‘I know!’ Jack practically squealed.
‘How do things get? You guys are making me nervous.’
‘It’s just…’ Daisy trailed off, no longer meeting Elliot’s eye. Now she was the one turning pink.
‘It’s when everyone hooks up,’ Jack supplied, gleefully.
‘Hooks up? What is this some kind of pagan orgy?’
Daisy spewed muffin crumbs from her mouth while Jack burst out laughing.
‘Calm down, Grandma!’ he said. ‘If you had pearls, you’d be clutching them right now.’
‘I wouldn’t.’ Elliot huffed. ‘I just thought this was like a family affair, a wholesome Dream Harbor event not some kind of…’
‘Pagan orgy?’ Daisy said, barely holding in her laughter, one arm wrapped around her middle and the other wiping muffin crumbs from her lips.
‘Right.’ Elliot felt lightheaded.
‘Itisa family affair. Very wholesome. During the day…’ Jack grinned. ‘After dark things get a little wild.’ He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
‘It’s why we have so many January babies in Dream Harbor. Nine months after Beltane…’ Daisy added with a shrug, like this was all perfectly normal.
‘Wow.’
‘But don’t worry, Elliot,’ Daisy said, patting him on the back. ‘All you have to do is be my date. Hold my hand and hang out with me. I’m not expecting you to knock me up or anything.’
Elliot swallowed hard.
Daisy grinned and ran a finger over the rim of his ear. ‘Pink again,’ she whispered before turning to leave. ‘I have to get back to the shop. Thanks for the business opportunity, Jack!’
‘Bye, Daisy!’ Jack called as Elliot stood there watching her go, wondering what he’d gotten himself into.
Whatever it was, he was having a hard time regretting it.
ChapterFifteen
The next day, Daisy and Elliot were on their first official date, browsing the stacks of books at The Cinnamon Bun Bookstore when Daisy heard a sound that made her blood run cold.
‘Wait,’ she hissed, grabbing Elliot’s forearm before he could leave the aisle they were currently perusing.
‘What is it?’ Elliot froze, turning back to her. He looked cute today, slightly less disheveled, like he’d tried to get his hair in order. They’d spent the last half an hour just sipping their coffees and looking at books, side by side in the stacks. Every once in a while, Elliot’s arm would rub against hers or he would peer at her over the top of the book he was holding and smile at her. It was peaceful and comfortable and… Daisy was pretty sure no one had noticed them except for Hazel.
But now, it was time for them to perform.
She had to sell it.
She was notcursedDaisy, not unlucky in love, not a person who caused marriages to break up with her bad vibes.
No, she was Daisy in love. Daisy in a perfectly healthy and functional relationship who now channeled all those romantic feelings into her work and sprinkled love around like some kind of Goddamn cupid… okay, she might need to tone it down a tad…
She shook off the anger at her situation. That wasn’t going to do her any good right now.
‘The book club is here.’ Daisy could hear the distinct sound of Jacob laughing and Nancy trying to call the meeting to order. If they needed to convince anyone in town that they were in love, it was these romance-reading fiends.
‘Okay…’ Elliot waited for her to explain, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation. ‘And that’s bad?’
‘No, it’s good.’
