“Okay,” said the other man—a second before there was a huge crashing sound, followed by screams.
The back door burst open, revealing the redheaded young men from the bus.
One was holding his upper leg, his freckled face contorted in agony. “Help, I’ve been staked!”
“Me too! Ouch! Help! Irwin, help!” shouted the other, who was holding his lower leg.
Mr. Reyes shook his head as he walked into the cabin more, in the direction of Kelsey. “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
“We’re here,” said the middle-aged woman that had a giant flower pinned to her coat, and who had been working on crossword puzzles on the bus. The woman entered through the front door, looking sweet, demure, but with a hint of evil in her eyes.
The older woman who had been clutching a black book on the bus entered behind her, followed closely by the guy in his forties whose glasses kept slipping down his nose.
“Are you kidding me? Was I the only person on the bus who wasn’t evil?” asked Kelsey, pushing to her feet and ignoring Ellswerth as he writhed in pain.
The woman with the flower on her coat shook her head. “No, darling, the young mother and the toddler aren’t with us. Though, with the way that child ran up and down the aisle screaming, you’d think he was evil, wouldn’t you?” She shook her head. “Reyes wouldn’t let us eat them. He takes all the fun out of everything.”
Mr. Reyes grinned. “Dorothy, your appetite for people is what got us all into this mess to start with.”
She shrugged.
Kelsey stood there, her eyes wide. Petey had been right. The Babcocks had eaten their dinner guests.
The older woman took a stance that said she was more than up for a good fight. “You hurt Ellswerth. Now you’re going to pay for that, young lady.”
“Elsa Lynn,” said Mr. Reyes. “Remember we require something from her first and if you aren’t careful, you could damage the next body you’re set to inhabit.”
Elsa Lynn wanted to steal Kelsey’s body?
No way. Not going to happen. Nope.
“I want Leopold’s when we’re done,” said the man with the glasses.
“Of course, Clyde,” said Mr. Reyes.
Elsa Lynn gave Kelsey a dirty look. “I hate that we couldn’t just grab you on the bus. We needed the stone of truth to see if you were really the one who could give us our power back and that blasted ring.”
Kelsey glanced to the right and saw Jake and Leopold getting to their feet slowly, obviously banged up but alive.
Relief moved through her.
Mr. Reyes looked at Elsa Lynn. “Handle them.”
“With pleasure,” Elsa Lynn said, spinning and turning into a giant swirling ball of green smoke.
Without thought, Kelsey lifted her hand and shouted, “No!”
Rainbow colored energy burst from her hand and crashed into the swirling green smoke, making it dissipate quickly.
Mr. Reyes gasped. “You killed Elsa Lynn!”
“No!” shouted Dorothy.
Clyde narrowed his gaze on her. “For that, you’ll pay.”
Kelsey had no idea how she’d managed to make magic come out of her hand or how to repeat it, so she opted to do the next best thing.
She ran, grabbed Artemis, and leaped through the opening Jake and Leopold had made in the side of the cabin. The minute her bare feet touched the cold grass, Jake was there, pulling her toward the front of the cabin and his SUV.
Leopold moved in behind them. “Go! I’ve got this.”
They all made it around the front of the cabin in time for the remaining Babcock witches to step out.
The compulsion to look down was great, so Kelsey did.
There, on the ground, was a black gemstone. She bent quickly and retrieved it. When she looked up again at Mr. Reyes, all evidence of the sweet man she’d first met while he was knitting was gone. Now, he appeared downright demonic. So did Dorothy and Clyde. “That can’t be good.”
“What can’t?” asked Jake.
She thrust the gemstone at him, and the second he touched it, he glanced up at Mr. Reyes and did a double take. “Does he have triple rows of teeth?”
Leopold touched the gemstone as well. “Yep. Afraid so. Sometimes I really hate stones of truth. There are times it’s just better to not fully know what you’re dealing with. Case in point, the ugly things on the porch.
With that, Clyde roared and began to grow taller and taller. He set his sights on Kelsey, Leopold, and Jake.
“Oh boy,” said Leopold, putting himself in front of Kelsey. “Little sister, now would be a good time to tap into your power again.”
“My what?” Kelsey asked, unable to look away from Mr. Reyes.
“Power, now!”
“I don’t have any power! Okay, I have rainbows that come out of my hand but it’s not like I know how to use it! And even if I could, what good is a rainbow going to do against the twelve-foot-tall demon wearing a Clyde suit?” she asked, pointing up at Clyde, nearing hysterics. The pendant heated against her skin again and suddenly the very rainbow power she thought she couldn’t recreate broke free from her hand and zeroed in on Clyde. One second he was there and the next a pile of ash was all that remained. Kelsey jerked her hand back and stared at her palm. “Holy guacamole, I’m like a rainbow wizard or something!”
Dorothy stomped a foot and a staff appeared in her hand. She pointed it directly at Kelsey. Jake shouted and jumped in the path of whatever magic she had sent from the staff. Suddenly, the same rainbow power that had come from both Leopold and Kelsey, came from Jake’s hands.
Dorothy never stood a chance as the power crashed into her, leaving a pile of ash in its wake as well.
Mr. Reyes was the only one left standing on the porch. The other two surviving Babcocks were still yelling about being staked from the back of the cabin.
“I grow tired of the games,” said Mr. Reyes, lifting his arms above his head. The ground began to shake and the old cabin groaned from the strain of it all.
“Oh boy,” said Kelsey, knowing whatever Mr. Reyes was doing couldn’t be good.
Suddenly, headlights filled the area and horns went off.
Jake slammed into Kelsey, knocking her to the side of the cabin. Leopold jumped and followed them just as a big tow truck ran over all the “no-trespassing” signs in the yard and plowed right into the porch—and the demon standing on it.
Stunned, Kelsey glanced up to see a woman driving the tow truck, wearing work overalls, grinning from ear to ear. Wil was in the passenger seat next to her, holding on for dear life.
“Jolene, you ran into my cabin,” said Wil delicately, though he looked like he was trying not to shout.
“And I killed the bad guy. The words you’re looking for here, Wil, are ‘thank’ and ‘you,’” she returned in a playful manner before stepping out of the tow truck.
Petey’s truck was next to tear into the area as he honked as well. Then a big diesel truck came to a stop next to his. Hugh and Curt leapt out.
Petey hurried from his truck and held a shotgun. He pulled to a stop. “Ta-dah, Petey Power!”
Curt rubbed the bridge of his nose before shoving Hugh. “I told you not to let him watch Saturday morning cartoons. Now he is obsessed with Scrappy-Doo.”
Hugh shrugged. “What? They keep him occupied. And he’s obsessed with Shaggy and Scooby too.”
Petey glanced around. “I came to handle evil witches. Wilber said his crystal balls warned him of trouble out here. Where are all the bad witches?”
Wilber walked around the front of Jolene’s truck to the spot where Mr. Reyes had been standing. Nothing but a puddle of bubbling blue liquid remained. “Oh, I really hate demon guts. It’s so hard to get out of carpets.”
Jolene joined him on the porch and pried something loose from the front grill of her tow truck. She lifted a piece of a “no-trespassing” sign that read “Trespassers will be dealt with accordingly.”
She huffed.
“I’d say so.”
Hugh eyed Leopold. “Who are you?”
“Kelsey’s big brother,” said Leopold, before he went to Jake. He put out a hand to him. “I owe you a big thanks. You saved our mother when others wanted to see her dead. Without you, neither Kelsey nor myself would be here. You’re all right for a horse guy.”
Wilber smiled. “You’re a Gibbons?”
Leopold nodded. “And you’re Wilber Messing. My mother talked about you. She said you were close to her parents.”
“Good people,” said Wilber, glancing around. “Well, I guess we have some evil witch leftovers to dispose of. Who’s in?”
Hugh and Curt raised their hands.
Petey jumped up and down like a small child. “I wanna keep some blue demon guts. It’s great bait for the big fish.”
Jake laughed lightly. “Petey, there are two still alive out back. Can’t miss them. Wilber’s stake trap caught them both.”
Wilber’s chest puffed. “I still got it.”
Kelsey turned slightly just in time to see Artemis floating by, looking perfectly fine and happy. She gasped and tried to run for the cat, afraid she’d float away into oblivion.
Petey rubbed his eyes with one hand. “Anyone else seeing a flying cat or is it just me?”
Jolene grabbed a hold of the cat and held her in her arms gently. “Oh my, is that fairy dust all over your paws?”
Wilber eyed the cat and nodded. “I’ve got something back at my shop that can counter the effects. Guess we better clean up here and then de-fairy dust the cat.”
“Is there ever a dull moment in Everlasting?” asked Kelsey.
Everyone looked her way and responded in unison. “No.”
TWENTY-ONE
KELSEY STOOD in the Witch’s Brew, a latte in one hand and Jake holding her other. She looked out at Main Street, unable to hide her excitement at being a resident of the quirky town. Light snow blanketed the area, making everything look so peaceful and serene.
It had been nearly three weeks since the Babcock coven had been defeated. Three weeks since she’d become Jake’s wife, and three weeks since she’d learned the meaning of friends. She did her best to hide her smile as she glanced over at the table Penelope and Hugh were sitting at.
Penelope was curling her lip at the cup of tea in front of her while Hugh sat with his arms over his chest, clearly continuing his stance on limiting her caffeine intake while she was expecting.
Tensing, she glanced up at Jake, wondering if he’d do the same when he figured out what she was fast starting to suspect—that they were going to have a bundle of joy in nine months. She hoped he’d be happy. He’d been so good to her, moving what little she had into his large home, and then taking Penelope and Jolene out to shop with him for items he thought Kelsey would want. She’d refused to tell him what she needed because she didn’t want him to spend any money on her, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.
Wil and Jolene came walking down the sidewalk, light snow on their heads and shoulders. Jolene had a red present in her hand. Wil held the door to Witch’s Brew open for her, and Kelsey didn’t miss the way the man’s gaze lingered on Jolene as she walked in.
Jolene smiled wide. “How are you two doing?”
Jake licked his lips and nodded. “Really good. How about you two?”
“Bumped into Wil down the street, so we decided to walk over here today. I hear Anna has a new flavor of scone out,” said Jolene, going right for the counter.
Jake laughed. “Get as many as you want. On me. I didn’t forget our deal.”
Wilber approached and gave Kelsey a kiss on the cheek before heading to his granddaughter and doing the same. “How are you feeling today, sweetheart? Is the morning sickness any better?”
Penelope narrowed her gaze on Hugh. “I feel great today. I’m craving a cup of coffee and a cupcake but the heathen isn’t letting me have any.”
Hugh cringed, looking like he might falter in his stance.
Curt came out from the back of the coffee shop with a small cup in his hand. He put it in front of Penelope. “Here. Just a little bit of coffee, okay?”
Hugh growled.
Curt stuck his tongue out at him. “Face it, your wife likes me better than you.”
“Good,” said Wilber with a grunt as he took a seat at the table with Penelope and Hugh.
Snickering, Jake leaned and gave Kelsey a kiss on her temple. “Poor Hugh. He can’t catch a break with Wilber.”
Wilber perked and locked gazes with Jake. “No, he can’t. And don’t you go thinking you’re going to get a break with me either, March. Especially now that Kelsey is with child.”
Kelsey yelped.
Jake stiffened. His brown gaze raked over her slowly, settling on her stomach. “Are you? Are we?”
“I’m not sure,” she admitted. “I think so. But I don’t know just yet.”
Polly came out from the back of the coffee shop holding a tray of snowman-shaped cookies. “Don’t know what?”
Petey was right behind her, wearing a blue sweater with snowmen on it and a red knit cap. He tried to grab a cookie from the tray but Polly swatted his hand. “These are special. They’re for Penelope and Kelsey. I baked up a little something just for them since they’re both pregnant. I wanted to be sure the babies had a bit of magic to help them get started in life.”
“Aunt Polly!” yelled Anna from the back. “Why is there flour all over the place back here? You better not have baked anything. We’ve had this talk.”
Hugh and Jake rushed around to head Polly off. Hugh eased the tray of cookies from her and held it high, worry etched on his face. “Uh, maybe it’s best we not give them these.”
“Yeah,” said Jake, looking frantically back at Kelsey’s stomach.
Polly swatted Jake lightly. “Pull your jaw up, son. Haven’t you ever seen a pregnant woman before?”
Jake swayed and Curt was beside him in a flash, steadying him.
Hugh snorted. “I had the same reaction.”
Penelope pursed her lips at him. “I bet he lets his wife have coffee. Are you going to take caffeine from Kelsey, Jake?”
Kelsey gave Jake a look that dared him to try to take coffee from her. Jake paled and put his hands up.
“I plead the fifth,” he said, drawing laughter from everyone.
Jolene winked as she moved closer to Kelsey. “Oh, honey, I almost forgot. I got a little something special for you.”
Kelsey smiled as she took the red present from Jolene. “Please tell me it isn’t a pendant that could open a portal to hell.”
Polly waved a hand in the air and tried to get the tray of cookies from Hugh. “If you don’t give me those back, I’m going to see to it you get fleas—again.”
Kelsey opened the gift and then just stood there, holding it, unsure why Jolene had given her a calendar that was going to expire date-wise at the end of the month.
Jake groaned when he saw the gift. “You didn’t.”
The woman took the calendar and opened it to the month of March, handing it back to Kelsey. “Oh, I did.”
Kelsey’s eyes widened as she saw her husband pictured without a shirt, in a pair of jeans that were slung low, holding a pair of handcuffs, his work SUV in the background. She knew was mated to a hunk, but there was picture proof in her hands. “Oh wow!”
Jake cringed and tried to ease the calendar from her hand. “Okay, enough of that.”
Kelsey hugged it to her and went to her tiptoes, kissing his lips gently. “I love it, Deputy March. And I love you.”
Jake stopped trying to take the calendar and wrapped his arms around her waist, dipping his head and kissing her passionately. “Mmm, and I love you, my little witch.”
The door to the coffee shop opened and Leopold entered. He pointed at Jake. “Stop hanging all over my little sister, Ponyboy. The only reason I haven’t killed you for mating with her is that you saved our mother.”
Jake laughed.
Curt flashed
a smile. “Wait until we tell you that he got her pregnant.”
Leopold eyed Jake and then made a move to grab him. Jake skillfully managed to avoid her brother as Petey walked over to the door and held it open. Jake took off running through it, out and into the street. Leopold followed close behind.
Kelsey sighed, glancing at Curt and Hugh. “I don’t suppose you two would be willing to go out and stop my brother from killing my husband, would you?”
Curt laughed. “Okay, but your brother kind of scares me.”
Hugh grunted. “Me too.”
Wil stood and walked slowly by Kelsey, heading toward the open door. “Neither one of them scare me. They shoot rainbows out of their fingertips. How scary is that?”
“Thanks, Grandpa,” said Penelope, rubbing her stomach and then eyeing her husband. “Some alpha you are.”
Kelsey smiled, looking around at the people who had become her family. She really loved the crazy town and everyone in it. And there was nowhere else she’d want to raise a child.
THE END
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
New York Times & USA TODAY
Bestselling Author
Mandy M. Roth is a self-proclaimed Goonie, loves 80s music and movies and wishes leg warmers would come back into fashion. She also thinks the movie The Breakfast Club should be mandatory viewing for...okay, everyone. When she's not dancing around her office to the sounds of the 80s or writing books, she can be found designing book covers for New York publishers, small presses, and indie authors.
www.mandyroth.com
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