And then—
‘Oop,’ he said, dipping me again.
I grabbed him this time, and somehow, we both ended up on the floor laughing. All right, maybe notsomehow. It was definitely the wine talking. And perhaps the way Finn looked in his white T-shirt. Even if there were definite signs of a sunburn around the sleeves and collar.
‘I hear mischief,’ called Rosie, emerging from her room in a swirl of vibrant fabric and floral perfume – she’d decided on a costume change after her day out on the town with Mom. She looked stunning, as usual: her eyes shimmered with sparkling eyeshadow, and her lips were a bolder colour than I could ever hope to pull off.
‘Mischief is one way of putting it,’ muttered Noah. Then he softened as he took in Rosie’s attire. ‘You look nice, Mom.’
‘Finn’s back,’ I explained to Rosie, dusting down my skirt as I stood.
‘Just in time to pay Soraya’s tab,’ said Rosie, one eyebrow raised. ‘She called me, you know. Also, you’re a lobster! Not even magic can protect you from skin cancer.’
She pulled aside the collar of his shirt to reveal angry red sections across his muscular back and chest. I blinked, and not just because Finn’s efforts on the soccer field and in the ocean were clearly paying off.
‘I’ll get Molly’s help with the aloe vera later,’ promised Finn.
The thought ofmebeing the one to apply the salve … well.
Was it getting hot in here?
Especially for this time of year, when the evenings tended to be cool. Cardigan weather. Blanket weather …
All right, I needed a moment.
Grabbing my wine, I retreated to the living area, pretending to assess the health of Bertha the orchid. Rosie was right. She was looking a tad sad, the poor thing. I wished I had the sort of green thumb magic that Rosie and Lorraine did, but I’d probably just end up putting the orchid in an early grave.
Thankfully, I was saved by the doorbell, which jangled about a million times.
‘Hey, babes!’ Lara and Jack were at the door, dressed to the absolute nines. Jack held an enormous pie, as well as Lara’s jacket, which she’d sloughed off in order to make an appropriately impressive entrance.
‘Trouble has arrived,’ I called.
‘Oh good, we love some trouble,’ said Rosie. ‘It’s the only time I see Finn taking notes.’
Finn winked as Lara went around the room, greeting everyone with air kisses and introducing Jack, who merrily chit-chatted with everyone and passed the ‘repeat everyone’s names back to us’ test with flying colours. Which was impressive, given that Finn had introduced himself as the Count from Sesame Street, including fifteen suspicious-sounding middle names that I didn’t remember from my preschool days.
‘The food’s looking incredible,’ said Lara approvingly, pouring a rosé for herself and Jack.
‘It’s mostly Noah’s handiwork,’ I noted. ‘He cooked; I supervised.’
Finn scooped a triangle of pita through a bowl of hummus. ‘And I’m going to eat.’
‘The standard division of labour,’ muttered Noah.
‘Not until we’ve set the table, you’re not,’ I said, swatting Finn’s hand away.
He feigned a mortal wound, and I shook my head in mock chagrin. Noah’s jaw tightened in annoyance.
‘Feel free to help,’ said Noah, who had a dish in each hand and napkins under his arm.
‘Always with the orders.’ Rolling his eyes, Finn helped us carry out the seemingly endless sets of dishes and cutlery to the outdoor dining table, which I’d dressed earlier with one of Rosie’s shimmering floral tablecloths and some dramatic candle arrangements. With a click of my fingers, I lit the candles and turned on the string lights overhead.
‘Um,’ said Jack, frowning at what he’d just seen.
‘You get used to it,’ said Lara. ‘They’re always clicking their fingers at stuff.’
I ducked my head in apology. There were so many people with magic in Whisperwind Cove that when we were here it was easy to forget that not everyone was a witch or a warlock, and that not everyone moved in magical circles. If you were unmagical and weren’t going about looking for it, you could live your whole life without seeing magic in action.
