Page 19 of Moonstruck Kiss

“But Grandma said you can pick up the choc-fruit baskets.”

My heart skips. Was he listening all along? “You heard that?”

“Uh-huh.”

“What else did you hear?”

He shrugs. “I put my head in the water and I didn’t hear anything else.”

Relieved, I kiss his head. I’d better be more aware of what I speak about when Ollie’s around. Last thing I want is for him to be hopeful that he can have a new mum here and that we can stay at Moonstruck Cove forever. He needs to always believe that we’re just having a long, fun holiday—that Manhattan is where we live. That’ll be easier on him when it’s time to fly back.

“When are we going to Joey?” he repeats. “I want to ask her how to draw swimming pool water.”

“Don’t you already know how to draw water? Joey already showed you, didn’t she?”

“Well, in the river, the water is moving. But in the pool, it’s not if no one is swimming. How do you draw water that’s not moving?”

I blink. How does a child as young as him even think of such a question? “I’ve no clue. Maybe you just colour the space light blue and not draw waves.”

He shakes an excited finger at me. “Great idea, Dad!”

“Why, thank you.” I beam at him.

“I’ll still ask Joey. ‘Cause she’s the teacher. Can we go now?Please?”

“Okay.” Perhaps it’s guilt that I’ll eventually take him away from a place he’s thriving in that makes me acquiesce. Plus, I do want to see Dimple because…

I find myself craving her presence even though she annoys the hell out of me.

How fucking crazy is that?

The town is still bustling from full-moon week crowds so I have to park a couple of blocks away from Moonstruck Chocolatier. I look around before climbing out of the car, and then I help Ollie get out. Hopefully, no one recognises us. If they do, I hope they won’t care.

Ollie holds my hand, skipping, as we walk down Main Street. That’s good. He doesn’t seem bothered by lots of people on the street. As for me, I can’t help but keep a close eye on who might be thinking of approaching us aggressively?—

Shit. I see a group of four from across the street pointing their phones at us while they talk animatedly amongst themselves.

And now they’re heading our way.

“Come on, Ollie, let’s get there faster.” I pick him up and walk with longer strides. It’s not that I’m worried about four people mobbing us, but they could make everyone else notice our presence. Being our first time out together barring that first day at Lover’s Hill, and the few steps we take from the car to Joey’s studio and vice versa, I’m not sure what to expect.

“Brax!” a woman’s voice boomed from one of the shops.

I turn my head and smile at the sight of the woman wearing more tulips than I’ve ever seen—from the fake tulips attached to the ribbons that tie her pigtails to the tulip patterns on her flowy dress and the tulip design on the sandals on her feet. I half expect her to also smell like tulips. Not that I can identify their scent.

But I have a lot of respect for Cutie, this town’s tourism guru who runs the visitor’s kiosk. She’s become one of my parents’ best friends, having been their guide to Moonstruck Cove living when they first arrived here.

“Come, come.” Cutie motions for us to follow her to the Oddities and Curiosities Shop next to her kiosk.

“Hey, Voovoo,” she says to the shopkeeper who, I might add, looks positively ancient. “Operation BO.”

The guy nods, grinning and jerking his thumb towards an internal door.

We enter a back room filled with all kinds of stuff precariously piled on top of each other, some rows reaching the ceiling. I hold Ollie tighter to avoid knocking something over. That could trigger a total disaster.

“What does BO mean?” I ask Cutie.

“Body Odour,” chimes Ollie.

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