“Because you’re too proud to just want to come home?” Was she trying to cause a fight so she could leave and never come back?
“No. Maybe something else could happen to my family?” She threw the pencil, then covered her face with her hands.
“It’s not your fault. None of it was your fault. Nothing that happens is.” He held her.
Logan knew her brother could be difficult on his best day, but that had never stopped Nat before. She had to help people whenever she could, even if Chris thought it was too dangerous. She’d been so insistent that her parents help the couple with the missing child two towns over, she still blamed herself for their deaths. Maybe Chris did a little, as well?
“If I just stayed quiet, maybe it would be better,” she said.
“You don’t believe that. Cars crash. Accidents happen. You wanted to help before. You’re growing stronger every day with your powers. So look beyond what you see. Look at the consequences if we do something or if we don’t.” Although he wasn’t much help, he could take her mind off her guilt.
“I can’t even see what it is.” She pulled away, stood, and started pacing the room.
“Is it a twister? Is that why it’s hard to see?” he asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. It’s blurry, but that’s because it’s out of focus, not due to spinning.”
“Maybe it’s a storm. We’ve needed some rain. Lightning could hit someone or maybe a house. That’s not your fault.” Logan stooped to pick up the two pencils she’d thrown. “You can tell the fire truck to be on a certain side of town when and if you get some detail.”
“Then something could happen on the other side of town, and more people might die. I’m not the Goddess. I don’t know all.”
“No, you don’t. Maybe that’s the big lesson you needed to learn in Chicago. Too much is going on in the world, and you can’t control it. You’d never freak out if something like this came to you in a huge city. It’d be too much to sort out. Cut yourself some slack. I just want to keep you and Zach safe. And here, preferably.” He sat on the couch and beckoned her to him.
She crawled into his lap and smiled. “I know. I don’t want to leave either. I just hate the vibe my brother gives out. I can always feel his disapproval.”
“I always envied you and Zach for having siblings. I know you and your brother don’t get along much now, but I hated being an only child.” Logan hugged her, inhaling her subtle perfume. It was his favorite scent on her, a blend of citrus and ocean.
“I wish Randy was my brother and Chris was just a cousin. I love my nieces, but Chris can be such a bully at times. Normally his wife would at least call and invite me to dinner. It’s like they’re all afraid of me now.”
“Maybe they’re afraid you’ll push the issue and bring Zach and me along?” he asked.
“I should.” She smiled brightly. Logan saw a spark of confidence in her eyes.
“The only way to stand up to a bully is not to fear them. Call their bluff.” Logan poked her in the shoulder for emphasis.
“I never had a problem doing that as a kid.” She chuckled, grabbing his finger, then kissing it. “Then again, I always had Chris to protect me if someone actually pushed me too far. If I pushed him back, he might not be there.”
“Ah. Maybe Green Leaf is just your safety net? Maybe you don’t really want to be here?” He prayed he was wrong.
“No, I want to be here. I just want his negative vibe off me. Before, I thought the town judged us for being a triad. Maybe they still do. Or maybe it’s Chris’s disapproval I’m really feeling. He has more gifts than he realizes, like projecting his emotions. Mental bully. He just can’t control them.” She twirled a lock of Logan’s hair around her finger, sending shivers of desire straight to his cock.
A funky tone broke their conversation. She reached over for her cell. “It’s my sister-in-law.”
Logan smiled as she pushed the button.
“Hi, Megan, what’s up?” Nat answered.
Nat tensed beside him, then relaxed. “Dinner tonight?” Nat looked at him over her shoulder. “Sure, I can come.”
It was too much to hope she’d insist on bringing her men.
“I can’t wait to see the girls, thanks.” Nat ended the call.
“You need to see your nieces,” Logan said, hiding his disappointment. She still hadn’t found the strength to stand up to her brother.
“So do you and Zach.” Nat texted off something. “I hope neither of you is busy.”
“Megan didn’t invite us, and you didn’t tell her,” Logan pointed out.
“Tough. She always makes a ton of food and sends it home with me like I’m useless in the kitchen. There’ll be plenty of food and room. We’re going. If we get kicked out, we’ll go for pizza.”
“You’re the strongest woman in Green Leaf.” Logan kissed her hard.
* * * *
That afternoon, before facing her brother and his family with her men, Natalie asked over a couple of the younger witches for a quick meditation. Sitting on the back deck with Cecily and a new girl, Anne, she trusted her gut. These two had a spark of energy that could help Nat push further. Anne, with her blonde ponytail and smooth skin, looked barely old enough to drink, but she had an inner strength Nat admired.
Anne shook her foot as her fingers trembled in her lap. The girl was nervous, but she was new, and no doubt the coven had mentioned Nat plenty. Nat pushed a bit deeper on the girl psychically. She felt no evil or danger. She was a good witch, just unsure. The three women sat in a circle, holding hands.
“What do you want us to focus on?” Cecily asked.
“The town and Halloween. Don’t force anything. Simply channel your energy to me, if you can.” Nat closed her eyes and at the same time opened her mind to see beyond the present.
The energy of the two other women created a wave of force that allowed light to shine on her vision. She rolled through the options as the darkness descended. Weather? No. Fire? No. Violence by a person? The light flashed so brightly in her mind she nearly pulled away. She tried to focus on a face but couldn’t. The presence wasn’t familiar. Nat sensed the other women fading fast—she slowly let go.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to drain you.” Nat sat back, then took a drink of water. The other women followed suit, sipping from the water bottles she’d set out. Visions could be eerie. Cold water helped center people back in the present.
“What did you see?” Cecily asked.
“Thanks to you two, more than I have before. It’s not weather or an accident. Someone will do something very violent.”
“What?” Anne asked, concern raising her voice an octave.
Cecily leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “Who?”
“Not sure. It’s a stranger. Someone I don’t know, at least.” Nat rubbed her eyes. “I can’t get any more now. But thank you!”
“You rest and eat. We can do something more.” Cecily stood up, seeming energized.
“What?” Nat asked.
Anne shrugged as she got to her feet. “We can go through the town listing and see who’s new. Try to get a read on the people you don’t know.”
“I guess that can’t hurt. I just don’t feel like they’re here yet.” Nat rolled her shoulders and checked the time on her phone. “I do need to head off to dinner. Thanks so much!”
“Any time.” Cecily led the way out. Anne followed, leaving Nat alone with the growing dread in her belly.
* * * *
Logan and Zach had dressed for dinner, but Nat didn’t argue. They could dress how they liked. She was done playing her brother’s game. She rang the bell, then heard the trample of little feet.
The door swung open. Her nieces were too heavy to lift them both at once, so she knelt, then scooped them up in a hug. Laura’s gaze went to the men.
“Mommy, look, Aunt Nat brought her boyfriends!” Laura shouted.
Chris and Megan appeared quickly at the door.
“I jus
t invited you to dinner, Natalie,” Megan said softly.
Nat stood straight but held a niece’s hand in each of hers. “Well, I’m bringing my boyfriends to dinner. Isn’t that what families do? I wouldn’t invite just Chris to dinner without you, would I?”
“We’re married,” Chris said coldly.
“Just because there’s no wedding ring, doesn’t mean we’re not committed to each other. It’s still rude for you not to invite them. We’re all having dinner, or we’ll all go.” It was a bold move. She wanted to see her nieces, but if she was the only one giving in the sibling tug-of-war, she’d never feel comfortable near Chris.
“Please, Daddy. You always tell us not to be rude. Everyone gets to play. Share.” Tara tugged her dad’s jeans.
That little cherub face was the leverage Nat needed. The girls loved her, and Chris wouldn’t hurt his girls.
“Fine. Megan always makes too much food anyway. You’d think we have teenage boys.” Chris nodded at the trio.
Nat introduced the girls to Logan and Zach, who fielded the weird questions the girls hurled at them with ease. Nat helped Megan set two more places while Chris watched the girls and Nat’s boyfriends.
“He’s overprotective,” Megan said.
“He doesn’t approve of my relationship. Maybe he never will. I can’t help that I fell for two men, or that I got the powers. He’s got the sweet kids and the calm life. We all want what we can’t have.” Maybe going through Megan would get the message to Chris easier than talking to him herself.
“He loves his girls and wants them safe. Protected from that world you live in. When you say they have gifts, and they’re even a tiny bit like you, he freaks. Boys, wild clothes, makeup… We’re prepared for that. We can handle normal girls.” Megan went into the kitchen, then came back with food a few moments later.
Nat helped bring out the side dishes. Chris had a right to worry. She’d had two boyfriends, a lot of detention, and stayed up most nights doing spells instead of studying.
“I don’t sense the girls are as advanced as I was. My mother encouraged me. She had the gift too. I can’t change what they have any more than Chris or you can,” Natalie said.
“I know. You both think the other’s life was easier. No one’s life is easy. He’s proud. You’re different, but proud in your way.”
Chris walked in. “Anyone I know?”
“She’s trying to help,” Nat said.
“We can agree to disagree?” he suggested.
Nat had never seen her brother give that much. “Dial back the negative crap about my men. I can feel it all over town.”
“Right,” he scoffed.
“I can. When you’re not happy or don’t approve, you project it.” Nat stared him in the eye, refusing to back down from his rigid expression.
Chris looked away first, then shrugged.
Zach walked in with Tara hanging from his neck. Logan followed with Laura. Both girls wore ear-to-ear grins.
“Dinner smells great,” Zach said.
Logan set Laura down, then ruffled her dark hair. “I think we interrupted something.”
“No, it’s fine. My sister is just telling me how I have some sensitive gifts too. Don’t make up stories. The girls don’t have it, and I don’t either.”
“You do, Daddy. I can feel it. When Auntie Nat is around, you turn dark blue and black.” Laura slid up next to Nat, then hugged her tight.
No doubt about it, Laura could read auras on people. Tara’s gifts were harder to pin down, but she was still young. Neither would rival their aunt, but it would be better if they knew how to handle what they had.
“It’s okay, sweetie.” Nat hugged Laura, then sat down at the table. “Dad doesn’t know his own strength. Just like you aren’t sure what blue and black mean, so it might be scary. Over the summer, can I help you understand what’s going on? Why you’re special? Would you like that?” Nat asked.
“I don’t want them practicing that stuff,” Chris said. He took a protective step toward his daughters.
“Maybe if it’s private?” Megan asked. “Not the whole coven thing with everyone. Just Natalie and the girls.”
“Please!” Tara begged, clasping her hands together in a pleading gesture.
“Please, Daddy!” Laura joined in, louder.
Nat smiled at her brother. He might be a strong bully of a guy, but when women banded together, no man was a match for that!
“Fine! A little bit, once a week, during the summer. If you get good grades, and I can stop it at any time if you start getting weird or behaving badly,” Chris warned.
The girls squealed in delight. Nat couldn’t hide her smile.
Megan pointed at the table. “Now settle down and eat.”
The girls hopped into their chairs, on their best behavior.
“Can I have a pet owl like Harry Potter?” Laura asked.
Zach snorted with laughter while Logan covered his mouth with his hand.
“No, owls aren’t good pets in real life,” Megan said, a hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“Do you have weird dreams too, Aunt Nat?” Tara asked.
“Sometimes.” Nat filled her plate. If she didn’t eat soon, she might pass out.
“Those are just nightmares.” Chris helped cut Tara’s chicken as she heaped a spoonful of mashed potatoes onto her plate.
“Even when it’s the same over and over, but you’re not scared?” Tara asked.
“That could be different. What are you dreaming of?” Nat asked. Maybe Tara’s talent had to do with premonitions in dreams.
“No.” Chris passed the basket of rolls around the table.
Zach immediately distracted the girls by asking them what they’d be for Halloween.
Logan, on the other hand, challenged Chris. “Why not talk about it if it bothers her?”
“I don’t want it to be part of their lives. A few lessons about general stuff in the summer is one thing, but don’t go filling their heads that every imaginary friend is a ghost. I grew up with my mother being a witch. And Grammy fussed over Nat constantly. It’s weird. Do you know how many fights I got into?” Chris asked.
“You won,” Nat replied. “The dinner is really great. Thanks, Megan.”
Megan dished green beans onto the girls’ plates, receiving groans in reply. “Thanks, Nat.”
“Not the point. I don’t want them to get picked on in school. Other kids don’t have this issue, and they’ll be mean,” Chris said.
“Well, I’ve been having a recurring dream that scares me a little. Chris, I want you to keep an extra eye out for strangers on Halloween.” Nat looked at her brother.
Chris gave her a quick glance, then returned to his meal. “It’s a tiny town; we all notice strangers.”
“Not with all the costumes on Halloween,” Megan pointed out.
“Exactly. I wish I could nail it down. All I know is someone very dangerous is coming. It’s not a fire or a storm. It’s a person—a violent person.”
“We’ll keep an extra eye out for strangers on Halloween. Just like we always do.” Chris piled more food on his plate.
“Thank you,” Nat said. She’d have to be satisfied with that. Chris wouldn’t budge.
The tension seemed to lift as they stuffed their faces. Logan and Zach might not have had a big share of the conversation, but at least they were there. Their presence and the scheduled time with her nieces this summer were both huge victories with her brother. It was an excellent start!
Chapter Six
“I can’t believe we didn’t do this sooner,” Zach said to Logan as he sorted through the box of library décor they’d packed away after Nat left for Chicago.
“Well, we weren’t expecting her to come back. I didn’t want to jinx it either. Will she stay?” Logan hung the gauzy curtain over the door to the library.
“She’ll stay.” Zach had to be positive. He’d pulled all her stuff from the attic. All the dark wood could be harsh on Nat�
�s readings. Zach changed the lightbulbs to a softer pink light.
She already had her crystals and cards out, but these little touches mattered. Although she hadn’t asked for them, he knew it would help her feel at home again.
Near the bottom of the box, Zach found a light-colored paisley shawl that belonged to Nat’s grandmother. He laid it gently over the sturdy round wooden table Nat used to do readings. It brightened up the room lined with shelves of books. The thick area rugs over hardwood floors made the room feel plush.
Logan hung a dream catcher and some crystals on the windows. “We’ll see how her talk goes at the school. Asking a real witch questions will make some parents uneasy,” Logan said.
“Laura wanted her for show-and-tell. The more her family embraces her, the better. I’m still shocked that Chris is budging a little.” Zach hated biting his lip through the dinner. “We should’ve told Chris off.”
“No. I would have loved to, but Nat would’ve lost her mind if we treated her like a helpless woman. She can stand up for herself. No doubt, she’s got the guts, just like she did when she went off to Chicago. We supported her last night, and that’s what mattered.” Logan set out a few miscellaneous scraps of fabric for Natalie to hang where she wanted.
The old velvet chairs and couch in deep earth tones were Nat’s grandmother’s choice and well made, so they’d probably never be replaced. But Zach would keep an eye out for new throw pillows to update the look. “True. Maybe having two men around all the time made her want to leave? Were we too pushy?” he asked.
Logan walked over and hugged Zach from behind. The tension eased from Zach’s body. The heat and the connection were there—stronger than before. Zach knew they loved each other, but when Nat wasn’t around, the differences seemed to take center stage. When they were all together, their unique personalities made them stronger.
He set out a few candles, then left the box on a bookshelf for when Nat needed them. “Are we going to be okay if she goes again?” Zach asked.
Logan pulled Zach into an embrace. Zach held him tight. “Depends why she goes. If it’s the town, I say we go with her. Exploring a little of the world won’t hurt. Once Chris realizes we aren’t going to give up or break up, it’ll be easier. That dinner was a good start.”
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