3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

T he front door to the bakery flew open, nearly slamming into the wall behind it. Olivia jumped back, fully expecting the person who caused the commotion to announce some kind of terrible news.

Instead, her friend Parker came running in and made a beeline for the counter, her usually flawless light brown hair disheveled from running and her bright hazel eyes glowing with mischief.

Parker was a good friend of Jill’s, and Olivia had grown close to her over the years. Parker, like Olivia, was Mexican-American and her family had really taken Olivia under their wing, teaching her aspects of her heritage she never had the chance to learn while growing up in foster care with exclusively white families. Parker’s family also owned the inn in town and they really helped out while Olivia and Jill were learning how to run their business.

“Jeez, what's with you?” Jill asked.

Parker rushed to give the details. “There's a hot guy!” she proclaimed, loud enough for the whole bakery to hear.

“Yeah, Parker, there are lots of them,” Olivia said. “There are more than a few billion people in the world at last count.”

“Haha, very funny,” Parker said with a roll of her eyes. “I meant here, in Addersfield.”

“Oh. Well, that is interesting. He must be new in town. There’s no way you would be this frantic over someone we already know. Unless that someone suddenly got better looking overnight,” Jill said as she leaned against the counter, eyes wide and waiting for more details.

Parker rolled her eyes again. “Yes, it’s a new guy. Way to ruin the moment, Jill.”

“A new guy in town? What's he doing here?” Olivia asked, a sense of foreboding tingling at her spine.

“He’s staying at the inn,” Parker announced, her face breaking out into a big smile again, her eyes bright and shining. “I checked him in this morning, actually.”

“What?!” Olivia and Jill yelled but with vastly different tones. Jill was clearly thrilled. Olivia, however, was completely panicking. Her chest grew tight and her palms were now slick with sweat.

Her friends were obviously delighted, if their loud squeals of joy were anything to go by. But what did they know about this guy? What did anyone know about him?

No one moved here unless they were a witch or knew someone who was, like Olivia had. Everyone else had been born and raised here. The town’s founders, three witches and their families, had placed a protection spell on the town. You could not find it unless you already knew it was there. So, this new guy had to know about the existence of magic and witches. Which meant he had to know someone in town.

Olivia did not trust people she didn’t know. She had never been good at that. Kids did not exactly want to hang out with the girl who walked funny and who weird things happened around. She now knew that those occurrences, shattering a glass when she was angry, pulling a book from the top shelf without a ladder, being able to grow flowers out of season, were her magic making itself known. But at the time, everything was so confusing. Add to that the fact that she never had a permanent home and she had been a very skeptical little girl. Her trust was hard to earn and even harder to keep.

She had learned long ago that letting people in meant they could hurt her. If she liked the family she was placed with, they were sure to give her up sooner rather than later. If she made friends with the new kid at school, they eventually noticed she wasn’t like all the other kids and that her disability could be limiting, so they preferred to make friends with the more popular kids. So, she was always careful who she let into her life.

“He’s a writer from New York. Or at least that’s what it said on the paperwork,” Parker said, sitting down at the counter and looking mighty pleased with her bit of gossip. She was always a fan of a good story and this definitely made for one.

“How did he end up in Addersfield?” Olivia asked.

“He didn’t say. But he did say he was writing a book and that he needed a change.”

“And that doesn’t seem strange to you? He should not have been able to get in unless he already knew the town was here. But this guy turns up out of the blue, claiming he’s here to write a book. Did he say anything about magic? Or maybe that he knows someone here in town?”

“He did not,” Parker said, her voice rising in pitch as her eyes narrowed. “But we do get the occasional visitor from time to time.”

She shook her head. “Right. But he would have to know someone here. So, he’s lying.”

“Or maybe he just didn’t want to tell a stranger all of his business,” Jill said.

Why was she the only one that seemed really concerned here?

“Oh my God, that's him!” Parker yelled, moving to the window to gape at the guy. Olivia stayed put, not liking the idea of spying on someone like a teenage girl with a crush.

But Jill did not give her a choice, pulling her by the hand over to the window. They probably looked very strange to the customers.

“You guys are being ridiculous; you realize that, right?” Olivia said, looking at her friends instead of staring outside.

“Maybe,” Jill said. “But he does make for quite a view.”

She finally looked outside, and her eyes landed on the one stranger walking along Main Street.

She froze.

She took him in, totally unprepared for the sheer attractiveness of this man. He was dressed in all black and was tall with dark hair and the shadow of a beard gracing his face. Even from here, he seemed to ooze confidence, like nothing and no one, fazed him. Who knew that kind of attitude would turn her on? Holy shit.

She was about to turn away when he shifted closer to the window, making room for an older couple walking the other way and she caught sight of his eyes, striking and bright; it was as if she had looked into those impossibly blue pools countless times. Her hand raised of its own volition as if to reach for him, when he suddenly glanced their way. She jumped from the window and out of sight, not wanting to be caught ogling the guy.

How embarrassing would that be?

Unfortunately, her friends had absolutely no sense of self-preservation. They continued to stand there gaping.

“Oh crap," Parker muttered. “What do we do?”

“Just smile and wave, kiddies. Smile and wave,” Jill said.

“Aww, looks like he’s going into the grocery store,” Parker lamented. “I was kind of hoping he would come in here.”

So was I . Olivia cringed. There was no way she could be interested in this guy, no matter how good-looking he was. His presence in town could pose a threat to everyone’s safety. One video recording of magic, and suddenly it’s all over the news and they’re being studied like animals in a zoo.

“I could go get him if you guys want,” Parker offered and Olivia's heart clenched at the prospect.

“No worries, friends,” Jill said. “All we have to do is have Parker suggest he stop by the bakery the next time she sees him at the inn and then we can get to know him a little. Maybe do a little harmless flirting. Find out exactly why he’s in town.”

She was happy to hear she wasn’t the only one curious about this guy’s intentions.

“Oh, good idea!” Parker agreed, clapping her hands together. “I'm sure Draven would love to visit some places around town.”

“Draven?” Olivia asked, brow furrowing. The name did not exactly roll off the tongue.

“Yeah," Parker said with a grin. “Draven James.”

His name hung between them, and Olivia tried to think of a way to change the subject. But she came up empty. She was too distracted by her frenzied feelings and shaking hands. Why the hell was she so affected by him? They hadn’t even met, and she absolutely could not be attracted to this guy. But those eyes. She could drown in those eyes.

“Wait! He’s coming this way!” Parker yelled.

Her face was suddenly hot. Was her hair a mess? Did she have flour on her nose? Why the hell did she even care?

Shit. She could not stop fidgeting.

“Breathe, Liv. You need to breathe,” Jill said as the two of them moved back behind the counter.

“Shut up, Jill.”

“I’m just saying, you look like you’re about to have a heart attack.”

“Will both of you shut up?” Parker said, still standing by the window stifling a laugh. “Here he comes.”

The bell over the door sounded, signaling a new customer.

Don’t look. Don’t look. Do not look.

He walked up to the counter, stopping right in front of her.

She looked up.

His eyes, so intense and focused, seemed as if they could see into her soul. Words. She should be making words now.

“Hi!” Jill practically yelled. “Welcome to Sugar Spells Bakery. You must be Draven.”

He glanced towards Jill, his brow furrowed in confusion. “Yes, how did you—”

“Oh! That was me,” Parker said as she ran over to stand next to him. “Sorry! It’s just like I said. We don’t get a lot of visitors around here. So, you are big news.”

Olivia cringed. Could they be any more small town if they tried? Now he knew for sure they had been talking about him. Was it possible to die from embarrassment? She really should say something. Pretend like the three of them absolutely were not just ogling him through a window.

He laughed. “I see. And you are?” he asked, quirking a brow at Jill.

“I’m Jill. Jill Montgomery.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Jill. But I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed. I’m not that exciting.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Jill muttered.

Dear God. They were ridiculous.

“Anyway …” Olivia finally said, trying to keep the grimace off her face. “What can we do for you, Draven?”

He was looking at her again. But this time, she was determined to keep her cool. He was just a guy. A very hot guy, sure, but just a guy nonetheless.

He smiled at her, all crooked grin and perfect teeth, his pale-pink lips plush and inviting. This was a guy who knew what he wanted and exactly how to get it.

His lush, obsidian hair stopped just above his ears and the light scruff on his chin only added to the sexual charm rolling off his countenance. She glanced down the length of his strong forearms, at his black T-shirt exposing corded muscles. She spied a dark tattoo etched onto his right shoulder peeking out from underneath his sleeve.

“I didn’t catch your name.”

Keep it together. “Olivia. Olivia Ayala,” she said with a wave. “Jill and I actually own the bakery.”

“Is that right? Well, I was on my way back from the beach, when I saw this place and realized I could use a cup of coffee. I haven’t had my customary second cup yet.”

“Sure thing. Small? Medium? Large? Would you like a latte? Cappuccino? Frappuccino? Mocha? Espresso?”

She was rambling now.

He laughed again, a deep rich sound as smooth as honey. It sent her imagination running wild with thoughts of his lips on hers. His hands in her hair. That rough and raspy voice whispering her name. It sent her blood pounding and her heart racing.

Shit. Where the hell had that come from?

“I’ll take a large black coffee, thanks.”

She grabbed a cup from the counter behind her, filling it to the brim with their house roast, before capping it off and handing it to him.

His hands were soft and warm. The hands of a writer. That’s what Parker said he did, right?

“Cream and sugar are just over there to the right.”

He nodded and then proceeded over to where she had indicated. Once his back was turned, Olivia faced her friends, both of whom were watching her with rapt attention.

“Holy shit,” Jill mouthed as she fanned herself.

“Go talk to him,” Parker whispered.

“No. What would I even say? Hey, you need help tearing open that sugar packet? No. He probably already thinks I’m ridiculous.”

Parker rolled her eyes. “Oh, he does not. We want to know what he’s doing here, right? So, keep him talking. Go over there.”

“No. You do it, Parker!”

Jill groaned. “Oh, for the love of God. Hey Draven,” she called out.

He spun around, cup of coffee raised to his lips. “Yes?”

Jill grinned. Olivia knew that look. She was up to something. "You know Olivia was just working on a batch of brownies,” she said. “They're probably almost finished if you—”

Olivia cut in. “No, I don’t think those are ready yet,” she said through gritted teeth, shooting a glare at Jill. She could see Parker biting back a grin.

Olivia had added a little spell work to this particular batch of brownies. It just so happened to be a spell encouraging honesty, a request from a customer who was convinced their partner was cheating. The plan was for the customer to serve the brownies to their partner and then ask some very pointed questions. Normally she and Jill did their best not to use magic like this on someone without their consent, but Olivia knew for a fact this person had cheated. Parker had seen them going into a room at the inn, with someone who was definitely not their partner. Apparently, there was lots of groping and kissing as well, before they even made it to the room. Not exactly discreet.

She was going to get Jill for that one.

Draven walked back to the counter, stopping directly in front of her again.

Olivia pointed at the display. “How about a donut instead? I know it’s a little late in the day. But you can never go wrong with donuts and coffee.”

“Sure. I’d love one. Glazed, please.”

She grabbed a bag from beneath the counter. “Parker said you were in town to write a book? What’s it about?”

“History, mostly.”

A writer from New York coming here to write a book on history? Surely he could come up with a better lie than that?

“Really? What kind of history?”

He shrugged. “Family history. Sort of a biography.”

Family history. Maybe he did know someone from here? But then why not just come out and say so?

She narrowed her eyes. “Why would you pick here of all places to write it?”

He looked away. She took the moment to grab a donut from the case and place it in the bag.

His eyes returned to hers. “Well. I sort of just stumbled on the town and it seemed as good a place as any.”

He was lying. She did not dare risk a glance at Jill or Parker to see if they had caught it. But he was 100 percent lying. He knew the town was here and he knew about magic. The question was, how much did he know? And what exactly was he doing here?

“That was lucky. Parker mentioned you’re from New York? Seems like quite the drive to write a story.”

“I wanted a change of pace. Hoping to gain some clarity.” He smiled like he was trying to put her at ease.

Her cheeks heated.

Shit. She was trying to play it cool. But the man was definitely charming.

“Well, I hope you’re not too disappointed. Not much happens around here.” She shrugged as she handed him the bag. “Let me know if I can help with the book in any way,” she said with a smile she was sure did not reach her eyes.

If he hadn’t known she was suspicious before, he probably did now. Her friends always said her face was like an open book.

But maybe that was a good thing in this case. Let him think she was onto him. Make him sweat a little.

“I uh … I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.”

He waved to both Parker and Jill before heading out the door. He didn’t look back at her.

“Did you guys catch that?” Olivia asked.

“Oh yeah,” Jill said, nodding her head.

Parker spoke up. “He said basically the same thing to me when I met him earlier. He’s definitely up to something. I’ll talk to my abuelita about it. Maybe she’ll have some insight.”

“Let’s make sure the book is safe, just in case,” Olivia said quietly. “We don’t want any surprises.”

They both nodded in agreement. This book contained spells from every generation of witches that had lived in this town. As the most current generation, it was their job to keep it safe. Olivia took that responsibility seriously. She would not be taking any chances where Draven was concerned, no matter how cute he was. The man had no right to have a jaw that chiseled. And the stubble on his face? How might that feel against her skin?

Shit. Down girl. You only just met the man .

“You have to admit it though, that man is gorgeous,” Parker said with a grin.

Olivia groaned. “So not the point.”

Draven laughed as he walked out of the bakery and crossed the street, heading to the grocery store. He’d meant to go before but the bakery had caught his eye.

Olivia and her friends obviously had no idea he could hear them talking while he was fixing his coffee.

It wasn’t like he was trying to eavesdrop or anything, but the whole bakery had gone eerily quiet when he walked in. The chatter only started up again when he was walking out the door. Thus, every person in the place had been able to hear not only his conversation with Olivia but also allowed him to hear the subsequent “whispered” conversation between the three friends.

From what he gathered, Olivia was suspicious of him, while Jill and Parker seemed to be focused more on his romantic prospects. Funnily enough, the fact that Olivia found him suspicious was something he found incredibly endearing. It meant she had good instincts. As a journalist, he certainly could not fault her for that. But it also meant he needed to be careful. If even one person got too suspicious, his whole plan could be compromised and he certainly could not have that. Not only was he doing this for his mother, but he had basically staked his career on this exposé. He’d uprooted his life for this.

He would not let one suspicious person ruin that for him, no matter how gorgeous she was.

If the situation were different, he might have considered starting something with her. She intrigued him with her flowing brown hair that just kissed the top of her shoulders, the kind he could easily bury his hands in as he kissed her full, dark-pink lips. Not to mention those eyes, so sharp and assessing, but still warm at the same time. She was just his type.

As he browsed the shelves of the grocery store, clutching his cup of coffee and donut in one hand, her face flashed in his mind. What was she thinking right at this moment? Was her suspicion merely based on the fact that he was a stranger? Parker had said they did not get many visitors. But maybe there was more to it than that—something he wasn’t seeing.

Stopping in the bakery was a spur-of-the-moment decision. It wasn’t like he needed a third cup of coffee. He definitely did not need a donut. But something had compelled him to go in. If he didn’t know any better, he would think it was the magic that existed in this town.

He couldn’t be sure, but he suspected that the lovely Olivia used magic in her bakery. As soon as he walked in, he noticed an odd scent in the air, like burning wood mixed with sugar and vanilla and he spotted the two different cases of baked goods. He didn’t get a good look, but one case appeared to list ingredients under each option, like the makings of a spell, small things that screamed magic.

“You must be the new guy everyone has been talking about,” someone said to Draven as he made his way down the cereal aisle.

He glanced over to see a man with a broad smile and kind-looking eyes. He would guess they were around the same age; Draven having just turned thirty.

“Yeah, that would be me.”

The man extended his hand. “Malcolm Montgomery. I own the store.”

“Draven James, resident new guy,” he offered as he shook Malcolm's hand. “So, the gossip is already in full swing, huh?”

“Oh, most definitely. But don't worry, it gets easier. When I first got here a few years back, the talk was pretty constant. But eventually it fades. Hey, maybe you'll get lucky, and someone else will move here soon.”

So much for keeping a low profile.

“What brings you to Addersfield?”

“I'm hell-bent on becoming a cliché, of course,” he said with a smile.

Malcolm laughed. “My wife said you were funny.”

“Your wife?”

“Jill. She works with Olivia over at the bakery.”

“Oh, right. Wow. I literally just came from there. This really is a small town.”

Malcolm nodded. “It is and my wife loves to gossip. I’m guessing she texted me as soon as you walked in. New people are big news around here. But you get used to it. Actually, we all have weekly dinners together. Me, Jill, Olivia, and a few other people. On Wednesdays. Maybe you could come this week?”

He was torn. On the one hand, it might be an opportunity to get more information about the town and he couldn’t pretend it wouldn’t be nice to see Olivia again. But he also did not want to get too close to anyone.

“I appreciate the offer. But I think I’d like to get settled in first. Maybe next time, though?”

“Sure thing. Anyway, I gotta get back to work, but if you ever need anything, I'm around."

“I’ll remember that, thanks.”

“Good, because Addersfield it’s … special. Things will come up and when they do, I'm an excellent listener.”

Were people around here always this friendly? First, Olivia offered her help and now Malcolm was inviting him, a complete stranger, to a family dinner just two days from now. People being this welcoming was definitely going to take some getting used to and in his opinion, is a bit na?ve on their part. But it certainly had the potential to make his job that much easier.

If these people wanted to help him dig their own graves, who the hell was he to say no?