Page 21 of The Pumpkin Spice Spell (Wisteria Cove #1)

Tate

T he sound of tires crunching on the drive makes me glance out the kitchen window. Junie’s already out of the truck before Finn can call to her to wait, bounding toward the front steps like a sparkle hurricane.

“Tate! We brought pizza and garlic balls!” she sing-songs, proudly hoisting a grease-stained bag with napkins falling out of it like a trophy.

Finn climbs out slowly, holding a stack of Marco’s pizza boxes with a bag swinging from each arm, and he corrects Junie. “We got garlic knots, too. Marco threw them in. Said he wanted us to taste-test the new seasoning blend.”

“Marco is a saint,” I mutter, stepping back to let them in and helping Finn with the pizzas.

Junie makes a beeline for the back porch. “I’m gonna look for the mermaids!”

“What mermaids—” I stop myself. No use arguing with magic.

“She’s fully committed to the idea that one lives under the dock,” Finn says, setting the bags down on the kitchen counter. “Apparently, it has a glitter tail and a bad attitude.”

I laugh and open up the bag of garlic knots, and taste one.

“She’s also convinced she saw one off the dock last week.” Finn grins as he watches her peer over the railing toward the harbor. “I told her it was a seal. She told me seals don’t wear sparkly bras.”

“Fair point,” I mutter, chewing. “These are good. Thanks.”

He points a garlic knot at me. “If only we could live in a magical world like Junie.”

I snort. “Like half this town,” I reply, popping open the pizza box. Steam rises. Pepperoni and sausage, thick crust, bubbling cheese. My stomach growls loudly enough to echo throughout the kitchen.

Finn slides a plate toward me. “Eat up. know Marco’s is a local legend.”

He’s not wrong. We lean against the counter, chewing in silence for a few minutes like men who have truly earned this moment.

“This house still giving you hell?” Finn asks, gesturing around with a knot.

I glance at the cracked molding near the ceiling and the old cabinets that creak. “Yeah. But I’m not doing much to it. Just cleaning it up. I’m going to take Remy up on that job offer. Maybe see if he’s got one of those cabins still open.”

Finn swipes his mouth with a napkin. “Seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“I've always loved this house,” he says as he looks around at all of the old woodwork.

The house was built in the early 1900s. My parents kept it maintained but did little updating through the years.

I shrug and take another bite. “House’s gonna be someone else’s problem soon.”

He’s quiet for a minute, just studying the ceiling beams like he’s seeing potential no one else has.

“There’s so much cool stuff you could do to this place,” he finally says. “The beams? The wainscoting in the front room? This place has character. Old soul kind of stuff.”

I pick at the garlic crust. “I care more about the boat than the house. That’s what I’d keep if I could.”

Junie comes back in through the screen door, her hair wind-tangled and wild-eyed. “Okay. I need to change.”

I blink. “Why?”

“Because we’re going to the bookstore, duh.” She spins dramatically. “Story time. And Nana’s book is out. Big event. You can’t wear dock clothes to a party.”

Finn chuckles. “She’s been talking about this all week.”

“Thought it didn’t start until six?”

“It doesn’t,” Finn says, grabbing another slice. “But Willa said we could come early, help set up a little, maybe sneak in some cider before the crowd shows. Plus, we still have a ton of food. You know she won't turn down Marco's.”

I’ll take any excuse to see Willa, so I pack up the pizza to take over.

Junie’s already halfway towards the bathroom, shouting, “I FORGOT MY WITCH HAT!”

By the time we make it to Wisteria Books & Brews, Finn and I are both laughing at the way Junie insisted we walk and ‘arrive fashionably early.’

“Where does she learn this stuff?” I grin.

Willa’s outside arranging pumpkins and sweeping fallen leaves from the stoop. She looks up when she hears us, and her smile hits me like it always does, right in the chest.

“You guys are early,” she says, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. It’s pulled up in a loose twist, messy and perfect. She’s wearing a forest green dress, sleeves pushed up, and tall boots. She looks beautiful.

“Junie insisted,” I say. “And we brought Marco’s.”

“She said you had cider,” Finn adds, like that explains everything.

Willa laughs. “Well, she’s not wrong. Come on in. I sold out of everything earlier today, and I’m starving, so Marco’s sounds amazing.”

Inside, the store smells like apples, cinnamon, and book pages. The lights are dimmed, candles flickering on side tables inside glass lanterns. The front window display is glowing with string lights and stacks of Donna’s latest hardcover: The Wishing Well Witches.

“You all eat?” Willa asks as we step into the shop.

I hold up a plate I made for Junie, who was apparently too excited to eat while she was on Mermaid duty, “The rest is all yours,” I say, as I hold out the bags of the remaining food we brought over to share.

“Yeah, I’m basically eighty percent pizza now,” Finn mutters.

Junie runs to the children’s corner and immediately begins organizing the beanbags like a little librarian general. Willa watches her with a fond expression, then glances back at Finn.“Have you been reading to her?”

“Yeah. Mermaid Mayhem . There was a glitter battle. It got intense.”

Her mouth curves. “She loves everything mermaids and pirates right now.”

Finn leans against a shelf and points to the book display. “So. Expecting a big crowd?”

“Oh, yeah. All of those are signed by Donna and prepaid for the event,” she says.

“Who did she feature in this one?” I ask, knowing that our locals make cameos in her books.

Willa shakes her head. “Donna never tells. But everyone will pore over them and speculate.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Are you in a book yet?”

Willa smirks. “No, and don’t encourage her.”

Finn snorts. “My mom will probably drop little hints at her reading.”

A sudden tension shifts in the room as Ivy enters from the back. Her lips are tight. Rowan trails behind her, holding two paper cups and looking concerned.

“He’s not coming,” Ivy says flatly.“He said he's got other plans.”

Rowan glares and shakes her head. “Ivy's boyfriend. AKA Miranda. Because everything Ivy says can and will be used against her.”

Willa crosses her arms. “Let me guess, he also said he couldn't pay you back for the money he borrowed last week?”

Ivy flinches. “It’s not like that.”

“It is exactly like that,” Rowan mutters.

“He promised he'd come this time,” Ivy whispers. Her voice is fragile around the edges, like a page worn too thin.

“He’s been constantly breaking promises and letting you down,” Willa says. “You deserve better.”

Finn leans into me and whispers, “This guy is a piece of work. Uses her and never shows up when she needs him.”

Willa nods in agreement.

Then I speak before thinking. “Where’s this guy at?”

Everyone looks at me.

I step forward, arms crossed. “Because it’s not right. That’s taking advantage.”

Finn fake coughs into his fist. “Tate for mayor.”

Ivy blinks at me, stunned.

“I mean it,” I say. “You deserve better.”

Ivy forces a laugh. “Guess I need to figure out what I’m going to do.”

“Nothing wrong with coming home,” I say, the laugh catching in my throat. “Sometimes it’s the only thing that makes sense…even if it takes you a while to admit it.”

This does get a small laugh from Ivy, “Yeah, you’re right. I just wish I hadn’t wasted so many years on Derek.”

Lilith walks in just then, her arms full of stickers and bookmarks for Donna’s new book. She catches the last line and sets everything down with a huff.

Lilith lays them out on the counter with the books. “He is going to get the karma that he deserves.”

“Mom,” Ivy groans. “Promise me you won’t do anything. He still thinks you’re the reason his hair is falling out.”

“What? It’s a full moon, and I’m feeling feisty.” She grins, not denying the accusation.

The front bell jingles.

Junie gasps, scandalized. “Your mom put a spell on him!”

Remy steps through the door in a windbreaker, his usual backwards ball cap tucked under one arm. He pauses, just in time to catch the tail end of the chaos. “Hey, Pumpkin,” he says to Junie without missing a beat. “Who put a spell on who?”

The whole room cracks up.

“Oh, nothing,” Lilith breezes, pulling Remy in for a hug.

“Well, hey, brother,” Finn grins, raising his cider.

Even Ivy’s smiling now, cheeks flushed, and Rowan's grip on her cup has finally loosened. Junie’s giggling under a beanbag fort with her pizza next to her, finally eating her dinner.

Willa looks at me from behind the counter, a soft, amused little smile playing on her lips. Her eyes catch mine, and for a beat, everything else fades out.

And in that moment, with a full belly, full heart, in a bookstore lit with string lights and apple-scented candles, I feel something settle and click into place.

Remy catches my eye and gives me a nod. I tilt my head toward the side reading room. “Got a sec?”

I follow him into the quieter nook off the bookstore side, where a cozy circle arranges the chairs and they dim half the lights for later. He glances out the window, then looks back at me.

“If that offer still stands…” I start, rubbing my hands on my jeans. “The job and cabin. I think I’m ready to take you up on it.”

Remy doesn’t say anything at first. Just nods slowly, thoughtful. “You sure?”

“I am.”

His mouth curves into a small, relieved smile. “Good. I meant what I said. I could use someone steady. Someone I can trust. I’m about to go into the busiest season of the year, and I already feel like I’m drowning under the weight of everything. I need you.”

We shake on it. His grip’s solid. Familiar.

“You know,” he says, tapping his knuckles on the side of a bookshelf, “this town has a way of keeping the right people. Even the ones who try to run from it.”