Witching For Grace: Premonition Pointe, Book 1

by Chase, Deanna

  James threw Gigi over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry and started to run out of the house.

  Magic sprang to Grace’s fingertips. Before she could think too hard about it, she rushed after the couple and grabbed James’s arm. Her magic shot into him like a bolt of lightning, causing him to immediately let go.

  Gigi fell from his shoulder, and Grace was sure she was going down, but something—or someone—caught her and settled her on her feet.

  “You bitch!” James turned his ire on Grace as he reached for her, his eyes red and wild with anger. “No one interferes with me and my wife. No one. Got it?”

  Fear and sheer determination coiled in her gut, and before she even knew what she was doing, Grace launched herself at him, her hands outstretched. But before she could grasp onto him, the spirits of the house picked him up and threw him across the room. Grace stumbled and fell to one knee while the man hit the wall, hung there for a few seconds and then slid to the floor. He fell in a heap, knocked out cold.

  Silence filled the space, and all Grace heard was the rush of blood in her ears. Had she really gone after Gigi’s husband? What had she been planning to do, scratch his eyes out? Hex him with an STD? Cause an acne breakout all over his body? She had no idea, but one thing was for sure; she wasn’t going to stand around and let him abuse his wife. Not on her watch.

  “Thank you, ladies,” Gigi said, sounding a lot less shaken than Grace felt.

  Grace got to her feet and cleared her throat. “Are you all right?” she asked Gigi.

  “Yeah,” she said softly. “Thanks for that. I was just so stunned my fight or flight reflex got stuck and turned me into a deer in the headlights.”

  “You’re welcome, but I think it’s the Hannigan sisters you should be thanking,” Grace said, annoyed that her voice was shaking.

  The two ghosts appeared briefly and then vanished again. Likely they’d used up most of their energy and were running on fumes.

  Grace fished her phone out of her pocket and called 911. Once the first responders were on their way, she slipped her hand into Gigi’s. “Come on. Let’s get Vince and get out of here before he wakes up.”

  Gigi glanced at Vince and winced. He was sitting upright now, holding his head in his hands. “Vince, are you okay to stand up?”

  “I think so.” The pair of them helped the other Realtor to his feet, and then the three of them left the house to wait outside.

  Gigi sat next to Vince on the porch steps. No one said anything for a few moments. Then Gigi turned to Vince and said, “I’m gonna need you to print that contract again.”

  He blinked at her. “Are you sure? What about James? If he’s going to make trouble for you, it might be in your best interest to wait a bit.”

  As much as Grace wanted Gigi to have the house, she had to agree with Vince. If Gigi ended up pressing charges against her husband or filing for divorce, a new real estate purchase was just a complication she didn’t need.

  “He doesn’t have any say in this,” Gigi said, her expression made of steel. “My family trust is purchasing this place. James doesn’t have any rights to that money or any of its holdings. I want this house, Vince. It doesn’t matter what he wants. Besides, after that nightmare in there, once our family lawyer gets ahold of him, what property I purchase will be the least of his worries.”

  “All right,” Vince said quietly. “I can email you the electronic forms if you want.”

  “Now that the jackass ruined my signing ritual, I think that’s fine. I don’t want to wait.”

  So while they sat on the porch and waited for the police to arrive, Vince pulled out his phone and send her e-docs to sign. A few minutes later, Grace had the offer in her inbox.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “Lex?” Grace called from the kitchen. She stared at the turnovers her niece had prepared for her and frowned. They hadn’t been baked yet, and Grace didn’t have the first clue what temperature to use or how long they needed to be in the oven. “What am I supposed to do with these pastries?”

  “I left the instructions on the note on the fridge,” she called back.

  “Right.” Grace walked over to the refrigerator and scanned the directions. Twenty-five minutes at four hundred degrees. She could handle that. “What about the glaze?”

  Footsteps sounded on the tiled kitchen floor, announcing Lex’s arrival. “No glaze, remember? I already brushed them with egg and sprinkled the powdered sugar on them, so you won’t have to worry about that. Just put them in the oven when you sit down to eat, and they should be done right about the time you’re finished with dinner.”

  Grace eyed her gorgeous niece. Her short hair was styled with some sort of product to tame her curls just enough that they were artful instead of unruly. The purple eye makeup made her blue eyes seem almost sapphire. And she was wearing ripped skinny jeans with a feminine floral blouse that was just the right amount of juxtaposition to be interesting. “You look fantastic.”

  “Thanks. Bronwyn is taking me to a poetry reading and then to a late dinner with some of her college friends. I wasn’t really sure what to wear, so I went with some version of modern bohemian. Am I pulling it off?”

  Grace laughed. “Hell if I know. But if I was a young lesbian, I’d date you. If we weren’t related, obviously.”

  Lex cackled. “Stop. Let’s not go there.”

  “Fine.” Grace pulled two plates out of the cabinet. “I already have enough to worry about trying to navigate my own situation.”

  “What’s to navigate? Owen’s coming over. You’ll eat, talk, laugh, and then rip each other’s clothes off and finally do something about that sexual tension that threatens to suffocate everyone who’s in the same room with you. And if you’re lucky, he’ll give you multiple orgasms. Sounds like a win to me.”

  Butterflies took up residence in Grace’s stomach. Would it be that easy? Owen had been distant in the three days since the incident with Gigi and the Victorian. She’d been so shaken up after the altercation that she’d forgotten to call Owen that night, and it was obvious he was hurt by it. She’d explained and he’d said he understood, but he’d been keeping his distance a little, and she figured their fling that hadn’t ever gotten off the ground was probably getting ready to come to an end.

  She’d decided to try one more time, but even she wasn’t sure moving forward was the right thing to do. If he was going to get upset because of scheduling issues, then it wasn’t a relationship she was interested in, even if he was so hot that she kept dreaming about him running his hands and tongue all over her. Grace shivered just thinking about him.

  “See, Aunt Grace? That’s a good sign. You’re getting all worked up just thinking about him,” Lex teased.

  “Ugh. Am I that obvious?”

  “Yep.” Lex cackled. “Sorry. You might want to work on your poker face if you don’t want everyone to know what you’re thinking.”

  Grace never had been good at keeping a straight face. She figured at forty-five that wasn’t going to change much. She glanced at the clock and then shooed her niece out of the house. “Owen will be here any minute, and if you don’t get going, you’re going to be late. Thanks for the help with dinner.”

  “No problem. I have to pay rent somehow.” She kissed Grace on the cheek and rushed out the door.

  Not even five minutes later, Owen arrived.

  “Hey,” she said almost shyly as she opened the door. He stood on her porch, freshly shaven, his hair neatly trimmed, and had a faint, enticing spicy scent. Her mouth watered just looking at him. “You look great.”

  “So do you,” he said as he walked in and gave her a light kiss on her cheek. “These are for you.”

  She took the small bouquet of sunflowers he’d been holding behind his back and beamed. “How did you know these are my favorite flower?”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “I have my ways.”

  Maybe this date was going to go a lot better than she’d feared. Smiling to herself, she led him i
nto the kitchen where she put the flowers into a vase and then placed them on her already set table. “They look perfect there.”

  “You look perfect,” he said as he leaned against the bar.

  Her cheeks heated and she knew she was blushing, but she didn’t care. She liked this guy and wanted him to know it. “Wine?”

  “Sure.”

  Grace poured them both a glass and got busy plating the crab-stuffed halibut Lex had made for them. Once she was done, she popped the turnovers into the oven and then beckoned for Owen to join her at the table.

  “Dig in,” she said.

  “This looks amazing, Grace. I didn’t know you could cook like this,” he said and then took a bite. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he moaned in pleasure.

  The sound did all kinds of things to her lady parts. She just sat there watching him until he focused on her again.

  “It tastes as amazing as it looks,” he said.

  She grinned at him. “Thanks, but my niece made it. I was just the sous chef who was mostly in the way.”

  “Can I adopt her?” He took another bite, and the look on his face made her want to drag him to her bedroom right that second.

  “She’s twenty-two,” Grace said, digging into her own fish. It was just as fantastic as he said it was, and she wondered if she could entice Lex to live with her indefinitely.

  “Bummer.” They talked and flirted their way through dinner, and eventually they moved to the living room where they sat next to each other on the couch.

  “I missed this,” Grace said.

  “Missed what?” Owen took a sip of his wine.

  “This.” She waved a hand between the two of them. “We didn’t really talk much this week. I missed it.”

  “Oh.” His smile vanished, and he gazed at her as if he were trying to work something out.

  She put her wine glass down on the coffee table and asked, “What’s going on in that brain of yours?”

  He sighed. “I’m just trying to figure out what exactly it is you missed. Me, the flirting, or the attention?”

  Grace sat back, stunned at his question and a little offended. “Before I answer, can I ask where that came from?”

  “Dammit. I didn’t want to do this tonight.” He ran a hand through his hair and glanced around the room before meeting her gaze again. “The other night when there was the altercation with that client’s husband, you forgot to call me. Worse, when something bad happened, you didn’t even think to call me. Who did you call that night, Grace?”

  She frowned as she recalled what she did after she’d gotten home from making her report with the police and checking in on Vince after he was released from the care of the EMT. She’d gotten herself a cup of tea and curled up in bed. She had to admit, her first instinct was to call Bill. They had been married for twenty years after all. But she’d refrained and called her girlfriend instead. “I only called Joy.”

  “But not the guy you were dating? Did it even occur to you that I’d hear about the incident and be worried?” he asked.

  Actually, it hadn’t. Not that night. Calling him had completely slipped her mind. And in the morning, when she realized she’d be the talk of the town and the office, she hadn’t called him then either. She’d waited for him to call her.

  When she didn’t answer him, he sighed. “I sometimes get the vibe that you like being out with a younger guy more than you actually like being out with me.”

  Okay, Grace might have been a little thoughtless when it came to communicating with him, but she was just offended by his comment. She stood up just to put some distance between them and said, “So you don’t think I like you for you? That I was just in this for a fling with a younger guy. Is that it?”

  “The thought crossed my mind, yeah.” His expression was guarded as he watched her pace her living room.

  “So, what? You came over here tonight to have dinner with me, thinking that even if I wasn’t all that into you that, at the very least, you’d get laid?” Her words sounded harsh to her own ears, but there was no taking them back now.

  Anger flashed through his gorgeous dark eyes as he got to his feet. “Is that really what you think of me? If so, maybe you should just stick to dating your client Matt Dahl. He seems like the type of guy that you probably should be dating anyway.”

  “What the…” Grace trailed off and just stared at him for a moment before she shook her head. “What is it with you and this thing about Matt? I’m not dating him. I’ve never been dating him.”

  “Then why did I see you at Crabby’s with him that night you canceled on me?” he asked, staring her down with an intensity she hadn’t seen from him before.

  “You were at Crabby’s?” she asked, completely taken aback by his comment. She hadn’t seen him. If she had, she would’ve invited him to join them. If it was an actual date, she’d never have done that.

  “Grace,” he said, shaking his head. “If you want to date someone else you think is more appropriate, just tell me.”

  “I…” She trailed off because she didn’t know what to say. The truth was she did have thoughts that she should be dating someone closer to her own age. But there was also the fact that she was really attracted to Owen. Was that all she wanted from him? How should she know? She hadn’t dated anyone in over twenty years. “I guess I thought we were just getting to know each other and having a little fun.”

  “I think I should go.” He strode to the door and paused. “It’s probably better if we just remain friends and coworkers. I was never looking for just a casual hookup. As uncool as it might sound, and despite the fact that I wasn’t ready to marry my last serious girlfriend, I’m a relationship guy. And I think I’m just not the person you’re looking for. Goodnight, Grace.”

  Grace just stood there in her living room as he gently shut the door behind him. It wasn’t until she heard his car pull away from the curb that she realized she’d never explained her dinner with Matt. It hadn’t been a date. It had been a Realtor taking her client out for food after signing paperwork. But surely Owen would know that, right? Didn’t he ever take his clients out?

  Her head started to ache. With her heart heavy, she wandered back into her kitchen to look for some ibuprofen and groaned when the rancid scent of burnt pastry hit her nose.

  “Dammit!” She’d forgotten to set the timer for the turnovers. After she pulled the ruined dessert from the oven, she tossed them in the trash and felt the first tear spill down her cheek as she retreated to her bedroom.

  Her chest ached with sadness and disappointment as she stripped out of her clothes and climbed into bed. The fresh sheets were crisp and cool and only made her more depressed. When she’d changed them earlier that day, she’d thought Owen would be joining her. Instead, he’d left because her communication skills sucked, and he’d picked up on enough of her insecurities that he’d felt like she wasn’t taking him seriously.

  Was she taking him seriously? No. Not really. But she was recently divorced. She hadn’t been looking for anything resembling a relationship, let alone anything serious. Maybe he was right to leave. If so, then why was she so sad?

  Grace rolled over and stared at the clock. It was only eight-thirty. She grabbed her phone and was about to send a text to Owen to apologize and ask if they could talk, but the screen flashed with a text from Alyssa.

  Alyssa: I need a ride ASAP. It’s urgent. Can you come get me?

  Grace: Where are you?

  Alyssa: Urgent care.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Alyssa sat in the passenger seat of Grace’s SUV, cradling her arm. As near as Grace could tell by the few words her sister had spoken, she and Charlie had gotten into a physical fight, and she’d come away with a black eye and a sprained elbow. The doctor at the urgent care had put her arm in a sling and told her it would be about three weeks until it healed.

  “Did you make a report?” Grace finally asked.

  “No.” Alyssa’s voice was flat, void of any emotion
as she stared out the window.

  “Do you want to?”

  Alyssa turned slowly toward Grace. “You’re actually asking me what I want to do? Not telling me?”

  Grace stifled a sigh. “Of course I’m asking you. You’ve been through hell tonight, Lyssa. I don’t want to make you do anything you aren’t comfortable doing.”

  Alyssa didn’t say anything until they pulled into Grace’s driveway and Grace killed the engine. Finally, she whispered, “Thanks.”

  Grace’s heart shattered into a thousand pieces when she heard the vulnerability in her sister’s voice. Yes, they had their share of disagreements, but Grace loved her sister fiercely, and it was taking all of her willpower to not drive over to Alyssa’s house and strangle the bastard who’d hurt her.

  “Come on. Let’s get you inside.” Grace released her seatbelt, jumped out of the vehicle, and was opening her sister’s door before Alyssa could even release her own belt. “I’ve got it.” She reached across her sister, undid the belt, and then helped her to her feet.

  Alyssa winced as she made her way up the walk and was breathing hard by the time Grace got her settled on the couch. Kneeling down in front of her sister, Grace asked, “What is it you need from me right now? Should I call the cops? Get you tea? Find something for you to punch? Anything. You name it, and I’ll make it happen.”

  Tears filled Alyssa’s eyes and fell unchecked down her cheeks.

  Grace gently wiped them away while murmuring soothing words about how everything was going to be okay now and that Grace was there no matter what.

  Finally, Alyssa choked out, “I need Lex.”

  “You got it.” Grace had held off on calling her niece until she knew what to expect. Alyssa’s initial text just said she was at urgent care. It wasn’t until she got there that Grace realized her sister had been assaulted by Charlie. Honestly, if she’d called Lex right then, it would’ve been bad. Really bad. Because Grace had been full of hateful rage. She still was if she was honest, but she’d had to calm down for her sister. “I’ll call her now.”