Interrupted Magic by Karla Brandenburg (best reads of all time .TXT) 📕

He held out his arms. “Brynn...”

“No. I’ve had enough one-sided relationships to know better. My mistake was thinking this might be something different.”

“That’s not fair,” he argued.

I set my hands on my hips, daring him to cite his arguments.

“Give me a chance to fix this,” he said.

“You’ve already used your get out of jail free card.” I headed for the house.

“Is this about that guy? You don’t know anything about him.”

The sting of Ian’s rebuke poked my heart once more. While Ian had been a catalyst, he wasn’t responsible for the end of my relationship with Kyle. “All right, you want a chance? Why are you warning me off Daria when you know I can help?”

He took a step back. “I can’t tell you that.”

I raised my eyebrows.

“You’ll have to trust me on this, but I’ll fill you in as soon as I’m at liberty to do so.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t hold my breath,” I muttered. I walked inside and closed the door behind me.

Again, I considered selling the house. Living across the street from Kyle invited more confrontations.

I carried the basket of veggies into the kitchen, set it on the counter and continued to the workroom. No open books waiting for me on the worktable. I made another attempt at telekinesis, summoning a bean pot to the worktable. It didn’t move.

I checked my internet store, where half a dozen orders waited for me, which I packaged. I dropped them at the post office on my way to work.

I passed the real estate office on my way to Broadway and slowed my step. Should I ask Barry about his client? When I looked through the window, I didn’t see him, so I continued along.

As I turned the corner, I nearly ran into him coming from the bakery, judging by the bag in his hand.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Serendipity,” I replied. “I was thinking about you.”

“Did you want to list your house after all?” he asked.

“Well, you did mention a client who might be interested.”

“She decided on a different house, but I’m sure we could generate some interest if you want to draw up a contract.”

I stopped, pursed my lips and considered. “You’d mentioned the buyer and had me thinking, but until I know what my next move is, I’m better off staying put. I’ll sit on it a while longer.”

“You’ll let me know when you decide?” he asked.

Him, or Cassandra’s friend in Meadow Hill. “Have a good day,” I said, and continued on.

When I walked into the shop five minutes later, Cassandra laughed at me.

“What?” I asked.

“You look ready to do battle and not take prisoners. It’s only ten o’clock. What’s got you going?”

I relaxed and let Ash out of her carrier. “An early morning visit from Kyle, and then Barry Waterman drumming up business. Do you have a card for your friend in Meadow Hill? Does she do residential real estate?”

“You should already have a card. She gave us both one when we signed the offer on the shop, remember?” Cassandra said. “You thinking of selling your house?”

“Let’s just say I’m not ruling it out. I don’t need Kyle stopping over to watch me garden every morning.” I shot Cassandra a meaningful glance. “And yes, I set him straight.”

“Any word from Ian?”

I heaved a sigh. “No.”

“So call him.”

I plopped onto the stool behind the counter. “I don’t know what to say. I already explained what happened.”

“Doesn’t hurt to let him know you’re thinking about him. Assuming you are.”

All the time, but I was embarrassed to admit that. I closed my eyes and clenched my fists, calling on every ounce of inner strength I had. People had walked out on me before. Ian was one person I wanted to stay, but it wasn’t up to me. “If I haven’t heard from him tomorrow, I’ll shoot him a text.”

“You let me know if you need a wing man. I still owe you one,” Cassandra said.

I laughed, recalling how I’d lured Lucas into the shop to give the two of them a private moment to talk. They’d taken full advantage of that opportunity.

Cassandra wasn’t likely to bump into Ian walking the streets of Hillendale, the way I’d run into Lucas. In another week, we would no longer have a shop to invite Ian into. My options were running out.

Chapter 31

By dawn on Wednesday with no word from Ian, I decided he had been a blip on the radar—an asteroid of a blip that had crashed into my world. How had he made such an impact in such a short time?

I picked up my phone, weighing my options and considered the old axiom of nothing ventured, nothing gained. I sent a one-word text to Ian. “Extraordinary.” I waited a full five minutes for a response that didn’t come before I gave up and went out to the garden.

I glanced across the street in case Kyle meant to ambush me again, but there was no sign of him. Maybe I wouldn’t have to move, as long as he respected boundaries.

How much of my garden would I be able to use with the shop closing? I cupped rose buds that had begun to open and breathed in the scent. The day seemed to call for rose tea with my breakfast, something to calm my emotions.

I must have checked my phone half a dozen times while I brewed my tea and fixed breakfast. No response. Alone at my dining table, I bowed my head and gave in to the grief—ugly tears and wailing sobs. Ash came running, issuing a mournful cry of her own and jumped into my lap. I held her close.

When I’d cried myself out, I took several cleansing breaths, closed my eyes and regrouped. Ash nudged her head against me, asking for one more pet before I set her down. “At least we have each other,” I whispered into her fur.

When I got to the store, Cassandra took one look