Witchy Sour (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 2) (16 page)

“What are you thinking?” X’s voice startled me out of my reverie.

I swallowed hard, deciding to go all in. “I’m thinking this doesn’t have to be a date. Why don’t we just enjoy our night and see where it leads?”

Reaching across the table, he pulled my hands into his. “The date part is not the problem. The problem begins when I let myself care for you more than I already do...”

“You already care for me?”

“Of course I do,” he said, blinking in surprise. “But don’t ask me why.”

I blushed, about to respond with a joke, when he continued.

“That’s what makes things difficult. The rules Ranger HQ have against dating and marrying isn’t...it’s not the actual dating that’s the problem. It’s the decision-making. When a Ranger makes decisions with his heart instead of his head, everything becomes more dangerous. For all people involved, not just myself, not just you. It puts all of the other Rangers at risk, and we are brothers. We can’t put each other at risk. I’ve lost enough men over the years without accidents, and I refuse to let that number grow higher.”

“If you already care for me, isn’t it already too late?”

X’s gaze dropped to the plate of food in front of me.

I pushed it forward. “Want some?”

“No, I’m fine,” he said. “We shouldn’t be here tonight.”

I caught the server watching us closely from behind the bar, and something about her nosiness into private matters got on my nerves. At the same time, it gave me a bit of courage that I didn’t have before, tempting me to throw caution to the wind. “You’re a Ranger, yes? You’ve been at it most of your adult life?”

“All my adult life.”

“Listen, I understand it’s your duty to protect and serve The Isle, and all of those wonderful things you do. But what about yourself? What’s that thing telling you?” I reached over and tapped on his chest. “You’re not on the clock right now. A little distraction might help to relax you. We don’t even have to put labels on it. Let’s just have a fun night. No strings attached. A non-date.”

“A non-date.” He turned the words over in his mouth.

“Yes,” I said emphatically, squeezing his hand. “We’ve both been super busy. Let’s finish our dinner, grab some dessert, and then I’ll let you walk me home. Nothing date-like. No holding hands, no kissing, no pressure. Just some company and conversation.”

One of his eyebrows rose. His eyes wanted to say yes, but his lips couldn’t seem to form the word.

“Fine. Change of plans, we’re done with dinner.” I winked. “I’m ready for dessert, and you’re coming with. Have you tried the cotton candy from that vendor near the B&B? It looked like a cloud, and I need some of it now.”

He laughed. “I don’t think I have a choice.”

“That’s right, you don’t. I am forcing you to have fun.” Reaching over, I grabbed his hand and pulled him up. “Oh, shoot. Money.”

Fishing around in my pockets, I realized I’d dumped all of my coins onto the table back with Liam.

“Stop it.” X leaned over and rested his hand on my arm. “It’s on me. You were my guest.”

“I’m just trying to keep things from being date-like.”

“It’s a non-date starting...” He paused, pulled out more than enough coins from somewhere inside of his suit, and dropped them on the table. “Starting now.”

Chapter 13

Strolling around The Isle with a handsome man dressed in a suit, his dark hair wind-blown, and the fresh, sharp scent of him wafting in the breeze, was more than enjoyable. I hooked my arm through his, and he didn’t push it away. Hand holding was off the table apparently, but elbow-hooking was fair game.

“It’s polite,” Ranger X argued, gesturing toward our intertwined arms. “It’s not date-like, it’s just manners.”

“Exactly. And we all know you have great manners.”

He stopped walking right then and hooked that arm even further through mine until it slid all the way around my lower back. He bent me backward, dipping me so low that my hair dusted the sand on the ground, while his arms held me tight and his breath tickled my exposed neck. He held me like that for several moments, the distance between our lips taunting a kiss, the sugary scent of cotton candy lingering in the air.

“I have wonderful manners,” he said eventually. “You haven’t even seen the start of it.”

My breath came out faster than normal, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. However, I was tipped so far upside down that the blood rushed to my head and I suddenly felt dizzy. His words, his closeness, all of it was too much. I tapped his shoulder and said in a squeaky voice, “Excuse me? Head rush.”

With a reluctant gaze, he righted me and once more, we continued on our stroll around the outskirts of The Isle. The way things were going, this non-date was beginning to feel very much like a real date.

Walking arm in arm with a man who drew the gazes of everyone we passed, sharing the sticky sweetness of pink and blue cotton candy on a stick, trying my best not to swipe away the tiny, flyaway cloud of sugar that’d landed low on his cheek—all of it was wonderful. Together we spent the night wandering about, as if time was of no essence and morning was a distant worry of a distant day.

“I had a really nice time tonight,” X said as we reached the end of Main Street near the B&B. The families had all but disappeared. The shop owners had packed up their wares and closed their doors. One or two of them made eye contact with us as they swept off the stoops of their stores, their soft, knowing gazes telling me that they all thought this was real, too.

“You’re welcome for forcing you to have fun,” I teased. “You should try it more often sometime!”

“What about tomorrow?”

I stopped walking as he turned to face me.

“Is that too forward?”

“I work tomorrow,” I said. “You work. We have so much going on.
The Magic of Mixology
is still missing, there are men in cloaks seeping into this town left and right, and I don’t know what to make out of any of it. Plus, I now have this whole thing with Gus to figure out. And Poppy’s vitamins. Not to mention the fact that I can’t stop thinking about the man to whom I served The Elixir today. Where is he? What’s happening to him?”

By the time I finished speaking, my voice came in flurried waves, my chest rising and falling like the water lapping at The Isle’s shores. Suddenly my heart felt like it would beat right out of my chest, and the whole thing—everything—it was too much. Crouching down, I put my head in my hands and collapsed into the smallest ball possible right in the middle of the street.

Only a split second passed before X was right down there with me, pulling my hands away from my face.

“Hey, stop,” he said gently. “Everything you just listed is something we need to think about. Together. I’m on the case, as are ten other Rangers who are highly qualified and very skilled. Gus—I know you have concerns about him—but up until now, he’s been nothing but helpful to you from what I can see.”

“Minus his grouchiness,” I said, the smallest of smiles peeking through my lips. “That’s not always helpful.”

Ranger X gave a low laugh. “Of course, but that’s the nature of the beast. You take what you can get from Gus and let those snarky spells pass. My observations probably don’t mean much. I haven’t spent nearly as much time with him as you have, but he’s seemed happier lately.”

“Maybe because he finally has a date?”

“Or maybe...because you finally arrived.”

“Me?”

“He’s been waiting for you most of his adult life. Think of it from his point of view: He’s aging, and he has a lot of knowledge in that brain. Though he’ll never be a Mixologist, he can help you become a great one. Not only great, but the best. He sees something in you, and for a teacher, there is no greater joy than finding a student with the willingness to learn, the capacity to do great things, and the natural ability to succeed. Those three things are a rare combination, and Lily, you exude them in spades.”

I hid behind my hands again. Taking compliments wasn’t really my thing. “I don’t know what to say,” I mumbled from behind my hands. “It’s too much pressure.”

“Then share some of that pressure.” Ranger X clasped his hands over my wrists and gently led me to a standing position. I let him peel my hands away from my face, and what I found looking back at me was a gaze filled with hope, tenderness, and confidence. “You are not alone on The Isle. Remember that. Even if you don’t want my help,” he said, pausing for a wink. “You have plenty of people on your side.”

“Thank you.” I stepped forward. Even though we were only inches apart, it still felt too far. “Thank you for everything. Come on, let’s go home. We have a busy day tomorrow, and we should both get some rest.”

“I’m sorry to see this night end.”

“Me too, but—”

“I know, you’re right.” Reaching over, he smoothed my flyaways from my face. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss so gentle against my forehead that even as he pulled away, I wondered if it’d actually happened. “Are you ready?”

This time, we dropped all pretenses of our non-date and held hands.

Chapter 14

Unfortunately, the walk home was not without incident.

As Gus had predicted, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man who’d requested The Elixir. Why had he done it? Where was he now? What was he planning to do? The later the hour of night, the more I worried.

Then, there were the thoughts of Gus’s secret past that insisted on bubbling to the surface. How many other things didn’t I know about him? The niggling warning from Poppy and Zin—to examine those closest to me—was more relevant now than ever. The more I fought the notion that Gus was involved with something, the more skeptical I became.

Ranger X and I made it halfway across The Isle, and we were just about to cross the Lower Bridge when a familiar voice drew my attention, taking me away from the thoughts swirling through my head.

“Quick!” I yanked Ranger X’s hand and pulled him to the side of the path leading up to the bridge. A small ice cream hut surrounded by bushes blooming with all shades of pink and purple flowers perched crookedly in the grass, giving us just enough protection to hide.

X began to ask a question, but I clamped a hand over his mouth before he could finish the first words. If my hand wasn’t enough to quiet him, then my blazing glare must’ve done the trick. Without further argument, he followed me behind the ice cream hut and crouched down.

“I don’t think you’ve taken me here for romantic reasons,” he said in a barely audible whisper. The two of us were cramped. We sat crouched on the ground with sticks and brush poking every exposed part of our bodies. The only pleasant aspect of the foliage was the scent. Flower upon flower bloomed across every branch, and the floral scent was almost intoxicating. “So who are we hiding from?”

I held a finger to my lips. The voice came closer and closer, along with a few sets of footsteps, and before I could inhale another breath, the visitors were upon us.

“...too many of you here. If you’re not careful, you’ll get everyone else suspicious.”

My spine stiffened. It was Gus speaking, and he spoke in a guarded tone. He didn’t want to be overheard, that much was obvious. I slowly turned my head to Ranger X and raised my eyebrows. He gave a nod of understanding, and together we sat silent as a tomb.

“Let them be suspicious. There’s no proof of anything,” a second voice said. “We have every right to be here.”

“Then be careful!” Gus said sharply. “If she sees me with you, she’s going to start asking questions. She’s smart. Too smart to be fooled by you.”

“Some might say you have a soft spot for her.” A third voice spoke, this one calm and cool and calculating. It, too, was familiar. Too familiar. It belonged to Harpin. “I thought we’d discussed this.”

Harpin owned a tea shop on the East side of The Isle, and during my first days here, he’d almost killed me. He’d said it was an accident, that he was just toying with me, but still. When he took away my breath and left me to choke without oxygen, it was hard to forgive easily. Not to mention that he had been angling for the job of Mixologist for years and was not happy to see me come to The Isle and accept it.

“You have nothing to say about her as far as I’m concerned, Harpin,” Gus spat. “What would you know about a close relationship?”

“Now boys,” the only unfamiliar voice said. “We’re all working together here, so calm down. We mustn’t fight among ourselves. We have enough of that going on outside of our control.”

Gus grumbled something, and despite the severity of the moment, I almost smiled. I’d thought he’d only needed to have the last word when it came to me, but apparently his habit extended to everyone else on The Isle, too.

“I’m just saying,” Harpin said coolly. “If Gus is unable to act objectively, we may have a problem.”

“Gus has not given us any reason to believe he cannot act objectively,” the second voice said. “Until he does, we’ll no longer discuss the matter.”

“I think that’s the reason he doesn’t want her to see us together,” Harpin continued. “Gus doesn’t trust himself to lie to her.”

“Gus will lie if he needs to lie,” the mediator said. “Won’t you, Gus?”

“How about you don’t blow my cover?” Gus growled. “Then I won’t need a reason to lie. All it takes is a bit of careful planning. Is that so much to ask?”

“I’m not exposing us,” Harpin said. “I’m just expressing my concerns.”

“I’ll express my concerns up your arse—” Gus wasn’t done with his insults, but the smooth-talking peacekeeper broke up the fight anyway.

“Stop it, gentlemen, or we will forget this whole thing if you can’t get along. I thought your differences would have been forgotten by now, but I can see that past transgressions have long memories...”

“We’re fine,” Gus said. “I’m fine, at least.”

“I can be professional,” Harpin said. “As long as he doesn’t let his feelings for the girl get in the way.”

“I don’t have any sort of feelings for her,” Gus said. “She’s my trainee, and that’s all. The way you’re talkin’ it sounds like you think I’m about to ask her out on a date.”