Page 12 of Herbs & Hex-breaking

“Most folks mispronounce it, or make a joke,” I told her. “It’s pronounced: heh-KAH- tay. Emphasis on the second syllable.”

“Oh.” She tried the pronunciation herself.

Taylor paused from taking a sip of her wine. “I’ve heard some folks say the goddess’s name with a “tee” sound on the end.”

“The eternal debate,” I joked. “Which is why I simply go by Kate.”

Circe tossed her long hair over one shoulder. “Oh, and before you ask, Toni, no one has ever made fun of my name.”

“I bet not,” Toni said, dipping her breadstick in some marinara. “They probably figure you’d turn them into a toad.”

Circe wiggled her eyebrows in return. “Oh, honey, I can be much more creative than that.”

The conversation shifted to Halloween and how everyone was going to celebrate it. Taylor and Toni had a reservation for a ghost tour at the Sloss Furnace, and Circe and I planned to hand out candy at the front door of the shop, like we had since we’d opened almost two years ago.

“How ‘bout you Dex?” Taylor asked.

“I usually help Lorna with any trick-or-treaters, then I go up to my place and watch a movie.”

The rest of the evening passed quickly. Despite the fact that I was hyper-aware of Dex, I had a great time hanging out with everyone. Soon Taylor and Toni headed home, loaded with a box of left-over pizza that I’d given them. Circe gave me a one-armed hug and wandered toward the door, and Dex remained in the living room area, stacking plates.

I shut the door behind my cousin and went to take the plates from Dex. “You don’t have to do that,” I said.

He held them just out of reach. “Happy to help.”

With no other option, I let him hold onto the plates. “Thank you,” I said. “Please set them in the sink.”

“Okay,” he said, his shoulder brushing past mine on his way to the kitchen area.

My heart slammed against my ribs from that innocent and brief contact. Taking a deep breath, I raised up my energetic shields higher, with the intention of blocking him from reading my physical reactions.

Blindly, I went for the coffee table, giving myself a silent lecture on all of the ways my attraction to him was extremely inappropriate. He’s four years younger, I reminded myself as I stacked the empty boxes. He’s Lorna’s employee—Lorna is my friend. She adores him like a brother...and I’m being stupid.

Intent on my inner monologue, I straightened, turned, and then bounced right off him.

“Oof!” I said as we collided and the boxes went flying.

His hands went automatically to my waist to steady me.

“I’m sorry,” I said quickly, my eyes dropping to his shirt. “Did I get any pizza on you?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

There was marinara sauce splattered on his shirt. “You got splashed with dipping sauce,” I said, brushing at it.

“Kate, it’s fine,” he said.

“I can wash it for you,” I offered as I tried to wipe the sauce off his cotton shirt. “I bet I can get the stain out. Take your shirt off.” No sooner had the words left my mouth when I regretted them.

“Kate.” His voice was a low rumble.

Hearing his husky tone, my hands stopped moving. There we stood in each other’s arms, my hands pressed against his chest. As soon as I realized how intimate our position was, I snatched my hands back from his shirt so quickly that I overbalanced.

But I didn’t fall...because he kept his hands anchored at my waist.

“Why are you so nervous around me, tonight?” he asked.

I made the mistake of glancing up and meeting his eyes. “I’m not.”