Page 9 of Magical Melee (Stonewick Magical Midlife Witch Academy #1)

The sun hung high in the sky, casting Stonewick in a white hue that made the cobblestone streets seem to glisten.

I walked slowly, tracing my steps from the night before, searching for the alleyway with the iron gate that had led to the garden.

The details of my dream—or memory, or whatever it had been—were etched vividly into my mind, so much so that I could almost feel the cool, damp stones beneath my shoes and smell the earthy aroma of the strange plants in the moonlight.

I stopped right where the alley should have been and saw nothing but two buildings nearly touching one another, complete with dead weeds in between. I frowned and glanced down the road to see the building from last night. It didn’t look as lively and enchanting as it had, but I recognized the wrought-iron gate out front.

I wandered toward the large building, which I was sure Nova called a ward last night, and stopped in front of the gate. The candle and flame stood out just like I remembered.

But none of the feelings from before washed over me.

Maybe it had all been a dream.

In broad daylight, Stonewick felt different.

Friendlier, perhaps, but no less mysterious. Each alley I passed seemed to have a life of its own, but none led me to the iron gate with the butterfly-shaped lock. I paused, looking up at a tall, ivy-covered building.

Were they watching me, too, waiting for me to find what I was looking for?

It was official.

I was losing what marbles I had left.

The divorce and empty-nest syndrome were too much for me.

After nearly an hour of wandering, I sighed, realizing that I’d either been wrong about the dream or that Stonewick was hiding things from me.

Either way, I was getting nowhere, and my stomach growled, reminding me to stop by the hotel’s lobby and have someone page Keegan.

I gave a last, lingering glance down a narrow street and headed toward my hotel.

As I approached the double doors, Keegan was waiting outside.

“I thought I might catch you. I heard you were doing some knitting, but the class ended an hour ago.”

I smiled and nodded, holding up my bag of yarn. “Attempting to.”

Keegan looked as if he’d stepped out of some classic novel, all brooding charm and a quiet mystery daring to swallow him up.

He was leaning against a post, hands in his pockets, his dark hair falling over his forehead in a way that felt carefully unintentional. At first glance, he looked like he was idly people-watching, but the slight tension in his jaw suggested he’d been waiting longer than he’d have liked.

“I was just wandering Stonewick, trying to find something.”

“What would that be?” he asked. “Everything’s pretty much in plain sight.”

“Is that so?”

His mouth curved into a small, reluctant smile. “I was starting to think you’d gotten lost.”

“Maybe I did,” I replied, returning his smile. “Or maybe this town doesn’t want me finding all its secrets just yet.”

He raised an eyebrow, gesturing for me to sit on a bench behind us. “Stonewick isn’t for everyone to understand. Sometimes, it’s best to let things be. We’re good at what we do here.”

There was that tone again—a mix of dismissal and mystery that only made me want to dig deeper.

“Let’s head across the street for lunch,” he offered.

“Lead the way.”

We didn’t bother with a crosswalk and walked to a cute little café tucked in a brick building about three stories tall. It was a few doors down from Stella’s tea shop.

A lady waved at Keegan and pointed at a table near the window.

I sat down, still clinging to his dismissal of everything Stonewick.

“Well, if Stonewick has so many secrets, it’s only natural to be curious. Don’t you think?”

Keegan didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he signaled to the server, who quickly brought over two menus and poured us each a glass of water.

His expression was more guarded now, as if he were weighing his words.

“It’s one thing to be curious, Maeve,” he said slowly, his hazel eyes fixed on me, “but it’s another to go prying into things that are best left alone. This town has a rhythm, a way of keeping balance. Sometimes, it’s better not to disturb it. We depend on tourists to make our town what it is. If you go snooping and try to uncover how we operate, you could ruin a lot of people’s livelihoods.”

I frowned, not liking the way he seemed to brush off my questions. “I’m not looking to disturb anything, Keegan. I’m just trying to understand a town I apparently have a connection to. Nova told me my father was connected to Stonewick, and I wanted to know why. That’s not too much to ask, is it? Truthfully, I wouldn’t have thought anything about anything had you not given me that photo.”

Keegan’s expression softened briefly, but he quickly masked it with that familiar, guarded look. “Nova,” he murmured, almost to himself. “I should’ve known she’d start filling your head with all sorts of ideas. She’s a good woman, but she tends to see things… differently.”

The server came back and glanced at Keegan and me. “I recommend the wild mushroom soup and sourdough grilled cheese.”

I nodded. “Thank you. I’ll take it.”

“Sounds good,” Keegan agreed.

The woman took our menus and wandered to the kitchen.

“Differently?” I repeated, crossing my arms. “Or accurately? Because right now, she’s the only one who seems willing to tell me anything. Meanwhile, everyone else just keeps hinting that I should stay out of it. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”

Not to mention, I might not have even seen her last night.

I’d made it up!

A shadow passed over his face, and he leaned back, looking more irritated than amused. “Maeve, you don’t understand what you’re asking. This town… it’s not like other places. Things happen here that don’t have easy explanations. People come and go, drawn to Stonewick’s charm, but few stay long enough to realize there’s a reason for the mysteries. It’s not as simple as digging up a family tree.”

My irritation flared at his dismissive tone, and I met his gaze with a stubborn glint. “Well, maybe I want to find out. Maybe I need to find out. I grew up not knowing half of who I am, and now I’m here in this place with people who seem to know more about my family than I do. Don’t you think I deserve some answers?”

Keegan’s eyes darkened, but instead of snapping back, he offered me a faint, infuriatingly charming smile. “You’re relentless, aren’t you?”

“Call it a gift,” I shot back, refusing to let him dodge the question. “And again, you started it with that picture.”

His gaze lingered on me a moment longer, and then he chuckled, low and quiet. “Stubbornness. Just like your father.”

The comment caught me off guard, and my frustration wavered. “You knew my dad well?”

He looked away, his expression unreadable. “Well enough. I was ten when…”

He didn’t finish the words. Silence settled over the table as I tried to piece together what that could mean. Keegan seemed perfectly content to let it hang, sipping his water and glancing out at the street, watching the passersby as if we were discussing the weather. But just as I opened my mouth to press him further, he changed the subject.

“So, did you and Skye enjoy your knitting class?”

I blinked, surprised by the abrupt shift. “It was… nice. Lighthearted, which was exactly what I needed. But I feel like there’s something more for me here.”

His lips quirked into a smile that was both charming and maddeningly evasive. “Maybe it’s all you need, though. Sometimes, it’s better to let things unfold at their own pace.”

I exhaled sharply, trying to keep my patience. “That’s easy for you to say. You know exactly what’s going on. You get to stay here and just… be part of it. You are part of something. You run a hotel. You own a hotel. I own nothing other than the clothes on my back and whatever I managed to stuff in a storage unit.” I let out a soft sigh. “My daughter’s off at college, and my life is starting completely over. Maybe I just need a little magic.”

“And you think this tourist trap of a place could provide that?”

I shrugged. “Maybe Stella’s hiring, or maybe your hotel needs an extra housekeeper. Who knows? All I know is that in two days, the place I thought I’d grow old in will no longer be mine, and I reserved some random B&B to stay in while I figure out what to do with my life.”

“I’m sorry, Maeve.” He shook his head. “I never expected…”

“What?”

“I never expected you to return to this town.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “If you like it here, maybe we can see what we can do.”

I didn’t know whether to be flattered or annoyed.

“Well, I don’t know what I want. I’m just saying, I’m overwhelmed, and this place provides me with a little…hope.”

A flicker of something heavy crossed his face. “You might find that digging too deep brings up things you’re not ready for.”

“I’m not digging at all. You brought me the picture.” I clenched my jaw, feeling the conversation slipping through my fingers like sand. Just as I was about to fire back, the server arrived, setting down two plates in front of us.

“Thank you,” I told her with a smile as I tried to shake off the frustration.

Keegan watched me with a hint of amusement, clearly finding some enjoyment in my irritation. “So, Maeve,” he said, his tone suddenly light, almost playful, “you don’t strike me as the type to let things go easily.”

“Is that a problem?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Not at all,” he replied, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips. “But in Stonewick, it can lead you places you didn’t intend to go.”

“Like in the middle of the night, for instance?”

His smile grew. “Yes. In the middle of the night, for instance.”

For a moment, I felt a spark of something—interest, curiosity, maybe even a bit of attraction. His face softened, and the intensity in his eyes made me feel like he was finally seeing me, understanding the restless pull I felt in this town. But just as quickly, he pulled back, his gaze turning cold and distant.

I leaned forward, exasperated. “Do you do this on purpose?”

“Do what?”

“This hot-and-cold thing,” I said, waving my fork in his direction. “One second, you’re flirting, and the next, you’re pushing me away. It’s enough to drive someone mad.”

“I don’t flirt.” His smile faded, and he looked down, fiddling with his spoon. “It’s not intentional, Maeve. But sometimes, it’s best to keep a little distance. Especially in a place like Stonewick.”

I sighed, frustrated but unwilling to give up. “Fine. You can keep your distance. Just don’t expect me to stop asking questions.”

Keegan chuckled, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”

For the rest of the meal, we settled into a tense truce, carefully avoiding the deeper topics that had hung between us from the start. I couldn’t deny there was something magnetic about him—a pull that left me simultaneously annoyed and intrigued. But I wasn’t here for games, and the last thing I needed was another man in my life who couldn’t be straight with me.

As we finished our food, I set my napkin down, studying him. “Keegan, are you going to give me a straight answer about anything? Or am I just wasting my time?”

He met my gaze, and his eyes softened slightly, but his expression remained closed off. “You’re not wasting your time. Stonewick has a way of revealing things when you’re ready. Just… don’t rush it.”

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, folding my napkin and leaning back in my chair. “Why was I here with my dad?”

“You lived here.”

The revelation shot a cold wedge of ice through me.

He looked at me thoughtfully as if trying to decide whether or not to go on.

“Maeve,” he said, his voice low and serious, “there are things about this town that are… dangerous. Things that people like Nova and Stella have spent their lives protecting people from. I’m not saying this to scare you, but you should be careful. Some of the answers you’re looking for might not bring you peace. Life here is a balance.”

The warning sent a chill down my spine, and for a moment, I felt the gravity of what he was saying. But I couldn’t ignore the pull, the strange connection I felt.

“I can handle it,” I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. “Whatever’s in my family history, whatever connection I have to Stonewick… I’m not running away from it.”

He nodded slowly as if he’d expected nothing less. “Just… take it one step at a time. And if you need help…” He hesitated, glancing away before finishing, “You know where to find me.”

I wanted to press him for more, to make him tell me what he was so clearly holding back. But I could sense the wall around him was too strong for me to break down in one lunch. Still, I wasn’t ready to give up, not by a long shot.

As we stood up to leave, frustration and anticipation washed over me. Keegan walked me back to the hotel, where he stopped. His hand lingered at his side as if he wanted to reach out but couldn’t bring himself to.

He started toward the hotel’s doors, and I turned in the other direction.

“Take care, Maeve,” he said, his voice softer than I’d heard it all day.

“You too,” I replied, holding his gaze a moment longer before turning and walking away.

I could see he had expected me to go inside the hotel, but I’d gotten tired of holding myself to people’s expectations.

The urge to look back was strong, but I forced myself to keep walking, each step a reminder that I was on a path I wasn’t ready to abandon.

Stonewick’s mysterieswere just beginning to unravel, and I knew I was intoo deep to turn back now.