Men Love Witches

by Danielle Garrett

  But not tonight. Tonight was for celebrating and catching up. With that in mind, I hauled myself off the couch—comfortable as it was—and went to the kitchen. Adam beat me there, and was already investigating the contents of the fridge. At the sound of my footsteps, he straightened. “Oh, hey, gorgeous. Thought you might be Lacey, looking for a snack.” He grimaced. “I’m not looking forward to watching those two drink their dinner. Total appetite killer.”

  “Is that even possible, for you?” I asked with a quirked smile.

  “Ha ha.” He ducked back to continue investigating the fridge. “Thought I’d get a snack now, while they’re unpacking and all that. You want anything?”

  “Evangeline is bringing home dinner,” I told him. “She called right before Lacey and Matthias got here. In fact, I need to call McNally’s and get our order in. She should be closing up the spa soon.”

  Adam closed the fridge—but not before grabbing a Chinese takeout box from two nights ago. Which actually struck me as funny. Leftovers didn’t usually last that long around here.

  Smirking, he lifted the container. “Score!”

  He hummed to himself as he grabbed a fork and popped the top of the container. “It got pushed behind all these boxes of blood.”

  My nose wrinkled. “Doesn’t that just sound lovely.”

  He gave me his order and I called McNally’s, the neighborhood pub, and placed the order. When I hung up, Adam frowned at me. “Nothing for Harmony?”

  I giggled. “She’s hiding out at Anastasia’s till the vamps go home.”

  “Seriously?” Adam asked, one of his dark brows lifted. “She’s afraid of Lacey?”

  “I don’t know,” I replied, slipping my phone into the back pocket of my jeans. “Maybe not Lacey, specifically. We don’t know all that much about the other vampires though, do we?”

  Adam shook his head. “No. Princess Fangs has been pretty cagey about the whole thing.”

  “When she first called and asked for the reservation, I thought she was just trying to be nice and throw some business our way, since she knew we’d just opened the inn and needed those reviews to get the Haven Hospitality Association’s stamp of approval. But now I’m wondering if there is something more serious going on, and if they needed a remote, mostly under the radar, meeting place.”

  “Could be,” Adam said, lifting a forkful of noodles and veggies to his lips. He paused, the bite hanging in midair as his expression tensed. “You know they packed a safe with them?”

  I blinked. “They did?”

  “I just helped Matthias haul it upstairs.” He took a bite and then gestured at the ceiling with the empty fork. “Thing was heavy as Hades.”

  I straightened. “Why would she need a safe? For her jewelry or something? Does she think one of her fellow court members is a thief?”

  “I don’t know, but it might not be a bad idea to lock up our own valuables, just in case.” Adam took another bite, then set aside the container. “Luckily for us, we’re mostly broke and don’t have a lot to hide,” he added with a smile.

  I laughed. “I wouldn’t say broke, but yeah, I’m not exactly the dripping-in-diamonds type.”

  “Thank goodness!” Adam said, coming closer to give me a quick kiss. “Listen, I’ve got a couple quick work things to take care of. Call me down when Evie gets back, will ya?”

  Laughing, I smacked him on the rear as he headed for the door. “Maybe I will, and maybe I won’t.”

  Shaking his head, he flashed me a grin, then backed through the swinging wooden door separating the kitchen from the formal dining room and living area.

  I slurped down the last two bites of the leftover noodles and tossed the container into the trash. Whatever Lacey was up to, it was her business, and from past experience, it wasn’t something any of us was going to pry out of her. If she wanted to include us, she would. In the meantime, I had more than enough to worry about and would have to trust that she wouldn’t bring trouble to our front door.

  Chapter Three

  Dinner was a lively affair, with lots of catching up to do, among those of us who’d all lived together. Though I missed Harmony’s quick wit and bubbly attitude, in some ways it might have been better that she’d opted to go to Anastasia’s, as I had a feeling she would have felt left out of the majority of the conversation as we reminisced and told stories from the past. In the second half of the dinner, Lacey caught us up on her whirlwind romance and marriage to Matthias. As it turned out, he was a vampire Lord in his own right, and there was a lot more to the story of how they met and fell in love than Lacey had first told us on her last visit. The pair seemed well suited. He was reserved and charming, comfortable letting his wife bask in the spotlight of the conversation. Though something told me he was strong enough to hold his ground when the pair was behind closed doors—an attribute essential when living with someone as stubborn as Lacey.

  Evangeline shared her proposal story and Lacey inspected her engagement ring. The pair of them had been close while living together, but I knew they’d drifted apart over the years.

  “It’s beautiful,” Lacey told Evangeline, smiling as she released her hand. “Your betrothed has impeccable taste. When’s the big day?”

  “Oh, probably not for a while,” Evangeline replied, placing her hand back in her lap. “We only just got engaged a couple of months ago, so it’s all pretty new. I’m happy to let Holly and Adam blaze the trail first.”

  I laughed as I reached for my iced tea. “Something tells me you and Teddy will need more than eight months to plan.”

  Evangeline smiled. “Probably. My first choice of venues has an eighteen-month waiting list at the moment.”

  Adam’s mouth dropped open and we ladies laughed at his shocked expression. Matthias seemed to take his side, though. “Eighteen months?” the vampire repeated, his thick dark brown brows lifted. “That’s absurd!”

  Lacey laughed. “You got lucky,” she told her husband, placing a hand on his arm. “I didn’t even get to drag you around to look at places.”

  “Yeah, we don’t all live in a bona fide mansion with a ballroom,” Evangeline said with a giggle. “Kind of made your guys’ wedding venue a no-brainer.”

  Lacey nodded as she dabbed her lips with a linen napkin. Her lipstick was dark enough that it was impossible to see if there was a lingering stain from the faux blood she’d been sipping while the rest of us—excluding Matthias—ate. “Although, we’re renovating the place now that my father’s moved into the carriage house.” Lacey flashed a self-satisfied smile as she lifted her glass to her lips. “Maybe we should renew our vows once it’s all done. It should be ready by next spring, or early summer.”

  Matthias grimaced. “It had better be.”

  Lacey slid a sidelong glance at her husband. “Matthias doesn’t appreciate the details the way I do.”

  “No,” the vampire corrected gently, “I don’t appreciate all the mind-changing.”

  Lacey smiled. “Oh, come on, I haven’t been that bad.”

  Matthias frowned, though a light of amusement shone in his eyes. “Do you want to tell them how many pallets of tile you’ve sent back to Italy, or shall I?”

  Lacey laughed. “You’ll appreciate it when it’s all done.”

  “Yes! I will! That’s what I’ve been saying. I’m just worried we’re never going to get there,” Matthias said with a chuckle.

  “Anyway, you’re all welcome to come stay for a weekend once it’s all done,” Lacey said. “You could even host the wedding there, if you’re still in need of a place!”

  Matthias nodded his approval of the idea.

  “That’s very kind, of both of you,” Evangeline replied, “but I think we’ll try to keep things on the West Coast. Most of our family and friends are in California, in one of the various havens.”

  “Oh! So you’re thinking of doing the wedding down there?”

  “I think so.” Evangeline pierced a cherry tomato with her fork, then glanced up again. �
��That’s where Teddy lives, too. In L.A.”

  Lacey glanced at me, then back to Evangeline. “Is he moving up here, then, after the wedding?”

  Evangeline’s gaze dropped back to her salad. “Um, well, maybe. Nothing’s really been decided yet, you know. All still early stages, like I said.”

  It was a question I’d wanted to ask myself, ever since Evangeline had returned from her visit to Teddy’s with the news of their engagement. Currently, Evangeline was one of our two permanent residents, having stayed on as a tenant once Posy sold the manor to Adam and me last year. Logically, I knew she wouldn’t stay forever, at least not in the manor with the rest of us, but the idea of her moving two states away wasn’t one I relished, even with the relatively easy travel process between the havens. She’d get busy building a new life, and I was already stretched thin between running the inn and my potions business in the Seattle Haven. When would we find time to visit one another? Holidays? Maybe, but then, there were family obligations and other friends—local friends—which would likely take precedent.

  Everything was changing, and I found myself wishing for a pause button so I could catch my breath.

  Adam draped an arm over the back of my chair as he leaned back, a dark glass bottle in one hand. “We’re all growing up,” he said with a chuckle. “If someone had told me five years ago that someday I’d be sitting here, like this, I’d have never believed them.”

  Lacey flashed a sharp grin. “Who knew the fleabag would eventually settle down?”

  Adam returned her taunting expression with one of his own, and replied, “Well, if the bat queen can find love, surely there’s hope for us all.”

  Lacey rolled her eyes but couldn’t help smiling as she raised her glass for a toast. “To love!”

  We clinked glasses and drank. Afterward, Matthias turned to Evangeline and me. “What I want to know is how the two of you stayed sane while living with the pair of them?”

  We all laughed at that and continued with the meal. Evangeline had also made a pit stop at the bakery—though she’d wisely left the box of goodies in the car when she’d returned home to avoid Adam raiding the sweet stash before dinner—and we lingered over pastries and coffee well into the night.

  Jupiter Reed arrived close to ten thirty with a simple black suitcase. Lacey and Jupiter had been childhood friends, though their lives followed very different paths. Lacey was the heir to an old, esteemed vampire house, whereas Jupiter, a lower class of vampire, worked as a bonded servant to House Vaughn. According to Lacey, it was her father who had bonded Jupiter to their household, and while she could not be freed entirely, Lacey elevated her to her personal assistant.

  Jupiter was about as tall as Lacey, thin and willowy, with dark hair and eyes. Her skin was still fair, but in comparison to Lacey’s near-porcelain tone, she looked almost suntanned. Which, of course, was something of an oxymoron when speaking of vamps.

  After a warm round of introductions, Lacey took Jupiter upstairs to help get her settled into her room. Matthias excused himself to go outside and enjoy the summer breeze and night sky. Evangeline, Adam, and I all went to the kitchen to clean the dishes from the meal.

  “See, if you’d let us eat out of the takeout containers, we wouldn’t have to do any of this,” Adam quipped as he handed me a grease-splotched plate.

  “Oh, Adam,” Evangeline scoffed, rolling her eyes in solidarity with me.

  Giggling, I loaded soap into the compartment on the dishwasher—another new addition to the manor’s kitchen. “What was I thinking? You’re right, we should eat all of our meals like we’re a family of motley raccoons who broke into someone’s house to use their formal dining room.”

  Adam shrugged, as though it didn’t sound crazy to him.

  I swiped another plate and stacked it carefully with the rest.

  Switching gears, Adam leaned back against the counter and nodded at Evangeline. “You and Lacey have been talking lately, right? Did Princess Fangs tell you what she’s really doing here?”

  Evangeline tucked a strand of her dark hair behind one ear. She’d taken down the braid sometime during the day, leaving her long tresses in flowing waves. “Honestly, no,” she replied. “I didn’t feel like it was my business to ask. All she’s told me is that it’s a meeting with some of the other high-ups in the Court.”

  “Hmm.” Adam folded his arms.

  “Why are you so curious about this all of a sudden?” I asked as I straightened and closed the dishwasher’s door. “We’ve had this booking for months now and you were never worried.”

  “I guess I got to thinking about why they would pick the inn for this little conclave of theirs, and I started to wonder if it might have something to do with those vampires that Meryl and her team have been tracking through Seattle. There was that whole thing with Jewel Molder back around Valentine’s Day, and there’s no way Lacey didn’t hear about it. So, it just seems like maybe it’s not a coincidence she’s here in Washington and gathering some of her powerful friends.”

  “So, what, you think they’re going to, like, storm Seattle and drive out the baddies or something?” I asked, keeping my voice low, as I glanced out the window over the kitchen sink. Matthias’s silhouette was visible in the moonlight as he stood at the edge of the back deck. The window wasn’t open, but it didn’t mean the vampire couldn’t overhear us. Vampires have heightened senses, especially bornlings, like Lacey and Matthias, those who were born vampire, not once-humans who were turned by the curse.

  “I don’t know,” Adam replied, matching my tone, “but something weird is going on. If this was just a vacation, she wouldn’t have needed to bring all these vamps out here.”

  “Fair point, but wouldn’t it be a good thing if that’s what they were planning? I mean, we know from Meryl—and that nastiness with Jewel—just how dangerous these rogue vamps are. It would be a huge help if Lacey and some of the others wanted to take them down.”

  Adam stared past my shoulder for a long moment, his gaze fixated out the window. “I just don’t want trouble to follow them back here. To us. We’re only now getting our feet under us with the business. The last thing we need is some crazed vampire cult coming here and wrecking everything.”

  “I’m sure Lacey won’t put us in danger,” Evangeline said.

  I nodded in agreement. “We’re her friends, Adam. I know you two love to dish it out and sling a little mud, but at the end of the day, we’re family. The oddest, quirkiest, and most unexpected little family,” I added with a smile, “but family nonetheless.”

  “That’s right,” Evangeline said. “Oh, that reminds me, I brought some products home from the spa to give to Lacey. I need to go get them from the car.”

  She scurried out of the kitchen, leaving me and Adam to finish up. Adam didn’t push his theory any further, but I couldn’t help noticing his eyes shifting to the window every few minutes.

  With the dishwasher humming to life, I took him by the arm and led him out of the kitchen. “Come on. Let’s see if anyone needs anything and then get to bed early. It’s been a long day.”

  Adam smiled and wrapped one arm around my waist. “Oh, that reminds me, I ordered us a new toaster.”

  Despite Adam’s worries, we both fell asleep quickly enough, with a tubby tabby sprawled between us in the bed. When we awoke, the sun was up and our vampire guests were tucked away in their rooms, hopefully sleeping well with the aid of the double-layered blackout shades we’d installed prior to their arrival. After a quick breakfast, we split up and tackled the last-minute preparations before the rest of the vampires arrived. When every room had been triple-checked for any sign of dust or lint—or Boots’s fur—and we’d ensured the bathrooms were well-stocked, we took a break and wandered down to Siren’s Song to reward ourselves with a little caffeine infusion.

  Cassie Lincoln greeted us from the register—though, with her sizable baby bump, she stood back a couple steps from the till. “Good morning, you two!”

  “Cas
s! What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be somewhere sitting down, with your feet up?”

  Nicole, one of the seasonal employees of the coffee shop, glanced over her shoulder at me as she waited on a shot of espresso to pour. “Trust me, I’ve been trying to get her to take a break all morning. She won’t budge.”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. “I’m standing right here, you know.”

  “Yeah,” I said, “that’s kind of the whole problem! Cass, you’re seven and a half months pregnant. You need to be taking it easy!”

  “Ugh,” Cassie groaned, “you sound like Jeffery. Why can’t anyone understand that I’m going stir-crazy sitting at home, with nothing to do but read parenting books and worry if we’ve baby-proofed everything well enough!”

  Cassie was in her late twenties and had married the love of her life, Jeffery Lincoln, Beechwood Harbor’s chief of police, last summer. They were now expecting their first child, a baby boy, the first weekend of October. She was about as tall as I was, with an average build—minus the bump—and a fair complexion with golden-streaked brown hair that she usually wore back in some kind of braid.

  I peeked around the counter and examined her bare ankles, exposed under a pair of denim clam-diggers.

  Frowning, Cassie lifted one leg, using one hand to balance on the counter. “They’re not swollen today!” she insisted as she waggled the leg toward me.

  “Not yet,” I said, straightening.

  Sighing, she tossed the end of her braid over her shoulder. “I’m only here to help with the morning rush,” she said. “One of our baristas got called out to deal with a family emergency, so I’m running a little short-staffed.”

  As the only coffee shop in town, Siren’s Song was busy on any given day, but in the summer months when tourist season was in full swing, things went from a steady stream of customers to a line backed all the way to the door most of the day. We were nearing the end of August and things were busier than ever, which was great for the local economy, but I felt bad that Cassie was struggling to keep the shop fully staffed. She’d taken over as the operating manager a few years ago, while the owners lived in a different state and were rarely around to offer help. The full responsibility for the day-to-day operations and meeting sales goals was on Cassie’s shoulders.