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

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 love 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