Page 68 of Impractical Magic

He shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Very ordinary purchases. Brackets. Nails and screws. Tins of paint. Like they’re redecorating.”

Scarlett shook her head, unease rising in her stomach. “I don’t like it.”

Nate looked at her, concern in his eyes. “What do we do?”

Scarlett sighed, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. “I don’t know. It seems like Max may be the leader, so maybe I need information on him? Or maybe Violet is the weak link . . . You spend time with her and Polly, right? Would Violet talk to you?”

He shook his head. “Polly had me over for dinner last week? I asked Violet to pass the salt and she said, ‘Fuck off, you’re not my real dad!’”

“Bah,” Scarlett joked, “You’re no use to me at all.”

Nate placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Let me know if I can help . . . as long as it doesn’t involve communicating with teenage girls.”

Scarlett smiled, a warmth spreading through her at his touch. “You did, just by sitting here with me. I hated the feeling I had after the bookstore—like I’d lost a friend.”

Nate’s eyes softened, his voice gentle. “You didn’t. You couldn’t.”

Spending time with Nate made Scarlett feel a hundred times lighter—so light she was almost giddy. She impulsively reached out to stroke the side of his face. It had been so long since she’d felt this connection, this ease and comfort in another person’s presence. Their conversation flowed like the creek beside them, filled with shared memories and a sense of new possibilities.

Scarlett started to wonder if maybe she could face what happened to Papa, if she could face it with Nate.

She leaned in closer, drawn in by the warmth of his gaze and the gentle curve of his lips. Nate met her halfway, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek. Their lips met in a tentative kiss. This wasn’t the overwhelming loss of control she’d felt in the bookstore; this was serene, unafraid—like something that was meant to be. As if every unspoken longing, every stolen glance, every missed opportunity had culminated in this single, perfect moment. As if a missing part of herself had finally clicked into place.

They lingered in their kiss for a moment, feeling like time had stopped. When they finally pulled apart, both were slightly flushed.

“Wow,” Nate breathed. “That was . . .”

“Yeah,” Scarlett agreed, a shy smile on her face. She snaked her arms around his neck, pulling him closer as she lost herself in the sensation of his lips on hers. Nate’s fingers threaded through her hair, his touch sending shivers through her body.

She moaned softly as Nate deepened the kiss, and a delicious shiver danced down her spine. His hand roamed down her back, seeking and finding the bare skin beneath her sweater. Her breath hitched as he nipped at her lower lip, a playful exploration that sent a jolt of desire through her. The taste of him was intoxicating, a blend of cinnamon and woodsmoke. She pulled him closer, her body yearning for the press of his against hers. Every touch, every brush of his tongue, was a delicious exploration, a promise of more to come. Scarlett felt a sweet ache bloom in her core, a yearning that intensified with every passing moment.

She rested her forehead against Nate’s, her eyes fluttering open to meet his gaze.

“I’ve never stopped thinking about you.” His voice was a low rumble that resonated in her own chest. “I’ve thought of you every single day.”

She leaned in, their lips meeting again. Scarlett savored every sensation, every shared breath. She wanted to disappear into this moment forever, to live out her life in it. A moment with no guilt or regret, nothing to explain or repair.

But as she sank into this reverie, she unwillingly found the wizened face of Louise Demain staring back at her.

Scarlett broke away, feeling like she’d been stabbed. “Nate?” she asked. “How many good things does it take to make up for a bad thing?”

Nate’s confusion was written all over his face. “What does that mean?”

“It means what I said. It means itself. How many?”

“Well . . .” He was struggling to understand how Scarlett had leapt from the best kiss of their lives to a question like that. “I guess I don’t think good and bad work quite like that. It’s not a barter system.”

Her heart sank. “No. No, you’re right. Of course not.”

Louise’s terrible wisdom washed over Scarlett, turning her stomach sour. No matter how many good deeds she performed, nothing could undo the terrible thing she did to Papa.

“I don’t know what I was thinking,” she said, suddenly panicked. “I could never stay here.”

Nate’s eyes widened, a flicker of hope in their depths. “Wait, what does that mean? Were you thinking that you might stay?”

“But I can’t, Nate. I can’t possibly.” Scarlett pulled away—being so close to him was impossibly painful. “I don’t get to come home and have some happily ever after with you. Not after what I did. I don’t deserve it.”

He reached for her, his face creased with worry. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. You haven’t done anything.”