, Jae.” Magnolia crossed her arms and met her friend’s gaze head-on. “You knew.”

“No, I suspected. But you never told me. I’m disappointed. Hurt. My flabber is gasted.”

“Jae, cut the crap. You knew. I knew. We all knew. How the town gossips haven’t picked up on it yet is beyond me.

” Meredith waved a dismissive hand at Jaelyn’s gaping stare before continuing, “Either way, they aren’t as good at keeping it a secret as they think they are.

She—” she pointed an accusatory finger at her sister, “just hasn’t grown the balls to say it out loud yet. ”

“Hey!” Mags yelled, hurt edging her voice as her brows scrunched together, glaring at her sister.

“Well? Am I wrong?”

Magnolia’s gaze flicked to mine, and I held it. I watched her take a deep breath, a sheepish smile tugging at her lips as she said, “No, you’re not wrong. Not entirely, anyway. I just wanted to stay in our bubble a little while longer.”

Her eyes never strayed from mine, and though her words were directed at her sister and friend, they felt like they were meant for me.

She knew I wanted to tell people. Knew I wanted to take her out where anyone could see, to properly introduce her to my family instead of them just knowing her name because she lived in town.

But I understood that she needed time before opening herself up to any potential criticism she suspected would come her way, so I followed her lead and would continue to do so.

“Bubble, shmubble. You tell your best friend who you’re banging,” Jaelyn huffed, taking another long pull from her straw.

Jesus Christ. This was definitely not a conversation I needed to be—or wanted to be—a part of, and by that point, I was pretty sure my face was the color of a freshly boiled crawfish. Thankfully, no one was paying me any mind.

“Jaelyn Marie!” Magnolia and Meredith screeched in unison.

“What?!”

“Sweet baby cheeses.” Magnolia pinched the bridge of her nose and huffed out a sigh. “One, I’m not ‘banging’ Taylor.” Her eyes cut to mine, and a crimson flush crept across her cheeks again. “Two… I don’t even remember what two was, because what the fuck, Jae?!”

All three women began talking over each other, their voices growing louder as their hand motions became more animated. The conversation was hard to follow, and after about a minute, I stopped trying to. Instead, I opted to de-escalate… or try to, anyway.

“Uh, Mags?” Eyes full of fire met mine, and it wasn’t the kind I wanted directed at me. Palming the back of my neck, I asked, “You wanna get out of here?”

“Good god, yes.” Snatching her purse from the counter, she shot her friend a withering stare that would have had me shaking in my boots if it had been directed my way, then stormed past me and through the door, her coffee completely forgotten on the countertop.

I caught the edge before it slammed, then turned back to the other two women, who seemed to be having some kind of wordless conversation. When they finally looked my way, I said, “Thanks for the assistance this morning, Meredith. Jaelyn—”

“You comin’, cowboy?” Magnolia called from the hall.

“You better go. She’s all riled up,” Jae said with a sobering chuckle, shooting Meredith a look I didn’t quite understand.

“Right. See y’all around.”

“Good luck!” they hollered in unison as the door clicked closed behind me.

By the time I made it out into the parking lot, Magnolia was already halfway to my car, her fists bunched at her sides, boots clicking purposefully against the concrete.

When she reached my Bronco, she yanked on the handle of the passenger side door, and I couldn’t help but chuckle when she threw her head back and groaned because it was locked.

“In a hurry, sunshine?” I asked as I approached.

She whipped around to face me, lips pursed as she folded her arms across her chest. “Unlock it, please.” It wasn’t a question; it was a statement that dripped with her frustration from the conversation that had just transpired. I guessed Jaelyn wasn’t kidding when she said she was ‘riled up.’

I shook my head as I closed the remaining distance between us, relishing the way her eyes widened and her lips parted slightly.

Her head tilted back as I stepped into her space, forcing her back against the car door.

“It’s been quite a morning, cher.” She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but it was the unintentional tells from her body that I honed in on.

It was the tiny, sharp intake of breath when I gripped her waist, the way her pupils dilated incrementally, and the beautiful pink hue coloring her face that set off the freckles dusting across her cheekbones and nose.

“That wasn’t exactly how I planned this morning to go. ”

“Oh?” she whispered, her throat working around a swallow as her eyes flicked between mine.

I let my eyes roam down her frame and slid one hand up her side until I could wrap it around the side of her neck. “No, sunshine. But seeing you flushed and in a towel was certainly a highlight.”

Before she could reply, I pressed my lips to hers. She went stock-still for a microsecond before her hands fisted into my shirt, tugging me closer. Kissing Magnolia was as easy and natural as breathing, and the way she always melted into me felt like nirvana for a mere mortal like myself.

Pulling away, I swept my thumb across her bottom lip as a contented smile lifted the corners of her mouth. “That’s more like it.”

“I’ll say.”

I pressed a kiss to her brow, then stepped out of her space. “You really didn’t tell Jaelyn?”

Her entire body sagged with the sigh she expelled. “I wanted to. Almost did the day we went shopping.”

“So why didn’t you?” I asked as I pulled her away from the car and opened the door for her.

“Honestly, I don’t know. I tell her everything, and she actually pushed me to give you a chance. I guess I liked it just being us. I liked our bubble.”

Mags slid into her seat, and I closed the door, pausing the conversation until I slipped into my own. “But your sisters knew. Your aunt, too.”

“Kind of hard to keep it a secret when you’re showing up at our house to clean the yard, cowboy,” she said sardonically.

“True,” I replied with a chuckle. “Sorry about that.”

Silence filled the cab for a moment as I backed out of my space and headed out of the lot.

“Don’t be. Honestly, it was like a weight lifted. It was nice not having to hide you from my family. I should have told Jae; she’s just as much my sister as Maddie and Mer.”

A heaviness settled across her features, and I reached across the console to entwine our hands. When Magnolia turned toward me, her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, so I tightened my hold, warmth filling my chest when she returned the squeeze.

It was time to turn this day around.

“What do you want to do today?” I asked as I wove my way through the game day traffic.

“You mean you didn’t have everything planned down to the minute? Speaking of, how in the hell did you know where Meredith’s apartment was?”

“Are you hungry?”

“Taylor.”

“Your sister stole my number from your phone and texted me last night. Still don’t know why, but I’m not complaining. Now, are you hungry?”

Her eyes pinched closed as she muttered, “I’m going to kill her,” before blowing out a breath and answering my question. “I’m always hungry.”

“Great, we have a reservation at The Windchime in twenty minutes.”

“Holy shit, this is so good. Do you want a bite?” Magnolia asked, cutting off another piece of her omelet.