“I’ll bet you have a number of questions for me,” Trevor replied.
She scoffed. “That’s the understatement of the century. I have so many questions that I don’t even know where to start.”
“I’m sorry about that.”
“You should be. Where have you been all this time? Why are you even here now? And what were you thinking, leaving my mother when she was pregnant?”
Trevor’s eyes widened. “Wow. That’s a lot of questions, all at once.”
“I have plenty more where those came from,” Meg said. “What I don’t have is answers.”
“How about we start with why I’m here?”
“Fine. So, what brought you back to Enchanted Bay after all this time?”
“My brother died a few days ago,” Trevor said. “I came back here to sort some things out.”
“I’m sorry about your brother.”
“So am I.”
Meg grimaced as she began to fidget. “And here I thought maybe you had come back to see me.”
“Meg, I—”
She held her finger up. “Before you say another word, I’m going to warn you. Don’t lie to me.”
Trevor took a deep breath.
Meg continued. “If I wasn’t standing at your car a few minutes ago, you would have left town without saying a word to me. Am I right?”
Trevor’s face strained. “It’s complicated.”
“No, it isn’t. At least it shouldn’t be. I’m your daughter. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
“Of course it does.”
“Then why haven’t you been a part of my life? Why haven’t you ever reached out to me? I’m thirty-four-years-old and this is the first conversation you’ve ever had with me. No birthday cards. No phone calls. Nothing.”
“I’m so sorry about that.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“In my defense, I didn’t intend for things to work out this way.”
Meg threw out her arms. “What was your plan exactly?”
“Over the years, I have thought about contacting you so many times.”
“Why didn’t you then?”
“Honestly, I didn’t know what to say to you.”
She scoffed. “You didn’t know what to say to your own daughter? You could have started by introducing yourself. And explaining how you could possibly leave your pregnant wife.”
“I’m sorry that I walked out on your mother. And that I never contacted you. I’ve done so many things wrong.”
“I know you have. Trust me. I’m well aware of the mistakes you’ve made. What I want to know is what you intend to do now.”
“If it will make a difference, I’ll keep apologizing to you all day.”
She shook her head. “You just don’t get it, do you? There were so many times growing up that I needed a father. When it would have made a world of difference having you around. But you were nowhere to be found. Saying you’re sorry a few times can’t fix that.”
“I’m trying my best here. What more do you want from me?”
Meg held her hand up. “Wait. This is your best? Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Trevor grimaced. “Why don’t you cut me a break? This isn’t easy for me.”
“Of course not. You have no idea what it’s like to be a father. As a matter of fact, I’ll bet you can’t wait for this conversation to be over.”
“That’s not true.”
“Then why do you look so miserable? How come I get the feeling that you’d rather be anywhere else right now?” Meg asked. “Tell me I’m wrong.”
“You’re a lot like your mother, you know that?”
“Do you mean that in a good way or a bad way?”
“You’re the two most persistent people I know.”
“What can I say? I don’t walk away when things get tough,” Meg said.
“Your mother raised you well.”
Meg nodded. “I think she did an admirable job, given the circumstances. Speaking of, you never did answer my question. Why’d you walk out on her when she was pregnant with me?”
Trevor winced. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Don’t you think I deserve an answer?”
“I was a fool. A scared fool. I shouldn’t have done that. But I freaked out when I found out she was a witch. I was worried she had cast a spell on me to make me fall in love with her.”
“My mom is the kindest, gentlest person I know. Do you honestly believe she would ever do something like that?”
“Now I don’t. But like I said, I was a big fool back then.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you weren’t a part of my life. Regardless of what you thought of my mother, I was still your daughter.”
“I know. I should have been there for you.”
“But as you mentioned before, you didn’t know what to say to me.”
“I realize that it sounds ridiculous to you,” Trevor said.
Meg stared him down. “Because it is. The entire time I was growing up, I wondered what I did wrong. Why I wasn’t worthy of your time. Your attention. Your love.”
“Meg, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know. The fact is, you’re the one who was in the wrong. And if I’m being honest, there’s nothing you can do to make things right. Which is why I think you should leave.”
Trevor’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?”
“I know how ironic it must sound. Trust me. I can’t believe I’m saying it myself. After all, when I was younger, I would have given anything to have you in my life. Now that I’m talking to you, though, I realize that you aren’t worthy of my time. Or attention. Or love. So, why don’t you get in your car and leave?” Meg said.
Chapter Twelve
Beth Walton couldn’t believe her eyes. Her life had changed in an instant when Trevor had walked out on her decades before. Now her life had changed once again. This time due to Meg’s decision to walk away from Trevor.
It took Trevor a few seconds to process what his daughter had told him. Once he had, he honored her request. Trevor got back into his car and left Enchanted Bay.
Meanwhile, Beth approached Meg and attempted to console her with a hug.
“I just want to say that I’m so sorry,” Beth said.
“Mom, you don’t have to apologize,” Meg said.
“Yes, I do,” Beth said. “I failed.”
Meg squinted. “What are you talking about?”
“I made every attempt to keep your father from hurting you. But it wasn’t enough. In the end, he still managed to break your heart.”
“That’s his fault, though. Not yours.”
“I understand. At the same time, I just keep thinking that this shouldn’t have happened. When your father arrived in town earlier, I should have sent him packing. I should have forced him to leave Enchanted Bay before he had the chance to hurt you.”
“How? By casting a spell?”
“If that’s what it took.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You were right in the middle of town. You could have been spotted. That would have opened a whole new can of worms.”
“I realize how risky that would have been. That’s exactly why I decided not to cast a spell. I’m just second guessing myself now because things went so poorly.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. You did the best you could have, given the circumstances,” Meg said. “In my mind, the blame for this falls squarely on my father’s shoulders.”
“I wish there was something I could say to make things better, but I know there isn’t.”
“I’m just happy that you’re here for me.”
“Of course I’m here for you. I’m your mother. I’m always going to look out for you.”
“I know. And I’m so grateful for that.”
“What do you say we go and get some ice cream? That always makes you feel better.”
Meg shook her head. “I don’t want ice cream right now.”
; “Seriously?”
“What I want is to forget that today ever happened.”
“You know there’s a spell for that.”
“Unfortunately, it’s only temporary.”
“It might help you get through the rest of the day, though.”
Meg groaned. “I can’t believe this. The entire time I was growing up, I wanted my father in my life. But meeting him today, it was just such an awful letdown. I always pictured things going so much differently.”
“Of course you did. Who would have expected things to work out like this?”
“The saddest part is that things could have ended much worse if I hadn’t told Trevor to leave.”
“That is a terrifying thought.”
The conversation fell silent for a moment as both Beth and Meg got lost in thought.
Meg was the first to pull her head out of the clouds. “You know what? I will take you up on that ice cream.”
Beth gave her daughter a smile. “I think that’s a good call. Chocolate ice cream, here we come.”
Chapter Thirteen
The ice cream was a welcome distraction, but it only provided a temporary reprieve from what had happened. When Meg’s sugar rush wore off, she was left to wrestle with her emotions again. While it ended up being a tough night for her, it certainly could have turned out worse. Especially after Pamela’s earlier warning about Connor.
Thankfully, Connor’s work shift at the police station ended without any incidents. When Connor clocked out for the day, he went over to Meg’s place to comfort her.
The next day Meg headed off to work and did her best to avoid thinking about her father. Her mother was more than happy to lend a hand with that. Beth kept the conversation light and playful.
That worked for a while. The peace did not last, however.
When Pamela Hutton came into the donut shop, things became frantic. How could it not when Pamela looked like she was ready to drop a bombshell on Meg?
“I figured out what the wolf in my dream signifies,” Pamela said.
“Are you serious?” Meg asked.
Pamela nodded.
“Don’t leave me hanging in suspense,” Meg said. “What’s the meaning behind it?”
“Before I go any further, I just want to say that I need you to hear me out.”
“Of course.”
“I’m serious. When you hear what I have to say, it might sound crazy to you.”
“After all that build up, I’m dying to know what you have to tell me.”
“All right. Here goes.” Pamela took a deep breath before continuing. “At first, I kept getting bogged down with the idea that the wolf at the door was symbolic of some sort of imminent danger to Connor’s life. I was dead wrong, though.”
Meg squinted. “How so?”
“There was a reason the wolf didn’t immediately attack Connor.”
“Which is?”
“I believe that Connor is hiding a part of himself behind closed doors. I’m convinced that there is a secret side to him that I have managed to uncover.”
Meg’s mind suddenly began to race. “Wait a minute. Are you saying—?”
“I know it’s going to sound crazy, but I think Connor is a werewolf,” Pamela said.
Meg’s jaw dropped. She wasn’t alone. Her mother was speechless as well.
Pamela gave Meg and Beth a few seconds to process the news.
When Meg remained quiet for over ten seconds, Pamela became impatient.
“Meg. Please say something,” Pamela remarked.
“You’re right. It does sound nuts,” Meg said.
“It doesn’t mean it isn’t true, though. I mean, think about us for example. No one in town suspects that we are witches. Yet we are as magical as can be.”
“That’s true.”
“And in a world where witches exist, is it really that difficult to believe that werewolves are real too?”
“I suppose not. Although, I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that my fiancé might be a werewolf. Unless you can provide me with some solid evidence to work with.”
Pamela grimaced. “I’m afraid I don’t have any. But I do have a really strong instinct about this. To the point where I woke up from a dead sleep at four o’clock this morning with this theory, and I haven’t been able to think about anything else since then. Has that ever happened to you?”
Meg nodded. “It sure has. And when it does, my instincts are usually spot-on.”
“So are mine,” Pamela said.
Meg exhaled. “Wow. If you’re right, do you know what it means?”
“That life just got a lot more interesting?” Pamela joked.
“True,” Meg said. “It would also mean that Connor and I have both been holding onto a really big secret.”
Beth had stayed quiet up until then, but she couldn’t keep her mouth shut any longer. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I need to say this. Before you go and do anything brash, you need to ask yourself something.”
“Which is?” Meg replied.
“What if Pamela is wrong?” Beth asked.
“I doubt that is the case,” Pamela said. “My gut is telling me I’m right about Connor.”
“I’ll bet it is. But that doesn’t change the fact that you don’t have any solid evidence,” Beth said.
Meg bit the corner of her lip. “Evidence or not, I need to talk to Connor.”
“And say what exactly? I mean, are you really just going to come out and ask him if he’s a werewolf?” Beth replied.
“I’ll figure that out when I get to his house,” Meg said.
“Meg, you don’t always take my advice, but I’m begging you to be careful here. It turns out I know a thing or two about how revealing a secret can forever change a relationship.”
“I realize that,” Meg said. “And I promise, I’ll be careful.”
Chapter Fourteen
During the drive over to Connor’s house, Meg wrestled with what she planned on saying to her fiancé. She kept trying to figure out the best way to tackle this hairy situation. Unfortunately, by the time she reached Connor’s place, she still had not made a final call about which approach she was going to take. Her indecision continued all the way until she knocked on her fiancé’s front door.
When Connor opened up his door, however, it was the moment of truth for Meg. While Meg was hoping to be able to get the first word in, Connor beat her to the punch. He took one look at her face and immediately became concerned.
“Is everything all right?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No. It really isn’t.”
He leaned in and gave her a hug. “I know I said this a number of times last night, but I’m so sorry about everything that happened with your father.”
Meg grimaced. “This actually isn’t about my dad at all.”
Connor pulled back from the hug and scrunched his nose. “I’m confused then. What is it about?”
Meg stared deep into his eyes. “Connor, is there something you haven’t told me about your life?”
He threw out his arms. “Where did that question come from?”
“Connor, it was a yes or no question. Why did you respond with a question of your own?”
“Because your question seemed to come out of left field. Will you please tell me what’s going on?”
“Sure,” Meg said. “Remember how I told you that Pamela had a nightmare the other night?”
“The one where I opened the front door and there was a wolf standing there?”
Meg nodded.
“That was a crazy dream, all right. But I was extra careful at work yesterday. I made sure that nothing bad happened to me.”
“Here’s the thing. Pamela believes that the wolf in the dream wasn’t symbolic of danger.”
“Then what does she think the dream was about?”
Meg bit the corner of her lip before answering. “You know how I always trust my instincts, right?”
“Yes. So?”
“So, I’m getting a really strong instinct about Pamela’s dream.”
“Now you’re the one who didn’t answer a question,” Connor said. “What does Pamela think her dream was about?”
Meg took a deep breath, and then replied, “Pamela believes you are a werewolf.”
Connor’s eyes widened. “That’s a pretty bold claim.”
Meg nodded. “It sure is.”
“What do you believe?”
“When she first told me her theory, it sounded crazy.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“Then I started thinking about it deeper. The more the theory rattled around in my mind, the harder it was to dismiss,” Meg said.
Connor’s muscles tensed up. “Are you serious?”
“When I started looking back at our relationship, a number of things stuck out to me. For example, it never dawned on me at the time, but whenever there is a full moon, you always seem to have the night off from work. Strangely enough, you never take me out on those nights.”
“That’s just some crazy coincidence.”
Meg stared him down. “Is it?”
“Wait a minute. Do you really believe I’m a werewolf?” he asked.
“Connor, you didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t answer mine either.”
Meg put her hands on her hips. “You first.”
Instead of replying immediately, Connor took his time coming up with a response.
Meg attempted to remain patient. But when Connor didn’t respond for a number of seconds, Meg decided to speak up.
“Let me tell you a story,” Meg said.
“About what?” Connor asked.
“My father,” Meg said. “You know about him walking out on my mother when she was pregnant with me. But there’s something I never told you about the night he left.”
“What’s that?” Connor asked.
“The main reason my father left is because he discovered a secret about my mother. A secret that he couldn’t deal with. And after my dad walked out on my family, my mother became determined not to let anyone else find out this secret. But I’m going to tell you what it is because I love you and I want us to both be completely honest with each other,” Meg said.
Halloween Witch Cozy Mystery Ten Book Set Page 60
