Page 106 of Magical Moonbeam

I gave a small smile and shook my head gently. “Define okay.”

He tilted his head, waiting.

I sighed and rubbed the back of my neck. “Apparently, Alex doesn’t mind catering to his flavor of the week’s obsession with witches. Funny enough, we could never get him to take us here.”

Keegan blinked. “I never liked the guy.”

“Which is why I like you even more.” I chuckled and let out a sigh. “Not exactly what I wanted to have so close to Moonbeam’s Eve. Not to mention, he brought up Celeste’s boyfriend. He likes the guy, which immediately makes me question the guy.”

Keegan sat back down beside me, brows slightly raised. “And you? I know you’ve wondered about Celeste’s boyfriend.”

I hesitated, tracing a fingertip along the edge of my cider glass. “Honestly… I’ve wondered if he’s too good to be true. There’s something about him I haven’t quite figured out. He’s kind, considerate, and helpful, according to my daughter. He’s supposedly the whole package. Celeste is smitten. And that should be enough. But…”

“But?” he prompted gently.

I met his gaze, that steady, grounded gaze that saw more than I usually liked.

“But it’s like there’s something he’s not saying. Or something he’s hiding. Maybe I’m just being overprotective. Or maybe I’m not used to seeing her this happy from aboyand keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.” I paused. “And Alex came to tell me that Darren had asked him for Celeste’s hand in marriage. Apparently, he wants to pop the question this summer.”

“The kid didn’t think of asking you?”

“Guess not.”

Keegan’s mouth quirked. “Does Alex even know what this placeis?”

I laughed, short and dry. “No. He thinks Stonewick is a deplorable little tourist town with quirky witch shops and overpriced tea. He hasnoidea. No clue about the Academy, about the Wards, about me.”

Keegan’s smile faded, but his eyes never left mine. “We could make things memorable.”

I smiled and shook my head. “Maybe if it had been on a different day.”

Keegan laughed and shook his head. “You’re amazing, Maeve Bellemore. I know a lot of people who would have managed to throw a spell or two his way.”

I shook my head and laughed, realizing I had missed my opportunity, but something else pulled at me.

“I think it’s time I head back,” I told the group.

Stella gave me a quick hug. “I won’t let them get too rowdy tonight.”

“Good luck with that.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

I didn’t get far, just enough to lean against the low brick ledge where the planters hung with spring blooms. The scent of lilac and wet stone drifted up from the cobblestones, mingling with the residual taste of cider on my tongue. I needed air. Space. Something that didn’t remind me of Alex’s sudden reappearance or the coil of unease tightening around a possible engagement that scared the heck out of me.

Keegan stepped outside moments later, like he’d been waiting for the count of ten before following.

He didn’t say anything at first. Just stood beside me, hands tucked in his coat pockets, eyes on the moonlight spilling between the gables of Stonewick. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was familiar and comforting. It was the kind of quiet that spoke its own language.

“You don’t have to walk me back,” I said finally.

He arched a brow, just enough to make me smile.

“All right,” I added. “I take that back.”

He offered his arm, not like a gesture, but a habit. I looped mine through his, and we began the slow stroll up the winding path toward the Academy.

My shoes clicked softly against the cobblestones. His stride matched mine like it always did, with its steady solidness.