“I ran into Sam at the diner yesterday, and he invited me to come out and see the Dandridge renovations,” Clove replied. “I decided to take a walk because Thistle was being … well, Thistle … and I stumbled across him in the woods. I helped him pick up after the kids and then we got to talking and I decided to help him with his thistle problem. I’ve handled a lot of thistle problems over the years.”
“Ha, ha,” Chief Terry intoned. “Does your family know you’re out here?”
“I’m an adult.” Clove crossed her arms over her chest. “Just because you see me as a five-year-old doesn’t mean I need someone to babysit me.”
“Don’t have a meltdown,” Chief Terry warned. “I was asking out of concern. I’m not big on gossip. I don’t think Bay would like it if she knew you were out here.”
“I guess I must’ve been absent from the family the day Bay was put in charge of my life,” Clove deadpanned. “That was probably the worst family meeting to miss, huh?”
Chief Terry scowled. “No one needs the sarcasm.”
“I’m sorry.” Clove’s tone said otherwise.
“While I’m loving this … angry father act, I’m kind of curious why you’re out here,” I interjected, shifting the onus of the conversation away from Clove. “Is something going on?”
“Yes,” Chief Terry said, dragging his eyes away from Clove and fixing them on me. “Clove said she ran across you in the woods when you were picking up after a party. Is there anything you want to tell me?”
I sighed, resigned. “I was going to call you,” I offered. “I kind of forgot when I ran into Clove and we started talking. There was a group of kids out here last night. They woke me.
“I went out there to ask them to quiet down, and some kid named Andy gave me lip,” I continued. “He was a big kid, so I decided to walk away. I told them I was going to call you and they scattered pretty quickly.”
“What were they doing?” Chief Terry asked. “If they had a chicken, I’m going to arrest you for concealing evidence. You’ve been warned.”
“There was no chicken,” I replied. “There were ten kids – I counted them. It was seven boys and three girls. They had a couple cases of Milwaukee’s Best, and I’m pretty sure I smelled pot, although I didn’t see anyone smoking a joint.”
Chief Terry arched a challenging eyebrow. “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” I confirmed. “The Andy kid was rude and obnoxious. I didn’t want to get into a slap fight with a teenager. I threatened them and they left. I definitely didn’t see a chicken.”
“You said there were three girls?” Chief Terry prodded.
I nodded.
“Was one of them a cute little brunette with curly hair and green eyes?”
“I wasn’t close enough to see her eyes, but there was a short girl with curly dark hair,” I answered. “She tried to get the big kid to calm down, and he was rude to her. She didn’t say anything after that.”
“What’s going on?” Clove asked.
“Tess Britton didn’t make it home last night,” Chief Terry replied. “Her mother called the station in a panic this morning. She was convinced an intruder snuck into the house and kidnapped her daughter. When I explained that probably wasn’t what happened, she threatened to have my badge revoked. I explained I was elected, which she didn’t take well, and then I decided to check out here on a whim.”
“They all left after I threatened to call you,” I supplied. “I listened, but it was quiet as soon as I got back to the Dandridge.”
“Do you mind if I have a look around?”
“No.”
“Wait a second,” Clove interrupted. “You don’t think Sam did something to Tess, do you?”
“I don’t think Sam is going after teenage girls,” Chief Terry clarified. “I want to be able to tell her mother that I checked, though. I also need to look at where they were partying.”
“She’s not out there,” I said. “We spent twenty minutes cleaning up and didn’t see anyone.”
“I still need to look.”
“Okay,” I said, seeing no reason to stop him from searching. “Go nuts.”
“I TAKE it Chief Terry didn’t find anything.”
Clove was gardening when I returned to the Dandridge. I was both pleased and surprised.
“I thought you left.”
“Why would I leave?” Clove asked. “I promised to help you with your gardening project. You have no idea what you’re doing. You haven’t even gotten to the pokeweed yet.”
“Okay, I’ll bite,” I said, kneeling next to her. “What is pokeweed?”
Clove pointed at a tall plant. Until she told me it was a weed, I assumed it was a mutant bush. “That’s pretty big,” I said. “How are we going to get that out of there?”
“Well, we could dig it up, but that will probably take all day,” Clove said. “If you want to do it quickly, though, I have an idea.”
“And what is that?”
“We could tie one end of a rope to it and tie the other to your car and pull it out.”
That sounded both fun and simple. “I like that idea,” I said. “I’ll find a rope.”
“I’ll keep working on the thistle.”
By the time I got back with the rope Clove had managed to clear most of the front garden. She was efficient. I had to give her that.
“I feel like I should pay you for all this work you’re doing,” I said. “I spent hours working on this yesterday and barely got one corner done. How do you know about all of this?”
“My mother loves gardening,” Clove replied. “Aunt Tillie does, too, although she won’t pull weeds. When we got in trouble as kids, our mothers used to punish us by making us weed their gardens.”
“So you’re saying today has been like a childhood punishment?” I teased.
“I wouldn’t say that,” Clove said. “It’s been … fun.”
I made up my mind on the spot. It was probably a mistake, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking the question if there was a chance she would agree to my suggestion. “Do you want to have dinner with me?”
Clove’s mouth dropped open, surprise washing over her features. “I … .”
“I promise I’m not out to get your family and I won’t do anything embarrassing in public,” I prodded. “It’s just dinner. I enjoy spending time with you, and I think you’ve earned a nice meal after volunteering so much of your time helping me despite how much your family hates me.”
“Okay,” Clove said, grinning. “If you try to do anything hinky, though, I’m going to tell Aunt Tillie.”
“And what will she do?”
“I have no idea,” Clove answered. “She knows how to hide a body, though, so you should keep that in mind.”
“Consider me sufficiently warned,” I said, smirking.
It was probably a terrible idea and yet I couldn’t tamp down my enthusiasm. For the first time since moving to Hemlock Cove, I genuinely looked forward to something.
It was definitely a start.
Five
In my head I knew only girls spent hours getting ready for dates. The last time I gave myself more than a cursory glance in a mirror to make sure I was presentable when leaving the house was right before my senior prom. Of course, I hoped to get lucky that night.
Because the mirror at the Dandridge was old and dusty, it was easy to tell myself I kept staring at my reflection … and changing my shirt … and fiddling with my hair … and practicing conversational topics that would make me seem smart and charming … because the image staring back at me was distorted. In truth, I think I was merely nervous. I couldn’t help myself.
I headed downtown a full half hour before I was supposed to meet Clove in front of the diner. I envisioned taking her to a nice restaurant outside of Hemlock Cove, but I realized that might put too much pressure on me to deliver the perfect date. I also worried that picking a local spot where everyone knew us would put too much pressure on both of us. It would be like co
nducting a date in the middle of a zoo exhibit. Still, when it came down to it, I wanted Clove to be comfortable. That’s why I picked the diner. I figured we could have a light dinner and then take a walk, maybe even stop in at whatever hokey festival Hemlock Cove played host to this week.
I was lost in thought, excitement and nervous energy distracting me enough to tune out the bulk of the bustling street activity, when the distinctive sound of familiar laughter caught my attention from across the street. I shifted, narrowing my eyes when Bay Winchester hopped into view. Her honey blond hair bounced as she jumped between sidewalk sections, almost as if playing a game. She wasn’t alone. Her FBI boyfriend, Landon Michaels, trailed behind her, encouraging whatever she was doing with enthusiastic comments and hearty guffaws.
I watched them for a moment, conflicted. When I first came to town the idea of bonding with Bay because of our shared gift seemed the first order of business. Instead of welcoming me with open arms as I wanted – which I admit in hindsight was a ridiculous expectation – she turned cold and distant. I didn’t blame her, yet I was irked.
Landon was another story. While Bay at least pretended to be polite – especially in front of others – he couldn’t be bothered to muster anything other than disdain while in my presence. I don’t know whether he dislikes me because he thinks I’m after his girlfriend, or perhaps because he sees me as a threat to her secret, but it’s obvious he would rather punch me in the throat than play nice.
Bay continued to hop between concrete sections, casting the occasional glance over her shoulder to say something to Landon. He amiably chatted back, jerking forward at one point and grabbing her around the waist to scoop her off her feet and swing her around. Their laughter was loud, their happiness palpable.
I realized they’d stopped their cavorting about three seconds too late. Unfortunately I was their new point of interest.
“Hey,” I offered, internally cringing at the lame greeting. “How are you guys?”
“We’re good,” Bay replied, briefly glancing at Landon as he lowered her back to the sidewalk. “How are you?”
“I’m good,” I said, crossing the road with heavy feet. I refused to back down no matter how annoyed they were with my move to Hemlock Cove. Eventually they would have to get over it … or find a place to bury my body. “Looks like you were having a good time. Don’t let me stop you from doing … whatever it was you were doing.”
“We were playing the crack game,” Bay said.
“I don’t know what that is.”
“You know, I was avoiding the cracks so I wouldn’t break my mother’s back.” Bay’s cheeks colored. She was clearly embarrassed to be caught acting like a child. “It’s stupid.”
“I’m familiar with the game,” I offered, forcing a smile. “I honestly didn’t mean to interrupt you guys.”
“Then why were you staring?” Landon challenged, knitting his eyebrows together. He’s a tall guy, well built and muscular. He has shoulder-length hair, which I’m sure women find attractive, but doesn’t scream “FBI agent.” His suspicious eyes more than make up for it, though.
“I didn’t mean to stare,” I said. “I couldn’t figure out what you were doing and then … .” I didn’t have anywhere to go with that statement, so I left it hanging.
“It’s fine,” Bay said, squeezing Landon’s wrist. It was either a silent warning or plea to not make a scene. I couldn’t be sure which. Their relationship was … odd. On paper they made absolutely no sense. Bay was a witch hiding supernatural abilities, and Landon was a law enforcement officer sworn to tell the truth. Despite that, they seemed to genuinely care about one another.
“How are things going out at the Dandridge?” Bay asked, seemingly at a loss for something to curb Landon’s bad mood.
“It’s an ongoing process,” I answered. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and the weeds are out of control.”
“I heard Chief Terry stopped by today,” Landon interjected, earning a surprised look from Bay. “He says the lighthouse is looking good. He also said a teenage girl disappeared near your property last night.”
“Landon,” Bay cautioned, her voice low. “Maybe … .”
“It’s fine,” I said, waving off her concern. “I’m well aware of what Landon thinks of me. For the record, I did not kidnap Tess Britton.”
“Chief Terry says you talked with her,” Landon pressed. “He made it sound as if there was some … tension.”
“I had words with some kid named Andy,” I explained. “He was rude and full of himself, a typical alpha male. I’m sure you can relate to that.”
I have no idea why I feel the need to mouth off whenever Landon is around. There’s something about him that just … makes me want to cut his hair and reveal him as an ugly guy masquerading as Hemlock Cove’s resident stud muffin. It could happen. Haircuts have brought down entire television shows. Just ask that chick from Felicity.
I’m good looking. I know that. Women don’t fall at my feet like they do for Landon, but I’m fine with that. Okay, I’m jealous. I can’t help it. He seems to have the world at his fingertips, while I struggle to yank weeds and argue with teenagers. Sometimes life isn’t fair.
“You’re a funny guy,” Landon said.
“Thank you.”
“It’s not going to be so funny if that girl doesn’t show up,” Landon pointed out.
“Probably not,” I conceded.
“We don’t know anything happened to Tess,” Bay said, inching forward to put her body in front of Landon’s. I was curious to see whether he would push her out of the way. Instead he rested his hand on her hip and tugged her closer. He was clearly in a romantic mood. “She’s a teenager. She probably just … wandered off.”
“Are you insinuating there’s a missing teenager lost in the woods?” Landon asked.
“I’m insinuating that she probably got drunk, missed her curfew and then spent today trying to figure a way to get out of trouble,” Bay countered. “That’s what teenagers do. They’re not known for rationality.”
“You sound as if you’re speaking from experience, sweetie,” Landon said. “How many times did you get drunk and miss your curfew when you were a teenager?”
“I was a good girl,” Bay said primly. “I never missed curfew.”
Landon didn’t look convinced. “You know I’m going to ask your mother whether that’s true over breakfast tomorrow, right?”
“My mother has memory problems,” Bay replied.
“Uh-huh.” Landon was unruffled when he turned back to me. “I guess it’s probably good you don’t seem like a demented pervert out to kidnap teenage girls,” he said. “If that girl remains missing, though, you should probably expect a search team to show up on your property.”
“I look forward to it,” I said dryly, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. “Will there be anything else?”
“You came over to us,” Bay reminded me, slipping her hand into Landon’s and tugging on his arm, prompting him to put some distance between us. “Let’s go to the fair. I want an elephant ear.”
“We’re going,” Landon said, casting one more derisive glance in my direction. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, because I feel exactly the opposite, but you probably don’t want to leave town until Tess turns up.”
“I have no intention of leaving town,” I said. “In fact … I had a really good day. I expect to have a lot more good days in Hemlock Cove. I guess you’ll have to get used to me.”
“Or we’ll leave Aunt Tillie in charge of hiding your body,” Landon shot back, smoothly sidestepping Bay’s elbow when she tried to jab it into his stomach. “Hah! You’re not as fast as you thought, are you?” Apparently my part of the conversation was done, because Landon and Bay returned to their walk, heading in the direction of the festival.
“You’re an FBI agent,” Bay chided. “You’re not supposed to threaten people with imminent death.”
“I didn’t threaten him with death,” Land
on argued. “I merely told him that Aunt Tillie might kill him. That’s not the same thing.”
“Since when?”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” Landon said. “I have everything under control. Now, come on. I hear there’s a haunted funhouse. I want to take you inside so you get frightened and grab me in public.”
“You’re really sick,” Bay muttered.
I watched them go, unease rolling through me. Landon always pushed my buttons, but usually I could work up some sympathy for Bay. She appeared to be a woman caught between two worlds. The problem was it wasn’t dislike for Landon fueling me. It was … yearning. I wanted what they had.
As if on cue, Clove picked that moment to move out from beneath the awning of the nearby bakery. “Hi.” Her smile was shy as she smoothed the front of her peasant top. She looked unbelievably cute and casual. I couldn’t help but wonder whether she changed her clothes ten times before our date, too.
“Hi,” I said, offering her a genuine grin. “You look nice.”
“Thank you,” Clove said. “Um … you look nice, too.”
“Thanks.”
We lapsed into uncomfortable silence, all those conversational points of interest I rehearsed before leaving the Dandridge completely disappearing from my brain. Thankfully Clove wasn’t acting as spastic as I felt.
“Did I just see Bay and Landon?” she asked.
“Yeah,” I replied. “They’re going to the festival. They were playing the ‘step on a crack’ game and then Landon and I insulted each other for a few minutes.”
Clove wrinkled her nose. “When we used to play ‘step on a crack’ as kids, Thistle would purposely jump on the cracks and say that it was for Aunt Tillie. She was convinced she could finally get the better of her if Aunt Tillie had a broken back.”
I snickered. “That doesn’t surprise me.”
“Did Landon mention whether they found Tess Britton?”
wicked witches 07.6 - bewitched Page 4