“I won you some stuffed animals.”
“It’s not about the stuffed animals,” I said. “I’m going to keep them forever, though. You should probably know that. It was about you wanting to win them for me.” I could feel my cheeks burning under his studied gaze.
“I wanted to win them for you because you’re my girlfriend,” Landon said. “That’s what you do when you have a girlfriend.”
“It was more than that to me,” I said.
“You’re making me want to strip you naked and spend the day in bed,” Landon said. “I don’t think that was your intention.”
“I’m about to get mushy,” I said. “I don’t want you to comment on it.”
Landon waited.
“I never thought anyone – especially someone like you – would be able to accept me.”
“Why?”
“You’ve met my family.”
“I like your family,” Landon said.
“Even Aunt Tillie?”
“Even Aunt Tillie.”
“I always thought the reason I never connected with someone earlier was because of them,” I said. “Now I’m starting to think it was because of me.”
“Bay, I know you don’t want me to comment, but I’m going to,” Landon said. “I knew the second I saw you at that stupid corn maze that there was something different about you. I told myself that I was under cover and there was nothing I could do about my attraction to you, but that didn’t stop me.
“I wasn’t following you around because I thought you were up to something,” he said. “I was following you around because I couldn’t stop myself. That didn’t change after I met your family.
“Now, your family is work,” Landon said. “I’d be lying if I said otherwise. They’re fun, though. You’re fun. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I think you worry about that sometimes. I see your face when Aunt Tillie does something crazy. You’re afraid. You don’t have to be. I’m not going anywhere.”
Hot tears flooded my eyes. “I … .”
“Don’t you dare cry,” Landon warned. “I can’t take it.”
“You’re really my favorite person in the world right now,” I said, choking back a sob.
Landon slung an arm over my shoulder and brushed a quick kiss against my forehead. “Right back at you.”
“Did you mean what you just said?”
“I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
“What about … everything else?”
“Everything else?”
I glanced around, making sure no one was listening. “The magic.”
Landon exhaled heavily. “If you had ever asked me whether I thought I would be with someone who could … do the things you do … I wouldn’t be able to say yes. I didn’t know those things existed. I didn’t believe those things existed.
“Even when I thought I was handling what you are, I realize I was just going through the motions until … Erika,” he said.
I was surprised. Erika was a Civil War-era ghost who led us to a boatful of children being shipped to Canada as part of a child-trafficking ring several months before. At a time when my life was in danger, Landon showed a hint of power himself when Erika appeared to him and told him where to find me. We’d never really talked about what happened, or the fact that Landon was able to see Erika when she reunited with her mother and passed on, but I could tell now it weighed on him.
“You don’t usually want to talk about that.”
“That’s because I don’t understand it,” Landon said. “Well, I didn’t understand it. I think I do now.”
“You do?”
“I think I could see Erika because, if I didn’t, you would have died.”
That wasn’t the explanation I was expecting. “I don’t understand.”
“Have you ever asked yourself how Erika knew to come to me?”
“All of the time.”
“She could have gone to the inn and had a better chance talking to your mother,” Landon said. “She came to me, though. She came to me because she knew I could never let anything bad happen to you if it was in my power to stop it.”
“You haven’t seen a ghost since.”
“Maybe I never will,” Landon said. “I just know that Erika saved us both that night, and I’ve learned not ignore a gift like that. I have no problem with what you are, and I’m proud of you.”
The tears were back, and this time one managed to slide down my cheek.
“Oh, good grief,” Landon said, pulling me in for a hug. “You’re such a girl.” His voice cracked.
I decided not to comment on that. Neither one of us could take it if I did.
Twenty-Nine
My romantic afternoon with Landon was cut short when Chief Terry called a few minutes later. Landon didn’t look any happier with the call than I felt.
“I have to go to the station for a little while,” Landon said. “Terry has something he wants to show me. Do you want to come?”
On a normal day, nothing could have dragged me away. Landon mentioning Erika gave me an idea, though. “I think I want to check something out.”
“What?”
Lying would be a terrible idea right now. “I want to look in the cove.”
Landon stilled. “What cove?”
“The one Erika led us to,” I said. “The one where the trafficking boat was hidden.”
“Why do you want to go there?”
“Sam knows where it is.”
Landon rubbed the back of his neck, unsure. “Why don’t you come to the station with me and then we’ll go together?”
He didn’t want me to go alone. I got that. “I’ll just look,” I said. “I’ll text you if I see anything.”
“Bay … .”
“Landon, you have to trust me on this stuff sometimes.”
“I do trust you,” Landon said. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. I thought we covered that this afternoon.”
“We did,” I said. “I’m fully capable of walking to the cove and looking around, though.”
“I didn’t say you weren’t.”
“I swear, if I find something, I’ll call you.”
“If you find Sam, you’re not going to approach him, right?”
“Right.”
“Okay,” Landon said, giving me a quick kiss. “Text me when you get there and text me when you’re leaving. If you’re good, I’ll take you out to a private dinner tonight. I think we could both use a night away from the crazy.”
I couldn’t believe he was agreeing to this. “That’s it? You’re not going to argue?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because we moved to a new level today,” Landon replied. “I won you stuffed animals and you put high school behind you. You’re an adult. You’re fully capable of taking care of yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“If you get hurt, I’ll never let you live it down.”
I smiled. “Don’t worry. Even if Sam is there – which is doubtful – I don’t believe he would hurt me.”
“Neither do I,” Landon said. “That’s the other reason I’m letting you go. Just … be careful.”
“I’m always careful.”
“Be more careful than that.”
TWENTY minutes later I parked in front of the Dandridge. It looked lonely. The patio garden was already wilting without Clove’s attention. I could practically imagine her here with Sam. Long nights with wine on the patio, quiet walks in the woods, shared smiles and heated whispers.
Clove wasn’t the only one who needed Sam to be innocent, I realized. I needed it, too.
I texted Landon that I had arrived and waited for his reply. When it arrived with another admonishment to be careful, I pocketed my phone.
It didn’t take long to hike to the cove. The reason the Dandridge had been erected in its specific location was because of the slave trade. Abolitionists needed a spot from which to signal oncoming ships when it was safe to move into
northern waters to ferry runaway slaves to safety in Canada. The spot offered a hidden bonus: the cove.
You couldn’t find it unless you knew it was there. We’d only discovered it thanks to supernatural intervention. The genius of the cove was that it could only be seen from the water. That’s what made me think there was a chance – even if it was slight – that Sam fled there.
I picked my way through the heavy underbrush, having to change my direction twice. I’d been out here before, but my memory wasn’t set in stone. Finally, I found myself staring at the distinctive rock outcropping that hid the cove from prying eyes.
I was quiet as I moved forward, my eyes busily scanning the beach. It looked empty, but the shadow from the rock cliff hid the beach at a certain angle. I had to be sure.
I was moving forward when a voice interrupted my internal reverie.
“I shouldn’t be surprised.”
I froze, my heart dropping. I recognized the voice. “Sam?”
“I’m not going to hurt you, Bay. There’s no reason to panic.”
I turned slowly, taking in Sam’s grizzled countenance with a worried eye. He looked … rough. He hadn’t shaved in days, and his skin was sallow. He clearly didn’t thrive in the outdoors. I didn’t blame him.
“How are you?”
“How did you find me?” Sam asked, resigned. “Is Landon on his way?”
“Landon is at the police station,” I replied. “I’m alone.”
“How did you know I would be out here?”
“Just a hunch,” I said. “I didn’t think about it until this afternoon. Landon brought up Erika, which made me think of the cove. I thought there was a chance you would try to hide here.”
“I’m not guilty.”
I nodded my head. “I know.”
“You do?” He looked hopeful.
“I do,” I said.
“How?”
“I searched my heart,” I said. “I can’t believe the man who listens to Clove and tries to make her happy would could kill a bank teller and beat an old lady who has already spent years being abused.”
Sam pinched the bridge of his nose. “This is all so … .”
“Crazy,” I finished for him. “It’s crazy. We have to figure out who is framing you.”
“You’re going to help me?”
“I’m going to find out who is framing you,” I said. “I’m not going to help you do … this.”
“I can’t turn myself in,” Sam said. “If I do, it will all be over. I’ll be locked up forever.”
“I don’t believe that,” I said. “Landon and Chief Terry are working to clear you. They just haven’t caught a break.”
“You expect me to believe that Landon is working to clear me? He hates me. He wants me away from Clove … and you.”
“I expect you to believe that Landon is the best man I’ve ever met,” I said. “He doesn’t believe you’re guilty.”
“Then why is he trying to arrest me?”
“He doesn’t have a choice,” I said. “Mrs. Gunderson said the robber who attacked her identified himself.”
“As me.”
“She said she couldn’t be sure. She said she didn’t know you well enough to know either way. They’re doing the best they can.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” Sam said. “I’m the one who is going to lose my freedom. I’m the one who is going to lose … Clove.”
“You already lost Clove,” I snapped. “You broke up with her.”
“I did not.”
“She says you did.”
Sam’s face contorted. “Are you kidding me?”
“Yeah, I thought I would hike out here to find you and then play a big joke at your expense,” I said.
“No one needs your sarcasm.”
“Clove said you broke up with her,” I insisted.
“I didn’t break up with her,” Sam said. “I told her it wouldn’t be good for her if she spent so much time around me while everyone thinks I’m a killer. You know very well the townspeople will turn on her – and turn on Hypnotic by extension – until I’m cleared.”
Well, crap. Now I liked him even more. He was taking her business into account. Murderers don’t do that, do they? “She didn’t see it that way.”
“She’s just … emotional,” Sam said. “How is she?”
“Worried,” I said. “She’s trying to put on a brave face, but she’s not sleeping and she’s barely eating. She’s a nervous wreck. She thinks you’re going to be shot on sight by the police.”
“Do you think that’s a possibility?”
“Not if you turn yourself in.”
“I’m not turning myself in,” Sam said. “I can’t clear myself if I’m in a jail cell.”
“You can’t clear yourself camping in the woods either,” I said. “Everyone in town knows the cops are looking for you. How can you possibly run an investigation when you’re the prime suspect?”
Sam looked helpless. “I don’t know.”
His admission tugged at my heart. “You probably don’t want to hear this, but I’ve learned a lot about myself this week.”
“Oh, good,” Sam said, rubbing his forehead. “Now we’re going to talk about you.”
“Shut up.”
Sam rolled his eyes.
“I spent my entire high school existence hating myself and hiding from people who thought they were better than me,” I said. “Do you know what I learned today?”
“That you’re better than all of them?”
I faltered. “Well … kind of.”
“High school is for losers,” Sam said. “Popularity is a figment of people’s imagination. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who was prom queen. It doesn’t matter who was the class geek. It just doesn’t matter. Do you want to know why it doesn’t matter?”
Not really. I was starting to feel a little silly.
“It doesn’t matter because who you are in high school has nothing to do with who you really are,” Sam said. “It has nothing to do with who you grow up to be. You’re awesome. Clove and Thistle are awesome. Thistle is mean, but she’s still awesome. I don’t give a rat’s ass who you were in high school. The only one who cares who you were in high school is you.”
“Don’t be … you.”
Sam smirked. “Fine. Tell me what you learned today.”
“I learned that I have everything I’ve ever wanted,” I said. “When I was in high school, I dreamed about the life I’m living now. I realized I’m happy, and high school doesn’t matter. It never mattered. I learned that the people who think it mattered are the sad ones now.”
“Isn’t that what I just said?”
“Yes. I still wanted to say it myself.”
“Bay, you’re a great person,” Sam said. “You’re loyal, and you have a huge heart. The people from high school who didn’t want to know you lost out.”
“I know.”
“I’m surprised Landon didn’t tell you this himself.”
“He did,” I said. “I just wasn’t listening when he said it. He had to win me fifteen stuffed animals at the carnival before I realized he was telling me the truth.”
“He won you fifteen stuffed animals? Carnival games are rigged.”
“That’s what I said!”
“I missed the carnival with Clove,” Sam said, rubbing his forehead. “I ran and ruined the anniversary celebration for her.”
“You were going to be jail anyway,” I said. “You couldn’t have enjoyed the carnival.”
“Thanks for the upbeat news tip.”
I smiled, rueful. “You have to turn yourself in, Sam. If you don’t, things will only get worse. Look at it this way, if you turn yourself in and there’s another robbery, you’ll automatically be cleared.”
Sam opened his mouth, and then snapped it shut. “Oh.”
“You didn’t consider that, did you?”
“Nope.”
We were both silent, the
only sound encroaching on our wooded sanctuary coming from chirping birds.
“What are you going to do?”
“I guess I’m going to turn myself in,” Sam said.
“Do you want to go back with me?”
“I need to pack up my stuff,” Sam said.
I didn’t want to be suspicious, but I couldn’t help myself. “Are you trying to get me to leave so you can run again?”
Sam smiled, his eyes lighting up for the first time since he’d approached me. “No. I’m going to pack up my stuff and drop it off at the Dandridge. Then I’m going to call Chief Terry and have him pick me up.”
“I can only give you an hour,” I said. “I have to tell Landon after that.”
“I know,” Sam said. “I’ll do it.”
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you,” Sam said, squeezing my hand briefly. “Tell Clove what’s going on. Ask her to come see me at the station in a few hours. I want to see her.”
“Okay,” I said. “You’re doing the right thing, Sam.”
“I hope so,” he said. “I hope this is all going to work out.”
“Have faith. Everything works out the way it’s supposed to. It’s karma. You’re a good man. You’ll get a happy ending.”
TWENTY minutes later I was back at my car in the parking lot of the Dandridge, and the vise previously gripping my neck disappeared. I texted Landon to tell him I was okay, leaving out my discovery of Sam. I’d promised him an hour. I could keep that promise.
I was waiting for Landon to text back when the sound of a snapping branch behind me caught my attention. I swiveled. “Sam?” I was surprised he managed to pack up so quickly. He had to be motivated.
It wasn’t Sam, though. I didn’t get the chance to register the approaching face fully before pain ratcheted up the side of my head and darkness claimed me. I dimly remember falling toward the ground, and then everything winked out of existence.
I was in trouble. Again.
Thirty
The darkness morphed into a faint red, but my eyes refused to open when consciousness finally reclaimed me. That was probably a good thing. It allowed me to ascertain my surroundings without letting my assailant know I was awake.
I felt I was closed in, a smothering feeling plaguing me. The ambient noise was familiar. I just couldn’t put a name to it. I was still too fuzzy.
Witch Me Luck (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 6) Page 22