Page 11 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

I knew I’d hit bottom when I looked for the sun and only saw the moon. I’d spent all day in bed with a bag of Funyuns, a tube of Pringles, and an unsweetened tea to wash them down with.

Again, don’t judge me.

I’d had enough of that for a lifetime and beyond.

But this was my last night in my house.

My house.

Mine and Celeste’s.

I shook the crumbs of fake onion from the bag into my mouth and let out the most reverberating, moodiest groan before trudging through the narrow path to the kitchen—the tiny route flanked by heavy cardboard boxes stacked about shoulder height.

I tossed the empty bag into the trash and felt a surprising amount of hope.

Today…Err, I mean, tonight was the night of change.

For the first time in a long time, excitement charged through me. The sensation zapped into me from nowhere.

Maybe it had been the potato crisps.

Or the fact that I crawled out of bed without being prompted by my best friend.

Or because I didn’t have my husband’s judgy eyes staring at my makeup-free face or extra squish around the middle.

Either way, I was up and ready for whatever magic life wanted to throw at me.

And by magic, I meant getting through the night without tripping over my own two feet or not losing my reading glasses ten times.

Although I had expected to shake Stonewick’s hold on me by now, I couldn’t.

Honestly, life was shifting in massive ways beyond just my carefree snacking habits.

Night had fallen already, and I hadn’t even eaten a proper meal. It was around seven o’clock, so I wasn’t too behind. Better than some days.

Dusting the crumbs from my shirt, I reached for a glass and filled it with water as I looked into the backyard, where so many memories clung to the wind sweeping through the autumn leaves.

But that was just it.

They were memories.

They’d come with me.

Those cherished moments would cling to me wherever I landed.

I’d see the same full moon in my apartment as I saw here.

I’d be able to imagine my daughter sitting on her swing set, giggling out loud and asking to go higher.

To think she’d already started her first college class today was mind-blowing. She’d called me and filled me in, and I loved hearing every single detail.

My eyes narrowed on a shadowy figure dancing behind the chain-link fence, and I groaned.

“Melvin is at it again,” I said, whispering and shaking my head with a chuckle. “You are the one thing I will not miss.”

His naked hips shook, and I turned away, knowing it would only get worse from here. Thankfully, the cloak of nighttime shielded my eyes from things I never wanted to see flop or flail.

The very first night we’d moved in years ago, Melvin had a bonfire in his backyard. Turned out that it was a full moon that evening, and he believed in things I’d never even heard of.

Once Celeste came along, we planted lots of shrubs and had an agreement with him to wait until after ten o’clock at night for his shenanigans. Apparently, now that Celeste was off and away to college, all bets were off, and he was free to jingle his jangle all he wanted.

A smile touched my lips as I thought about the drive to campus with my daughter last week. I’d helped her decorate her dorm, took her out for dinner, and made her promise to call me if she needed anything.

Even a drive back home or a place to escape for studies.

But then I returned here and had to face reality.

The phone hadn’t rung much. She was flapping her wings and soaring.

I wasn’t exactly sure where home would be after my short-term rental was up. Sure, Stella mentioned a little place outside of Stonewick, but I wasn’t positive that I should jump on it. She was going to text me tonight how much the rent would be, and that would probably be the deciding factor.

I looked around the kitchen with the white tile backsplash, white quartz counters, and white cabinets. The room was spacious and everything I’d wanted for my dream kitchen. In hindsight, that was my ex’s way of keeping me preoccupied.

While I was busy staring at tile patterns, he was busy flexing muscles and whatever else he had to offer the ladies.

All the ladies except his wife.

I chuckled at the thought of whoever would get stuck with him next.

The front door opened, and my best friend Skye called out to me.

“Are you in the bedroom serenading your potato chips again, or have you moved since this morning?”

I chuckled and shook my head. “I’m in the kitchen. Thank you very much. Dinner is calling, but I don’t know what it’s going to be yet.” I narrowed my eyes on her. “I’m thinking fresh cheese curds from the dairy.”

I just wished I had Frank to share them with.

Skye walked through the maze of boxes and opened her arms wide as she came in for her typical bear hug. Before she went in for the squeeze, she picked off some chips from my flannel shirt and tossed them into the sink.

“All better.” She squeezed me tightly and let out a sigh. “I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

I chuckled and shook my head, taking a step back. “I’m only moving twenty minutes away, and it’s a short-term rental. Who knows where I’ll really end up.”

She twisted her lips into a pout and chuckled. “I know, but I liked walking across the street better.”

“You can thank Alex for that.”

“Oh, I do.” She grinned wider. “Every. Single. Day.”

My brows furrowed. “How so?”

“I send him a morning greeting.” She beamed. “I’ve never missed a day.”

“Do I want to know what they say?” I smiled and shook my head. Skye always had a knack for putting a smile on my face.

She looked out the kitchen window and gasped. Her eyes widened, her cheeks blushed, and she turned away quickly. “Is that the batty neighbor?”

I chuckled. “I’m pretty sure he’s as mentally healthy as they come, but he likes to…” I held in a giggle. “Connect with nature.”

She peeked over my shoulder, and her eyes widened again. “I didn’t know men could bend like that.”

“Are you telling me Patrick isn’t into acrobatics?” I teased.

“That’s not acrobatics.” She shuddered.

“But you can’t stop looking, can you?”

She chuckled and shrugged. “I’m human. What can I say?”

“So, tell me…”

“Tell you what?”

“Will you go back to Stonewick after your short-term rental is up?”

“I don’t know. I can’t decide.” I shook my head. “I feel like the place got inside of my head, and finding out I used to go with my dad did all kinds of things to me. Grief is a funny thing. It’s been how long, and I still crave his presence? That picture set it off.”

She squeezed my hand and nodded. “I know. It’s just…I’m not a big believer in coincidence.”

I shook my head. “What do you mean?”

“The one place you’ve been told to stay away from is the one place you fall in love with.” Her eyes stayed on mine. “Admit it. You love the place.”

I nodded. “I do.”

“So why not try it?” she prompted.

“My mom will kill me when she finds out that not only did I vacation there, I’m moving to Stonewick.”

“It’s not her life,” Skye pointed out. “And I think she owes you an explanation.”

“Or two.” I cleared my throat and let out a deep breath just when my phone dinged.

“Not to mention the obvious, but you’re forty-five years old. Does it really matter what she thinks?”

“Good point.” I reached for the photo of my dad and me that I’d placed on the kitchen counter the moment I’d gotten home.

“Maybe you’ll get some answers. A little closure,” she offered, noticing the photo I held.

The thought made my stomach twist. I’d held onto the few memories I had of him like precious treasures. But this felt like a doorway to a past I didn’t even know existed.

“Can I see it again?” Skye studied the photo a moment longer, then handed it back with a solemn expression. “Maeve, you have to find out what’s going on. If your mom didn’t tell you the truth, maybe there’s something deeper here.”

I was surprised that she wondered that, too. It made me feel a little less crazy.

“There’s a lot about the town that feels familiar, and it has since we stepped inside the tea shop. This photo made me feel a little less nuts.”

Skye’s eyebrows shot up. “Like, déjà vu?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just overthinking everything. But there was something about Stella… And then Nova, the tarot card reader, who felt strangely comforting. She also seemed a little odd.”

Skye chuckled. “She was probably worried you’d sue her for collapsing during her reading.”

I chuckled, knowing that wasn’t it.

My phone dinged again, and I pulled it out of my back pocket. I glanced down to see a message from Stella.

“Whoa,” I whispered.

Skye’s hands whipped to her hips. “What now?”

I handed her my phone, and she smiled as she read the text.

I checked with the cottage's landlord. He says if you can fix it up over the next few months, there’ll be no rent. After that, you can negotiate. He’s more concerned about its upkeep than money.

Her eyes landed on mine, and I shook my head.

“Is this for real?” I asked Skye.

“I mean, this is perfect. Do not talk yourself out of this, Maeve. I mean it.” She handed me back the phone. “I know how you overthink things and want to learn everything there is before making a decision, but sometimes, a gift is a gift.”

I drew in a steady breath, realizing I didn’t even have pictures of the place I’d be volunteering to fix up .

“What’s the worst that could happen?” she prompted. “You move out?”

“True,” I said softly, trying to run the pros and cons list mentally. “But I don’t have a ton of money to put into something that’s not mine.”

“But it’s like your rent,” she argued. “You’d have to pay something anyway.”

My phone buzzed again, and I looked down.

And all repairs will be at the owner’s expense. Just your labor is more than plenty.

“It’s like these people read my mind, and I don’t like it.”

Skye laughed and threw her head back. “You are so paranoid.”

“Not paranoid. Suspicious.” I shoved the phone back to her.

“That, my friend, is a coincidence.”

My brow arched. “I thought you didn’t believe in those.”

She chuckled and shook her head. “Don’t blow this, sweetie. You know how you look around in life and see all the lucky people out there, and you wonder, why not me?”

I nodded, studying my friend.

“They’re not lucky. They’re listening to the world around them. They don’t close themselves off. If an opportunity arises, they take it. They create their own luck.”

“Sometimes I wonder who the mature one is in our friendship.”

She chuckled. “Duh. It’s obviously me.”

I laughed and nodded. “Okay. Fine. You’re right. What could possibly go wrong?”

Skye grinned. “Well, I didn’t say that. A lot could go wrong, but a lot could go right, too.”

“Okay. I think we’ll just leave the convo at that. I’m going to text Celeste really quick to fill her in and see what she thinks.”

“She’ll tell you to move in.” She nodded. “I already know.”

I chuckled and nodded, realizing she was right.

But I still sent a quick text to my daughter, who immediately wrote back that she couldn’t wait to visit since she hadn’t been able to go there either.

The thought brought a smile to my lips.

And I realized I knew where we’d be spending Thanksgiving.

I wrote to her about possibly having a job at the tea shop, and she wrote back a heart and a few words that made me beam.

I’m proud of you.

It was like that was all I needed in the world, and now I was off to Stonewick.