“Suzie, go and attend to the New York sect.”
“Yes sir.”
When she left, Seb smiled. “Leo’s going to be furious,” he said gleefully. “It’ll serve him right for manipulating you.”
Skylar couldn’t help it, she smiled too.
“I’d call him, but he wouldn’t answer. I’m not about to throw you to the wolves though. Let me get my car, and you can follow me over there.”
“Alright.”
So Skylar and her suitcase were back in her car again. She followed Seb’s Mercedes down a few more streets and when he pulled into a driveway, she pulled in as well, taking care not to block him in.
This house couldn’t be more different than the Coven House. For one thing, it had no extra wings that looked like an afterthought. It was still a mansion, but in the Tudor style and very stately in addition to much smaller. Seb walked over to her car and grabbed her suitcase for her.
“I really do apologize for this.”
“If it’ll put the bastard who is ruining my life to a little discomfort, I’m all for it.”
“I like you.”
“Thanks.”
When they got to the door, Seb vigorously used the brass knocker.
A tall and thin blonde opened the door. She looked amazingly like Leo, but while his features were handsome, hers were delicate. She was not smiling though.
“Hello Seb.”
“Dymphna. Why are you and your blasted brother not answering my calls?”
“The last time I answered your call you yelled at me. Then Leo told me not to answer again. Now you’re here. I’m not letting you in.”
“You have a visitor.”
That’s when Dymphna noticed Skylar standing behind him. She cursed.
“There had better be a damned good reason she’s here. Because now you’re both leaving.”
She slammed the door in their faces.
Seb smiled apologetically at Skylar. “I’m not her favorite brother.”
“I see that.”
“She’s going to particularly dislike you.”
“What? Why?”
“You’ll see.”
“Are you always this cryptic?”
“I do try.”
He pounded on the door again, this time with his fist. “Dymphna, you’d better open up!”
They heard her stomping back toward the door.
“The hell’s the matter with you, your dukeliness?”
“Let us in, Dymphna. I’d rather not do this on the doorstep.”
“Fine. But Leo’s going to be hot under the collar.”
“That is part of the plan.”
Once they were in the foyer, Dymphna noticed the suitcase. “Tell me that’s not what I think it is.”
“It is,” Seb said gleefully.
“Damn, Seb. Leave it here, we’ll take care of it later.”
Skylar looked around. It was a grand entryway, with hardwood floors, elegant crown molding, and a large center staircase. But the only decoration in the place was a threadbare rug. Well, that and the dust on every conceivable surface.
She yelled for Leo, and they followed her into the kitchen. Again, the hallways and the kitchen were magnificent. Rosewood cabinetry, tile floor, dark granite counter tops, and the dust. Everywhere.
Sitting at a card table on a brown folding chair, Leo was nursing a coffee in a chipped mug. When he saw them, he slammed the cup down, giving it another chip.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
“This, my good brother, is karma. You forced her hand into joining the Coven. But with the New York delegation here, there’s no room at the Coven House. Her apartment is over an hour from here, so she can’t stay there either. So she has to stay here. This is a hole of your own making, Leo.”
“Damn it.”
“In other words, she stays here or you release her from the bargain and let an untrained witch go back out into society. If she hurts someone, it’ll be on your hands.”
Leo glared at his brother. Dymphna looked pissed with her arms crossed over her chest.
“Fine. She’ll stay. But I’m not happy about this.”
“Duly noted. I’ll be going, then.” He made an elaborate bow. “And Dymphna, do get that scowl off your face. It’ll stay like that. I’ll see you Monday at nine sharp, Skylar!”
Dymphna responded with a rude gesture.
“Well, you might as well sit down,” Leo said glumly. Dymphna also plopped herself into a chair. Unsure of how stable the chair was, Skylar sat down gingerly.
“Here’s the deal. We’re stuck with you, and you’re stuck with us. Luckily for all parties involved, Dymphna and I work long and irregular hours.”
“We don’t have a bed for you.”
“This isn’t my fault, you know. I’d really appreciate it if you’d stop treating me like a leper. I know I’m an unwanted guest, but I don’t have any choice in the matter either.”
“She does have a point, Leo.” Dymphna’s scowl lessened. She sighed, and the scowl went away completely. “I’m sorry, Ms. Kincaid.”
“Skylar, please.”
“I know it’s no excuse, but I had a hard day at work today, and I’ll be hard at it again tomorrow. I know, tomorrow’s Sunday, and I still have to work. Please forgive my gruff attitude.”
“Done.” Skylar smiled, and Dymphna gave a little grin back. Leo glared at them both.
“Leo’s on duty all day tomorrow, and I’ll be at my office. I’ll leave my numbers in case you need anything.” She sighed. “Alright, you’ll need a bed and anything else you need in the bedroom. It’s too late to get something tonight, but we’ve got a cot if you’re alright with that.”
“That’s fine.”
“Do you have your own bank account?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Good. I’ll give you a check for as much furniture as you need. Go ahead and get a nice queen sized bed; I’m sure we’ll find a use for it later. You’ll need sheets and whatnot too. And let’s see, you’ll need food. There’s takeout and delivery menus in the kitchen. So let’s see. Bedroom set, mattress, food.... Any input here, brother mine?”
“I’d rather not. Unlike you, I’m still pissed.” He certainly looked it. His features were not at their best when he was looking like he wanted to hit something.
“Ignore him. By my calculations, that puts us at about four thousand dollars for your furniture and your first week of food. If there’s any left over, feel free to use it on whatever you’d like. Sound good?”
Skylar stifled her gasp at how much money Dymphna just offered to throw down at the drop of a hat for an unwanted house guest. She had a plan for the extra money already, and a way to pay back her hosts.
“That sounds great. Thank you for letting me stay. I really appreciate it.”
“You know, you’re right. This isn’t what you asked for at all. This is Leo and Seb’s fault, and I’m not going to put it on you. Besides, I like you. You’re not one to back down to Leo’s grumbling, and you made Seb smile. I haven’t seen him smile like that in years.”
“I like you too, if that helps.”
“It does.” She smiled.
“I’m going upstairs,” Leo announced glumly. “You girls have fun. I’ll be leaving at around eight tomorrow, so don’t expect to see me.”
“He knows I like to sleep in when I’m working at the office by myself.” Dymphna winked, and Skylar laughed. She wrote out the check and handed it proudly to Skylar. “Have you eaten?”
“No. Not since breakfast.”
“God, girl, it’s after nine o’clock.” Then she added conspiratorially, “I haven’t eaten either. Want to get some delivery?”
“Sounds great.”
Dymphna handed her a Chinese food menu. “These guys always get here fast. Probably because I tip well. Choose something while I go get a cot from the garage.”
Dymphna called in their order when she returned.
“Sorry, this is all we’ve got
for tonight.” She gestured at a folding cot meant for camping and a sleeping bag. “We used to go camping, back when we had free time.” She laughed.
“Thank you. It’ll be better than sleeping on the ground.”
“That’s for sure.”
Dymphna hauled the cot upstairs while Skylar brought up her luggage. She was given a spacious room with a nice attached bathroom. Again, there was nothing but dust, not even a shower curtain rod.
“I’m sorry about the state of the place.”
“No worries. You didn’t expect me.”
Back in the kitchen, the women chatted companionably. Most of it was about food, considering how hungry they both were. As Skylar’s stomach growled for the third time, the delivery man rang the doorbell, and Dymphna dashed to go get it.
“I hope he didn’t bother Leo,” Skylar commented.
“Too bad for Leo if he did. I’m starving.”
They dived into the food until they were both stuffed, and all the food was gone.
“That’s it for me, girl. If you don’t mind, I’m going to go read for a bit in my room until I fall asleep.”
“No problem. I’ll probably find one of those 24 hour stores and use some of this money to get some cleaning supplies and a shower curtain.”
“Enjoy. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
Once the enormous check was deposited at the bank ATM, Skylar went shopping. There weren’t a lot of people in the store this late, but at least it was still open. She still had all kinds of pent up energy from everything that had happened that day, so she shopped with a vengeance. She got cleaning supplies and a shower curtain as planned, but she also grabbed some shampoo and other bath products that she had forgotten to bring from her apartment. Then she tackled the food side of the store. The energy she thought she had was actually flagging by this point, so she didn’t get much.
Once back at Ward Manor, she discovered that the only thing in the fancy refrigerator was leftover takeout and delivery food. Rolling her eyes, she pushed it all to the side to make room for her purchases. She’d tackle that tomorrow.
After a short and soothing shower, she tumbled onto the cot and slept better than she thought she would, especially on that cot and after all that happened.
Her cell phone alarm started blaring at seven the next morning. Still bleary eyed, she did her morning routine as quickly as possible then headed downstairs to begin the first part of her plan to endear herself to the Ward siblings.
Last night she had bought a cheap skillet, with plans to get better cookware soon. After all, and she was correct in her assumption, she didn’t think they had any kitchen equipment at all, just nice appliances.
She brewed coffee in the only small kitchen appliance they had and quickly threw together an omelet with spinach, mushrooms, and cheese, hoping that Leo would like such a thing. She flipped it over on itself expertly, and it looked and smelled great. Sliding it onto one of the plates she also picked up last night, she laid a brand new fork beside it and poured coffee into a new mug with no chips. She had noticed last night that he took it with just a little cream, so she poured out their expired cream and poured in some fresh, flavored cream. Then she set some artificial sweetener packets beside the coffee mug and retreated from the kitchen.
She just barely made it into her room when she heard Leo’s door open, and his footsteps soon pounded down the stairs. Can’t do anything subtly, that man.
She hooked up her computer, but didn’t know their WEP key, so she couldn’t do her research. Instead, she read her book until she heard him angrily slam the front door shut, and his car drove off. Excitedly, she zipped downstairs to see what happened in her absence.
Sure enough, the food and the coffee were all gone. She grinned. Skylar then made another omelet for Dymphna, set the coffee on warm, and left to do her shopping.
Leo was pissed. He didn’t sleep well at all last night because he kept having dreams about his luscious new boarder, each one steamier than the last. He woke up wanting her, but of course he couldn’t have her. Despite his sister’s comments about him needing a night in bed with a woman, and even despite his agreement so far as to get the condoms, it would be disastrous to follow through. What if their magic really was a match? What then?
Then he walked downstairs, thinking of how he was going to get a bagel and then lose himself in his work, he smelled something delightful. Someone had made coffee and, miracle on miracles, an omelet. Considering that his sister was helpless in the kitchen and couldn’t even scramble an egg, he knew who had made him breakfast. But no, she wasn’t even there.
He couldn’t resist. Then he was glad that he didn’t. It was heavenly. She even remembered how he liked his coffee.
So he was conflicted as he made his way back to Massachusetts General. On the one hand, she was nice. Perhaps a little too nice. Even Dymphna, who rarely liked anyone, and who was a really good judge of character, liked her. Then she made him breakfast and didn’t even stick around to ask for praise and recognition. And it really wasn’t her fault at all that he had forced both of them into this situation, and she took it with grace.
But on the other hand, she was bad for his sense of control. He may not have always liked the way he lived his life, but he was comfortable in it. He had his work, and he was proclaimed as one of the best plastic surgeons in the area, which meant that he got plenty of high paying customers. He had his duties to the Coven, which took up a lot of what free time he had left. Though, he admitted to himself, he was so busy because he chose to be busy. After all, except for Dymphna, he was alone.
Then Skylar came along. She was beautiful and fun, but he sensed that she was also lonely. Something about her took his structured life and turn it on its head. He didn’t want to be attracted to her, and a relationship between them could never work. She was clearly the kind of woman who wanted something more than just a bed partner.
He still hadn’t decided how he felt about her when he reached the hospital. He had one breast enhancement in the morning because the woman wanted it done on a Sunday for some reason and had the money to pay for it. He’d spend the rest of the day catching up on paperwork, and avoiding the new house guest.
That same new house guest went on a shopping expedition. Sure she had an amazing amount of money, but she didn’t want to spend it all on a bed.
First, she went to a family run furniture outlet, where she bargained with them until they agreed she would pay full price if they would deliver it free that afternoon. Since Skylar had been prepared to pay full price and delivery costs, even a little extra for express delivery, she was happy. They were happy too when Skylar liked the deal so much that she bought a matching dresser and pair of nightstands. Then, to sweeten the deal, she even added on a kitchen table to seat eight and the chairs to go with it.
Next she went back to her apartment to pick up some decorations. She had more framed art prints than she knew what to do with, and even some canvases that she had gotten on clearance somewhere in the past. She packed those and some decorative rugs into her car. She looked around the place to hold the memories, at least until she could move back in six months later.
She knew of a great cookware store near her apartment. She sniffed the air as she walked in. The owner always kept some of her favorite spices in a little bowl with a small heater below it near the entry to give the smell of cooking to her place. At least, that’s what she thought it did. The whole place was filled with anything and everything a kitchen could need. Skylar loved this place, and they loved her, as evidenced by the owner rushing to greet her as soon as she walked in the door.
“Skylar! Haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I know.”
“Are you still working at Morgan's?”
“Not for a long time now.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Want to talk about it?”
“Not even a little bit.”
“Well in that case, how can I help you today?”
“I do want that recipe.”
“Precisely. I’ll also be getting a lot of things, which should mean a bulk discount.”
“Perhaps.”
“I need a full set of pots and pans for starters. Not professional grade, but quite nice and non-stick. Then I need a set of eight place settings. The whole works, including silverware and glasses. And did I mention you were going to do all of this for less than 300 dollars?”
The owner gulped. “Only you would ask this, Skylar.”
“It’ll mean my apple tart recipe,” she wheedled.
“Throw in the chicken marsala recipe and you’ve got a deal.”
“Done. Now let’s go choose my new stuff.”
Four hundred later, because Skylar had to get some new spices as well, she was out the door. The new bedroom set and dining room furniture would be delivered after six, and she had to make sure she was back by then. Everything else was in the car.
Then came the grocery store. At this point, Skylar still had well over one thousand left. She bought an assortment of essential materials and enough food for three days’ worth of meals. Some storage bins went into the buggy too, for her lunches. She finished it off with cleaning supplies and a vacuum.
Finally, it was time to go to the place she would be calling home for the next six months. Goodness, but that was a long time. She checked her clock on the way back and giggled. Who would have thought that the frugal Skylar Kincaid could go through over three thousand dollars before three in the afternoon?
Invigorated, Skylar hummed though putting the groceries away. She hummed another song as she unpackaged all of her new things and put them in the dishwasher.
She stopped humming when she got upstairs to retrieve her cleaning supplies from her temporary bedroom. Leo’s bedroom door was open, and she could see the incredible mess within. There were dirty clothes everywhere. Expensive suit jackets were draped over the single folding chair in the room or even thrown wadded up in a corner. She could hardly tell there was a bed in there. After ensuring that there were serviceable suits in the closet, she got all the dirty laundry out of the room.
The Doctor Witch (The Ward Witches) Page 3