When the hot chocolate is steaming, I pull it off the heat, add the peppermint tea, and then pour it into the mugs Nadine pulled out of the cupboard.
“Do we have any whipped cream?” Mom asks.
“I ran out the other day.”
“What about whipping cream?” She pokes her head into the fridge. “We could make some.”
“I definitely haven’t been over here making homemade whipped cream,” I laugh.
“That’s okay.” She accepts the mug I hand her and gives it a sniff. “It smells good.”
“It’s just peppermint, like the dried herb. Nothing weird, I promise.”
“Oh, that’s really wonderful,” Nadine says after she takes her first sip. “The peppermint isn’t very strong.”
“Could be stronger,” Dad says, nodding. “But it’s very pleasant.”
“The chocolate probably masks some of the flavor,” I say. “I should add a little more next time.”
Mom takes a tentative sip. “You don’t want it to taste like toothpaste, though.”
“Do they make chocolate mint toothpaste?” Nadine asks. “Because I would be willing to try that.”
I wrinkle my nose at the thought. “No.”
Nadine laughs, and we all sip our hot chocolate companionably. The only thing that could make it better wouldbe if Rowan were here too, especially now that he and Dad have come to an understanding.
My mind wanders down a trail I don’t want to travel. Did Rowan ever hang out in the bed-and-breakfast kitchen with Keira and her family, sharing moments like this? What did his life look like before he became an owl? Thedayhe became an owl?
The thought is so unsettling; I want to push it away. But Rowan already said he wasn’t in love with Keira. So why do I feel uneasy, like I’ve stolen something that doesn’t belong to me?
“Are you okay?” Nadine asks quietly.
Realizing I got lost in my thoughts, I yank my eyes from the steam rising from my cup. “Yeah, I’m fine.”
She gives me a quizzical look and then tells me about the scarlet tanager she made friends with earlier today. I try to listen. I smile where I’m supposed to smile and laugh where I’m supposed to laugh, but my mind continually wanders to the man who’s only mine because a strange chain of events brought us together.
An uneasy thought keeps plaguing me: Did Rowan actually love me before our magic got involved, or are his memories skewed thanks to our bond? And after he breaks it, will he still choose me, or will he decide to go back to his life that got interrupted?
They’re irrational worries—I know that. A product of anxiety. But if we don’t sever the bond, we’ll never really know.
Chapter 9
Leprechaun Years (Like Dog Years, But Different)
Weekends are busy at the tea shop, and today is no exception. We’ve had a steady stream of customers since we opened.
During our first lull in the afternoon, while most people are opting to head to the cafe or microbrewery for lunch, Marshall walks through the door.
Rowan extends a hand in greeting, happy to see his friend venture into the shop.
With a strong, athletic build, the mage favors his human father—a man I only met briefly when Ash and I bought flowers for my window boxes. His hair and eyes are brown, and his skin is deeply tanned from spending hours in the sun. He’s nice, but somewhat reserved, and he’s already told me he doesn’t like tea.
His family owns the local garden center and is apparently well-off, much like the Neilfellows, though they seem a little more down-to-earth to me. Even though most Moss Hollow residents embrace a style that I’ve started thinking of as “modern cottage chic,” every time I’ve seen Marshall, he’s been in a T-shirt and shorts. Today is no exception.
“I thought I’d finally drop by,” Marshall says when he reaches the counter, scanning the menu. It’s obvious he’s wondering if he made a mistake. But finally, he asks Rowan, “Would I like the iced raspberry mint hibiscus tea?”
“Possibly,” Rowan answers, “since it’s an herbal and not a regular tea.”
