Once we settled at the same table we had last time, we both sipped our espresso, just looking at each other. It was borderline ridiculous how besotted we probably looked.

She set her cup down, leaning her cheek into her palm, elbow on the table. “Thank you for next time.”

Licking my lips, savoring the taste of strong coffee and the sweetness of her, I replied in a low rumble, “No. Thank you.”

Her cheeks flushed pink, making me want to haul her across the table and kiss the hell out of her. I grabbed her hand across the table and brought her knuckles to my mouth, needing to taste her skin again. I was so greedy for her, I couldn’t help it.

“You know—?”

“Mateo,” came a familiar feminine voice. “What a nice surprise.”

Sandra stepped up to our table with her coffee in a to-go cup.

“Sandra.” I stood and gave her a quick one-armed hug. As usual, she was made-up and dressed to perfection. I caught Evie tugging the opening of my hoodie closed around her breasts.

“Sit down,” she insisted sweetly. “I didn’t meant to disturb you.” I did as she looked over at Evie, smiling brighter. “So good to see you again, too. I feel like I’m having déjà vu.”

“Me too,” said Evie with a little laugh. “Would you like to join us?”

“No, thank you. I have a hair appointment nearby and was just stopping in.”

Her smile remained bright and heavy on Evie, then she raised her eyebrows at me, obviously figuring out this was more than casual. I’d known Sandra a long time, and I’d never been serious about a woman. But you’d have to be blind or stupid not to see what was going on between me and Evie.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to disturb two young lovebirds like you,” she said, admitting she knew exactly what this was.

I couldn’t do anything but enjoy the rapid blush that flushed all the way down Evie’s neck, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Finally, I looked back at Sandra.

“You’re welcome to join us.” Then I shot Evie a wink. “Even if we’re behaving like two lovebirds.”

Sandra gave a little throaty laugh. “Not today, thank you. But I meant to ask if you’d finished my commission.”

“He did,” chimed in Evie enthusiastically. “And it’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Is it? I can’t wait to see it.” Her attention swiveled from Evie to me. “I’m home this afternoon if you wouldn’t mind bringing it over. I’ve been dying to get it set up in the garden.”

I thought a minute, realizing I’d be going crazy with nothing but Evie on my mind today. Might as well prep and package the sculpture for delivery, give me something to do.

“Sure. What time?”

She glanced at her watch. “I’ll text you later after my errands in the city if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.”

“I better be going then. Don’t want to be late for the salon.”

I stood and gave her a hug and cheek-kiss goodbye.

She held onto my arm and gave me a friendly squeeze. “It’s good to see you relaxed, Mateo. So happy.”

“Thank you,” I said with a nod. “Never been happier.”

She gave me another squeeze. “I’ll be in touch later.” Then she was gone.

As I settled back in my chair, staring at the beautiful, disheveled woman with sex-mussed hair across the table, I realized how unbelievably true that was. I’d never been happier.

Chapter 32

~EVIE~

“So what does the whole of these symbols mean? I need it reduced down to a word, Jules.”

We’d been poring over the symbols that we’d seen on Mateo’s skin the night we tried to break the hex, soaking up the information in the book Ruben had gotten for us, and discovered this was a live spell, which had to be handled differently than a hex. We knew that, but the book gave us a hint on what we needed. A counter-spell worked similarly to a hex in that you had to know its base purpose to channel its opposite in magic. As a Hex-breaker, I would still be the strongest of the six of us to spin the counter-spell and unravel this hold it had on Mateo. But we needed that key element for me to channel its counterpart and split it wide open.

Jules stared down at the book open in her lap. “Honestly, what I see are symbols of birth and death and eternity. What can that be reduced to?”

“Life, like the circle of life,” said Violet, sitting on the living room floor with Fred nestled in her lap. He was wearing a purple tie with little white dragons.

“The opposite of life is death.” I popped three peanut M&Ms in my mouth. “I can’t channel death,” I said while chewing.

“No,” agreed Clara, cross-legged on the couch next to me. “The bridge symbol isn’t a part of life. I think, altogether, it encompasses power. The power over all these things. Birth, the giving of life. Murder, taking away life. Eternity to go on forever. It’s about power, isn’t it?”

Jules nodded, listening with her head in the book, flipping to the back where it gave instructions on how to interpret and use witch sign. I opened my phone to the pic of Mateo that Jules had taken and sent to all of us to study.

I flinched every time at the look of pure rage on his face as he lunged for me. Shivering at the memory of it, my stomach twisted at what he might’ve done if Jules hadn’t stopped him. Not just because he might’ve hurt me, but because I knew he’d never forgive himself if he had.

“You’re forgetting the fourth symbol,” I said, zooming in on the pic of the symbol that only appeared once over his left pectoral. The other witch signs had been repeated, but there had only been one skeleton key symbol. “The key.”

“What door is this witch trying to open?” asked Violet. “Jules, read the definition again.”

Jules flipped back through the book and read aloud. “The key opens a doorway and can only be used in conjunction with other witch sign in a complex spell. The door is constructed by the witch. At the time a live spell activates, the key will bring the endgame to fruition.”

“Hell, it’s just a bunch of fucking nonsense. I need a break.” Violet stood, cradling Fred in her arms. “Going to make some sandwiches for lunch if y’all want.” Then left.

Jules heaved a sigh. “She’s right. I wish Marigold Lord didn’t speak in riddles. So we know this is a live spell that was put on Mateo. And there may be some sort of key that activates and completes the spell? That’s all I can get from it.”

“But what’s this witch’s endgame?” I asked, pissed off and frustrated.

Clara reached over and put her hand on my arm, giving me a gentle dose of patience with her magic. “This is frustrating, but we’ll figure it out.”

“Well, we’ve got three days till the next full moon, so not much time.”

The full moon was when the elements of magic were strongest. It was also the time of transformation, and since the main symptom of Mateo’s hex or spell, or whatever, still prevented him from transforming, we were sure this would be the best time to try the counter-spell.

“I think Clara’s right. This spell seems to revolve around control and power.”

“What’s the opposite of that?” I asked, still sounding a little disgusted, even though Clara’s magic was doing its job and calming me.

“You need to commune with your magic, Evie.” Jules gave me a look Mom had given me a hundred times with the same motherly inflection in her voice. “It’s intuitive. And this is your gift, not ours. You know how to do this better than any of us. Dig deep, and you’ll find the answer.”

The fact that Mateo’s well-being fell on my shoulders gave me a panic attack. I wanted to help him more than anything. I needed to.

“Come on.” Clara gave my arm a squeeze and hauled me off the couch. “Let’s go eat lunch, then you can help me stock the new shipment for Maybelle’s.”

Heaving a sigh, I followed her, even though something dark kept niggling at the back of my mind.

~MATEO~

Winding up the gravel drive between a line of solid oak trees, their trunks thick, limbs hanging down, I recognized where Sandra got her inspiration for her oil paintings. Even now with the sun beginning to set, the orange rays brushed along the trees like in her paintings, Spanish moss swayed in a gentle breeze. This place was beautiful. Peaceful.

Her plantation home reared up as the drive circled around to the front. In Greek Colonial style, it was a mansion set in a lush green setting. Sandra walked out the front door to one of the Greek columns and waved, smiling brightly. She wore a red-orange dress, the long, flowy skirt catching the fading light.

I pulled up and rolled down the passenger window. “Good afternoon. I have something for you.”

She laughed. “Hi, sweetheart.” Her eyes darted to the tarp-covered sculpture that was tied down in the back of my truck, excitement lighting up her face. “I can’t wait to see it.” She clasped her hands together.

“I hope you’re happy with it. But where are we going to put it? I’d like to back my truck up as far as I can go.”

“Oh, of course.” She leaned one forearm on the window ledge of the passenger door and pointed with the other. “Just back up between the azalea bushes. You won’t be able to go too far back because of the water fountain, but I have the perfect spot in my garden not far away.” She turned her bright smile on me. “I often paint in my garden, so she will keep me company.” Her gaze flicked to the back of the truck again.

“Sounds perfect. Let me get this backed up then.”

Swiveling around, I reversed between the azalea bushes along the side of the house that opened up to what appeared to be an extensive garden. I hopped out of the truck and quickly pulled down my ramp that I used for deliveries. Though she couldn’t see it yet, the sculpture was bungie-corded to a large dolly and laid flat in the bed of the truck under the tarp. I pulled the sculpture out, keeping the tarp over it for a big reveal, hoping Sandra would be satisfied with the work.