The Professor Woos The Witch
Her mouth was open, and it seemed like she’d started to say something. Instead, she snapped her jaw shut, pushed her chair back, put her napkin alongside her plate and stood. “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.” Then she walked into the kitchen.
Corette’s brows lifted gently. “I guess this is news to all of us.”
He sat there, feeling about as awkward as could be. “I thought she knew…”
Marigold snorted softly. “Nope.”
He looked at his father.
Jack shrugged as if to indicate this was one more reason not to get involved with Pandora.
“Excuse me.” Cole got up and went after her.
She stood in front of the sink, staring out the window.
“Hey, I thought you knew this whole thing was temporary.”
She frowned and kept her gaze straight ahead. “Clearly not, but you don’t owe me an explanation.”
“I feel like I do.”
She finally turned toward him and smiled, but it was too bright and didn’t reach her eyes. “You don’t. And, really, this just makes things easier, doesn’t it?”
“Pandora, it doesn’t mean—”
She put her hand on his chest. “Yes, it does. I’ll help you with the house, and I’ll help you with Kaley as much as I can, but it would be silly to pursue anything between us. You’re a math professor. You understand being practical. And you and me? We’re not practical.” Her smile wavered. “And I don’t do casual.”
He took a step back, his gut coiling like he’d been punched. “You’re right.” His voice sounded flat. It matched how he felt. But then, what had he thought? Well, he’d thought she’d grasped he wasn’t here for good. And he’d thought she was okay with that.
The fact that she wasn’t…sucked.
She turned back toward the window. “I’d like a moment alone now, thanks.”
He knew when he’d been dismissed. “Okay.”
He went back to the table. The joyous energy that had been in the room earlier was gone, replaced by whispers and long looks and tension. All of it caused by him. He made himself smile as he took his seat. “It’s all good.”
Corette and her daughters smiled back like they knew that was a lie but they understood.
Jack reached for the bread. “Excellent meal, Mrs. Williams. Haven’t had home cooking like this since my wife passed.”
Another lie, Cole thought, but one that smoothed things out and restarted the conversation. He stared at his plate, not quite able to join in. He’d hurt Pandora. He hadn’t meant to, but he still felt terrible about it. Maybe she was right, though. Getting involved was risky for both of them.
He’d spent this long not being anyone’s familiar. He could certainly live the rest of his life the very same way.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marigold pick up the wine carafe and mention something about refilling it. She got up and headed for the kitchen. He hoped she was going to talk to Pandora. Comfort her. Commiserate with her. All that stuff that sisters did.
That gave him some peace. If he couldn’t be the one to fix things, at least she had her family to lean on.
The truth was, he didn’t feel that great about leaving now. It was the plan he’d made and it was the path that made the most sense. Leaving his job wouldn’t be a practical or smart decision. He was working on tenure after all. And his dad was in North Carolina too. The only other family Kaley had.
But he also saw how much Kaley liked it here. He didn’t exactly hate the place. Sure, it was hands down the oddest town he’d ever been to with the strangest inhabitants, but he was one of those strange inhabitants now.
The other thing that bothered him was leaving meant disappointing both Pandora and Kaley. That made him sad. Neither one deserved to be hurt like this. And he didn’t like being the cause of that hurt. But what were his choices? Practical things were practical for a reason. They made the most sense.
At least on paper.
He took a drink of his wine and tried to feel better about the whole thing.
He failed.
A wave of nausea hit Pandora with enough strength to make her close her eyes and hold on to the counter. She’d made a huge assumption about Cole. This was her mistake to get over, not his. Of course he had a house somewhere else. He was a professor on sabbatical. Had she thought he just moved himself and his daughter around the country willy-nilly?
No. But she had thought he would stay. Especially with Kaley being a witch and needing a mentor.
How wrong she’d been.
And how could she hurt this much when she’d known him only a few days?
Because she was being ridiculous, that’s how.
She took a deep breath and tried to exhale the shock as she stood up a little straighter and gave herself a strong mental talking-to.
Snap out of it. You’re acting like a silly teenager. You just met this guy. You’re not in love with him or anything. You just feel drawn to him because he’s a familiar and you’re a witch with wonky magic. That’s all.
Soft footsteps filled the kitchen, followed by Marigold’s voice. “Hey, are you okay?”
Pandora did her best to keep her voice steady. “No. And it’s absolutely stupid of me to feel like this.”
Marigold put a wine carafe on the counter, then slipped her arm around Pandora’s waist. “It’s not stupid. You like him, and you just found out he’s basically a tourist. A long-term tourist, but still. Whatever you’re feeling is perfectly okay.”