Courage of the Witch

by Deanna Chase

  “Yep. We were together for nine months before I was placed in another home. I still miss her.” Luna suddenly froze, and her mouth dropped open. After a moment, she blew out a breath and started to run her hands down the back of Hanna’s legs. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said any of that. I think our connection must’ve broken down both of our barriers.”

  After that, Luna didn’t speak except to give specific instructions on how Hanna should position her body. But it was fine. The chill, the nausea, the headache—they had all vanished, and Hanna felt nothing but warm and relaxed. Luna’s magic had seeped into her, and Hanna was starting to feel as if she was floating.

  The lights flipped back on, and Luna pulled a thick blanket over Hanna before she stepped back. “You’re all done,” she whispered. “How do you feel?”

  “Wonderful,” Hanna said, knowing deep in her soul that, somehow or another, Luna had just saved her life. It wasn’t a wish or even a hunch. She knew. It was the type of certainty that had only happened twice in her life. The first was when she knew before anyone else that her sister was gone. The second was when her dog Willy went missing and Hanna had a premonition that the pup had been picked up by animal control and was in a shelter in Garberville. She had no reason to have known either of those things, but she had. This was the same feeling.

  “Good. That’s how it’s supposed to work.” She turned to Healer Snow, and they talked about the IV drip and how to improve for the next round.

  Before Hanna knew it, Luna was gone and Healer Snow was drawing a vial of blood. “We’ll get this tested and call you later today.” She handed the vial to one of her assistants. “You can get up now.”

  Hanna sat up slowly, expecting to be lightheaded, but not only did she feel fine, she actually felt like a million bucks. “Holy hell. That woman is like a drug.”

  Snow smirked. “If only we could bottle her gifts, right?”

  “If only,” Hanna agreed and followed Snow back to an exam room where she got dressed. When she walked out, Snow was waiting for her.

  “You did well today, Hanna. I’ll call you later today after we’ve analyzed the results, but either way, we need you back next week to do this again. Make sure you make an appointment on the way out.”

  “Will do.” She shook Snow’s hand and headed out to find Rhys and her parents.

  “Hanna!” her mother cried when she spotted her. “How’d it go?”

  “Perfect. Snow is going to call with the blood test results later today, but I’m certain they will be clear.”

  “How can you be sure?” Rhys asked her.

  She smiled serenely and patted his arm. “I just am. Everything is going to be just fine now.”

  Mary narrowed her eyes at her daughter. After studying her for a moment, she nodded as if satisfied. “Good, because I’m counting on you to keep up your end of the catering at the café. Orders keep coming, and there’s no way I can do it all. We’ll need to schedule…”

  Hanna’s mother continued to rattle on about all their future plans for the café while Hanna hugged her dad and held on to Rhys’s hand. Everything truly was fine now, and Hanna couldn’t wait to start the rest of her life with the people she loved most.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Rhys tucked Hanna’s hand in his and led her down the path near the magical river. They hadn’t said much in the car on the way back from Healer Snow’s office. Rhys wasn’t sure what to say. Hanna was certain the procedure had worked. Not just certain, dead certain. Like it was a done deal. Rhys didn’t share her confidence. He wished he did, but how could she trust so blindly in a feeling? He didn’t get it. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to contradict her about it. Snow would call soon enough, and then they’d know.

  “How about October?” Hanna asked him.

  “What about October?” He bent at the waist and plucked a wild daisy and slipped it behind her ear.

  She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling with so much life, it nearly took his breath away. “For the wedding. My dad says he’ll be bottling his Sauvignon Blanc in late September. That means we’ll be able to serve his wine, and it’ll be gorgeous that time of year. We could do a harvest theme with gourds and brooms. Maybe a caldron if we want to get witchy.” She laughed. “I could wear a white corset dress with thigh-high lace-up boots. What do you think?”

  “I think you should save that outfit just for me, Hanna,” he said, brushing her curls out of her eyes. “You don’t want a groom who’s dragging you into the vineyard to have his way with you on your wedding day, do you?”

  “Uh, yes!” She lifted up on her toes and planted a long, slow kiss on him.

  Rhys wrapped his arms around her, needing to feel her against him. She was so strong, so full of life, that he couldn’t even fathom walking through the world without her. He tightened his hold and buried his face in her neck, breathing in her sweet honeysuckle scent. “Damn, you feel good, love.”

  “So do you, Rhys.” She trailed her fingers down the back of his neck, making a shiver of desire ripple through him.

  She pulled back and looked up at him. “I have another question for you.”

  “Two,” he said, grinning.

  She laughed. “Two what?”

  “Two kids. But I can be talked into three. We’d need a bigger house or a remodel, but we could work it out.”

  “All right.” She nodded as if this wasn’t the first time they’d talked about having kids, as if they didn’t have a debilitating disease hanging over their heads. “I don’t see an issue with either two or three, but we do need to decide where we’re going to live. Your house or mine?”

  He shrugged one shoulder. “I don’t care as long as I wake up beside you every day.”

  “How about we do a pro-con list?”

  “Okay. Your place is closer to town. Less commute,” he said.

  “By what, seven minutes?” She laughed. “Keating Hollow isn’t exactly the traffic juggernaut of the bay area.”

  “True, but if we keep your place, it’s close enough for a nooner every now and then.”

  Hanna snickered. “Okay, that’s a pro for my place. Yours has the better view.”

  “True, and good running trails right behind it,” he added.

  “Mine is closer to Faith’s. It’s a pro for me. Don’t know how you feel about it.”

  “Two for town, one for the house on the hill,” he said. “Mine has the better bathrooms.”

  “And kitchen,” she said. “Plus, yours is bigger.”

  “Bigger isn’t always better,” he said with a smirk.

  “The hell it isn’t.” She dropped her gaze, eyeing his fly. “Trust me, Silver. You’re doing just fine.”

  “That’s good to know.” They continued to debate which house they wanted to settle down in until Rhys finally said, “Really, it’s up to you, gorgeous. Whichever place you want, I’m on board. Or if you want to sell both and start over, I can be talked into that, too. Like I said, I just want you.”

  Her expression was full of love as she gazed up at him. “You’re wonderful. You know that?”

  “You’re biased,” he said.

  “Perhaps. But it’s still true. Okay, if it’s my pick, I want the house on the hill, 'cause you have that great spa tub in your bathroom.”

  He chuckled. “You know, we could put one in your place if you—”

  “Stop.” She held her hand up. “I’ve made my choice.”

  “Okay. The house on the hill it is.”

  “Good,” she said. “Let’s stop at my place on the way home so I can pack my clothes.”

  “I’ve got news for you, Hanna. You’re not going to need any for quite a while.”

  “Oh?” She ran a hand down his chest and moved the other one to his hip. “I think I could be talked into that. How about we go now and—”

  Rhys’s phone started to ring. “Hold that thought.” He pressed the phone to his ear. “Clay, what’s up?” He slipped his hand into Hanna’s and st
arted to walk again. “Just hanging out with my girl. Why?... Oh?... Sure. Now?... All right. We’ll be there in twenty.” He ended the call. “We’ve been summoned to the Townsend compound.”

  “For what?” Hanna asked.

  “Something about a family meeting and they need our input.” He shrugged and tucked his phone back into his pocket.

  “Family meeting? What does that have to do with us?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  “Looks like a party,” Hanna said as Rhys made his way up the drive of the Townsend family home. There were already five other vehicles there, leaving only one spot for Rhys’s Jeep.

  He parked and ran around to the other side to open her door.

  “You know you don’t have to do that, right?” she said, even as a smile lit up her face.

  “I do it because I want to,” he said and moved his hand to the small of her back as he guided her up to the front steps.

  “Good answer.” Hanna reached for the door knob, not even bothering to knock. She’d been a fixture at the Townsend household for years and supposed when you were best friends with one of the Townsend girls, that was just one of the perks. She strolled right in and called, “Hello! We’re here.”

  “In here,” a chorus of voices called.

  Rhys felt like he was intruding just walking into the Townsend house, but no one else seemed to mind, so he plastered a smile on his face and waved as they rounded the corner into the large family room. Lincoln Townsend was sitting at the dining room table with Clay Garrison, his son-in-law, and Jacob Burton, Yvette’s fiancé. The Townsend sisters were milling around the kitchen, making lattes and serving up desserts. Drew and Hunter, Noel and Faith’s significant others, were on the couch, flipping ESPN channels, while kids ran around outside with two small shih tzus.

  “Rhys. There you are,” Lincoln Townsend called. “Come over here. We have something we need to discuss.”

  “Sure.” He kissed Hanna on the temple and started to move toward the table.

  “Bring Hanna,” Lincoln added.

  “You got it.” Rhys turned and offered his arm to the love of his life and then led her over to them.

  “Sit,” Lincoln said. “We have a proposal on the table.”

  Clay and Jacob were grinning like fools, and Rhys frowned, wondering where all of this was going. He didn’t like surprises when it came to his work life and right at that moment, he had no clue why he’d been summoned.

  “What’s going on, Lin? How are you feeling?” Hanna asked.

  “Excellent, Hanna. Just got word I’m officially in remission.” He beamed at her.

  “Yes!” Hanna jumped up and ran over to him, giving him a huge hug. When she pulled back, she had tears in her eyes. “I knew you’d beat the big C. Thank the gods and all the healers who stepped up to help you fight this battle.”

  “And a huge thanks to Faith and Abby. Those two girls have magic hands,” he said, beaming at his daughters in the kitchen. “And Yvette and Noel, too, of course. Their support has been endless.”

  “They are truly wonderful,” Hanna said, beaming at Faith.

  Rhys looked around at all of them and longed to build the kind of family with Hanna that Lincoln Townsend had. Of course, Lincoln had done it mostly on his own after his wife split, but look at him now. Rhys had grown up with just his mom, and he wanted his children to have siblings, to have this kind of bond with each other when they were older.

  “Rhys,” Clay said, standing and handing out bottles of cider to everyone. “There’s a reason we summoned you here other than to just celebrate the launch of the cider line.”

  “The launch?” Rhys asked. That was news to him. Last he heard, they were still deciding if it was going to be a small in-house special offering or if they were going to bottle it and sell it through distributors like they did their beer.

  “We’ve had inquiries,” Clay explained. “Yesterday our top distributor rep came in. He said he has clients looking for high quality cider, so we had a meeting about it and we’re going all-in on one condition.”

  “What’s that?” Rhys asked, trying to ignore the nerves in his gut. He’d been told they wanted him to head the division, but maybe that had been when they were keeping it a small operation.

  Clay turned to Lincoln. “Want to do the honors?”

  “Absolutely.” Lincoln Townsend stood and said, “Son, we’re all very impressed with the ciders you’ve produced. We also recognize that your inherent magical talents are what makes them so special. With that in mind, I’d like to offer to make you a full partner in the cider division of the Townsend Brewery.”

  Rhys sat there, speechless.

  “What?” Hanna squealed. “Ohmigod, that’s amazing.” She turned to Rhys. “Say something. Did you hear Lin? They want to make you a partner.”

  Rhys got to his feet and cleared his throat. “That is a very generous offer, sir. I’m afraid I find myself a little taken off guard. That wasn’t something I was expecting.”

  Lin chuckled. “I imagine it wasn’t. But this is a family operation, son. And you’re family. It was time to make sure you know that.”

  Rhys glanced down at Hanna and smiled. “I suppose I will be once Hanna and I get hitched. I know your families are close.”

  “That’s true.” Lin rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But even if you hadn’t been smart enough to propose to our girl, you’re still family, Rhys. How long have you been working at the brewery?

  “Five years?” Clay guessed.

  It was actually six, but Rhys wasn’t going to correct him.

  “It doesn’t matter.” Lin waved a hand. “Long enough for us to know it’s where you belong.”

  There was a tightening in Rhys’s throat as emotion overwhelmed him. He loved the brewery. The thought of being part owner of the cider operation… it was a dream come true. He swallowed hard and forced out, “Thank you for the offer, Lincoln. You have no idea how much I’d love to be an owner, but I don’t have the capital to invest—”

  “The product is your capital, son. Without that, we don’t have a line.” Lincoln smiled. “I’ve got a contract drawn up and ready for you to look over. Basically, it just says that the Townsend Brewery has exclusive rights over the ciders you produce while you’re part owner of the operation. You’ll have voting rights when it comes to the cider, and you’ll earn a share of the profits. There’s more, but you should have an attorney check it out and make sure it aligns with your interests.”

  Rhys was stunned. Lincoln Townsend was handing him a dream on a silver platter. He had trouble believing that the man in front of him would draw up any contract that would screw him out of anything. Lincoln just wasn’t that kind of man. But he knew it was smart to do his due diligence. He held out his hand to the older man. “Assuming my lawyer gives the go ahead, I think we have a deal.”

  Applause broke out in the kitchen as the Townsend girls showed their approval. Rhys shook Clay’s and Jacob’s hands, and then Hanna caught him up in a fierce hug.

  “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered in his ear. “They offered you this because you deserve it. You’re amazing.”

  He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head, more than a little overwhelmed by the day’s news. The next thing he knew, he was pulled outside with Lincoln and Clay as they walked the orchard, talking about apple varieties and harvest schedules.

  By the time they got back to the house, the sun was starting to set, and Rhys was anxious to talk to Hanna. He glanced around the living room, and when he didn’t see her, he asked Faith if she knew where to find her.

  “I saw her go out the front door. She got a phone call, I think,” Faith said.

  Hope and fear both washed over him, rendering him frozen. Healer Snow had said she’d call today. This was the moment of truth. He took off for the front door and tore out onto the porch.

  Hanna stood near the front railing, tears streaming down her face, but she was also grinning from ear to ea
r.

  “Hanna?” he walked over to her, not sure he dared to ask the question.

  “It’s gone,” she choked out. “Luna cured me. No trace of the disease. None. Zero. It’s like it never happened. Even my DNA is showing I’m no longer at risk. Rhys, other than the follow-up treatments she wants me to have just to be safe, it’s over.”

  He opened his arms and she flew into them. They stood on the Townsend family porch, locked in each other’s arms, as the sun cast an orange glow over Keating Hollow.

  Finally, Rhys said, “October twelfth. That’s the day we’ll get married.”

  “Why the twelfth?” she asked, pressing her head to his shoulder.

  “Because, gorgeous. That’s the day I asked you out for the first time in high school. You remember the harvest carnival?”

  “Yes. You asked me to go with you so that you wouldn’t have to take your neighbor’s annoying kid or something like that.”

  He chuckled. “It was a lie. I just wanted to take you.” He fingered the daisy that was still tucked behind her ear. “You know what I learned at that carnival?”

  “That is was unwise to eat both a deep-fried pickle and a deep-fried Twinkie?” He could hear the smile in her voice.

  “Yes, but I didn’t remember until just now,” he said. “I learned that daisies are your favorite flower, that monkeys freak you out, and that Prince was your favorite musician.”

  She glanced up at him. “You remember all of that?”

  “Hanna, I remember it all.”

  Her eyes shone with unshed happy tears, and he was pretty sure his did too as he bent his head and kissed her.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Luna Scott smoothed her sundress, took a deep fortifying breath, and walked into the Townsend brewery. It was a Tuesday in mid-May and the pub was closed for a private event—Hanna and Rhys’s engagement party. The guest list seemed to have included at least half the town, because the place was packed.

  “You’re here!” Hanna, looking like a super model in her tight jeans, silky blouse, and red spiked heels, pushed her way through the crowd and grabbed Luna by the hand. “Finally. I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”