"Is that terrible developer still threatening to bulldoze that lovely wilderness and turn your home into an industrial wasteland?" Agnes asked with a deep sigh.
"It's not like that," Beatrix said quickly. "I told you, he's planning to keep some of the bushland. All along our fence boundary, at least." Jacob had told her as much himself.
"You are naive, Beatrix," her mother sighed. "To believe such a thing. But you always did want to believe the best about people."
Beatrix made a non-committal noise and changed the subject.
"Is everything okay with you, Mum?" Beatrix asked. "You're not sick or something?"
"Sick!" Agnes sounded mortified at the very thought. "You could not really believe I'd be struck down by a mortal illness."
"I guess not," Beatrix said. "But is everything alright there? How's Rufus?" Rufus was, as far as Beatrix knew, her mother's current lover.
"Our dalliance has come to its natural conclusion," Agnes informed her. "But I will always treasure the time we spent together. He truly is a unique lover. Did you know he used to—"
"I don't need to know the details!" Beatrix said, knowing her voice was shrill. But really, when faced with details of her mother's sex life, what choice did she have?
Agnes let out a deep, throaty laugh. "Such a prude!" she crowed. "You've spent too much time around Ordinaries," she said. "There's no shame in the pleasures of the human body, Beatrix. It's an instrument of bliss, of joy!"
"I know that," Beatrix said. "I just don't want to hear about my mother's pleasure, okay?"
Agnes made a dismissive noise. "Speaking of such things, did I tell you that there's the most delightful new family visiting the commune? From Scotland! We're sharing so much with them, it's truly a joy to share magical learning across the globe."
"Uh-huh," Beatrix said, trying very hard to force away the mental image of her mother snogging some guy in a kilt. She was pretty sure that the arrival of their new Scottish guests had something to do with her mother's dismissal of Rufus.
"And they have the most glorious son, Beatrix," Agnes went on. "Jamie. I really think you'd like him. So handsome, Beatrix, and I know you care about such things. He's quite an extraordinary warlock already, and I am certain his power will only grow if he's joined with the right woman, and so—"
"You're trying to set me up with this guy?" Beatrix interrupted. "No. No more dates with warlocks. Not after Rowan. I'm not doing it again."
"What do you mean, my daughter? You've never refused before, even if you are terribly picky."
"I've had enough, Mum," Beatrix said firmly. "I've told you, I'm not looking for that kind of relationship. And if I was, I definitely don't want it to be with one of your nice young warlocks. They never are. I don't care if he's like something from Outlander. I'm not interested."
"What's an Outlander?" Agnes asked, briefly distracted.
"It's a TV show, set in Scotland. With lots of sex," Beatrix sighed, rolling her eyes. "I know you don't do TV, but you'd like this show. Believe me."
"Beatrix, you'd adore Jamie if you'd only give him a chance. Why don't you come and visit me? You can see all of the community, maybe think about re-joining—"
"Absolutely not," Beatrix said flatly. "I'm really busy with work, and you know I don't want to come back to the commune."
"You act as though you have bad memories, when I know that you had the most blessed and wonderful childhood here!" Agnes sniffed, sounding offended.
"Let's agree to disagree on that one, shall we?" Beatrix said, feeling anger start to rise up thick and fast in her chest. She had never really addressed with her mother just how much she resented her isolated childhood in the commune. Never told her mother how much she had wished she could just be normal, as soon as she found out what normal was.
"You're being extremely obstinate, Beatrix," Agnes sighed. "It's not like you at all."
"Well, maybe I'm learning to be assertive," Beatrix said, surprised at herself. "And I'm not interested in any kilt-wearing warlocks, Mum."
"Oh, he doesn't wear a kilt, daughter. In fact, most days Jamie wears nothing at all, and so I'm absolutely sure that every part of him is completely satisfactory—"
"No!" Beatrix said. "Seriously, Mum, this is a no. I have to get back to work, okay?"
"I never thought I'd live to see the day when you'd be so dismissive of your own mother, Beatrix," Agnes reproached. "This ungrateful attitude—"
"Mum, I love you. I always will. But I'm not going to go on any more dates just to make you happy. Because it makes me unhappy. Okay?" Beatrix took a breath. "I've got to get back to work. I'll talk to you later."
She quickly ended the call before her mother could say anything else.
Beatrix squeezed her eyes shut and briefly considered hurling the phone at the polished concrete floor so that there was absolutely no possibility that her mother could call her back.
"That sounded intense," Jacob said quietly, giving her a small and very sympathetic smile.
"Were you eavesdropping?" Beatrix frowned, feeling like she wanted to take her anger out on whoever happened to be closest. The man she was magically bound to was definitely a fair target.
"No," Jacob said. "Just, it got a bit loud. I heard something about dating a Scottish warlock?" He coughed, turning his face away. "Guess I should be glad my mum and dad don't go as far as actually arranging dates for me."
"I'm not doing it," Beatrix said, setting down her phone. "I'm sick of Mum setting me up with these guys. They're always terrible, and I don't want—" she stopped herself. "Well, I don't want a relationship with any of the kinds of guys Mum picks for me, anyway." She let out a deep breath. "I haven't said no to her before, so she was kind of angry."
"Wow," Jacob said. "Big moment."
"Yeah," Beatrix sighed.
"So, no more dating, then?" Jacob asked with a crooked smile, but there was an edge in his voice that made it clear that he genuinely cared about her answer.
"No more dating warlocks," Beatrix said, suddenly unable to meet his gaze.
"Well, that's good," Jacob smiled. "I won't have to be jealous then." He turned to go back to his desk, but Beatrix reached out to stop him. He looked up at her, questioning.
"Do you want to come and see Onyx's band play with me? They're called Reaper Kiss, and I don't think it's your sort of music at all, but I promised him I'd go, and I know you're bound to me so you'd have to anyway, but..." Beatrix was speaking way too fast, she knew that. But she had to get this out before she lost her nerve entirely. "But would you come with me? Even if you weren't bound to me?"
Jacob looked at her, dumbfounded. "Are you asking me out?" he said incredulously. "Asking me out on a date?"
"Um, yes," Beatrix said, feeling her cheeks turn an impressive shade of pink.
Jacob let out a laugh and shook his head.
"What's so funny?" Beatrix demanded, feeling the hot sting of rejection well up inside her. "It's okay if you don't want to, but you don't have to laugh!"
"I'm not laughing at that!" Jacob said quickly. "I would absolutely love to go and see Onyx's band with you. As a date. There's not a single doubt in my mind. It's just that, well, I've been asking you out for weeks, and you've turned me down flat. And now here you are, asking me out. Come on, that's a little bit funny."
"I, uh..." Beatrix began, but what could she say? She bit her lip. "You're saying yes, though, right?"
"Oh, I'm definitely saying yes," Jacob said quickly. "But only if you'll have dinner with me afterwards."
"No," Beatrix said, and Jacob looked confused.
"Seriously? Not even—"
"I'll have dinner with you first," she said, a tiny smile playing on her lips. "Because honestly, the music might make you lose your appetite."
15 Jacob
Beatrix had asked him out. She hadn't just agreed to go out with him, but she had actually, really, truly, in this physical plane of reality, asked him out on a date. It had genuinely happened.
<
br /> But since then? Things had been weird. Onyx's gig wasn't until Thursday, and they were stuck in an awkward flirting holding pattern.
Nothing had changed at Beatrix's place. They still walked the dogs when they finished work for the day. She still cooked, and he still carefully stacked the dishwasher and wiped the table. They still sat on opposite ends of the sofa, their tiny and huge dogs between them. And Jacob slept on the futon in the study, a wall separating him from Beatrix every night.
Nothing had changed. Except that everything had. Beatrix held his gaze when he couldn't stop himself from looking at her, and she'd bite her lip and smile, sending his stomach flip-flopping up into his throat. The tiniest of casual touches sent sparks flying under his skin. If anticipation made things all the sweeter, then Thursday night was going to be something straight out of a daydream. Even if they did have to hear Reaper Kiss play. Jacob wasn't expecting much from a band consisting of Onyx on vocals, and two fellow goths wielding an accordion and ukulele.
But Thursday was still just out of reach. Instead, he had to face today. The day he had been dreading.
"I'm sorry about this," Jacob said for the millionth time. "I know it's undignified, but I really can't work out another solution."
"It's okay!" Beatrix said. "I mean, we tested the curse this morning, and it's still intact. There's not much else we can do. At least it's a big desk."
"I'm so sorry," Jacob scrunched up his face. "I'll try and get rid of them as quickly as I can."
"I'll cope," Beatrix shrugged. "I've got a pillow and my phone. It's not the worst place I've ever had to hang out. You remember I grew up in a yurt, right?"
Jacob grinned. "Still," he said. "Remind me that I owe you a huge present after this."
"You don't have to do that!" Beatrix shook her head, but then she paused. "On the other hand, I saw these great Air Force 1 Hi Suedes in Powder Blue. I'm a size 7.5 just so you know." She winked, and Jacob's stomach did that flip flop thing again in a way that had nothing to do with Beatrix's passion for limited edition sneakers.
The noise of a car pulling up outside startled them both and Jacob looked out the window. "They're here."
"And I'm invisible!" Beatrix said, crawling under Jacob's desk. She put one hand out to give him a thumbs up. "Good luck!"
"I'm sorry!" Jacob said again as he went to greet his father and brother.
"Jakey!" Tom called. "There you are. We had a bugger of a time finding the damn turn off."
"You need to get these trees out of the way," Chuck grumbled. "And get a decent road put in. Bloody branches scratched my car!"
"Yeah, sorry about that," Jacob grimaced. "It's still kind of rustic, huh?"
"Rustic," Chuck spat out. "That's one word for it."
"Let me make you a coffee," Jacob said, conciliating. "I've got a machine."
"Coffee would be great," Tom rubbed his hands together. "I was up late for Alyssa's birthday, if you know what I mean." He made an obscene gesture, and Jacob groaned.
"I don't want to know, dude," he said plaintively.
"Come on now, it's good that your brother knows how to keep his woman well-satisfied," Chuck said, laughing uproariously, as though delighted that his oldest son had been sharing the details of his love life. "You could learn a thing or two from him about keeping a woman happy."
Jacob heard what sounded like a stifled laugh from his desk and immediately clattered the coffee cups as loudly as he could, flicking on the machine. "So, how's it going at the Allen Street site?" he said loudly as he poured in a generous measure of milk. "Any bids yet?"
"Just one, but it's a good one," Tom said, grinning. "I'm trying to convince Dad to take it, but he reckons they'll go higher."
"Never accept the first offer," Chuck said, sitting down in one of the leather armchairs which creaked ominously under his weight.
"Fine, fine," Tom said good-naturedly. "Work me to the bone, drumming up more offers. All while Jacob is just sitting on his ass out here."
"I've confirmed three potential tenants this past week!" Jacob protested. "It's looking good. Council is happy with the plans I've got drawn up for the nature reserve, and—"
"You're not still going on about that, are you?" Chuck demanded.
"Well, yeah," Jacob said. "I told you, with the environmental credits, it's going to make more money long term to keep this bush intact. Besides, the tenants love the idea. If I make this a really nice-looking site, I can charge a premium. It's good business."
"You're seriously planning to hold onto this long-term, then?" Chuck said, sounding surprised. "You'd be much better off finding a buyer, off-loading the whole thing, and getting the hell out of here."
"You could make a killing, Jakey," Tom agreed, accepting the coffee gratefully and putting his feet up.
"I'll make an even bigger killing holding onto it," Jacob said firmly. "I told you, I want to take this all the way. Hold onto it for the long term. In twenty years, I bet I'll even be able to flip it to residential, and then that nature reserve will be worth its weight in gold to home buyers."
"Twenty years!" Chuck exclaimed. "I'll be dead and buried in twenty years."
"I hope not," Jacob frowned, although if his father kept consuming Cognac and pastries at the rate he currently did, he supposed it wasn't out of the question.
"Look, it's a nice idea, Jakey," Tom said. "But why give yourself all that extra work?"
"Because I want to see this place grow," Jacob said earnestly. "I want to build it up. See what it can be. Stick with it for the long term."
"Sure you do," Tom said slyly. "And it's got nothing to do with that gorgeous woman next door, huh?" He laughed loudly, and Jacob sent an anxious glance at his thankfully silent desk.
"That's not why–"
"Oh, there's a woman involved, is there?" Chuck said. "That Bernice, or whatever her name is? Your mother loves that skin cream, by the way. I gotta say, it seems to have given her a bit of a confidence boost. She's been all over me like a rash. The other day she took off—"
"Dad!" Tom and Jacob were in unison.
"Please don't," Jacob said, screwing up his face. "It's bad enough hearing about Alyssa, but I can't deal with you talking about Mum."
Chuck laughed, looking pleased with himself. "I would have thought you'd be proud that your parents are still so vigorous at our age."
"I'm very proud," Jacob said drily. "But I don't need details."
"It's fucking gross, Dad," Tom added. Well, at least that was one thing he and his brother agreed on.
"So, this Bernice," Chuck began again.
"Beatrix," Jacob corrected. "And she's got nothing to do with my plans for the site. I knew what I wanted to do before I ever met her."
"Look, I'm sure she's a nice girl," Chuck went on. "And a smart cookie, running her own business. I don't deny it. But she's not, you know, the sort of girl you should be going after."
"You've told me, Dad," Jacob said patiently. "You want me to meet a girl whose family owns a concrete plant."
"Or who're in logistics!" Chuck said, as though that were a generous compromise. "That would be fine too."
"Look, I'm only going to say this once," Jacob said. "But I'm not going to let who I go out with be dictated by whether or not her family owns a quarry, okay?"
"I just want the best for—"
"I don't want to hear it, Dad," Jacob said firmly. After all, if Beatrix could tell her mother she didn't want to date any handsome Scottish warlocks, surely he could tell his dad this. "Look, Beatrix and I... Well, it's early days. But I don't give a crap what her family own or don't own. She's special."
"You're fighting a losing battle, Dad," Tom sighed. "I've seen them together. It's game over."
"Well, you can't blame an old man for trying," Chuck said, seeming to accept temporary defeat. "Now, why don't you talk me through these potential tenants?"
✽✽✽
It was almost two hours before Jacob could finally get his brother and father sa
fely back in the car and driving away from Shepherd's Crossing. He let out a long sigh and went back into the office to find Beatrix sitting on the top of his desk, grinning widely.
"So, your dad knows how to keep a woman satisfied, huh?"
Jacob covered his face with his hands. "You heard that."
"Oh yeah," she said, still grinning impishly. "But I was thrilled to hear that you're not put off by the fact that my family lives on a commune rather than running a construction company."
"Sorry about that," Jacob grimaced. "My dad, he has these ideas... Tom's fiancée, Alyssa? Her dad is in scaffolding, so he was delighted with that alliance. But all the appropriate girls he's introduced me to, well..."
"Not your type?"
"Let's just say that the best thing that ever came out of one of those relationships was Prada," Jacob said.
"You really mean it about holding on to this bushland, don't you?" Beatrix said, suddenly serious.
"Of course I do," Jacob said, surprised. "I thought you knew that."
"I did!" Beatrix said. "But it can be hard to keep your resolve when your family are pressuring you. How do you think I ended up going on a date with stinky Rowan?"
"Well, I'm sure about this," Jacob said. "Dad will come around. If nothing else, I can keep him happy by telling him that it's worth making some money on the land while I wait for it to be rezoned as residential."
"In twenty years."
"In twenty years," Jacob repeated. "Anyway, thanks for that. I can't believe you managed to hide under my desk for two hours."
"I nearly lost it when your dad was talking about nailing your mum," Beatrix admitted, and Jacob groaned, covering his ears.
"Please don't mention that again, okay?"
"Okay," Beatrix agreed, still grinning. "Anyway, I think you promised me lunch, and I'm absolutely holding you to that."
"But lunch isn't a date, right?"
"No, absolutely not," Beatrix said. "Our first date is on Thursday. I haven't forgotten."
"Neither have I," Jacob said, swallowing hard. It was very difficult to keep his control when Beatrix was perched on his desk, looking at him like that.
Witch Way Now: A Paranormal Romantic Comedy (Raising Hell Downunder Book 4) Page 14
