by Renée Jaggér
Then she headed toward three men who’d been conferring in low voices. One of them, Alfred the shaman, was doing most of the talking, seemingly in response to questions from the other two.
“I can perform the wedding ceremony as soon as—” His eyes snapped up and he closed his mouth as he saw Bailey approach, though he retained a faint look of amusement.
The two with him were Bailey’s husband-to-be and her father.
Nordin the elder put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder. “Bailey. You know I’m proud of you, though I’m not around to say it as much as I should be. It’s always been easy to get distracted by other things around here.”
He was a tall, rangy man, not dissimilar in appearance from his children, though the hard years had taken their toll. His long, lined face was warmer and happier than usual.
She gave him a brief but sincere hug. “It’s okay, Dad. The valley would be lost without you fixing their shit and presiding over obscure pack politics. Good thing your sons aren’t complete morons and know how to manage the house.”
He laughed gently. “Not so sure about that.”
Roland took the girl by the arm. “Lovely party,” he remarked, “but I think it will survive without us. Let’s decamp to that scenic outlook. The one that requires us to take two cars.” His eyes flashed.
Bailey glared at him but smiled. “Oh, I see. A race again, is it?”
“Exactly.” He hid his cup behind his back. “I only had one and a quarter drinks, so I’ll be fine.”
She glanced to see if the sheriff had heard, but he was still distracted by Kurt’s ramblings. “Okay, you’re on.”
Soon, the Camaro and the Audi sat side by side at the base of the road that led up into the eastern foothills and around the peak where the scenic overlook awaited. No other motorists were nearby, and the day’s light was waning.
Roland leaned out his window and waved his hand. “Ready, set, go.”
Both of them pounded their feet on gas pedals, the cars pulling out with a satisfying squeal of rubber and back-blasts of blue smoke.
They were neck and neck at first. As the asphalt narrowed and they entered the no-passing zone where the road bent around the base of the mountain, the werewitch saw an opening to pull ahead of her lover’s white Audi.
But she didn’t.
Gunney had told her that occasionally it was better to let the other person win. It was impossible to say why, but that seemed like a good idea right now. Perhaps because Roland was the one who suggested the race, and she wanted him to be happy.
He pulled past her, smiling and cackling in triumph, and she pretended to scowl at his rear bumper.
A few minutes later, Roland pulled into the overlook’s broad parking area half a second ahead of her. His tires screeched again as he brought the vehicle to a hasty stop.
“Hah!” He leapt out of his car. “I knew I’d get you sooner or later. I’m moving up in the world.”
She stepped out and regarded him with her tongue moving around her teeth and her fists on her hips. “Horseshit. I let you win, city boy. Was afraid your one-and-a-quarter beers would impair your driving ability if you had to try too hard.”
He flapped a hand. “Nonsense. But victory has put me in a gracious mood, so come over here while I perform a magic trick. Not a demigod-level spell, but the kind that involves pulling things out of your sleeve and so forth.”
Blinking in confusion, the girl watched as Roland turned away, fished around in his clothes, and spun back toward her. In his hand was a small square black box, open. Within it on a tiny white cushion sat a golden ring set with a glimmering diamond.
“Behold,” he exclaimed, “my mysterious powers of sorcery!”
Bailey gawked at it stupidly. “How the hell did you afford that? You don’t even have a job, boy. When we first met, you were a goddamn credit card fraudster. You didn’t steal it, did you? Sorry, not trying to ruin the moment. It’s beautiful.”
He made a pouty face. “Of course not. I paid for part of it myself, but otherwise, it’s the fruits of a crowdfunding campaign amongst the Seattle and Portland witch communities. Dante and Charlene came up with the idea. No, really. It’s a gift from all of them to us. Shannon contributed five whole dollars to something that indicates that I’m marrying someone else! If there’s hope for her, there’s hope for anyone.”
She accepted it, admiring the sparkly stone and the fine craftsmanship of the ring. “I love it,” she said. “And you, of course.”
Their hands locked together, and their lips followed suit. She felt giddy; it had been too long since she’d been this happy. The future opened up before her, and she found that she was looking forward to it.
“So,” she asked, “when do you want to get married?”
Roland reflected, his eyes going out of focus for five or six seconds. “Soon,” he declared. “We’ll have to go through all the rigmarole first, but let’s start that next week after we relax a bit. I’d say we’ve earned another vacation.”
Bailey kissed him again, longer and deeper than previously, and they touched foreheads as their mouths separated. “Deal,” she replied.
Then they turned, arm in arm, and watched the sun go down over the mountains and forests that sprawled over their corner of the world.
The End
Thin Ice
Have you read the Callie Heart series from Renée Jaggér? Book one in the series is Thin Ice, and it’s available from Amazon and other digital book stores
Grab your copy today!
Note from Renée
October 15, 2020
You made it! Here we are at the end of book 9, last in the series. Thank you so much for reading this far.
This series has been a labor of love since I have always liked the Norse pantheon. Fleshing them out has been fun, as well as attributing all too human behaviors to them. Basically, I always felt they could just be the Vikings next door when I read the tales, and in this series, they more or less are. They scheme, intrigue, and bicker like everyone we have ever met, as well as believing their plans will succeed when we know they won’t.
Maybe I should go to Scandinavia for my trip next year. Nah, the idea is to be someplace warm, and this series is over. On to the next!
Since this is my last opportunity for a while, I wish you and yours the best of luck with this whole Covid-19 thing. I hope you are unscathed so far and remain so. To a Vaccine and Beyond! Unless you’re anti-vax, then No Vaccine and Beyond!
Meanwhile, back at the house, the hot tub is in and is being much enjoyed, and I am finalizing my plans to go to the area around Split, Croatia for two or three months next year, starting in May. I have a house in a small village with a deck over the Adriatic, and Jo and Storm will be spoiled at their grandmother’s. Several of my friends will be joining me on my overseas adventure, so look forward to tales of our doings in future Author Notes! Not sure what series is coming next, but there will be one, and there will be Author Notes! And Beyond!
My profound thanks, as always, go to my advance readers and the proofreader team, the ones who read my stories after they are edited. They help make this book (and every book) its best. Couldn’t do it without you, folks! Much appreciated!
I hope you enjoyed Bailey’s and Roland’s further adventures. I am taking a break from writing for a while while I pursue some other projects. I hope to be back within six months. If you get a moment, drop me a review, please. Those keep us writers going! We are very grateful when a fan takes the time to do that for us, and for other people who may want to venture into our world!
Until next time,
Renée
I couldn’t do this without you!
Thanks to my early readers, you rock!
Jeff Goode, Dorothy Lloyd, Angel LaVey, Diane L. Smith, Dave Hicks, James Caplan
Connect With The Author
Renée Jaggér Social
Website:
https://reneejagger.com/
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Books from Renée
The WereWitch Series
Bad Attitude (Book One)
A Bit Aggressive (Book Two)
Too Much Magic (Book Three)
Were War (Book Four)
Were Rages (Book Five)
God Ender (Book Six)
God Trials (Book Seven)
The Troll Solution (Book Eight)
Winner Takes All (Book Nine)
Callie Hart Series
Thin Ice (Book One)
Cold Blood (Book Two)
Feelings Run Deep (Book Three)
Other LMBPN Publishing Books
https://lmbpn.com/books-by-lmbpn-publishing/
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