Page 13 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

Lost in thought, I nearly jumped when the deep timbre rattled my insides.

Turning, I found Keegan striding up the path, hands casually in his pockets, his gaze trained on the garden with that familiar, unreadable look.

When he finally looked over, his eyes lit with a hint of amusement.

I touched my cheek, feeling dirt, and attempted to brush it off.

“What are you doing in my backyard?” I was only half teasing.

“Well, technically…” He tilted his head and walked over.

“Very funny. I have no problem moving out if you can’t respect the boundaries between landlord and tenant.” My brows lifted in jest. It was hard to believe I was looking at the man Keegan had become, and so many years had slipped by between us.

It was funny that I remembered the boy but not the town.

He rocked on his heels and nodded. “No, you’re right. I won’t make a habit of it. I just wanted to see how you settled in and if you had any questions.”

I laughed and shook my head. “Would you answer them even if I did?”

Bemusement bounced across his gaze. “Fair point.”

“It’s the only point I can make with you.” I shrugged. “You knew I was staying at your hotel, found me at a tea shop, handed me a priceless photo of my dad, and ever since, have refused to answer any questions I have about my past.”

“I’m sorry it comes across that way.”

“You even showed up when I passed out at a tarot card shop.” I frowned and shook my head. “That’s not how it’s come across. It’s how it is.”

He nodded and sighed when I realized he still wouldn’t divulge much.

I shrugged, trying to keep my expression neutral. His presence was as magnetic as ever, and I was keenly aware of the pull he had on me, but I’d be damned if I was going to fall for the hot-and-cold routine of a man who kept his walls so tightly guarded.

“Anyway, thank you for allowing me to stay here. I’ll do my best to keep it tidy and polish it up a little. I can’t wait to garden this spring.”

His brows lifted in surprise. “You think you’ll still be here this spring?”

My hands flew to my mouth in embarrassment. “I’d somehow gotten the idea it was open-ended.”

Keegan nodded. “It is. You can stay for however long you like. It’s just that most people don’t last longer than a day or two.” He watched me closely. “So, everything has been fine so far?”

I nodded, glancing at Frank. “Apart from his fluffs, the house feels spacious.”

Keegan laughed and shook his head. “Listen, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel unwelcome at Stonewick or the cottage. It’s just that…” He let out a deep breath and looked toward the darkening sky. “I just want the best for the people I care about, and I don’t want to let the wrong people in.”

“I’m sorry you think I might be the wrong person.”

“It’s not you who I’m concerned about, Maeve.” He shook his head. “There’s a lot of moving parts that make Stonewick work. It is home to a lot of people.”

“I won’t make any waves. I know my mom wasn’t a fan of Stonewick, but I am. This place is charming.”

“Until it isn’t.” He nodded. “But I’m sure you’ll figure that out soon enough.”

“So, you must have heard I’m working at the tea shop? Do the customers get extra feisty?” I teased.

“Something like that.”

“Well, I’m a little nervous about stepping behind the counter. It’s been a long time since I worked in customer service.” I smiled, feeling the pull to him grow. “Plus, I’m trying to figure out if I’m the caretaker of a magical cottage or the groundskeeper for a particularly eccentric forest,” I replied, arching an eyebrow. “Or maybe both?”

A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “They’re the same here. This place has a way of blurring the lines.”

“I’ve heard that,” I replied, rolling my eyes. “Everything in Stonewick seems to have layers, and yet no one will peel any of them back for me. Not even you and you’re supposed to be my… well, what exactly are you?”

Keegan’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by his typical guarded expression. “Just someone looking out for things and for you.”

“Uh-huh.” I folded my arms, giving him a skeptical look. “Real specific. You know, a little transparency might go a long way.”

He shrugged, not looking the least bit troubled. “Stonewick isn’t the kind of place where answers come easily. Sometimes it’s better that way.”

“Or convenient for those who don’t want to give them,” I shot back, lifting my chin defiantly.

He glanced down at Frank, who had waddled over to sit loyally by my side. Keegan leaned down, scratching behind Frank’s ear with a surprising gentleness. “And what do you think, Frank? Think your owner should take it easy on the questions?”

“I’m not his owner.”

Frank, ever the traitor, leaned into Keegan’s hand with his little face blissed out from the attention. I rolled my eyes. “Oh sure, get the dog on your side. Classic deflection.”

Keegan straightened, crossing his arms. “Maybe it’s a sign that you should go with the flow. Stonewick has a way of… unveiling things in its own time.”

“And you all just let things be, then?” I asked, feeling my frustration simmering beneath the surface. “No one in this town ever presses for answers? Tourists just wander day in and out, and we stick to our dutiful roles?”

Keegan’s gaze softened, but his eyes held that guarded intensity. “Letting go of the need for control is how you survive here. You’ll figure that out.”

I shook my head, exasperated. “How incredibly reassuring, but I don’t think you’ve received that memo. From what I’ve heard, you make plenty of night visits to people. Sounds a little controlling to me.”

He let out a low chuckle, and for a moment, I thought he might actually open up. But just as quickly, he clammed up again, his face settling back into that familiar look of restraint.

“Well,” I said, tired of chasing my own tail in this conversation, “I should probably head to the laundromat. I have to do the domestic thing, you know.”

Keegan raised an eyebrow. “I’ll come with you.”

I snorted, waving him off. “You’re serious? You want to be my laundromat buddy? What? We’ll bond over dryer lint and detergent choices while still not giving me a hint about what my life was like when I was here as a little girl?”

“Suit yourself,” he replied, his smirk returning. But as he glanced away, I couldn’t help but notice the brief look of disappointment in his eyes. Not that I was going to let myself dwell on that.

I hesitated, but the part of me that still held a little self-preservation knew better. If he couldn’t give me straight answers here, he definitely wasn’t going to do it over a pile of damp clothes. And after a husband who mastered giving me the runaround, I couldn’t go down that path again.

No matter how good-looking Keegan was.

“Thanks, but I’ll manage,” I said, mustering up a polite smile. “I don’t need a chaperone.”

“Okay, well.” He cleared his throat. “Have a nice night.”

I watched him walk down the path and felt a strange loneliness I hadn’t felt since signing the divorce papers.

But I brushed it off and turned toward the house, heading inside to gather the laundry with Frank waddling behind me. I tossed the sheets, blankets, and quilt over the loft’s balcony, and they all landed in the basket.

“Okay, Frank. You coming or staying?”

I started toward the door, but Frank stationed himself stubbornly by the entrance. The short hair on his spine spiked, and my mind flashed back to what Keegan said about people not staying here long.

“What’s wrong, Frank?” I opened the door, gesturing for him to see that everything was fine, but he didn’t budge. His little face was unusually tense, and hisears perked as I closed it.

“Go on?” I asked softly, trying to coax him forward.

That’s when he let out a low, rumbling growl. His eyes fixed on something outside as if he could see through the door.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. I listened, catching the faintest scratching sound coming from the porch. My mind leaped to the most logical conclusion. It was probably just a mouse or some other critter trying to escape the cold. I steeled myself, opened the door, and stepped outside.

The moment I did, I yelped, fell backward, and slammed the door shut.

My heart hammered wildly as Frank jumped on my stomach, and I groaned with the weight.

I was seeing things.

I had officially lost my mind.

Letting out a slow breath, I rolled Frank off my stomach and climbed back to my feet with the help of a small table.

I slowly moved a green velvet drape to the side of the entry window and peered outside.

My voice disappeared as I tried to yell, and Frank growled again.

Why had I chased off Keegan?

Standing on the porch, staring up at me with a rather indignant expression, was a creature that looked suspiciously like a… gremlin?

Pale green skin stretched over a bony body with ears flapping in the wind, and a scrunched-up face stared right back at me.

“Frank, there’s a gremlin outside.”

No. This was my mind playing tricks on me.

Absolutely had to be my mind.

It was one thing to play dress up and pretend magic existed. It was quite another thing to see this.

I still blame the kaleidoscope tea from the other day.

But damn it. The scarf floated at the yarn shop.

The scratching outside intensified, and I heard a faint voice muffled through the door. “I am not a gremlin, thank you very much!”

I froze, heart pounding, trying to process what I’d just seen.

And now heard.

The thing speaks.

It talks.

Dizziness wrapped around me as I scolded myself for being weak. I wouldn’t let my mind make a fool of me, even if I were the only one to witness it.

Surely, I was imagining things. But Frank’s growl deepened, and his little body tensed as he fixed his gaze on the door.

This little bulldog was the lifeline to my sanity. Dogs didn’t make things up.

Well, there were times when maybe they’d go ballistic at a delivery person, but whatever was on the other side of the door wasn’t a delivery person.

I took a breath, stood, and gathered my courage before I cracked the door open just a sliver. The creature was still there, arms crossed, a small scowl on its face as it tapped one clawed foot impatiently. It had leathery greenish skin, big round eyes, and a nose that was far too large for its small, wiry frame. Definitely not something you’d find in the usual Wisconsin woodland critter guide.

“For your information,” it began, puffing itself up indignantly, “I am a goblin . G-o-b-l-i-n. Not a gremlin. Gremlins are an entirely different species with far less class.”

“Oh, well, pardon me,” I muttered, still clutching the door with a death grip. “How silly of me to confuse you two.”

The goblin narrowed his eyes at me, then leaned forward with an air of importance. “Name’s Twobble. I was just about to introduce myself when you so rudely shut the door in my face.”

I opened the door a little wider, unable to keep my curiosity entirely at bay. “Alright, Twobble. What exactly are you doing on my porch?”

“Why, I’m here to offer my assistance, of course!” He gave a little huff, looking personally offended. “As a resident goblin of Stonewick, it is my duty to introduce myself to new arrivals and offer my services.”

And this must be why no one lasted at this cottage.

“Services?” I echoed, raising an eyebrow. “Like what?”

He grinned, displaying a row of surprisingly sharp teeth. “Oh, you know, the usual goblin tasks—keeping pests away, fetching little odds and ends, money matters, and dispensing information… for the right price.”

I shook my head, feeling a bemused smile tug at my lips despite myself. “And let me guess, information about Stonewick?”

“Ah, so you’re already catching on!” he said with a pleased nod. “See, I knew you were smart. And no offense, but you’re going to need someone like me if you want to get to the bottom of things around here. This town has secrets, you know. And I’m more than willing to reveal them for the right amount of money.”

I leaned against the doorframe, giving him a skeptical look. “Problem is, Twobble…I’m a recent divorcee on a budget.”

He eyed me and let out a grumble as Frank relaxed and sat down.

“So, I’ve heard.”

My brows pulled together. “From who?”

He ignored my question. “We can work something out, you and me. I heard your conversation with Keegan in the garden earlier.”

My eyes widened. “You were eavesdropping.”

“It doesn’t count as such when you’re in my space.” His little body straightened as he stretched toward the twilight. “Anyway, I can get answers for you.”

“Can you tell me about my family?”

“More than that grump, Keegan. I can tell you that much.” He crossed his arms with a self-satisfied smile. “I’m much more… conversational. You’ll do well at Stella’s, too. She’s in the middle of it all.”

A laugh slipped out before I could stop it. I could only imagine how Keegan would react if he knew I was even entertaining a conversation with this goblin.

Wait a minute.

Did I actually believe that this conversation was more than a figment of my imagination?

But something was endearing about Twobble, even if he looked like he could snap at my ankles at any moment.

“Well, Twobble, as tempting as that sounds, I actually need to go run some errands,” I said, glancing over at my laundry basket. “But maybe we can… discuss your services another time?”

Twobble’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he handed me a moonstone. It almost looked like it was shaped like half of a heart. “Splendid! I shall await your call, fair lady.” He gave an exaggerated bow before scampering off, vanishing into the bushes as quickly as he’d appeared.

Shaking my head, I closed the door, trying to wrap my mind around the fact that a goblin had just offered his assistance to me. It felt too absurd to be real but too real to be absurd.

So, I did what any sane person would do, and I started talking to Frank.