Page 45 of Cursed Luck
She slid her phone into the pocket of her jeans and walked to the back after looking for any potential customers. Mia grabbed a chunk of dried marshmallow root from a cabinet and broke off a piece. Shutting her eyes, she dropped it in the far corner and sprinkled dirt over it.
“Restituere,”she said as she envisioned Edward.
Her phone vibrated the moment she opened her eyes. She took it out and saw his name, and a sharp pain struck her in her chest before she sent him to voicemail. It was only a matter of time before he showed up, and she would use it to prepare.
Mia chose instead to dig into her first love—her plants. Customers came and went as if she had not been gone, a few asking about her absence. In between, she made a list of things she needed to complete later to have the shop back to normal. She was eager to bake and decided to find a new gluten-free recipe she could provide.
When the door chimed, she called, “Welcome to Mia’s Flowers. Let me know if you need any help!”
“You’ve just helped me, now tell me what happened.”
Mia’s head flew upward at the sound of her mother’s voice. “Mom? What are you doing here?” she asked, hurrying to round the counter. They met in an embrace, and she realized it was exactly what she needed after restoring in the woods.
“Well, a mother just knows when it’s time to come home. Now tell me what happened. You didn’t answer my call and then we realized you’d gone to heal.”
“Hi, baby girl, glad to see you in one piece. The shop looks amazing!”
She chuckled and curled into her father’s embrace. “Missed you, Daddy,” she muttered into his chest, soaking in his musky and earthy scent.
Her mother gasped, and they turned to face her. “What, Momma?”
“You met your soul mate,” she announced. “And you didn’t think to call and tell us?”
Her eyes rounded before she glanced around the shop and muttered, “Traitors.”
“Do not become upset with them,” her mom said, speaking of the plants. Her mother had not only the affinity for earth but the gift of communicating with them too. It was how she had hoped to find the living fairies they whispered of.
“You don’t deny it?” her father asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
Mia sighed and curled further into his embrace. “It doesn’t matter.”
Her mother clucked her tongue. “Why don’t we go grab some tea from that little café we love so much—”
“No!” she yelled before clearing her throat and trying again. “No, I’ve been gone for a few days, and I can’t close. Why don’t I show you upstairs, and—”
Her father was pulled from her arms, and everything that followed went so fast, she could barely process it. Edward’s angry face took her in a moment before he pulled back his fist and directed it at her father.
“Get your hands off of her!”
Her father sidestepped the punch, and Edward stumbled forward. “Excuse me? And who are you?”
“Oh,”her mother said, a hand flying to her mouth. “You must behim!”
Edward took them in, his chest rising and falling with each labored breath. His magic reached toward her, and she felt its pulse. Mia watched him closely, seeing as everything came together. It hurt to see him again, but it also soothed her in the most confusing way.
“Mia?” he whispered as her parents flanked her.
“What are you doing here, Edward?”
“Edward? What a lovely name,” her mother said.
Mia stopped her eyes from rolling in time as she sucked in a breath. His delicious scent wafted toward her, trumping all the others. Her thighs pressed together, and her breasts ached as arousal surged within her treacherous body.
“When my voice came back, I wanted to see if you were back. Where the hell did you go? I was so damn worried, and all Ethan would tell me was you were okay,” he said, rambling.
“Who’s Ethan?” her mother asked.
“My brother,” Edward replied.
