Page 64 of Curses & Cold Brew
IRIS
It had been two weeks since Ramona had been called away. The longest two weeks of my life. When she’d left, everything between us had been so new, and with every passing day, little fissures of doubt crept in. Would she be the same when she returned? Would she still feel the same way about me?
The only thing that kept me from spiraling out was helping Jordyn. If it hadn’t been for her planning on proposing to Harlow, I would’ve spent all day rereading the brimstone-scented letters that appeared on my pillow each morning.
It felt like just yesterday when the café owner’s little sister had stumbled into our apothecary. I couldn’t believe a whole year had passed since I’d first seen that glimmer in Jordyn’s eye, like a veil being lifted away to reveal her brightness underneath. I had Harlow to thank for bringing out the best in her, for being not only an amazing partner to Jordyn, but a caring friend to me.
I felt the threads of time weaving around the frozen air as Jordyn and I stood in the gazebo, bathed in a halo of flickering candlelight.
Candles that had taken several hours to perfectly arrange and light, thank you and you’re welcome.
Memories of our friendship were everywhere. Chasing each other through the square as witchlings, our first crushes, carrying our crafts-laden backpacks home from witch summer camp, getting drunk on our first bottle of witch wine and doing a terrible job convincing the coven we were sober.
A lot of life had happened within this town square. And now, just like the moon we prayed to, the day had come when Jordyn was about to move into a new phase: fiancée, then wife.
Well, if Harlow said yes, of course.
“You’re going to wear a hole in the floor doing that,” I chastised, watching Jordyn make yet another short circuit across the well-worn planks. “Calm down before Billy makes us repaint it.”
“I can’t calm down.” She checked her watch. Again. “They should be here by now. Willow said three. Willow’s never late.”
“Yeah, but Harlow is. She probably just wanted to stay longer,” I tried to reassure her. “And Willow didn’t have a good enough excuse for getting her back here without telling her why. Everything is fine. Everything is going to plan.” The tension on Jordyn’s face eased only slightly.
I’d been training for this moment—calming down my best friend on the precipice of her engagement—my whole life.
“I’m freezing my ass off here.” Agnes’s shrill voice came from behind one of the bare maples just off the path.
“You all don’t need to be here!” Jordyn shouted back loud enough to remind everyone within earshot. “Why don’t you all just go home?”
“And miss this?” Rudy called from behind the shabby black rose bush, the last leaves clinging to its spindly orb. “Our Jordyn’s getting married. Besides, it’s notthatcold.”
“Easy for you to say,” Agnes threw back. “You don’t even have an ass.”
I stifled a giggle as a smattering of snickers rang out from all the different hiding spots. Randy and Dean had helped Rudy and I set up all the candles so they were—in theory—here for a reason. But the rest of the town had snuck into their positions once Jordyn and I had finished placing everything just so. A lit-up witch-hat gazebo was Maple Hollow’s Bat-Signal. Everyone came out of the woodwork when it was on.
“They’re going to ruin this for me, aren’t they?” Jordyn worried her lip, looking like she would burst into tears at any moment.
“It’s going to be fine,” I said in my most soothing tone. Lucky for us, I had just the thing to help ease the tension. “Do you want something for the nerves?”
She narrowed my eyes. “Why are you so chill?”
“I may have smoked some calming herbs before we came out here.” I snorted with laughter. “It’s a new blend. We’re going to be rich as thieves.”
“I thought I told you no dipping into the apothecary stash.” She pointed an accusatory finger at me. “And if you do, you have to share with me.”
Jordyn held out a hand, and I rummaged through my pockets, only to realize that I may have used up the last of what I’d brought while setting out the candles. To be fair, it had taken over an hour. Those wobbly bastards wouldn’t stay put—even with magic—and I’d lost track of myself with the repetitive motions.
“Sorry!” I pulled out the insides of my empty pockets. “Next time!”
Next time?As if she were going to get engaged again.
Jordyn rolled her eyes, but I knew she’d want to be mentally present for one of the most important moments of her life. Just then, Dougall came running down the road, his arms windmilling when he hit a patch of black ice. “Their car is justturning off Misty Lane! I repeat, their car is turning off Misty Lane! Less than ten minutes to go, people!”
With that, he fell into a pile of snow, eliciting a hushed gasp from the crowd surrounding us.
“And that’s our chief of police, ladies, gentlemen, fangs, and ghouls,” Jordyn muttered under her breath.
Dougall scrambled to his feet and dusted the snow off his uniform, then ducked behind the steps of the gazebo, not at all conspicuous. Everyone had the best intentions, but I could tell Jordyn was worried that someone would pipe up during her and Harlow’s big moment.
