Tanner took his feet off the coffee table and sat up. “Why that . . . did he hurt you?”
Skye waved him off. “So we go out for a drink and he knows everything that’s been going on at the shop. And he says there’s a way to meet the fairies. I think he may even be one for all I know.”
“You’re tellin’ me,” Tanner’s words were slow and disbelieving, “this Kheelan’s a . . . a . . . fairy?” He laughed. Deep throaty laughs that had him sucking air and almost falling off the sofa. “Good one.”
Skye glared at him. “Not a fairy in the way you mean it.”
“You can’t be serious.” Tanner tried to stop laughing.
She gave him her best stony-eyed stare.
“The dude’s just making a move on you. He sees you working in that kind of store and came up with a scam to wow you.”
“He’s not making it up. I saw the fairies myself.”
That shut him up. Skye explained about the hagstone.
“Let me see that thing.”
She dug it out of her purse and he went to the window and lifted the stone to an eye. “Nothing’s out there.” Tanner faced her again, holding out the hagstone.
“Aim it at that oak tree across the street.”
He sighed and lifted the stone again. “I’m tellin’ ya, all I see is a tree.”
“Give it here.” Skye grabbed it, looked through the opening, and frowned. “But they were there last night.”
Tanner shook his head.
“Really, I’m not making this up.”
“He filled your head with a load of crap and you got so excited you thought you saw something. Understandable. You’ve always been a sucker for that wacko stuff.”
“Tanner Hamilton Adams, you’ve been around weirdness before. Your family is in the same coven as mine.”
“Man, you had to throw out my full name. And the witch stuff too.” Tanner shook his head in mock dismay and then grew serious. “I left all that witch business behind in Piedmont. Never wanted anything to do with it. Coming to college was my ticket out.”
Skye cocked her head to the side and studied him. So she wasn’t the only one trying to start fresh and leave high school behind. “I can’t imagine not having any magic in my life. I’m not much good at it, but it’s a big deal to me.”
“Yeah, well, I had hoped you’d change your mind. Not that it’s a deal breaker.”
“Deal breaker? You lost me.”
Tanner shifted his large body and rubbed his hands on his jeans. “I’ve been trying to tell you ever since I came in.” He took a deep breath. “About the other night. You kinda took me by surprise. I’ve thought about it and, uh, if you’re still interested, maybe we should give it a go. You and me, I mean.”
She couldn’t speak, could hardly breathe. “Seriously?” she managed in a strangled voice.
He took her hand, pulled her onto his lap. “Seriously.” Tanner leaned in and kissed her.
Just like that.
The moment she’d fantasized about all through high school was finally here. . . .
. . . And she wasn’t feeling it. At all.
Try harder. Skye put her hands on the sides of his face and deepened the kiss.
Good goddess, still no spark. It was almost like kissing her brother. Ewww . . . as if. Skye opened one eye, curious to see Tanner’s reaction—only to find him staring back at her. They drew apart at the same time.
Neither spoke. The silence pulsed between them, heavy and awkward. This was not the way she imagined the kiss going down. “It’s not working is it?” Skye asked, her smile rueful.
“Whew.” Tanner melodramatically wiped a hand across his brow. “Glad I wasn’t alone there. This totally sucks, ya know.”
“I know.” She squeezed his shoulders playfully. “Guess we’ve been friends too long for this to work. I must have been blind not to see it before. Do me a favor and don’t breathe a word of this to Michael.”
Tanner drew a line across his lips as if zipping them closed. “This never happened.”
Skye got off his lap and sat beside him. Tanner tousled her hair and gave her his familiar, easy smile. They both leaned back and put their feet up together on the coffee table. Just like old times – only better.
“I’m still worried about you,” he said. “When it comes to you and anything magical, well, it can be train wreck. Remember that time in fifth grade when you did a spell on your pet turtle?”
She laughed. “All I asked for was to make it extra special for show-and-tell.”
“A pink turtle with orange polka dots was pretty special,” said Tanner. “I’ll never forget the look on Ms. Simmon’s face when you took it out of the shoebox.”
“I got in so much trouble. She called Mom and warned her of the dangers of toxic paint on animals. Mom changed my turtle back to green when I got home and told me not to ever do another spell until I was old enough to do it right.”
“But you didn’t listen.” Tanner shook his head. “Poor Greg. You may have scarred him for life.”
“Ouch. Again, all I only wanted him show a little interest in me.”