“She says she’s tired of living,” Cooper insisted. “She’s going to give back Angel’s body when she’s done with Amelia. There’s no reason for her to keep it.”
Tyler held his best friend’s gaze for a long time before ultimately sighing. “Do you really believe that or are you just saying it because you know Hannah will be crushed if we go through all of this and lose Angel on top of everything else?”
“I believe it. Bettina is tired of this life. She doesn’t want to stay here.”
“I hope you’re right, and not just for Angel’s sake. I think Lindsey and Hannah are going to be forever changed if things don’t go the way Bettina has promised.”
Because he felt the same way, Cooper merely blew out a sigh and shook his head. “Hannah won’t ever get over it if we don’t get Angel back.” He kept his voice low. “She hasn’t come right out and said it, but it’s obvious that she’s being tortured by what’s going on with Angel.”
“I think we’re all being tortured to some degree,” Tyler acknowledged. “From Hannah’s perspective, though, I can see why she feels the way that she does. Angel was taken during a visit to Casper Creek. In Hannah’s mind, that means she fell down on the job when she should’ve been protecting her.”
“What happened wasn’t Hannah’s fault.” Cooper was insistent. “You were there. That storm came out of nowhere. We couldn’t possibly have known that Bettina would use a dust storm as cover to take over Angel’s body.”
“We couldn’t have known that,” Tyler readily agreed. “Hannah is still going to blame herself. She’s heard nothing but accolades about how wondrous her magic is since landing. If she can’t use that magic to save Angel, she’s going to have a broken heart when this is all said and done.”
Cooper briefly shut his eyes. “I know. I’m terrified about how all of this is going to play out. Hannah is clearly tied to Bettina and Amelia. She’s their ancestor. I have to think that means something in the grand scheme of things.”
“You’re afraid for her.”
“I am. I love her.”
Tyler chuckled. “Oh, really? I never would’ve guessed. That lovesick puppy look you get whenever she’s in close proximity wasn’t nearly enough of a giveaway.”
Cooper scowled. “I don’t look like a lovesick puppy.”
“Yes, you do.”
“No, I don’t. I just know that she’s my future. She’s ... it for me. She’s all I’m ever going to want.”
Understanding dawned on Tyler. “And you’re afraid that you’ll lose her somehow because of this.”
“I can’t lose her. I want her to be my forever.”
“Are you going to propose?”
Suddenly uncomfortable, Cooper averted his gaze. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“Because that’s part of the normal progression of a relationship.”
“Yes, well ... we haven’t been dating that long.”
“And yet you already know she’s your forever. I would assume that means marriage at some point.”
“I ... .” Cooper blew out a sigh. “Do you think I’m nuts for planning a proposal?”
“No. I do think you should wait until this is over with, though. She’s got a lot on her plate right now.”
“That’s the plan. I don’t believe that it’s healthy to let outside circumstances dictate actions, but I also know now is not the right time. I don’t want her distracted before a big battle.”
“I think it’s wise to wait.” Tyler made a popping sound with his lips. “Do you have a ring?”
“No, you big busybody. I haven’t gotten that far yet.”
“That’s good. I think you should take me with you when you pick out the ring.”
“And why would I want to do that?”
“Because I’m bound to have better taste in rings than you. Just for the record, if they mention anything is ‘pear-shaped and yellow gold’ you need to run away as if your hair is on fire.”
Cooper frowned. “So ... pear-shaped is bad?”
“As is yellow gold.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m gay.”
Cooper made a face. “That seems like an inappropriate thing to say. It’s a cliche.”
“Not if I say it. You really need to take me with you.”
“I’ll consider it ... if you keep your mouth shut. I don’t want you letting it slip to Hannah that I’m considering proposing.”
Tyler snorted. “Do I look like an idiot?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?”
“Only an idiot would want to ruin a big surprise like that for Hannah. I happen to love her, too. Sure, it’s in a different way, but I don’t want her happiness tarnished. I would never say anything. I will, however, help you plan the biggest and best proposal ever.”
Cooper balked. “I thought I would just make it a quiet thing.”
“Oh, no.” Tyler wrinkled his nose. “That’s a terrible idea. You need to go big. I’m thinking fireworks, balloons, and a marching band.”
Cooper’s mouth dropped open. “A marching band? Are you trying to kill me?”
“Nope. I’m just trying to help you give Hannah a memory that will make her laugh and cry at the same time for the rest of her life. You know, help you perform the magic for a change.”
Cooper worked his jaw. He didn’t like what Tyler was suggesting, and yet he couldn’t deny the fact that he wanted to make a splash when it came time to ask Hannah to be his wife. “I’ll consider it. This is down the line, though. We have to get through this first. That’s the most important thing.”
“I don’t disagree.” Tyler glanced over his shoulder to make sure Lindsey was still distracted by the goats. He seemed satisfied when the teenager didn’t bother looking in their direction. “I understand why you’re worried about these witches and their ties to Hannah,” he said in a low voice. “The thing is, I believe in destiny. Hannah is your destiny. I’m not saying not to worry. Things are going to work out, though. I absolutely promise.”
For some reason, even though he’d been repeating the mantra to himself ten times a day over the course of the past week, hearing it from Tyler made Cooper feel better. “It’s going to be okay.”
“It is,” Tyler agreed. “Everything is going to work out how it’s supposed to.”
“Does that include Angel?”
Tyler hesitated and then nodded. “Hannah needs Angel to get her body back to be happy. You need Hannah to be happy to get what you want. I know you’re going to get what you want. That means Angel is going to get her happily ever after, too.”
“I certainly hope so.” Cooper gave his friend a half wave and then turned to return to Main Street. He planned to stop in and visit Hannah as he made his rounds. First up was the alley, though. He figured he should probably search it just to be on the safe side.
He was whistling to himself, Tyler’s glee at his plans causing him to grin, when a shadow moved out from the space between the saloon and the neighboring building. Cooper barely had time to register the fact that he was no longer alone before the figure — it was a man, he was sure of it — barreled into him and knocked him to the ground.
In one breathless instant, Cooper registered that he was under attack ... and the face that loomed over his was a familiar one. His eyes went wide as he realized it was Carl Morse who had taken him down. Then, the man’s eyes flashed red, and the demon started descending.
Cooper opened his mouth to yell out, but the demon swallowed his scream. The security chief had time for a single thought, and even though he was convinced death was coming, that one word comforted him.
Hannah.
9
Nine
Hannah was in the middle of serving a drink when she heard it. Before, when she didn’t know she was a witch, she would’ve discarded the whispers as nothing more than her mind playing tricks on her. She knew better now, though.
Hannah.
It was Cooper. H
e’d thought her name. Whether out of fear or love, she couldn’t be certain, but it didn’t matter. She had to get to him either way.
“I’ll be right back.” She didn’t meet Lindy’s curious gaze before bolting toward the back door. She couldn’t waste time. She was the boss, she told herself. She didn’t need to explain her actions.
She pushed through the door with force, her gaze immediately going to her left. Her heart clogged in her throat when she took in the scene. Carl — or rather the demon controlling him — had Cooper on the ground, hands planted on his chest. He leaned so close it almost looked as if they were kissing. Hannah knew better, though.
“Get off him!” She lashed out with her magic, her arm a sweeping arc. The force of the blast was enough to dislodge Carl from his perch on top of Cooper, knocking him to the side.
The demon’s eyes filled with fire as he locked gazes with Hannah. “You shouldn’t involve yourself in things you don’t understand.”
Hannah was having none of it. “Get. Off. Of. Him.” Her voice was ice, her fury fire.
“You’re not in charge here,” he rasped.
To prove otherwise, Hannah sent another barrage of magic in his direction. “I guess we’ll just see about that.” She unloaded everything she had, her mind a mixture of anger and fear. Why wasn’t Cooper stirring? Why hadn’t he sat up? She couldn’t focus on him, though. She had to handle the demon first.
Carl’s instincts had him trying to cover his face. That only served to make his chest an enticing target. He absorbed hit after hit, letting loose a groaning sound as Hannah closed the distance. “Stop.” He sounded like he was begging now. “You don’t even know what was happening.”
“I don’t care. I’m going to kill you.” Hannah found she didn’t have an inkling of remorse at the prospect. “You shouldn’t have come back here.”
“It’s you who doesn’t belong here!” Carl snarled as he staggered to his feet. “You’re not the queen of this castle.”
“You aren’t invited to my castle.” Hannah raised her hands again. This time, though, Carl recognized he was outmatched. Instead of closing the distance between himself and Cooper, he backed away. Before her final round of magic hit him, Carl’s countenance flickered. Then he was gone, dissolved into nothing, and it was only Hannah and Cooper left in the alley.
Hannah didn’t hesitate or look over her shoulder to see if Carl would circle back for another attack. She rushed to Cooper, tears cascading down her cheeks as she pressed shaky fingers to his neck searching for a pulse point. She almost cried out in relief when she felt the steady beat of his heart. The second she touched him, his eyes sprang open.
“Hannah?” His voice was ragged. “I ... what happened?”
“You’re okay,” she reassured him through tears, leaning over to press her cheek against his. “You’re okay.”
“I ... .” Cooper felt as if he was crawling through quicksand as he attempted to recover his faculties. The last thing he remembered was cutting through the alley. Then someone else had been there. Red eyes. Foul breath. Absolute fear. Hannah. It was her name that pulsed through his mind as the darkness threatened to overcome him.
“Where is he?” Cooper struggled to a sitting position, holding Hannah close as he scanned the empty alley. “Where did he go?”
“He’s gone.” Hannah pulled back far enough to study his features. He looked okay — well, other than being unnaturally pale — and she recognized the fierceness in his eyes as a mixture of shame and fury. “I came outside because I thought I heard you calling for me. I took care of him.”
Cooper traced his finger over her cheek, his stomach clenching at the tears. “You heard me calling for you?”
“I heard you say my name,” she clarified. “I’m not certain if you really did yell it or I just think you did. I knew I needed to get to you, though.”
His thumb drifted to her full bottom lip. “You were the last thing I thought of. I knew I was in trouble. He caught me off guard. I ... thought that was it.”
“Never.” Hannah fervently shook her head. “I won’t let you leave me. Not ever.”
That was enough to earn a small smile. “That could be misconstrued as something from a bad horror movie — or Lifetime movie for that matter — if the wrong person hears you say it.”
“You’re not the wrong person. You’re the right person.”
“Oh, baby.” He pulled her to him, holding her tight. “You saved me.”
“Yeah.”
He laughed at her matter-of-fact response. “You’re a hero.”
“It was self-preservation,” she countered. “I had to protect you if I wanted to survive.”
“Well, you pulled it off.”
“You’re okay, right?” Her eyes were probing when she pulled back to scan his features. “You’re not suddenly going to keel over or anything, are you? That would be a real bummer since I’m a hero now and everything.”
“You’ve always been my hero.”
Hannah wasn’t convinced. “I’m not sure I killed him. I think he escaped. He kind of ... disappeared ... when he realized I was going to attack him again. It was like when Stormy disappeared at the creek.”
“It doesn’t matter.” Cooper’s heart was practically bursting with love. “We’ll deal with it. That was Carl Morse. I’m guessing that spiel he ran on you yesterday turned out to be nonsense after all.”
Hannah hesitated and then held out her hands. “I don’t know what he was trying to do. He said I didn’t understand what was happening.”
“Do you think you understood?”
“I think ... I think there’s more to him than meets the eye. He’s clearly dangerous to us. I’m thinking he’s dangerous to Amelia, too.”
“Well, then he’s the wildcard.”
“Yeah.”
“We can’t let our guards down again.”
“My guard wasn’t down. This time it was you.”
His lips curved. “And I’m betting that’s something you’re never going to let me forget.”
“Oh, you have no idea. I’m going to lord this over you forever.”
“At least we have forever.”
“Yeah. We should be thankful for that.”
COOPER SPENT THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON — under strict orders from Hannah — in the saloon. He took up position at the bar, Lindy feeding him a steady stream of iced teas, and proceeded to keep watch over the entering and exiting guests. By the time Boone stopped by for a visit, he’d regained all of his color, which was a great relief to Hannah.
“We have a problem,” Boone announced once he’d been caught up on the afternoon’s adventure. “I don’t want to add to your burden, but it’s something we need to deal with.”
“What?” Hannah was resigned to another catastrophe. “What is it this time?”
“Doctor Archibald.”
Hannah pursed her lips. “That’s the doctor handling Angel’s parents in the hospital, right?”
Boone bobbed his head. “One and the same. He wants to know why Angel hasn’t been by to see her parents.”
“I’m guessing they’re not going to accept the explanation that a centuries-old witch has inhabited her body, huh?” Cooper asked ruefully.
Boone smirked. “No. We have to take Bettina over there and have her put on an act. I don’t see where we have another choice.”
“Right.” Hannah rubbed the back of her neck, resigned. “Do you want me to go with you?”
“I was kind of hoping you would. We can leave Lindsey out here while we’re gone — I think it’s better for her if we do things that way — and then pick up food on our way back.”
Cooper moved to stand. “If we have to do it, we should get going.”
Hannah immediately started shaking her head. “You’re not fully recovered yet. You need to stay here.”
“I’m fine,” Cooper protested. “You’ve made me sit here for hours.”
“No.” Hannah was firm. “You need to stay
here ... and not move.”
“Um, you’re not the boss of me.”
“Here we go,” Boone muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. “Listen, as much as I like to watch you guys fake fights so you can make up in spectacular fashion, we don’t have time for it. We need to get Bettina to that hospital, and then we need to get back here so I’m not separated from my kid for too long. We don’t have time for this.”
Cooper looked as if he wanted to argue further but he ultimately nodded. “Keep an eye on her.”
“That’s the plan,” Boone reassured him, squeezing his shoulder. “You keep an eye on Lindsey. Hopefully this won’t take more than an hour, two at the most.”
Cooper still didn’t look convinced, but he nodded. “Just bring her back. I want her to dress up like a naughty nurse and dote on me later.”
Hannah chuckled and leaned in to brush a kiss against his cheek. “I think that sounds like a lot of fun.”
“You and me both.”
SURPRISINGLY, BETTINA DIDN’T PUT UP A FIGHT when Hannah and Boone explained what they had planned for their afternoon excursion. In fact, she seemed eager for the trip to town.
“I should’ve considered this would be necessary,” she admitted as she trailed Boone and Hannah into the hospital twenty minutes later. “Even in my time it was poor form not to sit vigil with a sick loved one. Well, unless it was some sort of plague. Then you weren’t allowed to sit vigil.”
“You don’t have to sit vigil,” Boone replied as he held open the door for Bettina and Hannah. He’d been largely silent for the ride to town, and Hannah recognized it was because Bettina’s mere presence set his teeth on edge. “You need to feign concern, though. You need to ask the doctor questions.”
Bettina’s face was blank. “What sort of questions?”
“About the prognosis of your parents.”
“They’re not my parents.”
“Angel’s parents then,” Boone growled. “She has to look concerned. Otherwise it could trigger a state investigation, which means Child Protective Services could get involved. That would be bad for all of us.”
All the Pretty Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 6) Page 9
