Prelude to a Witch Page 14

  Willa barely blinked at his greeting. She was used to people hating her — or at least that’s how I rationalized it — so she wasn’t surprised at Landon’s vitriol. “I’m here to discuss how things are going to be moving forward.”

  Aunt Tillie, still smarting from Mom stealing the tacos from her, glared at her half-sister. “You want to discuss how things are going to be?” She was incredulous.

  “That’s right.” Willa bobbed her head. “I’m living in this town, too, at least for now. I won’t be leaving anytime soon, so you’re going to have to adjust.”

  “Yeah, I don’t adjust.” Aunt Tillie glared at Mom. “Give me those tacos.”

  “No.” Mom’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but even though she wasn’t in the mood to deal with Aunt Tillie she looked anything but thrilled by Willa’s appearance. “As for you, Aunt Willa, I don’t believe we invited you into our home.”

  “I don’t have to be invited. This is a business.”

  “That’s not true,” Landon countered as he pulled me against him. He was shielding me, protecting me from Willa. “It doesn’t matter if this is a place of business or not. It’s not a public building. We can refuse service to anyone we want, including you.”

  Mom’s grin was wide until it landed on Landon, and then she looked conflicted. “I’m with Landon.” She shuffled closer, giving him a wary look, and then pressed her hand to my forehead. “How do you feel?”

  “I’m confused,” Hannah said from the other side of the table. “I thought this was all part of the dinner theater.”

  “It was,” Landon replied. “Bay just hurt herself because she was too enthusiastic with the performance.”

  “Yes,” I agreed dryly. “I love good dinner theater. Sometimes I love it so much I get overenthusiastic.” Aches and pains were beginning to make themselves known but I held it together. “I’m fine.”

  Hannah didn’t look convinced, but she said nothing.

  “I’m taking Bay home,” Landon insisted to Mom. “I’m going to get her in a warm bath and ... just talk to her about how she doesn’t need to get so enthusiastic with her performances.”

  Mom could read between the lines. “I think that’s a fine idea. I can send some food home with you.”

  Landon hesitated and then glanced at me. He wasn’t one to turn up his nose at food. “I’m not all that hungry,” he said.

  I made a face. “I killed your appetite. I always thought that was impossible.”

  He shot me an amused look. “You didn’t kill my appetite. You simply postponed it until tomorrow morning. Unless ... are you hungry? I can take food home for you.”

  I wasn’t hungry. I knew his appetite would eventually return, though, and there was nothing for him to eat in the guesthouse. “Maybe take a few burritos home to heat up just in case.” I forced a smile.

  “Good idea.” Landon watched as Mom placed four burritos into a plastic bag, all the while keeping one ear on Aunt Willa and Aunt Tillie as they sniped at one another behind his back. His expression darkened as he regarded them. “Don’t come back here, Willa,” he ordered as he slipped his arm around my waist. “There’s no reason for you to be here. You don’t have a claim to this property. The owners don’t want you here. You’ve officially been warned. I’ll arrest you if you come back.”

  Aunt Willa’s eyes filled with fire. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “I would and I will.” Landon was firm. “I’m not the only one.” He inclined his head toward Chief Terry. “You don’t belong here, Willa.” He led me toward the door, pausing long enough to pin her with a glare. “The only reason you came back to Hemlock Cove was to torture your family because you think you’ve been cheated.”

  “I have been cheated,” Aunt Willa insisted. “I grew up on this property, too. I was cut out of the will.”

  “The property went through the matriarchal lines. You weren’t Caroline Winchester’s daughter.”

  “I was cheated,” Aunt Willa insisted louder. “You all banded together to cheat me.”

  “As long as you take no responsibility for your part in this, we’re at an impasse.” Landon’s voice was chilly with resolve. “Nobody wants you here. And, yes, I’m talking about Hemlock Cove, not just this inn.

  “You’ve joined with an individual who also wants payback, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you’ve decided to work together because you somehow think that will help you win,” he continued. “I have news for you. Brian is not going to win.”

  “You stole his grandfather’s newspaper,” Aunt Willa insisted.

  “No, he tried to hurt Bay and the town banded together to stop him,” Landon shot back. “He did this to himself. You’re doing it to yourself right now. I don’t want to hear a single word when this blows up in your face.”

  Aunt Willa worked her jaw. “I think there should be ground rules for what’s to come. That’s the only fair thing in a civilized society.”

  “Oh, no.” Landon made a tsking sound with his tongue as he wagged a finger. “You’ve done this to yourself. If you wanted ground rules, you should’ve stayed away. Instead, you invaded our turf.”

  “That’s a little dramatic,” I noted in a low voice.

  He ignored me. “Now you’re on your own, against Aunt Tillie.” He mock shuddered. “May the Goddess have mercy on your soul.” He accepted the bag of burritos from Mom and shepherded me to the door. “We’re going home. We’ll be back for breakfast. I’m sure my appetite will have returned by then.”

  “I’ll have the bacon waiting,” Mom promised.

  “Great.” Landon cast one more look toward Aunt Willa. “Quit while you’re ahead. You can’t beat Aunt Tillie. If you leave town now, you can save face.”

  “I won’t ever lose to that woman again,” Aunt Willa insisted.

  “Then you deserve whatever she dishes out.”

  Aunt Tillie’s smile was a little too “cat that ate the canary” for my liking when I risked a glance at her. “You’d better start running now, Willa.” She reached over to snag a taco, clearly riding high on the threat.

  Thwack.

  “Stop it,” Aunt Tillie demanded, fury filling the room. “I need my strength if you want me to take Willa down.”

  “Then change your leggings,” Mom growled.

  “I’ll die in these leggings,” Aunt Tillie warned. “You’re just making me more determined.”

  “Then you’ll die extremely thin,” Mom shot back.

  “I hate this family,” Aunt Tillie muttered.

  “Join the club,” Willa fired back.

  I pushed the argument out of my head as I let Landon drag me through the inn, my eyes drifting to the windows as we passed. The shades — if that’s what they were — seemed to be able to do what they wanted in darkness. The light drove them back. Was that important? Was it a coincidence?

  “Do you want to eat burritos in the bathtub with me when we get home?” I asked.

  Landon’s lips curved. “Actually, I want to dote on you and act like a mother hen.”

  The fact that he could admit it was progress, although it didn’t sound all that entertaining. “I prefer the burrito and bath therapy.”

  “Maybe we can figure out a way to split the difference,” he said.

  “Compromise.” I bobbed my head, groaning when an ache went up my spine. “We’re getting good at that.”

  “We are.” He helped me into the passenger seat of his truck. Apparently we were leaving my car in the lot overnight. All I really wanted to do was soak away the aches and pains. He stood at the open truck door and studied my face. I understood what he was thinking.

  “It’s okay,” I reassured him. “There’s no reason to get worked up. I’m fine.”

  “That’s not what I was thinking.”

  “What were you thinking?”

  “I love you.”

  I waited for him to expand, add a “but” somewhere at the end. When he didn’t, I traced my finger down his cheek. “I lo
ve you. I really am okay.”

  “No, you’re achy and in pain, and I need to take care of you. That’s only part of it.”

  “What’s the other part?” I asked.

  He grasped my hand tightly in his. “I can’t live without you, Bay.”

  “I guess it’s good you don’t have to.”

  “I just need you to remember that.” He rubbed his finger over my engagement ring. “It’s you and me forever.”

  “I know.”

  “And probably Aunt Tillie because she’ll likely outlive us all.”

  “Mostly us, though.” I flashed a smile.

  “We need to fix this. You obviously can’t control these ghosts like you do all the others.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Then we’ll figure it out.” He leaned forward and pressed a firm, lingering kiss to my forehead. “I’m going to take care of you the rest of the night and I don’t want to hear a single complaint about it.”

  “I can manage that.”

  “Good. Then we’re going to bed. We’ll start strategizing in the morning.”

  LANDON GOT IN THE BATHTUB WITH me for a bit and then left me to soak. There were no burritos, which meant he wasn’t hungry, almost unheard of for him. I filled the tub twice to keep the water hot before drying off and climbing into fuzzy sleep pants and an oversized T-shirt. Upon exiting the bathroom, I heard voices in the living room.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Landon insisted. “You’re talking crazy.”

  Who was he talking to? Then I heard the other voice and froze.

  “She’s magical, Landon,” Hannah insisted. “You can deny it, but I know you know. It’s not as if she’s the type of person who would keep something like that from you.”

  My heart lodged in my throat. I recognized in the library that Hannah was suspicious, but I didn’t think she would go this far. She’d come to our home and put Landon on the defensive. That wouldn’t end well.

  “It’s a town of fake witches,” Landon said. “I can’t believe you’re actually suggesting this.”

  “Are you really going to sit there and lie to my face?” Hannah demanded. “I’m not an idiot. There’s no way she flew against that wall with the force she did without magical intervention.”

  “You should hear how you sound.”

  I licked my lips, debating, and then walked out of the bathroom. Landon stood about five feet from the front door, his arms folded across his chest. The look on his face could’ve set the world ablaze.

  For her part, Hannah was calm. She hadn’t adopted an aggressive stance, but the set of her shoulders told me she wasn’t going to let this go.

  It was time to take a leap of faith.

  “I’m a witch,” I announced.

  Landon growled as he turned to face me. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

  “Because I just got out of the tub and heard voices.”

  “Bay ... .” He looked caught. It was rare he didn’t know what to do. It might’ve been funny under different circumstances, but I hated the fear etched across his face.

  “I’m pretty sure she already knew, Landon.” I padded into the room and fixed Hannah with a curious look. “You were trying to get me to admit it in the library.”

  Hannah nodded. “You weren’t ready. After what happened during dinner, I figured I couldn’t just let it go. What’s going on here?”

  I gestured to the chairs. “You should sit. I know I’m going to. My back hurts.”

  Landon immediately moved between us, taking his place at my side. His hands were on my back, rubbing, before I finished sitting. “This is a bad idea, Bay,” he muttered. “A really bad idea.”

  He was likely right, but there was nothing I could do about it. Denying what I was would only further Hannah’s suspicions. We needed her on our side. “She knows. We have to deal with it.”

  “We do.” Hannah flicked a curious look to Landon. “I’ll be honest here. I never thought you’d end up with a witch.”

  “Love is love,” Landon replied, his hands busy on my back. “I don’t care what she is. She’s ... Bay. I had no choice but to fall in love with her.”

  Hannah’s smile was warm. “That’s really sweet. I was just telling Bay this afternoon that you’d grown quite a bit since last we met.”

  “I don’t know about growing,” Landon hedged. “I’m a different man than I was before meeting her. She made me a better man.”

  “I think you were always a good man. She’s definitely made you more observant and accepting. I applaud that.”

  “I love Bay,” Landon said. “I know you still have a crush on me, but it doesn’t matter. She’s it for me.”

  I pressed my lips together and stared at the ceiling. His ego was out of control sometimes.

  “I think I’ll survive,” Hannah said dryly.

  “She’s a lesbian,” I whispered to him, shaking my head as his eyebrows drew together. “Her girlfriend’s name is Adrian ... and you’re coming across like an idiot.”

  Landon frowned. “You’re a lesbian?”

  Hannah nodded. “I am. Still, if I was going to have a crush on a man at this point in my life, I guess it might be you. I hope that helps.”

  “Not really.” Landon slid his eyes to me. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

  “You seemed to like the fact that you thought she had a crush on you. I didn’t want to ruin things for you.”

  “You could never ruin things, but I do feel like a bit of an ass.”

  I patted his knee. “Welcome to the family.” Now that the Hannah’s purported crush had been put to rest, I focused on her. “Are you going to tell the higher-ups at the FBI what I am? If so, I’ll deny it.”

  “I’m not telling anyone,” Hannah reassured me. “It’s nobody’s business. Besides, the odds of them believing me seem slim.”

  “What are you going to do?” Landon asked. “I mean ... this changes things from your perspective.”

  “It does,” Hannah readily agreed. “It makes things easier. Bay can help me. I figured there was something odd here when I saw the runes. The fact that there are real witches hiding amongst fake witches explains a lot.”

  “We don’t know what’s going on,” I said. “We don’t have the answers you’re looking for.”

  “We can work together to find them.” Hannah cocked her head. “What did you see tonight?”

  “I don’t know what they are.”

  “You were researching shades in the library.”

  “That’s our best guess. We don’t know that we’re right.”

  “Well, it gives us a place to start looking.” Hannah slowly got to her feet. “You two obviously need some time alone to ... regroup. You’re going to want to talk about the fact that I know. I want you to know that I would never tell your secret. You’re not the first witch I’ve come across, though I’m careful who I acknowledge that to because I don’t want to look like a loon.”

  Now I was curious. “Where have you met another witch?”

  “Just like I won’t tell your secret, I won’t tell hers. Just suffice it to say that I’m more open to the paranormal world than you might guess. We need to compare notes, but it’s late and you’ve had a rough night. I’ll leave you two to each other. We can talk tomorrow.”

  I nodded. “I’d like that.”

  “We’ll talk,” Landon agreed. “You should know, I’ll die to protect Bay. If you’re lying about keeping her secret ... .” He trailed off.

  Hannah said, “I know trust has to be earned. You can trust me.”

  “I guess we’ll see.”

  15

  Fifteen

  I moved with hesitancy upon waking the next morning. My back ached a bit, but the bath salts I’d thrown into the tub had done their job and I wasn’t feeling nearly as rough as I feared.

  “Take a minute,” Landon murmured, stirring next to me. His fingers lightly trailed over my back. “How do you feel?”<
br />
  “I’ve been through way worse than last night.”

  “That wasn’t what I asked.”

  “I’m okay, a little sore. Nothing to worry about.”

  “Oh, right.” He let loose a raspy chuckle. “If only that were true.” He placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Be honest with me. Do you think you would do better if you stayed in bed all day?”

  “Are you staying with me?”

  “If I thought that would work, I would call in sick.”

  “No, you wouldn’t.” That was laughable. “You would never rest during a murder investigation. Frankly, I’m insulted you’d try to run that nonsense on me.”

  He rubbed his jaw with the hand that wasn’t working on my back. “You’re right. But you can spend the day in bed. I’ll even pick up breakfast and lunch for you like a good husband-to-be.”

  “You’re already a good husband-to-be.” I carefully rolled on to my back and stretched my arms over my head. I did feel better than I expected. “I can’t back away from this any more than you can.”

  “Fine.”

  “I’m not trying to upset you.”

  “I said it was fine. I didn’t really expect you to stay in bed, but one of these days I’m going to get my way on this.”

  “Once this is behind us, we can both schedule a day to stay in bed. I’ll even cook for you so neither of us have to leave the guesthouse.”

  “Don’t threaten me.”

  I propped myself up on one elbow to stare down at him. “I can cook.”

  He snorted.

  “I can,” I insisted. “Just because I choose not to cook, doesn’t mean I can’t. I grew up watching my mother and aunts cook.”

  “You have many fine qualities, including beauty, sweetness and a keen mind. But you burn toast.”

  I was offended. “Maybe I like dark toast.”

  “Burnt. Not dark, burnt.”

  “I still maintain our toaster is faulty,” I grumbled, studying the ceiling. “What are we going to do about Hannah?”

  “You opened that door. I was perfectly content pretending that you weren’t a witch.”