A Witch's Journey
Page 28
“Not trying to keep it a secret. Making sure I’ve got control of the beast, not the other way around.” He made a chuffing sound and skidded to a stop, staring across the pond. Its banks were draped in fog with at least fifty spirits rising out of the mist.
Pepper’s mom and dad settled onto the older bench near the pond. Lathen and Pepper plopped down on the new bench he’d built from enchanted wood on the property. He leaned back, his arm wrapped tight around her. She snuggled into his shoulder and glanced up at him. She’d never noticed how long and thick his eyelashes were. A woman would kill for those.
Ember lay beside the bench, emitting a low growl once in a while to keep Tonk in line. Ashling occupied her usual place against the pine tree so shrouded in mist Pepper could barely make out Kaylee’s form in the lower branches.
“An exhausting night, but all’s well that ends well,” Pepper said with a sigh. A chorus of soft rustles and murmurs around the pond echoed in agreement. “It’s really kind of a shame that Benjamin will spend the rest of his life spellbound. But I think Tom will be relieved to finally figure out what was happening to him.”
“I think he’ll still feel bad about the things he did, even though he really wasn’t responsible,” Lathen said.
“Do you believe Aidan really stole Dusty’s magic?” Pepper tucked her feet up under her and leaned into her warm werewolf.
“I don’t know; seems they were happily married for over sixty years from what I learned of the family history. So apparently, she didn’t care,” Pepper’s mom said, shifting in her seat. “Imagine how traumatic the trials must have been for a seventeen-year-old.” Klaren shook her head.
“What a way to start a relationship. But maybe facing death at the witch trials and losing her mother made her glad to be rid of her magic,” Pepper’s dad suggested.
The waves on the pond slapped noisily against the rocky shore as the mist crawling along the ground and settling over the pond took shape. Out of the fog rose a woman dressed in a simple long indigo skirt and peasant blouse under a firm white bodice. Holding her arm was a man who wore knee-length black breeches with a long dark vest over his peasant shirt. They glided across the pond and stepped onto the shore. An audible gasp came from the ghosts, and they moved closer.
Lathen, Pepper, and her parents sat silent, eyes wide in disbelief.
“Good evening, McKay clan.” The man offered a pleasant smile and said in a deep voice reminiscent of Duncan’s, “Allow me to introduce my wife, Dusty McKay.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her forward. “I am Aidan Duncan McKay. We have taken advantage of this night to set the record straight. ’Tis true, as a young girl Dusty ran away in early 1693, after being found not guilty of witchcraft. Because in fact she was a witch, like her mother, who wasn’t so lucky and died at the hands of the Puritans. I had arrived in America from Ireland, with no family or friends. I met her shortly thereafter, we fell in love, and I asked her to be my wife. We were wed a fortnight later and drifted from place to place in what was then Massachusetts and settled in what is now Maine on this land. It looked different in my time.”
Duncan cleared his throat, clearly wanting to ask something.
Aidan held up an index finger and continued in a clear firm voice emphasizing each word. “With her permission.” He paused, making eye contact with each person and ghost. “We blended our magic to create a safe haven and built a cabin.”
Dusty nodded as she surveyed the group gathered at the pond.
He looked toward the cabin. “It was much smaller than the one that sits up there now.” He smiled wistfully. “I can still see parts of our beloved cabin still standing. We were happily married for sixty-two years before Dusty became ill and left me alone in this world, again. But it wasn’t so bad this time. We were blessed with six children, numerous grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.”
“Those were the happiest days of our lives,” Dusty said, peering lovingly into her husband’s face.
He nodded. “Yes. This is the true family history that should be passed down.” His gaze traveled from Pepper and Lathen to Duncan and Klaren, then scanned slowly over the McKay ghosts gathered around. He chuckled, shaking his head slowly. “Never expected to have a werewolf in our lineage.”
Lathen raised his hands in surrender and shrugged. “Never expected a witch in mine.”
Pepper gave a heavy sigh and grinned. “I knew the tales weren’t true. What a wonderful love story. Thank you for sharing it.”
Before the questions began, Lathen pushed up from the bench, shoved a hand into his jeans pocket, and pulled out a small green velvet drawstring pouch. He reached for Pepper’s hand, turned it over, gently kissed her palm, and placed the pouch in it.
Her gaze traveled to the pouch as she turned it over, then tugged at the strings. “What’s this?”
“Open it and find out,” he said patiently.
As she turned the bag over, pulled at the strings and shook it, a ring spilled onto her hand and glinted in the moonlight. Lathen went down on one knee. “With all the McKay’s present, spirit and living as witness, I ask you, Pepper, to share my life as my wife.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears that she wiped away with the back of her hand. “Oh, Lathen…” She drew in a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
“He’s waiting for an answer,” Aidan prompted.
“Oh, yes—yes, I want to share the rest of my life with you.”
Kaylee whistled loudly, swooped in, and landed on the back of the bench.
“Well, I’m glad you approve,” Lathen said with a chuckle, giving a quick glance at the bird, then slipped the ring on Pepper’s finger. “The ring belonged to your great-great-grandmother McKay. Ashling wanted you to have it.”
She tilted her head in confusion and said, “It wasn’t with her belongings.”
“No. She gave it to your mother for safekeeping. During my conversation with your father about marrying you, Klaren mentioned she had the ring with her.”
Klaren shrugged. “When we left home, I had a feeling I should bring it.”
“So you all were in on this,” Pepper said incredulously, holding out her hand to admire the ring in the light of the full moon.
“I think the Winter Solstice would be the perfect wedding date,” Lathen said.
“Perfect.” Pepper sighed and closed her eyes. His heart beat steady and true against her as she snuggled beside him, hand held in her lap so the ring winked in the moonlight. She relaxed listening to the breeze rustle through the trees and the frogs’ croaky serenade. Kaylee’s soft whistle was surrounded by murmurs of human and spirits. Finally, Ember and Tonk’s light snoring combined with the scents of brine and rain around her would remain in her memory forever.
A word from the author…
With the majestic Rocky Mountains just outside my window, I sit at my computer with Vampires, Demons, Witches, Faeries, and a variety of paranormal creatures gathered around telling me their stories! I am an author of Paranormal Romance. Always remember the magic to a Happily Every After!
Colorado is home. I share my life with a wonderful husband of many moons, our brilliant Chow Chow, a terribly spoiled companion parrot, and a forty-year-old box turtle. We enjoy hiking, biking, and camping, also love water sports including kayaking and whitewater rafting, especially on the Arkansas River through the Royal Gorge.
Another passion of mine is reading. Any winter evening you can find me curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate, and a big bowl of popcorn.
While growing up if I didn’t like the ending of a book, I’d rewrite it, which led to writing my own books.
http://www.tenastetler.com
~*~
Other Tena Stetler titles
available from The Wild Rose Press, Inc.:
A DEMON’S WITCH
CHARM ME—A Candy Hearts Romance
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