Page 7 of Kiss and Spell
“Where were you meeting your date?” she inquired.
“We agreed to meet on the boardwalk and dine at a place called Lighthouse,” Xavier said. He lifted an eyebrow at her. “Are you familiar with it?”
Ursula made a low sound in her throat. “They have good cake.”
Xavier grinned, seemingly satisfied with her response. Oh, she knew the Lighthouse restaurant very well. A heavy feeling hit her stomach as she recalled her last dinner there. Lincoln had proposed to her over the super-expensive ganache chocolate cake with golden flakes. She’d been so shocked by the pricey dessert that she almost missed Lincoln down on one knee holding out a huge sparkling ring. Her throat had dried up when she saw it. The diamond ring with its square cut and platinum band looked perfect, as if it had been taken straight from a jewelry ad.
You didn’t say no with a ring like that.
Ursula, too caught off guard to question whether she wanted to even get married right then, had automatically said yes.
You didn’t say no to a Walker.
A sense of foolishness stirred inside her chest. If only she’d known what the future held for them. She would’ve left the ring on the table and taken the cake instead. She would’ve saved them the trouble that loomed on the horizon. Ursula brought her attention back to the boardwalk. She stole a glance at Xavier’s profile. His firm mouth curled at the corner as if he was bemused by the world around him.
What a plot twist. The instant she’d declared to the universe that she was giving up on the fairy tale, fate threw a full-grown prince in her path. He hadn’t rolled up in a horse-drawn carriage, but he had managed to captivate her with a few lingering looks.
Once they reached the carousel, Xavier glanced over to the fancy eatery covered in twinkle lights next to it and nodded. “There it is.”
He turned to Ursula and pressed his free hand to his chest. “I would’ve been lost without you, my heroine.”
No way. A smartphone with a good GPS system could’ve rescued him from his dilemma.
“I’m only a humble boardwalk psychic on her dinner break,” she said, gesturing at her outfit.
By the carousel lights, his eyes seemed to shine with a humorous glint. “Give yourself more credit, Madame Caraway. I could’ve been swept up by a fae-eating dragon.”
“I gave you directions. I didn’t slay any dragons for you,” she said with a dry chuckle. “You would’ve found your way eventually.”
“Yes, but you made all the difference.” Xavier looked to the rose on his lapel. He unpinned it and offered it to her.
Ursula stiffened, unsure of what to do. Anguish filled her. A handsome fae prince was offering his rose. Wasn’t this how all the fairy tales started? She’d envisioned a romantic moment like this since she first read the story of the beauty who loved a beast. He gave her a small grin, the rose still outstretched in his hand.
Ursula pressed her fingers into her palm to keep from reaching for it. Accepting his rose would’ve taken her back to a place where she wanted to be worthy of such chivalrous, yet ultimately empty gestures. Ursula straightened and looked him right in the eye. Xavier was not her Prince Charming. He was here to meet a Cinderella, not a witch like her.
She set her chin in a stubborn line. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
His brow creased and a flash of surprise crossed his face. Xavier returned the rose back to his lapel and he licked his lips in thought. It was clear from his expression that the prince wasn’t used to anyone turning him down. She needed to leave before she explained what was going on with her. It wasn’t him; it was that she was taking a break from all princes. Then again, she probably wasn’t going to see him after tonight. He’d tell this story to Suddenly Cinderella over their appetizers and forget about Ursula by the time dessert came out. Tonight was the start of his fairy tale and the end of hers. In her heart, she wished him well.
Ursula stepped back. “Enjoy your date, Your Highness.”
“Good evening, Madame,” he murmured.
Ursula turned and went in the opposite direction, back toward downtown Freya Grove. She repeated the words in her head, like a chant: Remember the rule. No more fairy tales. The glowing carousel lights faded away as she strolled back to the shop. If this was the start of her journey, then she had to start on the right step. She and Xavier weren’t on the same page—they weren’t even in the same book.
Chapter Three
An hour and a half into his mystery date with Cindy Mendoza—the real Suddenly Cinderella—Prince Xavier Alder realized that he would’ve been better off lost on the boardwalk with his flowers. The longer he listened to her talk about life goals, the clearer it became that they were not compatible. Cindy had a zeal for life. She reminded him of a hummingbird zipping from flower to flower looking for a taste of nectar. He, on the other hand, had to recharge every day like a five-year-old laptop battery just to have regular interactions with most people. Everything about this date, from the food to the low lighting, was perfect, but he knew this match wasn’t going to work out.
It wasn’t her; it was definitely him.
Cindy, with her bubbly personality and beauty influencer, ring-light-ready looks, was lovely. She taught theater to freshmen students at Meadowdale College. Pride shone in her eyes when she spoke about helping others explore the stage and express themselves. As she talked about the importance of finding the perfect monologue for your voice, Xavier’s spirits sank.
Had he ever loved anything as much as she did?
He enjoyed his plants. Xavier tended to the royal greenhouse and worked with his mediation clients in the Faerie Realm, but his true passion eluded him. His search for bliss was on hold until he could sort out his magically inclined problem. Xavier studied Cindy over the crisp linen-clothed table and sparkling water glasses. Her earrings were dangling smiling suns. Next to the ray of sunshine that was Cindy, he felt like the world’s biggest rain cloud.
What made Whitney believe that they’d be compatible?