Pumpkin Spice & Poltergeist (Maple Hollow #1)

Willow shoved out of Wyatt’s grip, her face a new shade of crimson as she seethed at me. “I’d like to speak with my sister alone, please,” she snarled.

“Is now an inappropriate time to tell you you’re hot when you’re angry?” Wyatt whispered.

My sister shot him a look, and he folded in an instant. He looked at the witches, beckoned them with a hand, and they all turned to leave.

“Go easy on her,” Wyatt added as he headed out the door. “She didn’t know.”

I gave him a silent look of thanks even as I shrank an inch out of shame with every belabored breath I took. I looked up just as Jordyn averted her gaze from mine. I had a terrible feeling our date was off. Nothing like accidentally killing a local to ruin the mood. The witches left without any further comment and Willow just stood there, chest heaving until the door closed behind her.

“Wills, I’m sorry?—”

“You almost killed one of the oldest vampires in town!” Willow screamed so loud that people walking past the windows paused and stared.

“How was I supposed to know I could kill a vampire with nutmeg of all things? It’s ridiculous!” I shouted back. “Garlic, crucifixes, stakes, sure. You’re acting like I was trying to serve her a steaming mug of holy water! If anything, you should’ve prepared me for this.”

“So it’s my fault?” Willow snarled, looking like she wanted to punch a hole in the wall.

“No, I just mean that?—”

“Now all of the vampires will be boycotting my café. You have no idea how much you’ve just hurt my business! What if they get the demons to stop coming too?”

“Are demons allergic to anything?”

“This isn’t funny, Harlow!” she shouted, and I swore she was two seconds from having steam curl out of her ears. “I worked so hard to build this place, to gain the locals’ trust, and you come in here and in two days you fuck it up like you always do!”

I winced at that, her words stinging more than a slap in the face. My biggest fear was coming true right before my very eyes. I choked back the sting in my throat and the welling tears. The heat of embarrassment at being scolded mixed with the dread in my belly that she was going to send me away. I wiped away the streams wetting my cheeks.

Willow put a hand to her chest and took a steeling breath. “I’m sorry. That’s harsher than I intended, but for fuck’s sake, Harlow.”

“No, you’re right.” The words came out hollow. “I fucked everything up.”

“You’re on cleanup and kitchen duty for the foreseeable future. I will handle the customer side of things from now on.”

“You’re not kicking me out?” I asked, surprised.

Her eyes saddened. “No. I’m not kicking you out.” She offered me a half-hearted smile. “Not yet, at least.”

“I really am sorry.” I rubbed the chill off my arms. “You know the one good thing about me being around?”

Willow perked a brow and waited for my selling point.

“You’re more angry than usual.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “And that’s a good thing because?”

I winked at her. “Wyatt thinks you’re hot when you’re angry.”

Her blush flamed across her face as she threw the dish towel at me and strained not to laugh. “Shut up!”

She muttered to herself all the way back to the kitchen.

I chuckled and made to take a step to follow her when the doorbells chimed behind me. Jordyn peeked her head inside, and I had to stop my jaw from hitting the floor.

“Hey.”

I cleared my throat and straightened my spine. “Hi.”

Smooth, Harlow.