“I agree,” I said. “I want to talk about that in a second, but I thought we would talk about what really happened with Tess first.”
“Okay,” Clove said, although her eyes briefly clouded with worry. “What happened to Tess?”
“You were kind of right with your theory, and kind of wrong, too,” I supplied. “Tess did stumble across something at the Hodgins farm, and she was using it to blackmail Andy. It wasn’t pot, though.”
“What was it?”
“They were running an illegal cockfighting ring on their property,” I explained.
“The chickens,” Clove said, things shifting into place. “Lionel said he heard chickens in the woods, and no one believed him.”
“It seems Andy, Jack and Matt transported the birds, and they brought some into the woods in crates one night to run a side business and make money off some of their schoolmates,” I said. “Tess not only knew about Andrew Hodgins’ operation, she found out about Andy’s attempt to rip off his father. They’re both in a lot of trouble, by the way.”
“I should hope so,” Clove said, making a face. “I can’t believe anyone would purposely hurt animals like that. It makes me sick.”
“Landon called in federal help and they confiscated twenty birds,” I said. “Andy rolled over on his father pretty quickly. It doesn’t seem like there’s a very good relationship there.”
“I still don’t understand why Tess was hiding in the woods,” Clove pressed. “If she was blackmailing Andy, why would she take off?”
“According to Tess, she got in over her head,” I said. “She thought that hanging out with the popular kids was going to be fun and make her popular by extension. Instead Andy treated her like a slave and talked down to her.
“She got scared when I went to the bonfire that night, and believed I was going to call Chief Terry,” I continued. “She thought she was going to be arrested for knowing about the cockfighting ring and not saying anything.”
“So … she ran because she thought everyone was going to be arrested,” Clove surmised. “Why would she stay out in the woods for … what … four days? That’s just … ridiculous.”
“She was afraid,” I said. “She thought the police were looking for her, and she didn’t think she would do well in prison. She was really worked up about the idea of being locked up. She said she had no idea what she was going to do. She was hungry and upset, and she is in trouble for keeping quiet about the cockfighting.”
“I think she’s paid enough,” Clove said.
“I don’t think she’s going to get in big trouble,” I clarified. “Chief Terry wants to send a message, though. He was really angry.”
“He loves animals, too,” Clove supplied. “He got us a puppy for Christmas one year. We had that dog for a long time before he died. Chief Terry would come out and play with the puppy – and us by extension – all the time when we were little.”
“He sounds like a good guy.”
“He is,” Clove said. “Why did Andy think Tess wasn’t going to show up again?”
“He thought she ran away for good,” I answered. “He was convinced she was going to start a new life … like he sees people do on crime shows. He’s not very bright.”
“He’s also in big trouble, which makes me happy,” Clove said. “I hope he gets locked up for a long time.”
“His father definitely will be,” I said. “I think Andy will probably get a slap on the wrist because of his age.”
“That’s a bummer.”
“That’s definitely a bummer,” I said, studying Clove’s profile for a moment. I made up my mind on the spot. It was time. I grabbed her chin and shifted her face so I had a clear shot, and pressed my mouth against hers, taking us both by surprise.
Instead of pulling away, Clove sank into the kiss. I pulled her closer, enjoying the way her body melted against mine. When we finally came up for air, Clove widened her eyes and fixed me with a dark look.
“I thought you were going to announce it before you kissed me. I wasn’t ready for that.”
“I decided to switch things up,” I said. “I like you. I think you like me, too. I don’t want to wait for things to happen where you’re concerned. I want to make things happen.”
“That was a very nice speech,” Clove said. “We still have a problem, though.”
“Your family hates me.”
“My family hates you, and they’re not going to understand us dating,” Clove conceded.
“Does that mean you don’t want to date me?”
“No. That means we need to put our heads together and figure out how we’re going to tell them that we’re dating.”
“Do we have to do that tonight?” I asked.
Clove shook her head.
“Do we have to do that this week?”
“No,” Clove said, giggling. “We are going to have to do it eventually, though.”
“I like the idea of being able to spend time with you before we have to tell them,” I said. “I’m not asking you to lie, but … can we spare a little time before we become part of The Overlook’s nightly dinner theater?”
“I think that sounds like a great idea,” Clove enthused. “That will give me time to fix your gardens.”
“I … thought it would give us time to get to know one another better,” I said, unable to hide my smile. “If we do that while working on the garden, I have absolutely no complaints.”
“Can I help you pick out paint for the inside of the lighthouse, too?”
“You’re really a renovation junkie, aren’t you?”
“I like to think of myself as a taskmaster,” Clove clarified. “I never get to be the boss on stuff like this. I’m really looking forward to it.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Who says you get to be the boss?”
“I do,” Clove answered, grinning. “Don’t worry. I think you’ll like it when I’m in charge.” She slipped her hand in mine. “We can start now.”
“Oh, yeah? What do you want to be in charge of tonight?”
“Kissing.”
I could live with that. The rest would come when it was time. For tonight, kissing sounds like the perfect way to move forward.
“It’s a hard job, but I think I’m up to it.”
“I think we both are,” Clove said.
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Author’s Note
I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read my novels. I have a particular brand of humor that isn’t for everyone – and I know that.
If you liked the book, please take a few minutes and leave a review. An independent author does it all on their own, and the reviews are helpful. I understand that my characters aren’t for everyone, though. There’s a lot of snark and sarcasm in my world – and I know some people don’t like that.
Special thanks go out to Heidi Bitsoli and Phil VanHulle for correcting the (numerous) errors that creep into a work of fiction.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
Books by Amanda M. Lee
Avery Shaw Mysteries
Who, What, Where, When, Die
If it Bleeds, it Leads
Buried Leads
Shot off the Presses
The Pred
itorial Page
Misquoted & Demoted
Headlines & Deadlines
Misprints & Mistakes (February 2016)
Bylines & Skylines (September 2016)
Covenant College Mysteries
Awakening (Book One)
Whispering (Book Two)
Conjuring (Book Three)
Waxing & Waning (Book Four)
Graduating (Book Five)
The Living Covenant Trilogy
Rising Covenant (June 2016)
Dark Covenant (July 2016)
Eternal Covenant (August 2016)
The Dying Covenant Trilogy
Haunted Covenant (June 2017)
Desperate Covenant (July 2017)
Everlasting Covenant (August 2017)
Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mysteries
Any Witch Way You Can
Every Witch Way But Wicked
Witching You Were Here
Witching on a Star
Something to Witch About
Careful What You Witch For (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Wicked Brew (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Witch Me Luck
Witchy Tales (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fairy Tale)
On a Witch and a Prayer A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short
You Only Witch Once (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Life’s a Witch
The Christmas Witch (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Bewitched (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
A Solstice Celebration (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short)
Crimes & Witchdemeanors (Book 8) May 2016
Witch or Treat (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short) July 2016
A Witch in Time (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Fantasy) August 2016
Happy Witchgiving (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short) October 2016
The Trouble With Witches (Book 9) November 2016
Merry Witchmas (A Wicked Witches of the Midwest Short) December 2016
Aisling Grimlock
Grim Tidings (Book One)
Grim Offerings (Book Two)
Grim Discovery
Grim Reunion (March 2016)
Grim Expectations (October 2016)
Mystic Caravan
Freaky Days (Book One)
Freaky Lies (August 2016)
Table of Contents
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Author’s Note
Books by Amanda M. Lee
wicked witches 07.6 - bewitched Page 9