Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mystery Box Set Page 5

  Landon heaved out a sigh. I had filled him in on Chief Terry’s announcement during the drive back to the newspaper, and it was obvious he was already annoyed with the topic. “Have you met her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Really?”

  “I met her when she came to place an ad for the yoga studio,” I replied, haughty. “She was picky and annoying. The ad had to be perfect.”

  “She was putting something in the newspaper that reflected her business. I can understand the inclination.”

  I absolutely hated it when he was reasonable, especially when the situation called for a dramatic reaction. “Listen ... .”

  “No, you listen,” Landon shot back. “I know you’re upset because you assumed Chief Terry would date your mother — or maybe an aunt — once you gave him the go-ahead, but that’s obviously not what happened. He’s allowed to have a life that’s not of your choosing. You’re being ridiculous.”

  “I am not being ridiculous.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “I’m not,” I persisted, fury oozing from my pores. “I’m simply trying to explain why I think Chief Terry dating Melanie Adams is a bad idea.”

  “Fine.” Landon held open the door so I could exit ahead of him. “Tell me why this woman you’ve met once is so very bad for the man you wanted to date your mother.”

  His tone was grating. “I didn’t want him to date my mother.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  “I don’t really care what you believe,” I shot back, my infamous Winchester temper on full display. “I didn’t say I wanted him to date my mother. I didn’t say he had to date someone in my family. It’s just ... .”

  “That’s what you expected him to do,” Landon finished.

  “I didn’t expect him to do it.” I recognized my petulance when I realized my arms were crossed over my chest and my lower lip was jutting out. I adjusted my stance immediately. “I thought he wanted to do it.”

  Landon’s expression softened. “You wanted him to date your mother so he would always be your second father. I get it.”

  “What’s wrong with that?”

  “Nothing, from your perspective. From his perspective, it’s possible that he wanted something else. He’s obviously attracted to this Melanie Adams. I can’t comment on her because I’ve never met her.”

  “She’s evil.” I drew my eyebrows together. “I bet he’s dating her because she can bend like a pretzel. He probably thinks that means she can do freaky stuff in bed.”

  Landon was clearly caught off guard by the remark because he choked on his own laughter. “Oh, is it any wonder that I love you?” He grabbed my hand and squeezed. “Bay, you’re being ridiculous. Chief Terry is a grown man and he’s allowed to date who he wants.”

  “Have I said otherwise?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, he’s not supposed to date Melanie Adams.” The rational part of my brain understood that Landon was right. I was being ridiculous. I had been so convinced that Chief Terry would start dating my mother that I didn’t allow myself to consider anything to the contrary. “I don’t like her.”

  “You don’t know her.”

  “I still don’t like her.”

  “You’ll change your mind.”

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because you love Chief Terry,” Landon answered simply. “You want him to be happy. If he got up the gumption to tell you he was dating this woman that means he’s willing to take the relationship public. That means he’s already been dating her, and probably for a bit because he wouldn’t risk introducing you to her unless he was serious.”

  “Do you think that makes things better?” Something occurred to me. “Wait ... you didn’t know he was dating someone else, did you? You guys are all buddy-buddy. You bump fists and do that ‘women are crazy’ eye roll thing when you think no one is looking. Did you know he was dating the pretzel chick?”

  Landon snickered. “I didn’t know ... and you’ve got to stop calling her the pretzel chick. If you’re not careful, that’ll catch on.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “You care.” Landon tested the lock to make sure it held and then gestured toward the Explorer. “You cannot live Chief Terry’s life for him. You can’t make decisions about what he should do, who he should care for. You’re not the queen of his world.”

  “I should be.”

  “You can be the queen of my world. Every queen only has one kingdom, so ... you need to let it go.”

  “What if I can’t?”

  “You have to.” Landon refused to back down. He only dug his heels in when he was convinced he was right. That made me wonder if perhaps I was wrong ... although it was something I didn’t want to consider.

  “I didn’t expect him to pick someone outside my family,” I admitted after a beat. “I thought, even if he didn’t pick Mom that he would pick Marnie. I didn’t think he would pick Twila because she’s too scattered. I thought for sure we would be seeing more of him.”

  “And now you’re worried that you’ll see less of him,” Landon said. “I get it. The thing is, you might find that you like Melanie Adams if you give her a chance. Instead of losing a member of your family — which won’t happen no matter how you fret — you might gain someone you like. Have you considered that?”

  “Not for a second.”

  “That’s what I figured.” Landon opened the passenger door of his Explorer so I could climb inside. He placed my computer bag by my feet and watched as I fastened my seatbelt. “You’ve got to get control of your feelings, Bay. Getting all worked up over Chief Terry won’t help the ghost situation.”

  “I’m not worked up,” I protested. “I don’t know why you think I am.”

  “Because I’ve met you.” He pressed a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I’m taking you to the diner for dinner. Before you start arguing, there are two reasons I think it’s a good idea.

  “The first is that I want you to calm down before getting the rest of your family riled up about Chief Terry’s dating situation,” he continued. “It seems like a good idea given how you guys fly off the handle. The second is because I want you to focus on controlling your new ability in a public setting. The diner is as good a place to start as any.”

  I immediately started shaking my head. “What if Mike shows up?”

  “Then you’ll know you’re not exerting enough control.”

  “But ... .”

  “No.” Landon cut off further argument with a headshake. “I don’t want to put you at risk, but you have to start working on this. Putting it off won’t help anybody, least of all you.”

  And he had another point. Drat!

  “Fine.” I exhaled and narrowed my eyes. “If this goes badly I’m blaming you.”

  “I can live with that.”

  “YUP. I’M DEFINITELY blaming you.”

  The annoyance I thought I’d put to rest upon leaving The Whistler roared back full force when I walked through the door of the diner ten minutes later and the first thing I saw was Chief Terry sitting at a table with the pretzel chick.

  Landon, who should’ve been quaking in his boots, merely smirked. “I have the worst timing ever. Sometimes even I’m baffled about how things backfire on me.”

  “We should go to the inn.”

  “No.” Landon pressed his hand to the small of my back and directed me toward a cozy booth in the corner. “This will be a good test for you.”

  The only thing he was testing was my patience. “I don’t like this,” I hissed as we drew closer to Chief Terry’s table. “I don’t want to talk to her.”

  “Well, you’re going to.” Landon pasted a bright smile on his face as he slowed. “Wow. This is a happy meeting of the minds.”

  Melanie’s expression was quizzical as she flicked her eyes to us. I took a bit of satisfaction in the fact that Chief Terry’s cheeks flooded with color as he cleared his throat — he clearly wasn’t expecting us — but he was
all smiles when he met my gaze.

  “I didn’t realize you guys were going to be here,” Chief Terry said. “I thought you would head out to the inn for dinner.”

  “Four nights a week with Aunt Tillie is my limit,” Landon supplied. “We’re catching a quick dinner here and then heading home.”

  “Yes, well ... .” Chief Terry cleared his throat. “Sorry, I’ve forgotten my manners. Melanie, this is Landon Michaels. He’s an FBI agent stationed out of Hemlock Cove. And, of course, I believe you’ve met Bay. She owns The Whistler.”

  “Of course.” Melanie, her strawberry blond hair smooth and in place, beamed at me. “You were a reporter when we met. I came into the office to place an ad. You had to help me because the normal girl wasn’t there. This was right before you purchased the business, so you were busy. You probably don’t remember.”

  It was a struggle, but I found my voice. “I remember you.” Landon’s insistent hand on my back reminded me that I should smile, even if I didn’t mean it. “It’s nice to see you again. I wasn’t aware that you spent much time in Hemlock Cove.”

  “I split my time between here and Traverse City,” Melanie explained. “The yoga studio is halfway between both, so I usually end up in Traverse because it’s bigger and easier to get the things I need. I find Hemlock Cove charming, though.”

  “Yes, it’s all kinds of charming,” I said dryly.

  We lapsed into uncomfortable silence. Melanie was the first to break it.

  “Terry tells me that he’s extremely close with your family,” she said. “I understand that he spent a lot of time with you and your cousins when you were children. I’m glad we finally got a chance to meet in a social setting.”

  “He did spend a lot of time with us,” I agreed, fighting the urge to show my teeth. I had no right to be territorial, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. “He took us fishing ... and for hikes in the woods ... and he got us a dog for Christmas one year ... and a fairy house ... and he made us a tree house ... and a bunch of other stuff.”

  “Wow! That sounds great for you guys.”

  “It was.” I pressed my lips together to keep from exploding. “He was the best.”

  As if reading the change in my demeanor, Landon slipped his arm around my waist. “We should probably sit. We’ve had a long day. Bay needs sugar and carbs if she’s going to keep going.”

  “You could join us,” Melanie offered.

  “No, we don’t want that,” Landon said hurriedly. “You’re on a date. We’re on a date. That could get awkward.”

  Definitely awkward, I internally agreed.

  “Then we’ll have to get to know each other later,” Melanie insisted, her eyes snagging with mine. “Terry talks about you all the time. I feel as if I already know you.”

  That was funny, because she was a virtual stranger to me. “Sure. I’m always at the newspaper office. You can find me there.”

  Landon kept me pinned to his side as he led me toward the booth, lowering his voice so only I could hear. “That was pretty good. You didn’t explode and choke her or anything, so I’m considering that a win.”

  “She seems nice.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, but it didn’t feel like the truth either.

  “She does seem nice,” Landon agreed. “I think, if you allow yourself, you’ll like her. Just give yourself a few days to get used to the idea.”

  “Yeah. Sure. In three days all those things I imagined happening for years will completely disappear. Three days will fix everything.”

  Landon sighed. “Bay.”

  I held up my hands in capitulation. “No, you’re right. I’m being a total baby.” I didn’t say the words merely to placate him. I felt them deep down, and I wasn’t proud of myself. “Tell me about what you found at Mike’s house this afternoon. That seems like a safe subject.”

  Landon snorted. “Yes, talking about a murder victim seems so much safer than talking about Chief Terry’s date.” He winked as he sat across from me and grabbed the specials menu from the center of the table. “They have prime rib.”

  I’d always wished I was the sort of person who couldn’t be comforted by food. But my mother and aunts were kitchen witches, so there was no chance of that. I knew better than drowning my sorrows in food.

  “They have chocolate cake, too,” I noted, perking up a bit. “I know what I’m getting.”

  “That makes two of us.”

  “SO, HOW LONG DO you think it will take to go through all of Mike’s files?” I asked an hour later as I cut into my mountainous slice of cake.

  “I don’t know,” Landon replied, an equally large slice sitting in front of him. “He had quite a few clients. Some were former clients. I’m not even sure where to start. We need to wait for a warrant before we’re officially cleared to go through the files, and I’m not sure when it will come through because the regular judge is on vacation and the sitting judge has a full plate.”

  “Do you have a time of death?”

  “Between midnight and two.”

  “Hmm.” I ran the information through my mind as I shoved a heaping forkful of cake into my mouth. I swallowed before continuing. “That’s late, but not too late if he had an overnight guest.”

  “Did he mention having a girlfriend?” Landon asked. “I didn’t see signs that he had a regular overnight friend.”

  “What are the signs?”

  “An extra toothbrush in the bathroom. Space carved out in the closet and drawers. Chick stuff in the bathroom.”

  “Like tampons?”

  Landon smirked. “Like lotion ... and frilly body spray ... and makeup. You know, all that stuff you have in our bathroom that takes up seventy-five percent of the space.”

  “I think it’s sexist to call it chick stuff.”

  “You can flog me later.”

  “I just might do that.” I stretched out my legs until my feet found his under the table, pressing the soles of my boots against his and causing him to smile. “You’re right about Chief Terry.” I’d made a point not to stare at the police chief and his date throughout the meal. I couldn’t completely refrain from staring, but I managed to cut it down to the point I looked only once every sixty seconds. “I wanted him to do things my way. That’s not fair. I just thought he wanted things to go my way, too.”

  “He may have at one time, Bay.” Landon’s face filled with sympathy. “Years ago, he might have wanted to try with your mother, but he changed his mind because he realized he was really in love with you, Clove and Thistle. I’m sure he’ll tell you the truth if you ask him.”

  “I don’t want to ask him.”

  “Because it’s too much right now on top of everything else,” he surmised. “I get it. Once you’ve calmed yourself, I think you might like her. She seems desperate to like you.”

  “Yeah. That’s not normal.”

  “No?” Landon cocked an eyebrow. “For all intents and purposes, he’s your father. That means you’re his daughter. Of course Melanie wants you to like her. If you don’t, she’ll get the heave-ho.”

  His words bolstered my spirits. “Do you really think so?”

  “I didn’t say that to make you turn evil.”

  “I know. I was simply wondering if you think that’s true.”

  “I do. I also think you should put Chief Terry’s needs ahead of your own on this one. He’s done the same for you for decades. I think you owe him one.”

  Ugh. I hated it when Landon was rational. Just once, I wanted him to channel my family and fly off the handle for no good reason. “Fine. I’ll be nice to her.”

  “Good.”

  “That doesn’t mean I’ll be best friends with her,” I warned. “I mean ... she’s my age. Chief Terry is dating a woman my age. That’s creepy.”

  Landon made a face. “She’s in her forties.”

  “Close enough.”

  “She’s closer to your mother’s age.”

  “Are you trying to tick me off?”

  He snickered. “I
can see now is not the time to push this further. I think we’ve hit the end of the road as far as conversation this evening. Do you want to go home and do something else?”

  “Something other than talk?”

  “Yes.”

  My cheeks warmed at his suggestion. “You have a dirty mind.”

  “I was talking about watching Netflix.”

  My mouth dropped open. “You were not.”

  Landon’s smile was mischievous. “I guess we’ll have to go home and find out, huh?”

  I looked away from him.

  “Come on.” He held out his hand. “I’ll get the check. Let’s put this day behind us and focus on tomorrow. It’s a new day ... and we’re both going to have a lot of work to do.”

  “That sounds like a plan.”

  Five

  To prove a point, Landon turned on Netflix the second we got home. I changed into comfortable knit pants and a T-shirt and found him on the couch rather than in bed.

  “Are we seriously watching television?”

  Landon shifted his eyes to me. He was dressed in boxer shorts and a T-shirt, clearly opting for comfort. He lifted the blanket so I could snuggle next to him. “It’s not even nine yet. We’ll see where the night takes us.”

  “This is kind of domestic,” I noted as I rolled onto the couch next to him.

  Landon tucked the blanket around us as we got comfortable. “That’s the whole point of living together, isn’t it?”

  “I thought it was so we could be wild and crazy.”

  “Do you want to be wild and crazy?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I thought you wanted to be wild and crazy.”

  “What I want is for you to take a breath,” Landon countered. “You’ve had a long day. I thought maybe we could talk about a few things.”

  Instantly my antenna went up. “What things? Oh, man. Are you going to lecture me about my reaction to Melanie Adams? If so, I don’t want to hear it. I already know I’m being a baby. We don’t have to talk about it.”

  “Melanie Adams is the least of my worries. You’ll do the right thing where she’s concerned.”