Joy took a deep breath and let out all the anxiety that had coiled in her gut, and suddenly she felt comfortable in her own skin again. She smiled to herself. The sea never let her down. She walked back up to the parking lot and pulled her phone out. She scrolled through her contacts until she found the one she was looking for and then hit Call.
On the third ring, Troy picked up. “Well hello there, gorgeous. I was wondering when I’d hear from you.”
Joy frowned. “Oh? You were waiting for me to call you?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Why not indeed? “I guess I just figured you’d call when you were done with your project. I didn’t want to bother you.”
He chuckled. “I’m never too busy for a gorgeous woman.”
Something about the way he’d said those words made her stomach sour. Had he been hooking up with models the whole time he’d been gone? She imagined he had. Why wouldn’t he? They weren’t dating. They hadn’t made any promises. He was free to do whatever he wanted.
“Joy? Are you still there?” he asked.
She cleared her throat. “Yeah. I’m here. Listen, I read that you’ll be in town this weekend, and I was wondering if you could do me a huge favor.”
“What is it?” he asked, sounding more than a little wary.
Joy didn’t waste time on preamble; she just let it fly. “Prissy Penderton has been harassing me about bringing you to her cocktail party on Saturday night. Apparently, the gossip rags have convinced her we are a couple. And while I was going to blow her off, I now have to make nice with her because there is tension on the set.” She grimaced at the way that sounded. “I’m sorry. I know that sounds like I’m using you. You don’t have to do this. I can find—”
“I’ll be there,” he said, cutting her off. “What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“Um, are you sure?” she asked, flustered. She really hadn’t been expecting him to be so willing to go with her to a spoiled actress’s party.
“I’m sure. Is seven okay? The gallery showing is until five.”
“Seven is perfect.” She smiled, feeling like something had finally gone right. “But I’ll see you before then. I can’t miss your show.”
He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “I’d like that.”
Her earlier feelings of unease had completely vanished, and she ended the call feeling lighter than she had in weeks.
Chapter Eight
“He’s fine,” Hope stressed, leading the way to the bluff overlooking the ocean.
“He didn’t sound fine,” Joy said, still uneasy about leaving Kyle by himself. When she’d gotten home from the beach, he’d been upright on his crutches, hobbling into the kitchen for some water.
At first, she’d been happy to see him up and around, but when she’d taken a good look at him, she noted that he was so pale he looked like he hadn’t seen the sun in weeks, and he’d had a sheen of sweat on his skin. She’d tried to force him back to bed with hot tea and a cool towel to mop up his skin. But he’d waved her off and insisted he was fine. That he couldn’t stay in bed for the rest of his life and that she should go out. He could take care of himself.
Joy had her doubts, but even though it killed her to leave, she’d respected his wishes. He was a grown man after all. Hovering and acting like he was dying was only going to send him back to his second-floor apartment, and that was something she couldn’t let him do. Not until he could walk again. Or at least when he was stronger.
“Yes, he did,” Hope said. “He just needed to hydrate and clean up. You’ll see when I take you home. He’ll be on the couch with the remote and your bag of salt and vinegar potato chips.”
“For once, I’d be happy to let him have my chips,” Joy said.
Hope laughed. “So that’s what it takes for you to share? A broken leg?”
Joy chuckled. “I guess we found my breaking point.”
The pair were still chuckling when they found Gigi and Grace sitting on a blanket surrounded by a large circle of flickering candles.
“Did you start without us?” Joy asked, taking in her other two coven mates. Grace had lost her shimmering blue suit and was now dressed in jeans and a formfitting T-shirt. Gigi, the newest member of their coven, was wearing black leggings and a flowy deep-purple top that was cinched at the waist.
“We only put out the candles,” Grace said, getting to her feet and hugging Joy. “We still need to uncork the wine.”
“I’m on it!” Gigi held two bottles up and grinned, her amber eyes glinting from the moonlight.
“Make mine a double.” Joy sighed as she sat next to Gigi and immediately found herself engulfed in another hug. The movement took her by surprise. Gigi wasn’t exactly the most touchy-feely witch in the world. Or at least she hadn’t been before, but maybe she was making up for it now that she’d joined their coven.
“How are you doing?” Gigi asked her. “Grace filled me in on everything. It’s a lot to deal with.”
“It is. But I don’t want to make this all about me. Kyle is going to be okay. He’s just out of commission for a bit. It’s really Harlow and Carly I’m worried about. I just wish I could do more for them.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Grace said, lifting her tote bag in the air for everyone to see. “And that’s why I brought supplies. We just need to decide which spell to try first.”
Joy raised an eyebrow at her friend. “Have you been researching spells, Grace?”
Grace grinned. “Why yes, I have. In fact, I spent all afternoon pouring over my books. After my showing today, I needed to do something to occupy my mind. Otherwise, I was going to pace and stare at the phone for hours, mentally willing my client to make an offer.”
“How did it go? Was he interested?” Gigi asked. “I can’t imagine he isn’t. That place is gorgeous. If I’d had that kind of budget, I wouldn’t have hesitated.” Gigi had recently moved to Premonition Pointe and had purchased a lovely, albeit haunted, home right on the beach. It wasn’t a compound with its own private beach, however.
“I could see you there,” Grace said with a kind smile. “It’s classic and yet, otherworldly, just like you.”
“That’s… really kind of you to say,” Gigi said, glancing away and looking a bit shy.
That’s new, Joy thought. Gigi wasn’t exactly a shy woman. She had a backbone of steel that had helped her bring down her abusive ex-husband.
“Anyway,” Grace said. “I just couldn’t get a read on the guy. I think he liked it. He spent a long time checking the place out, kicking the tires and looking under the hood, but he didn’t give me any indication of his intentions. I’ll just have to wait and see what he does.”
As Joy sat and listened to Grace describe her favorite parts of the house, she watched her. Grace had divorced recently, started a new job, and even had a younger boyfriend who was just perfect for her. She’d always been a strong, capable woman even before her husband left her for the office receptionist, but after she’d been on her own, she’d really blossomed. Now she was everything Joy always wanted to be—successful, independent, content, and in love with a man who adored her. Joy could have that, too, right?