That one word stopped her spiral. He stepped forward slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching. “You really just got us three goats for free? From Trent?” His voice cracked into a disbelieving laugh. “I can’t even believe it.”
Before he could stop himself—before he even thought about stopping himself—he wrapped her in a hug so fast it knocked the breath out of both of them.
“Mr. Hale,” she said, half-laughing and half-scolding.
“I’m sorry,” he said, breaking into a full grin as he spun her around.
Honey froze for a second, just one heartbeat, before she melted into it. He was laughing, joy erupting inside him. The sound rumbled through his chest, and her cheek pressed into his shoulder.
“I mean, you—you threatened him?” he said, grinning into her hair as he spun her around. “You regulation-wielding menace.”
“I didn’t threaten. I negotiated.”
He set her down gently, his hands lingering at her waist as he looked at her like she’d just given him Christmas morning and his birthday all at once. His smile was wide, and when she smiled back at him, his heart wobbled a little.
“Either way,” he said, breathless and still beaming, “thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The girls are going to be thrilled. Let’s celebrate with some pie.”
They started toward the table again, but just before they reached it, Ethan spotted Juniper Marrow watching fromthe sidelines, one brow arched like she’d been grading them both.
Honey followed his gaze. “Who’s that?”
“Clover’s sister, Juniper. She runs the school,” he added, his voice dipping low. “Handles students who need…special attention.”
“Special…” Honey repeated, and then he watched as the understanding lit her eyes. “Oh. Witches.”
He nodded once.
And for a second, he wanted to tell her everything. All the odd and sacred corners of this place. She already knew it wasn’t just a baking competition, just like Brim’s Hollow wasn’t just a sleepy little town with colorful characters. This was a haven. A place where magic wore gingham and boots and danced among the people. The town was like a page out of a very charming spellbook, and he had the sudden urge to open the whole thing and hand it to her.
Chapter 18
Honey
That evening, the farmhouse kitchen smelled like kid’s shampoo and cinnamon. A pan of apple pie cookies sat cooling on the counter—an odd-sounding mashup Honey had doubted but found surprisingly delicious. She sat at the big wooden table with her laptop open in front of her, the screen a glowing testament to her lack of progress. The cursor blinked accusingly from the blank space beneath the title: Hale Family Wishing Well – Audit Report.
Ethan was rinsing dishes at the sink, sleeves rolled up, forearms damp, while the two older girls’ chatter floated down the hall from their room. Melly was sprawled on the carpet in the living room, legs kicking idly in the air as she doodled wobbly hearts on a paper with a glitter pen.
Honey was busy watching her when she heard the rumble of a truck outside. It struck her as odd. Out here, on a quiet stretch of road where the only traffic was Ethan and Marlene. She glanced toward the window, but before she could investigate, a small voice pulled her back in.
“Are mermaids allowed to eat cake for breakfast?”Melly asked, the latest in a string of increasingly imaginative questions.
“I believe that is out of my jurisdiction,” Honey answered.
“What’s a dirt-a-diction?” Melly didn’t look up from her drawing.
Honey grinned. “The things I’m allowed to know the rules about.”
“Daddy says you know the rules about everything.”
Ethan chuckled from the sink and their eyes met for a moment.
“I wish I could meet a mermaid,” Melly said dreamily.
Honey didn’t comment on the validity of the wish. Instead, she bit back a smile at the ridiculous, blooming warmth in her chest and the urge to open her database to check who the Seaside Director of Arcane Relations was. She mentally drafted an email requesting a visit for the little girl.
But when she looked back over at Melly, her glitter pen had gone still. Her lashes fluttered once, twice, then stilled too. One chubby hand curled around the pen. The other tucked under her cheek.
Honey swallowed, feeling the quiet settle deep in her chest.
