Page 33 of Curses & Cold Brew (Maple Hollow #2)
IRIS
I t had been two weeks since Ramona had been called away. The longest two weeks of my life. When she’d left, everything between us had been so new, and with every passing day, little fissures of doubt crept in. Would she be the same when she returned? Would she still feel the same way about me?
The only thing that kept me from spiraling out was helping Jordyn. If it hadn’t been for her planning on proposing to Harlow, I would’ve spent all day rereading the brimstone-scented letters that appeared on my pillow each morning.
It felt like just yesterday when the café owner’s little sister had stumbled into our apothecary.
I couldn’t believe a whole year had passed since I’d first seen that glimmer in Jordyn’s eye, like a veil being lifted away to reveal her brightness underneath.
I had Harlow to thank for bringing out the best in her, for being not only an amazing partner to Jordyn, but a caring friend to me.
I felt the threads of time weaving around the frozen air as Jordyn and I stood in the gazebo, bathed in a halo of flickering candlelight.
Candles that had taken several hours to perfectly arrange and light, thank you and you’re welcome.
Memories of our friendship were everywhere. Chasing each other through the square as witchlings, our first crushes, carrying our crafts-laden backpacks home from witch summer camp, getting drunk on our first bottle of witch wine and doing a terrible job convincing the coven we were sober.
A lot of life had happened within this town square. And now, just like the moon we prayed to, the day had come when Jordyn was about to move into a new phase: fiancée, then wife.
Well, if Harlow said yes, of course.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor doing that,” I chastised, watching Jordyn make yet another short circuit across the well-worn planks. “Calm down before Billy makes us repaint it.”
“I can’t calm down.” She checked her watch. Again. “They should be here by now. Willow said three. Willow’s never late.”
“Yeah, but Harlow is. She probably just wanted to stay longer,” I tried to reassure her. “And Willow didn’t have a good enough excuse for getting her back here without telling her why. Everything is fine. Everything is going to plan.” The tension on Jordyn’s face eased only slightly.
I’d been training for this moment—calming down my best friend on the precipice of her engagement—my whole life.
“I’m freezing my ass off here.” Agnes’s shrill voice came from behind one of the bare maples just off the path.
“You all don’t need to be here!” Jordyn shouted back loud enough to remind everyone within earshot. “Why don’t you all just go home?”
“And miss this?” Rudy called from behind the shabby black rose bush, the last leaves clinging to its spindly orb. “Our Jordyn’s getting married. Besides, it’s not that cold.”
“Easy for you to say,” Agnes threw back. “You don’t even have an ass.”
I stifled a giggle as a smattering of snickers rang out from all the different hiding spots.
Randy and Dean had helped Rudy and I set up all the candles so they were—in theory—here for a reason.
But the rest of the town had snuck into their positions once Jordyn and I had finished placing everything just so.
A lit-up witch-hat gazebo was Maple Hollow’s Bat-Signal.
Everyone came out of the woodwork when it was on.
“They’re going to ruin this for me, aren’t they?” Jordyn worried her lip, looking like she would burst into tears at any moment.
“It’s going to be fine,” I said in my most soothing tone. Lucky for us, I had just the thing to help ease the tension. “Do you want something for the nerves?”
She narrowed my eyes. “Why are you so chill?”
“I may have smoked some calming herbs before we came out here.” I snorted with laughter. “It’s a new blend. We’re going to be rich as thieves.”
“I thought I told you no dipping into the apothecary stash.” She pointed an accusatory finger at me. “And if you do, you have to share with me.”
Jordyn held out a hand, and I rummaged through my pockets, only to realize that I may have used up the last of what I’d brought while setting out the candles.
To be fair, it had taken over an hour. Those wobbly bastards wouldn’t stay put—even with magic—and I’d lost track of myself with the repetitive motions.
“Sorry!” I pulled out the insides of my empty pockets. “Next time!”
Next time? As if she were going to get engaged again.
Jordyn rolled her eyes, but I knew she’d want to be mentally present for one of the most important moments of her life.
Just then, Dougall came running down the road, his arms windmilling when he hit a patch of black ice.
“Their car is just turning off Misty Lane! I repeat, their car is turning off Misty Lane! Less than ten minutes to go, people!”
With that, he fell into a pile of snow, eliciting a hushed gasp from the crowd surrounding us.
“And that’s our chief of police, ladies, gentlemen, fangs, and ghouls,” Jordyn muttered under her breath.
Dougall scrambled to his feet and dusted the snow off his uniform, then ducked behind the steps of the gazebo, not at all conspicuous. Everyone had the best intentions, but I could tell Jordyn was worried that someone would pipe up during her and Harlow’s big moment.
Which was why I had a little trick up my sleeve.
When Willow’s car came into view, I readied my magic, gathering it in my fingertips and reciting the silencing spell in my mind.
Taking in a deep breath, I opened my mouth, only to be stopped by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind us.
My teeth snapped shut. Then Jordyn and I whirled around, only to find none other than Ramona standing there, her hands clasped in front of her like a bouncer.
She wore a spotless black trench coat over her regular uniform of a well-tailored suit.
My heart skipped several beats.
She was here. She was back.
All my excitement deflated as quickly as it had burst to life.
Why did it have to be now? Why did it have to be when I couldn’t jump into her arms and never let go?
“Ramona,” I whispered, but it came out more like a scold, “if you’re going to be here, you need to hide.”
“I’ve come to collect on a debt,” she said with a menacing smile. “Time’s up, witchling.”
“What are you talking about?” I hissed.
“You agreed to a date.” Ramona’s feral grin was tinged with a darker menace that only hell could bring forth. “Within a year. And I have given you much longer than that out of the sheer kindness of my heart.”
My whole body vibrated at the rough rasp of her words. She was so still, so cold, but her eyes burned with an unspoken need.
“Can this please wait a couple minutes? Please?”
“I am good at many things. Waiting isn’t one of them.”
“You can wait just a tiny bit longer,” I pushed.
“Give me a time and I’ll go.”
She was in her true demonic element, and I knew I was in for it. “This is ridiculous,” I complained, knowing Willow’s car would turn around the bend at any moment.
“I can hear the car!” Dougall called from his hiding spot.
“Iris,” Jordyn whined and flashed me a pleading look.
“You have to go,” I ordered Ramona. We could hash this out after my best friend’s engagement.
I placed my hands on Ramona’s hips. The weak attempt to push her away was more of an excuse to be close to her, even for a few seconds, but she didn’t so much as budge.
“Goddess, are you made of stone?”
“Iris!” Jordyn snapped, doubling the pace of her nervous bouncing. “This is kind of important. Just pick a time!”
“Okay, fine!” I said, exasperated. “You can pick me up at seven. We’ll go eat at the new Italian place.”
Ramona gave me a wink. Goddess, I missed that wink. “Done.” She lowered her mouth to the shell of my ear and whispered, “Wear the sweater I made for you,” before disappearing into thin air.
“Delightful. A date with a demon.” Jordyn shook her head teasingly. “What are your parents going to say? What is the coven going to say? Also, that’s one hell of an age gap between you two?—”
My elbow met her ribs right as a car pulled into the square. “Worry about that later,” I said, then dashed down the steps to hide behind the nearest bush, nearly falling face-first into a crusty pile of snow.
The last rustling noises and whispers were met with one last chorus of, “Shush!” before Willow’s car slowed to a halt and Harlow stepped out of it.
It was actually happening.
Harlow was getting out of the car. My best friend was finally getting her happily-ever-after. And later tonight, come hell or high water, I was determined to get mine.