Page 20 of Witchy Woman

I guess it doesn’t matter what he planned, because he’s gone. Just like Mom. Hazel has Noah, Grandma has her entire community of friends and the shop. Who do I have?

A soulmate I can’t bear to endanger.

No one.

“Hey,” Ash says in that gentle voice. “You okay over there?”

“Yep. Just fine.”Hemay be willing to expose his own vulnerabilities, but I’m not. I push a lock of hair behind my ear and change the subject. “Your father is sick?”

He nods, sunlight dappling the slightly lighter brown highlights in his beard. “Cancer.”

“Is it bad?” I ask quietly. It doesn’t seem right to speak louder than a whisper, to disturb this tentative truce we’ve acquired in the morning light.

“That’s a hard question to answer.” He rocks on his feet, a heavy breath escaping him. “It’s cancer, right? So, it’s not a great diagnosis. But we caught it early, so his doctors are optimistic.”

I wipe furiously at my face, at the tears that escape. I know what it’s like to lose a dad, but I don’t know what it’s like to have a sick one.

“He and I became a lot closer after my mom left. I barely remember her, if I’m honest, and that’s okay. I never felt like I was missing anything with him around.”

I listen quietly, collecting these little pieces of him he gives freely.

“Shit.” He scrubs his hands over his face. “I didn’t mean to trauma dump on you. Especially knowing everything with your own dad and now your mom. I get talkative when I’m out here in the trees, among the woods and dirt.”

“Mhmm. I’m not sure why you would tellme, though. All I’ve ever done is call you an overgrown brute.”

His smile is big, genuine. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve thrown in some other flattering words.”

“As if I could find flattering words to describe you.”

The words have lost their bite a little bit. He sees through me in a way that makes me shiver in the cold Ohio morning.

I step back from him, from the view of the woods. “Should...Should we head back? The market will be starting soon.”

His smile falls just a smidge, but the kindness never leaves his eyes. “Sure, Goldilocks. Can’t have you being late.”

Chapter 8

Belle

By the time next Thursday at the market rolls around, I’ve successfully avoided both Ash and Hazel and got through a couple magic lessons without going all witchy-fire-coma.

All in all, a good week.

Grandma doesn’t push me, so she gets to stay. Although to be fair, she spends most of her time in her shop, and whenever she’s at the market she’s gossiping with her old biddies.

“Sabrina said that Marsha said that Jan was seen out with Eddie Harper,” one of the biddies loudly whispers over her tea. They’ve taken to using the tent as their own personal safe zone from the cold.

Grandma and the rest of the women gasp as I giggle. I can’t say I don’t enjoy it. They gossip like it’s their job, and I am a sucker for old lady tea. Both literally and figuratively.

I’ve also gotten pretty decent at a warming spell, so the tent is comfortable despite the pillows of snow covering the ground. It’s my way of bribing them not to gossip about me. I don’t think it works that much.

“And you know Eddie was seen out just two weeks ago with Christine.”

I stifle a laugh. They’re incorrigible.

A light brush tickles my leg where I’m sitting at the booth and I jump. I bend in half under the tablecloth and there it is.

A cat . . . I think.