by Deanna Chase
Heart of the Witch
Witches of Keating Hollow, Book 2
Deanna Chase
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Copyright © 2018 by Deanna Chase
First Edition 2018
Cover Art by Ravven
Editing by Angie Ramey
ISBN Print 978-1-940299-58-7
ISBN Ebook 978-1-940299-59-4
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.
Bayou Moon Press, LLC
Contents
About This Book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Deanna’s Book List
About the Author
About This Book
Welcome to Keating Hollow, the enchanted village where love, cupcakes, and magic collide.
There are only three things that were ever important to Noel Townsend—love, family, and magic. Two out of three aren’t bad. She’s blessed with a large close-knit family and her magic has never been stronger. But love? That ended three years ago when her husband walked out on her and her daughter and never looked back.
These days Noel only has room in her pieced-together heart for her six-year old daughter. But when Drew Baker shows up on the doorstep of her inn with news of her husband, fate has other plans. And so does Drew. If he can get past her defenses, Drew is going to do everything in his power to heal the heart of a witch.
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Chapter 1
Drew Baker strolled down Main Street of Keating Hollow. As the Deputy Sheriff, he made it a point to remain visible, to connect with the citizens and business owners on a daily basis. There was no better way to deter crime than by keeping the lines of communication open.
Not that Keating Hollow was a hotbed of crime. Far from it. He’d just like to make sure it stayed that way.
“Officer Baker, hello,” a familiar female voice called from behind him.
He suppressed a grimace and tried to keep his expression neutral as he turned around. “Good afternoon, Shannon. How’s business?”
“Good. A Spoonful of Magic is keeping Miss Maple and me busy this holiday season.” The pretty redhead moved closer to Drew and slid her hand up his arm. He stiffened as she added, “I was hoping you’d have time to help me taste test the new cinnamon hot cocoa.”
He cleared his throat and took a step back as he patted his stomach. “I’m trying to lay off the sweets this season. Probably not a good idea.”
Her gaze traveled down to his flat abs. Raising one skeptical eyebrow, she said, “You’re not that vain, are you, Drew? You wouldn’t be making an excuse to get out of another date with me, now would you?”
His neck warmed as he shook his head. “I’m just really busy these days, Shannon. I wouldn’t want a pretty girl like you waiting around for me.”
She scoffed and opened her mouth to no doubt challenge his weak claim that he was too busy to date when another female called out from behind him, “Deputy Baker. There you are.”
Drew turned and spotted Noel Townsend, the woman who ran the local inn. She looked different than usual. Hadn’t she been a redhead just a few days ago? It appeared she’d dyed her hair blond. And to be honest, it suited her. She’d been beautiful before, but now she was elegant. “Something wrong, Noel?”
“No, no. Nothing’s wrong,” she said with a hint of a smile. “But I was hoping to talk to you about the town’s security so we can be ready for the New Year’s Day festival.”
“Security?” Shannon asked, wrinkling her perfect little nose. “Since when does Keating Hollow need security? It’s a town of witches.”
Drew frowned, not at all sure what Noel was going on about. No one had said anything to him about needing security for the New Year’s Day festival.
Noel tilted her head to the side and stared at Shannon, her brow furrowed. “Didn’t you know new protection spells are cast every year?”
“Protection spells?” Shannon parroted, adjusting her glasses while confusion flashed in her whiskey-colored eyes.
Drew opened his mouth to ask what Noel was talking about, but she beat him to the punch.
“Don’t worry about it, Shannon,” Noel said as she slipped her arm through Drew’s and patted his shoulder. “Officer Baker has it all under control.” Noel glanced up at him, flashing him a secret mischievous smile. “Right, Drew?”
“Um, yes?” he said, finally catching on and feeling like an idiot for being two steps behind her in the conversation.
“You don’t sound so sure,” Shannon said, narrowing her eyes at him.
“He probably just needs my help finalizing the last of the spells,” Noel said cheerfully. “I have time now.” She glanced up at him, giving him a pointed look. “We can go back to the inn, and I can make some tea while we work out the details.”
“Sure. Now’s good,” he said, relieved to be making his escape from Shannon. She was a nice woman, but she was a little too aggressive for his tastes.
Once they were halfway down the block and Shannon had slipped back into A Spoonful of Magic, he leaned down to Noel and said, “Thanks for that.”
She pulled her arm out of his and shoved her hands into her pockets. “No problem. You looked a little like a deer in the headlights when she cornered you. I thought you could use a little help.”
He winced. “Was it that obvious?”
She shrugged. “Probably not, at least not to someone who doesn’t know you as well as I do.”
The words hung in the air for just a moment as he remembered the summer right after he’d graduated when they’d both worked as camp counselors. The summer after his heart had cracked in two, and Noel Townsend had somehow managed to help piece it back together.
“Anyway,” she said, breaking into his memory, “about that security for the New Year’s Day festival. That wasn’t just an excuse to help you get away from Shannon, though you’re welcome. I was thinking it might be a good idea to get prepared since Pansy Parker wrote that article about the event that went viral in the paranormal community a few weeks ago. The inn is completely booked and so are all the surrounding hotels up and down the coast.”
“Seriously?” he asked, interested now. While Keating Hollow got its share of visitors, it was never that busy. It was a small Northern California town pretty far off the beaten path. “We should probabl
y get some sort of head count.”
She pushed the door of her inn open, and he followed her inside. “I have some numbers right here,” she said, slipping behind the front desk.
He pulled his hat off and waited, admiring the graceful line of her neck as she tucked a lock of her blond hair behind her ear. There was no denying that Noel Townsend was a beautiful woman. She was long and lean, lithe like a model, only not as tall. She was about half a foot shorter than him, making her somewhere around five foot six. But it was her soulful blue eyes that usually captivated him, and the intensity there that stared back at him.
“Here we go,” she said, handing him a Post It note without breaking eye contact. “Looks like about a thousand outsiders are planning to descend on us.”
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck and glanced away, suddenly uncomfortable with her unflinching gaze. “Looks like I’m going to need to call in some temporary help.”
“Seems like a good idea. I’ve also got some spells ready to go that should help with surveillance.”
He glanced down at her again and raised one eyebrow. “You do?”
Noel placed both hands on the counter and leaned forward. Her sweater stretched across her chest, making it impossible for him to concentrate. “They’re detection spells, and they make it easier to conjure trace energy,” she said. “Let me know if you’re interested. I cast them around the inn on a regular basis. Guests can usually feel the magical traces and that keeps them on good behavior.”
“I am. Interested I mean. In the spells,” Drew babbled, backing up to keep from staring down at her exposed cleavage. The last person he needed to be ogling was Noel Townsend. “I’ll be in touch.”
Before she could say anything else, he hightailed it back out onto the street and sucked in a deep breath of the cool late-autumn air. “Christ, Andrew, get yourself together, man,” he mumbled under his breath.
“You all right, Drew?” a woman asked from behind him.
He turned around and spotted Miss Maple. She wore a red and white knit cap over her curly gray hair, green stockings, and was bundled up in a red wool coat. Every year since he could remember, she’d dressed in the same uniform for the entire month of December. When he’d been a kid, he’d been convinced she was one of Santa’s helpers. Maybe she was, he mused. Her eyes were twinkling with mischief as she stared at him.
“Woman trouble?” she asked, tucking a few stray locks of hair behind one ear.
“What makes you say that?” he asked, giving her an easy smile.
“In my experience, a man only mutters to himself when he’s flummoxed over someone he’s attracted to. And since I’ve never seen you date a man, I’m guessing it’s a woman. Is it Shannon?”
“What?” He shook his head. “No, definitely not.”
“That’s what I thought,” she said, her tone unconcerned. “She’s a sweet girl, but subtlety isn’t her thing. You might need to be clearer about your intentions.”
“I don’t have any intentions.”
“I know, dear. That’s what you need to clear up.” She glanced at the inn’s front door. Her mouth opened in surprise, and then a knowing look lit her eyes. “Well then. Isn’t this interesting?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, shoving his hands into his front pockets. “Listen, Miss Maple, I need to get back to the office. Can I walk you back to your shop?”
She just chuckled and shook her head. “No, dear. I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
“You’re welcome.” He tipped the rim of his ball cap and started to walk across the street.
“Good luck with those woman troubles,” Miss Maple called after him.
Without looking back, he raised one hand in acknowledgement and quickened his pace. Miss Maple saw too much. She also presumed more than she should. There wasn’t anything going on with Noel Townsend. And there never would be. That wasn’t a road he was willing to go down again.
Drew let out a sigh of relief when he stepped back into the sheriff’s office. This was his domain. It’d been five years since he’d taken the post in Keating Hollow. Five years of keeping his home town safe.
“Oh, Deputy Baker. There you are,” Clarissa, the front desk clerk said. “There’s an urgent call for you on line one.”
He glanced at the desk phone and the flashing red light. “Who is it?” he asked, already striding toward his office.
“Sheriff Barnes,” she said, biting her lower lip. “He just said it was important.”
“Thanks.” He strode into his office and grabbed the phone. “Baker here.”
He stood stock-still as he listened to his boss on the other end of the line. A chill ran through him as he took in the news. Five minutes later, he placed the receiver back down on the phone, straightened his shoulders, and strode back out of his office, heading for the front door.
“Deputy Baker?” Clarissa asked, concern radiating from her. “Is everything okay?”
He paused and glanced at her.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said, standing up and pressing her hands flat on her desk. “What happened?”
He shook his head. “I’m fine, Clarissa. I just need to deliver some bad news. I’ll fill you in when I get back.”
She slowly sat back down and gave him a small nod. She was professional enough to not ask more questions. Not before the family had been notified. It was the part of the job he hated the most. But it was his job, and waiting wouldn’t make it better.
Steeling himself, he took off and returned to the Keating Hollow Inn. He waited patiently just inside the front door while Noel Townsend checked in an older couple who were celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. The husband kept his hand on the small of his wife’s back the entire time, and the pair glowed with so much happiness, Drew couldn’t help but smile at them.
“Isn’t she lovely,” the old man said. “She’s still just as gorgeous as she was at sixteen.”
“Oh, George.” The woman beamed up at him. Then she turned to Drew. “Is it any wonder I married my high school sweetheart?”
Pain struck Drew in the gut as images of Charlotte filled his mind, but he forced a smile and nodded at them. “Happy anniversary, you two.”
“Thank you.” The woman placed a small hand on his arm and squeezed. Then as she walked by, she whispered, “Don’t worry, dear. Your someone is already waiting for you.”
Once they disappeared into the elevator, Noel gave him a teasing smile. “She probably means Shannon.”
But Drew was all business as he turned to her, his eyes serious as he took his cap off. “Noel, I’ve got some bad news.”
Her smile vanished, and she froze in place. “Is it my dad? Did something happen?”
“No.” He shook his head then sucked in a breath. “It’s about your husband Xavier. They’ve found him.”
Chapter 2
“Keating Hollow Inn, how can I help you today?” Noel Townsend said into the phone as she finished typing in the details of a reservation.
“Mommy, guess what!” her sweet six-year-old Daisy yelled, making Noel jerk the receiver away from her ear.
Noel winced even as she grinned, her daughter’s joyful exuberance filling her heart. “What is it, baby?” she asked. “Did your aunt finally take you golf cart racing?” Noel’s younger sister had moved back to town just a couple months ago and had promptly purchased a party golf cart. Daisy had taken one look and fallen completely in love with its flashing lights and surround sound. And after she’d overheard a conversation about golf cart races, Daisy had become relentless in begging to participate in a race.
“No,” Daisy said, her tone turning pouty. “Aunt Abby had to work. She said we can do it this weekend if you say it’s okay.”
“I see. Well then, what did you call to tell me?”
“Is it okay?” Daisy asked.
“Is what okay?”
“Can I go on the golf cart with Aunt Abby?”
“Right,” Noel said with a chuckle. Her daughter definitely had a one-track mind. “Sure, honey.”
Daisy let out a shriek of delight. A moment later, Noel heard her older sister, Yvette, say, “Don’t forget about the puppy.”
“Puppy?” Noel said in alarm, glancing around at her recently remodeled inn. “What puppy?” The gleaming floors had been refinished to perfection. New curtains hung from the floor-to-ceiling windows, pooling at the floor. She’d re-covered her antique furniture, creating the perfect atmosphere for her turn-of-the-century Victorian. It’d taken three years, but her inn was finally exactly how she wanted it. A puppy was the last thing she needed. If Yvette had gifted Daisy with a dog, Noel was going to kill her. Between taking care of Daisy and running the town’s only inn, Noel could barely find a spare moment to get her hair cut. Taking care of a puppy was out of the question.
Daisy cooed and said, “Nice puppy. Now be a good girl so Mommy will let you come live with us.”
Noel’s entire body heated with irritation. She glanced down at the check-in desk, searching for her mobile phone. When she didn’t spot the phone right away, she waved her hand, her magic bursting from her fingertips. The air crackled, responding immediately as she said, “Bring me my iPhone.”
The stack of papers at the end of the counter lifted into the air, revealing nothing but the wood surface. Her unrefined magic moved on and the papers sailed to the floor. A similar result occurred as her magic searched her desk, scattering pamphlets and advertisements before it moved on to her stack of invoices.