Prelude to a Witch, Amanda Lee [ebook reader web txt] 📗

“If I thought you would actually do that, I’d be all for it. We both know you won’t run from a problem. You’re just ... tired.”

That was a fact. “Aunt Willa was here when I got home.” I’d left that part out of the story. She didn’t seem as important as the window ghosts. “She wanted to make a deal. She said if I could rein in the entire Winchester clan, she would make sure Brian and Rosemary didn’t bother us.”

“I think I can guess what you said.”

“I told her I didn’t want them in my town and I wasn’t going to do a thing to stop Aunt Tillie from exacting whatever revenge she cooks up.”

“That’s exactly what I would’ve told her.”

“What if they don’t leave? What if they stay here forever and we always have to deal with them?”

“Then we won’t let them affect our lives. Bay, they’re not important in the grand scheme of things.” He turned me so I had no choice but to meet his eyes. “All that’s important is us, and our family. They can’t hurt us.”

“What if they can?” That was the question that had been eating at me since they returned to Hemlock Cove. “Brian hates you. He’s going to mess with you, with your job. What if he gets you fired?”

“He doesn’t have that power. I’ve already told Steve what happened when you bought the newspaper. There’s nothing Brian can hold over us. My boss was impressed when I told him what I did. He thought it was funny.”

“There’s one thing Brian can hold over us.” I pointed at myself. “He knows we’re magical. He hasn’t figured it all out, but Aunt Tillie cursed him, like, three times ... including that one time she gave him spots on his you know what.”

Landon broke into a grin. “Ah, that was a fun day, wasn’t it?”

Now that he mentioned it, that was a fun day. “I’m still worried that Brian will do something terrible to you. I don’t trust him.”

“I don’t either, but we clearly have bigger things to worry about. The stuff with Brian and Rosemary will work itself out.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because I’ve never been happier in my life.” He nodded when I frowned. “It’s true. I have you, so I have everything. I will not let gnats derail our happiness. That’s all that they are. We’ll figure out what’s going on with them and get them out of our town.”

I wanted to believe him. “How can you be sure?”

“I’ve spent enough time with Aunt Tillie to know she won’t stop until she gets her way. She wants them out of Hemlock Cove. They won’t be able to stand up to the tidal wave of crap she sends in their direction.

“Are you really going to sit there and tell me that you don’t think she’s going to torture them until they capitulate and flee town with their tails between their legs?” he continued. “She’s your great-aunt. You grew up with her. You know darned well she’s going to win.”

I did know that. “It could get ugly before it gets better.”

“See, I think watching Aunt Tillie torture them sounds fun. Either way, she’ll win in the end. That means we’ll win.”

I pressed my eyes shut for a beat. “We should probably get ready for dinner. Your profiler will most likely be there when we get to the inn.”

Landon nodded. “I got a text from Steve. The profiler is en route from the airport right now. You’re right. By the time we get there, we’re going to have an entirely new problem to grapple with.”

“No matter who he is, or what he sees, he’ll be better than Willa and Rosemary.”

Landon didn’t look convinced. “We need to be careful, though.”

He was always bolstering me. “I really hope you’re right.” I gave him a quick kiss and hopped to my feet. “So ... blue?” I waved my hand before the shirt.

“Whatever you want.” His grin was devastatingly charming. “Just make sure there aren’t a lot of buttons so I can romance the crap out of you when we get home.”

I returned his smile. “Blue it is.” I paused a beat and then gripped his hand. “I really do love you. I hope you know that.”

“I really love you. That’s why I know we can get through anything. Nothing can hurt us as long as we’re together.”

I gave in and embraced the sentiment. I needed him to be right.

WE WALKED TO THE INN, LETTING OURSELVES in through the rear door. Aunt Tillie wasn’t in her usual spot on the couch watching Jeopardy, which had worry zinging through my stomach.

“I hope she hasn’t already found the profiler,” I muttered.

Landon smirked. “Listen, I know you’re worried that she’ll start spouting nonsense, but it’s going to be okay. It’s likely that a profiler would assume she’s senile before believing anything she says. I mean ... she wears a combat helmet and inappropriate leggings to ride her scooter around town.”

“She still likes to freak people out.”

“This is a town designed around witches,” he reminded me. “It’s possible this profiler will believe that Aunt Tillie is simply committed to her role.”

“That’s true.” I brightened considerably. “We are known for our dinner theater.”

“See.” He tapped the side of his head. “Now you’re thinking.”

We stopped in the kitchen long enough to talk to Mom and Marnie. They were toiling over dinner and mentioned my Aunt Twila was working the front desk. That was also cause for concern, so rather than stop in the library for a drink as we normally would, we headed to the lobby ... and found my worst nightmare taking shape.

Aunt Tillie, her combat helmet firmly in place and her pig Peg at her side, held up what looked to be a cross made from joined sticks — think very rudimentary Blair Witch Project artwork — and was facing down a pretty blonde in an expensive suit.

“We don’t want any of your Mary Kay,” Aunt Tillie announced. “Now, begone, demon!”

For