by Amy Boyles
I frowned. Last I’d seen, Lilly hadn’t worked any magic. Did she really have some, or was she simply delusional?
From the looks of her mermaid hair, I’d tend to think Lilly teetered more to the delusional side of things.
“That’s great,” I said. “I’m so amazed that you fixed everything. Thank you so much.” I grabbed her by the arm and escorted her to the door. “Listen, I’ll see you at the wedding. You may need to get some rest. I’m sure you’re super tired from using all your magic. I know I’d be drained—if I had any magic, that is.”
Lilly swiped a hand over her forehead. “You know, it did take a toll on me. Perhaps I’ll nap before the wedding.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
I shut and locked the door behind her. I wedged my spine onto the wood and glared at both my grandmothers.
“You fixed everything, right?”
Grandma Hazel nodded. “Dylan, now why would you ask a question like that?”
I frowned. “Because I’m pretty sure Lilly only thinks she has magic. I don’t believe she’s actually a witch.”
Milly laughed. “What clued you in, toots? The imaginary power that shot from her fingers? Or the deer-in-headlights look she seems to have.”
I poked the air. “Both. Thanks for fixing everything.” I slid the needle from my shirt and handed it to Grandma. “Do me a favor and put this someplace safe.”
My grandmother stroked a finger down the shiny surface. “Let’s go, Needle. No one appreciates your talent here.”
I rolled the back of my tongue, making a sound similar to a growl. “Talent? That thing would’ve left us all clothes-less. It’s not like this is a nude beach.”
Grandma’s eyes twinkled with mischief. “Dylan, you haven’t lived until you’ve been to a nude wedding.”
“Thanks but no thanks.”
I ushered them from the room. Deciding I could use a bit of fresh air before the wedding, I roamed the halls of the huge mansion that Rose’s parents had rented not only for the venue, but also for the guests to stay in over the weekend.
I passed Lilly talking to a group of bridesmaids. “Y’all, I’m a witch. I’ve been waiting to tell you until I was absolutely sure, but it’s confirmed. I’m a witch. If y’all need me to work any powers or make you a potion to get rid of those zits, I’ll be glad to.”
I sneaked a peek at the women surrounding the mermaid-haired lady. They sat on a couch mesmerized, intrigued by every word.
I rolled my eyes. I rounded a corner and ran into Judd again. He was about to walk directly into Lilly and her talk.
“That’s a crazy conversation going on in there,” I said.
“Wouldn’t be the first one I’ve heard on these grounds,” he said, continuing in that direction. “It’s what I live for. Fresh air, country living and unbelievable stories.”
I winked at him. “Trust me. That one’s unbelievable.”
But only because Lilly isn’t a witch.
I waved good-bye and headed outside. I met Sera as she was coming out of the kitchen carrying a tray stacked high with petits fours.
She leaned over. “You know, Lilly really shouldn’t be talking about that stuff.”
I shrugged. “Oh, you heard?”
Sera nodded. “I couldn’t help it. She’s practically screaming from the rafters. We’ve always been told not to talk about it.”
A flash of brilliance lit up my brain. “If she turns out to have real powers, do you think she may need some help transitioning into one of us?”
I followed Sera as she placed the tray on a buffet table. She turned to me and crossed one lean arm over the other. “I’m not saying she can be our first client in that crazy scheme of yours.”
I scoffed. “It’s not a scheme. I think we should help witches cross from regular folks to magical.” I lowered my voice. “If anyone needs help, it’s her.”
Sera rolled her eyes. “Please. She’s not even a real witch.”
I’d been trying to sell my sister on this idea of helping regular people transition into being witches because our transition had been a bit bumpy. Still was, to be honest. Problem was, we didn’t have a good method for finding new witches.
As you can see, I was still working out the kinks.
I popped a petit-four into my mouth before Sera had a chance to smack my hand from the tray. I spoke between chews. “If she’s not a real witch, then it doesn’t matter that she’s talking about the craft, now does it?”
Sera pinned a tendril of hair behind her ear. “No, I guess it doesn’t. Now get out of here before you eat any more of my confections and I have to lock you in your room.”
I snatched one more before she could stop me. I sprinted from the room and outside. Warm sunshine splashed across the massive estate yard. Beams of light splintered through the autumnal trees, casting a golden glow across the sky.
My skin prickled, and I turned around to make sure Sera wasn’t chasing me. Of course, I wasn’t watching where I was going.
My shoulder hit something hard, and I bounced back, landing on my rump in the grass.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Don’t be,” came the dark, husky voice.
The figure shielded the light from my eyes. Even though he was in shadow, it was easy to make out the sun-kissed shoulder-length blond hair. It always appeared mussed enough to make him look like he’d stepped off the beach. Green eyes were hidden by dark sunglasses, and a massive Thor-like chest expanded as he took a breath.
“You can run into me anytime, darlin’. In fact, that’s been the highlight of my day.”
Roman Bane, chief detective of Silver Springs, Alabama, and my boyfriend, extended a hand. I slipped my palm into his. An electrical pulse snaked up my arm at his touch. He pulled me from the ground as if I weighed no more than a sheet of paper—or the wind, for that matter.
I sailed off the ground and against his chest. Roman wrapped his arms around me and hugged me to him. He smelled like pine and leather. I inhaled deeply, drinking in his scent.
Any and all worry knots that had formed in my neck after the great needle debacle, as I decided to call it in my head, immediately dissolved.
“You’re here early,” I said.
Roman slid his sunglasses to the top of his head. His sea-green eyes sparked with an intensity that set my heart hammering against my rib cage. “I wanted to make sure you were staying out of trouble.”
I scoffed. “I haven’t gotten into one lick of it, mister. Thank you very much.”
He swiped a strand of hair from my eyes. His touch sent a shiver down my spine. “You sure about that?”
“Well, I’ve pretty much stayed out of trouble. It’s all Grandma’s fault.”
“I sense trouble. Do you need a kiss? Will that make it better?”
I nodded. Roman dipped his head and brushed his lips over mine. He tasted like coffee. Yum.
“Did that help?” he whispered in my ear.
“Not really.”
Roman pulled back and quirked a brow. “How about we go somewhere private and I make it all better?”
I raked my fingers down his arm as I leaned out of his grasp. “Tell me that’s not all you think about.”
He shrugged. “I also think about you naked.”
I swatted at him. “Same thing.”
Roman winked. “Not in my book.”
I threaded my fingers through his hand. “Seriously. Why are you here so early? You’re my date tonight, but I didn’t expect you for a couple of hours.”
Roman shrugged. “I wanted to spend some time with you. You’ve been pretty busy lately. I figured I’d get here early, get in some face time. Remind you that I asked for your hand in marriage a few weeks ago.”
I fished the engagement ring from its place on the gold chain around my neck. “I think about it all the time.”
Roman rocked back on his heels. “Just haven’t come up with an answer.”
I unwound my fingers from his and tw
isted the end of my ponytail. “It’s not like this is a small decision, Roman. This is huge. I’d be leaving my family—”
“Moving in next door.”
I gazed at the sky and released a breath. “I know you bought the house beside ours. You still haven’t moved in.”
He quirked a brow. “In case you haven’t noticed, I have a girlfriend who’s gun-shy. I’m not interested in scaring you half to death. Not any more than you already are.”
I crossed my arms and leaned on one hip. “I’m not scared.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.”
Okay, the truth was, I was scared to death. Not about being engaged to Roman, but by the changes that would occur in my life.
When Roman had proposed, I told him I needed time, that I had to think about things. He said he understood, and goodness bless him, Roman hadn’t pushed me toward an answer. He was patient and barely ever brought it up.
I guess the wedding had gotten him to thinking about it. I mean, who could blame him? At some point I had to give him an answer. I couldn’t put it off forever.
“Dylan Apel, I could name every single fear you have and then some you aren’t even aware of.”
I glared at him. “Try me.”
He wrapped his arms over his massive chest. “You really want to do this?”
“Absolutely.”
“You’re afraid of leaving your family.”
I stitched my brows together. “Easy. I already said that.”
He smiled. “I was just warming up. Walk with me.”
“Afraid you’ll embarrass yourself since you don’t have anything else?”
Roman wrapped a hand around my shoulders. “No. I’m trying to be gentle since you’re a delicate Southern flower.”
“Ha-ha.”
He led me down a path away from all the hustle and bustle of the wedding. “You’re afraid that by getting married, you won’t achieve what you want to accomplish on your own.”
I glanced up at him. “What do you mean?”
He dipped his head toward me. I admired his strong jawline and the way his eyes narrowed when he thought, and how he got a little crease between his eyes.
“What I mean is, you’re afraid you won’t be successful on your own. That you’ll get married and forget about what you want to achieve. Darlin’, I promise you right now, I’m not going to let that happen.”
Okay. He might’ve been right there. “That’s easy. Lots of women are afraid of that. What else?”
“You’re worried you’ll lose your identity as an individual.”
I smirked. “That’s the same thing as the last one. What else?”
“You think you’ll let down your family and you won’t be there for your grandmother in case something happens. You’re afraid of change.”
I shoved my hands into my pockets. “Okay. That might be true.”
“You want to live with your sisters forever.”
“I don’t know about forever.”
Roman started ticking his points off on his fingers. “You’re afraid you’ll lose your dress shop. You’re afraid Sera will leave and get married. You’re afraid Reid won’t graduate college. You’re afraid of other witches. You’re afraid—”
“Okay, that’s enough. I get it. You know me inside out. You understand my fears. Big deal. I’m sure I could do the same thing to you. Name your fears.”
Roman rocked back on his heels and crossed his arms. “Go for it.”
I shot him a smug smile. “Okay. You’re afraid of…things. Lots of things. None of which I can actually name right at this moment, but you are afraid of them and they are bad, bad things.”
Roman pressed his lips to my forehead. “I know I’m a hard nut to crack. But I promise you there are things I’m afraid of. Don’t feel bad for not being able to guess them.”
I wiggled out from under his grasp. I did not need Roman to feel a wad of pity for me. “Then name one thing you’re afraid of.”
His lips tightened to a line. “I’m afraid of losing you.”
A monkey wrench jerked my heart out of socket. That hurt. “Roman, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you.”
He shrugged. “That’s life, darlin’. It’s how things go. Come on. Want to head back?”
“Yeah. There’s this witch I want you to meet.”
He scrubbed a palm down his cheek. “You want me to meet? Why?”
I smiled. “Because she thinks she’s a witch but none of us are convinced.”
The edge of Roman’s lip curled. “So you think she’s delusional?”
I shrugged. “I’m not sure what she is. All I know is that Lilly thought she worked some magic on a needle to stop it from destroying a room, but I’m pretty sure it was my grandmothers’ power that fixed things.”
“Great. So we’ve got a witch at this wedding who wants everyone to know about her.”
I coiled a hand through Roman’s arm. “Lucky for you I don’t think anyone’s going to believe her.”
“What makes you say that?”
Before I could answer, a scream sliced through the air. Roman and I locked gazes, and then we pitched forward at the same time, heading straight toward the sound.
THREE
We reached the other side of the house a few seconds later. Lilly still sat on the couch surrounded by bridesmaids.
One of the girls was screaming. She scratched at her face.
“What is it?” I said.
The girl started wailing. “She gave me a zit!”
I leaned forward. A pink blemish peeked out from the girl’s chin. It was about the size of a pea, with the skin puckered around it.
The woman pointed at Lilly, who shrugged. “I was only going to get rid of it with one of my creams.”
The girl rose. She clasped a hand over the zit and said, “You’re a bad witch. A horrible one. You don’t have a cream to give me; you just wanted me to have a zit.”
Lilly bolted off the couch. Fire blazed in her eyes. “That’s not true.”
The girl shoved Lilly back down. “Yes, it is.”
Without another word, the woman burst into tears and ran from the room.
“Who was that?” I said.
Lilly glared in the direction of the girl. “Her name’s Deidre, and I didn’t give her a zit. Okay, maybe I gave her a tiny one, but I only wanted to show her that one of my creams would work to get rid of it.”
“It doesn’t look like you’re going to have that chance.” I turned to Roman. “Roman, this is Lilly. The woman I was telling you about.” I raised my eyebrows at him. He nodded knowingly.
“Nice to meet you, Lilly.”
“Likewise,” she said.
“Well, good luck with the whole cream thing,” I said to Lilly. I pulled Roman back down the hall, away from the bridesmaids.
“So that’s the one?” Roman said.
“I nodded.”
“Not sure I get much of a witch vibe off her.” Roman wrapped an arm around my shoulders and said, “Let’s get ready for the wedding.”
I nodded. “Sounds good.”
“What a day,” I said. “I hope nothing else dramatic happens. I’m not sure if this wedding could handle it.”
Roman chuckled. “Sounds like a typical wedding if you ask me.”
“I need to get ready. What are you going to do?” I said to Roman.
He smiled at me. “Actually, Mr. Wood had asked me to help out with security. I’m going to meet him.”
My eyebrows shot up. “Mr. Wood as in Rose’s father?”
Roman nodded. “That’s the one.”
I scowled. “I thought you came early to see me.”
Roman shrugged. “That too.” He brushed his lips over my forehead. “Come find me later. Maybe I can talk you into a dance.”
I gave him a quick hug and returned to the room I was sharing with my sisters. After fighting for ample bathroom time, I changed and returned to the dressing room to help Rose with her gown.
>
She showed up with her mother, Mrs. Claire Wood, who was wearing a black veil.
Now I’d met Claire Wood on several occasions. She was a beautiful woman with high cheekbones, full lips and gorgeous light blue eyes. I’d never once seen her hide behind a covering.
“Are you feeling okay, Mrs. Wood?”
The mother of the bride waved away my concern. “Oh, yes, I’m fine. Just fine. I’ve had a bit of a skin reaction to some lotions I’ve been using. Made my skin all blotchy. I’m afraid my makeup won’t cover the issue, so I decided to wear this. I hope it doesn’t take away from Rose’s day.”
“It will, Mom,” Rose grumbled. “Everyone’s going to be looking at you instead of me.”
Claire bristled. “I’m sorry, dear, but it can’t be helped.”
“It’ll be fine,” I said in my most cheerful voice. It would probably be fine. I’m sure only a handful of people would notice that the mother of the bride was acting like a freak.
Anyway, I got Rose dressed. She and Mrs. Wood headed back to wait for the wedding to start. I found Sera standing nervously behind the rows of attendees. She was shifting her weight from foot to foot.
“Everything okay?” I said.
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Just hoping the food comes out okay. This was a pretty quick wedding.”
I nodded. “You’re telling me. We had less than a month to pull this thing together.”
Sera’s gaze scanned the crowd. Her eyes drifted and then stopped. “It could have been your wedding. Roman’s suit looks nice enough to be married in. Sure you don’t want to make it a double ceremony?”
I elbowed her. “Thanks for the offer, but we’re still working it out.”
Sera shrugged. “I don’t know what you have to work out. You’re great together.”
I hugged my arms. “You wouldn’t understand.”
She tipped her head down. “Let me guess—it’s all so complicated and everything will be different if you get married. You won’t be living at home anymore to witness all the crazy shenanigans. In fact, in my book that means your life will be pretty much perfect. Call me insane but getting away from Grandma would almost be heaven.”
“You don’t mean that.”
Sera flashed me a perfect smile. “Of course I don’t mean that. I love our grandmother, but in case you hadn’t noticed, she likes to stir up trouble.”