by T. M. Cromer
“Yep, lemon. Your favorite. But only if you come to Mama right now.” Summer jerked free of Coop and squatted with her arms wide.
Morty was halfway to her when she heard the cocking of a gun. Horror resulted in the speed of her heart ratcheting into high gear.
That damned trigger-happy bastard intended to shoot her chimp!
“No!” She stood, whirled about, and effectively placed herself between the barrel of the gun and Morty. Tempering her voice due to the upset shriek behind her, she said, “No, Coop. You’ll have to shoot me first.”
He looked tempted as if he contemplated doing just that.
Maybe she shouldn’t have put the idea in his head.
Summer swallowed hard and closed her eyes. The long-term ramifications of him shooting her chimp didn’t bear thinking about. She’d never be able to look at Coop in the same way again. While she needed a way to squash her unrequited feelings for him, this was not it.
The love she’d harbored for him would never be reciprocated in her lifetime. Somewhere, a cosmic bookkeeper, who kept a tally of all the times she’d made cow eyes at him or secretly wrote Mrs. Summer Carlyle like a flighty teen girl, was laughing their butt off.
The bat clattered to the pavement, and a warm hand reached up to clasp hers. She sighed her relief and pivoted toward her pet. “Good boy, Morty.”
He leaped at the same time she tugged. In her arms, he nuzzled into her hair. With an arch look in Cooper’s direction, she said, “See? He’s really sweet.”
“He’s psychotic. Permit or not, Summer, that animal isn’t safe for you to have around. I’m going to petition that he be sent to a zoo.”
“And I’ll see you in Hell first, Sheriff,” she snarled, any attempt at friendliness gone. She sneezed. The handful of mice in her periphery doubled. Summer couldn’t worry about that now. She had to take care of her chimp.
Morty was her baby. She’d had him from a year old, and they’d spent every day for the last ten months together. Protecting him was second nature, like a mother bear with a cub.
Morty, sensing her fear and anger, pulled back to sign, “Are you okay, Mama?”
“Yes, sweet boy. Mama’s fine. Let’s get you home.”
“What about the damned elephant in my pool?” Coop shouted.
“One crisis at a time. I need to bring Spring back with me. She has a way with Eddie.”
As she strolled away, Summer could feel the eyes of all three men watching her back. She almost added extra sway to her hips, but she didn’t want to be accused of trying to entice Coop. Over the years, she’d taken enough flack for her behavior during her Sophomore and Junior year.
“Summer!”
She glanced over her shoulder to see three sets of similar eyes watching her with varying degrees of disbelief.
Coop was the one she focused on.
With a nod toward the smashed windshield, he said, “Bring your checkbook with you when you come back.”
2
“Spring?” Summer called upon entering Thorne Manor. “Sister? Where are you? I’ve got a serious nine-one-one here.”
Cream cheese bagel in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other, Spring sauntered into the foyer. “Don’t tell me. Eddie is in the Carlyle pool again.”
Summer nodded. “I don’t know how the hell we are going to remove him either. Three of the four Carlyle men are present.”
If anyone discovered the Thorne women were witches in bum-fucked rural Tennessee, the bible belt of America, then gossip would spread, hell would break loose, and residents would line the drive with pitchforks. She suspected the locals would recreate the Salem Witch Trials.
Sure, there were a few open-minded individuals, but as a whole, people were content to go about their lives firmly entrenched in their belief systems. Any deviation tended to bring out the ugly. People hated change as much as they swore they didn’t. The idea of witchcraft in this little town would blow their ever-loving minds.
Her thoughts circled back to Cooper. He’d be the first one tying her to the stake just to be rid of her.
“We could go with the distraction routine like the last two times. Baked goods and a bikini,” her sister suggested, chowing down on her bagel. “I have cinnamon buns in the oven.”
“I’m game for that plan. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Summer agreed as she snagged the coffee mug and took a sip. Once she handed it back, she said, “But you have to be the bikini model this time. I don’t think I could stand it if Coop believed it’s another ruse to get his attention.”
“Can’t be me. I have to levitate that damned elephant.”
“Then we need to come up with another plan.” Summer shuddered as she remembered the coldness in Cooper’s steel blue gaze. “One that doesn’t involve me appearing like a pathetic attention-seeking virgin in front of Coop.”
“You could always let your goats loose in the town square.” Both sisters turned toward the cool voice at the top of the stairs. Their oldest sister, Autumn, shrugged and descended the steps as if she didn’t care one way or another if they accepted her suggestion. “I would be willing to assist Spring with elephant retrieval. But you’d owe me one—to be collected at a later date.”
Agreeing would be like making a pact with the Devil, because Autumn’s favors usually involved Summer getting caught in a humiliating situation. However, she didn’t see where she had a choice. “But how do I round up the goats after the fact? If I whistle and they all fall in line, the jig will be up.”
With a flick of her auburn hair over her shoulder, Autumn spaced her words as if Summer were dull witted. “That’s what Coop and his department are for. Let them round the goats up.”
A quick look showed Spring thought this was a fine idea. Whatever, Summer would go with the majority rule.
“Okay. I’ll load up Gertie and her sixteen siblings. You two change into bikinis in case we need a backup plan. Once I’ve released the goats in town square, I’ll text you.” She swallowed her self-contempt and asked, “Do you think when this is all done, one of you could, you know, make Coop forget the whole incident? I’d hate to be on his radar any more than I already am.”
The twin looks of pity caused her to die a little inside. Why did she have to be the family failure in their little sisterly quartet? If one freaking spell worked properly for her, she’d faint from the sheer shock.
Unable to handle the shame, she averted her eyes.
“I’ll take care of it,” Autumn assured her. “Now go.”
“Oh, and I need a check to cover the damage to Cooper’s police cruiser,” she hedged.
“What happened to his cruiser?” her two sisters asked in stereo.
“Morty had an episode. Tried to use Keaton’s head for batting practice.”
Delighted, Autumn clapped her hands and laughed. “Remind me to give Morty an extra banana with his Cheerios. And I’ve got you covered on the check. I just wish I could’ve seen Keaton’s face.”
“He screamed like a terrified little girl.”
They all broke into laughter at the thought of the studly Keaton emitting a high-pitched scream of terror.
Autumn took extra pleasure. The two had dated in the past, and while her sister never confessed what happened to destroy their relationship, they hadn’t ended it amicably. Within the span of three months, Keaton married another woman, and Autumn became a full-fledged, card-carrying member of the Grudge Club.
Spring sobered first. “Go, before Coop calls animal control. We’ll head over shortly.”
With a nod of thanks, Summer headed out to the animal barn.
It took a bit of encouragement, but Gertie led the way into the small trailer. Where Gertie went, so did her sisters. Not dissimilar to Summer and her own sisters.
Of course of the four of them, Autumn was usually the one who led the other three by their noses straight into trouble. It had been that way since they were small. Probably because she was the oldest of the four, she tended to be the
bossiest. Not that Spring, Summer, or their other sister, Winter—affectionately called Winnie—minded. Autumn’s schemes were always great fun.
A short while later, Summer eased into the parking lot behind the Leiper’s Fork church close to the center of downtown. A quick peek around showed the lot to be empty. Now was the time to strike.
“Okay, Gertie. Do you know what to do?”
“Do those animals really answer you?” a soft voice asked, nearly causing Summer to shed her skin.
The owner of that young voice was none other than Chloe Carlyle, Keaton’s eight-year-old daughter.
Freaking great! Kids were notorious for spilling the beans, and this one was the daughter of the mayor and niece to the sheriff. Where she’d come from in the seconds since Summer scanned the area was anyone’s guess.
“Uh, in a manner of speaking,” Summer hedged. “Where’s your dad?”
The dirty, dark-haired tomboy eyed her with suspicion. “Why?”
“Maybe because you’re eight years old and too young to be gallivanting all over town by yourself? Keaton should keep better track of you.”
“You know what I think, Miss Summer? I think you were about to let those goats loose.”
Panic wrapped its big fat fingers around her throat and squeezed. Called out by a kid. “That’s a dang lie!” Why was she the one sounding like a defensive child?
A smirk appeared and reminded Summer that Chloe was indeed part of the smartass Carlyle clan. “If you don’t tell me what you’re doing with the goats, I’m going to scream for my dad. He isn’t too happy with you right now.”
The Morty Incident.
Yeah, had Summer nearly been on the receiving end of a bat, she might not look too favorably on the owner of the chimpanzee swinging it. Keaton Carlyle had to be ready to string the Thorne sisters up.
“Fine. I was about to let them loose. They need to stretch their legs. I thought I’d let them run around the parking lot since it’s deserted.”
Chloe lifted a brow. “Wrong.”
Red faced, Summer challenged the little tyrant. “What makes you the authority on goat herding?”
“You’re trying to cause trouble. Uncle Coop said you specialize in trouble.”
“Your Uncle Coop is an as—”
“Don’t say anything you’re going to regret, sister.”
Saved by Winnie’s arrival, Summer took a deep breath and counted to ten.
“Everybody knows you are in love with him,” Chloe continued to taunt.
Temper rattled, Summer lifted her hand.
“We don’t zap small children,” Winnie warned in a whisper as she grabbed Summer’s wrist and squeezed. “Even if the little shits deserve it.” With a flick of her fingers, Winnie sent Chloe on her way.
“I am going to assume she won’t remember we were here?” Summer asked, throwing back the bolt to the trailer door.
“Not a second of it. Why didn’t you cloak the area when you pulled up?”
Summer cast her sister an exasperated glance. “Oh, I don’t know. Probably because I’d encase the town in smog or something equally as awful?”
“Point taken.”
It was no secret in the Thorne family that Summer’s magic was hit or miss on a good day. When emotions ran high, the results were almost always in the miss column.
“How did you know I was here?”
“Spring called, said you might need help. Wonderful sister that I am, I thought I’d pop over. Not a second too soon.”
In the process of swinging the door open, Summer paused. “You popped over?”
With a dismissive wave of her hand, Winnie snorted. “No one saw me. I made sure to cloak myself.”
Her sister’s superior skill in all things magic pissed Summer off most days. Why couldn’t the juju be spread out evenly? She’d be satisfied to master one freaking spell.
The ability to conceal her actions would be nice. To hide behind an optical illusion? Yeah, she could’ve used that more than once during high school. But better she didn’t possess the ability. She’d have been tempted to spy on Coop in the locker room showers.
Wait! Did her sisters get away with doing that?
“Did you ever use your cloaking ability for nefarious purposes?” she demanded.
“Define nefarious.”
Clearing her throat, she relayed her thoughts.
Winnie’s grin was answer enough.
“You saw Coop in the altogether?” Summer demanded in outraged.
“Not Coop. Zane. And damn, was it amazing!”
“It being it?” At her sister’s nod, curiosity got the better of her. “How big?”
Hands spread close to nine inches apart, Winnie giggled.
“Day-ng. Maybe I lusted after the wrong Carlyle back then.”
“Back then?” Winnie snorted. “Still.”
“Not hardly.”
Winnie duplicated Chloe’s skeptical look.
“Shut up and help me release Gertie and her crew. We have work to do.”
“Sheriff Carlyle.”
Coop placed his coffee mug on the deck rail to press the transmit button on the radio attached to his hip. “Go ahead.”
“We have a problem.”
Didn’t they always if his dispatch was calling? “What’s up, Lil?”
“The town has been overrun with goats.”
“Goats?”
“Yes, sir. Goats.”
He cast a contemplative glance at Eddie. “Whose goats?”
“I believe they may belong to Summer Thorne.”
Coop wanted to cuss and kick the nearest object. That woman’s menagerie was going to be the death of him.
“Where’s Aimes? He’s supposed to be on patrol in town.”
“He’s on scene. But he says they aren’t normal goats.”
“Uh huh. What’s so abnormal about them?”
“He didn’t say. Only to tell you to get downtown STAT.”
“I’m on my way, Lil. Tell him to stay put.”
The time had come to do something about Summer and her varmints.
“And, Lil? Set up an emergency board meeting tonight. First thing on the agenda is shutting down Summer Thorne’s personal zoo.”
“Yes, sir.”
Did he detect censure in Lil’s tone? “She’s a menace, Lil.”
“She?”
“Uh, her animals.”
“Ten-four.”
Yep. He definitely detected censure, in addition, a liberal sprinkling of knowing in the word “she”.
He threw the remains of his tepid coffee into a nearby bush and cast one last backward glance at the giant Don Juan in his pool.
As if Eddie knew he was in the clear for a bit, he grinned and shot up water from his trunk.
Coop pinned the elephant in place with a glare and shouted, “Stay away from my mares!”
A trumpeted call was Eddie’s response.
Displeased with the whole mess, Coop stalked to his cruiser. Correction, his smashed up cruiser.
Sonofabitch!
He’d forgotten about the windshield. No way could he drive that vehicle. Looked like he was driving Keaton’s old Ford today. With any luck, the junker would get him to the station to pick up another squad car.
One more thing to lay at Summer’s door.
As he climbed into the cab, he studied the woods along the West side of his property. A prickle along his spine told him someone was lurking about.
He flipped open his phone and dialed Knox. “Hey, man. I’m heading to town. Do me a favor and keep an eye on that elephant and the horses, will you? Also, be sure to lock up tight.”
“Another feeling?”
“Yeah, call me crazy, but…”
“No need to explain, Coop. We all know your intuition is usually spot on.”
He chuckled as he backed out of the driveway. “Usually?”
“Well, I’d only call into question your judgment on one thing.”
“Oh, what’s tha
t?”
“Summer Thorne. That chick is smoking hot and clearly adores you.”
“Not this again.” Coop sighed his disgust.
“I’m just sayin’.”
“Enough about Summer Thorne. She’s the reason I’m heading to town. Her and her damned animals.”
“Then you’ll have no problem with me asking her out?”
The steering wheel jerked in his hands. An oncoming driver honked his concern when Coop crossed the dotted line.
Sweat beaded on his forehead. Did he have a problem with Knox dating Summer? Why did the idea of his cousin hooking up with Summer cause Coop’s pulse to kick into high gear? It didn’t bear thinking about.
“What are we talking here, Knox? Your standard quick lay or something more meaningful?” His voice came across more gruff than usual, but it couldn’t be helped. He may not want a relationship with Summer, but he didn’t care to see her hurt.
“Summer’s a good girl, Coop. I’m not planning to hit it and quit it.”
Irritable and out of sorts, he punched the dash.
“What was that? Coop? You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” he lied. “I have no problem with you asking Summer out. She means nothing to me.”
“Good. I didn’t want to step on any toes if you were interested.”
“Nope. No toes to step on.”
“I didn’t think so. I mean, it isn’t like she’s ever forgiven you for that bonehead move at prom.”
And she never would.
“You have your answer, Knox. Just go check on her damned elephant, will ya?”
On the drive to town, he examined why the idea of his cousin in a relationship with Summer bothered him. Perhaps his shame played a major role. Or maybe, because he was bound to see her more often than he already did if she started dating Knox, it would bring up all the old crap from the past. It certainly wasn’t because he was interested in her himself.
Knox was correct in one thing, Summer did indeed have a smoking hot body. All delicious curves meant for long, steamy nights of wild monkey sex. He imagined her thick mane of hair fisted in his hand as he slammed into her.
In his sexual daydream, Coop nearly missed the turn for town. He shook his head at his own stupidity. Never going to happen. If he’d had a chance with Summer, it had long-since passed.