A Breath of Witchy Air

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I don’t really get hurt all that often,” I countered. “It’s only been, like, once.”

  “You’ve fallen off a horse, been held at gunpoint more times than I can count, kidnapped by at least two killers, stalked by another two, and then there was that poltergeist who tried to rip you apart. You’ve definitely had it worse than me.”

  “Well, when you put it like that.” I remained close to him for a moment, running my fingers over the back of his neck and relishing the way he made small sighing noises while rubbing his cheek against mine.

  Then, as if we both realized it was time to separate at the exact same moment, we pulled apart and eyed each other.

  “We need to talk about last night.” I said the words before he could, but mostly because I knew that was what he was going to say next.

  “You’re cute.” Landon poked my side and groaned. “Crap. I feel like an old man.”

  “You look good. For your age, I mean.” I smiled to buck him up as I ran my fingers over his bare chest. “Do you plan to go to work shirtless today? If so, I’ll have to follow you around and beat the women off with sticks.”

  Landon’s smile didn’t seem sincere. “I know what you’re trying to do, but it won’t work.” He was somber. “I let the conversation slide last night because Chief Terry was here and you were worked up about me, but I’m worried.”

  “When aren’t you worried?”

  “Sweetie, that attack was because of you. Whoever was out there … well … he wanted you. The only thing that saved us was that you felt his presence before he managed to take me out completely.”

  I didn’t like the way he phrased it in the least. “First, we don’t know that he was after me. It could’ve been some nutjob who was after you. You were attacked.”

  “To get me out of the way so he could have a clear shot at you,” Landon fired back. “He saw me as a threat to what he really wanted, which is why he tried to eliminate me.”

  “But we don’t know that.”

  “I do know that.”

  “But … you don’t.”

  Landon heaved out a sigh as he pressed his lips together to keep from exploding. When he spoke again, it was with a purposely calm voice that set my teeth on edge. “Sweetie, you know how you had a feeling that someone was coming and you reacted in time to save me from being seriously hurt?”

  I didn’t like where this was going. “Yes.”

  “Well, I have that very same feeling about why he was there,” Landon continued. “There’s only one reason. He wasn’t there for me. He was there for you.”

  I exhaled heavily to calm myself. “Okay, let’s say I agree with you. What possible reason could anyone have to attack me? I haven’t done anything to warrant an attack.”

  Landon’s mouth worked but no sound came out, which caused me to jump on the fact that I was most likely correct.

  “Hah! You’re speechless.”

  Landon captured my extended finger with his good hand. “I’m not speechless. I was debating if your opinion had merit.”

  “My opinion always has merit.”

  “You know what I mean.” Landon pressed a quick kiss to the tip of my finger before releasing it. “I don’t believe you’ve done anything to warrant this. I don’t want you to think that.”

  Something about his tone warned me I wasn’t going to like what was about to come. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re not to blame.”

  “I know. What aren’t you telling me?”

  Landon licked his lips and showed me his teeth as he grappled with how to respond. “I’m worried that someone believes you’ve wronged him and that’s why he came after you.”

  I remained confused. “Who would think I wronged him? If you think that Agent Upchuck … .”

  Landon immediately started shaking his head. “Not him. He’s a piece of work and an outright jerk when he wants to be, but he wouldn’t come after you. He wouldn’t have the ability to sneak up on me either. Anyway, they had to wave the physical requirements for him because they wanted to employ his computer skills. He couldn’t pass the obstacle course.”

  I brightened a bit. “Will you think less of me if I laugh about that behind his back?”

  “No. We’ve been laughing about it in the office for months.”

  “Awesome.”

  “Not awesome, Bay,” Landon corrected. “He’s not a suspect. That’s not how he’s built.”

  “Then … who? You can’t possibly think that the killer is after me. How would he even know to look?”

  “I’m not ruling out that possibility,” Landon supplied. “You seem to think it’s far-fetched, but I’m not so sure. People know you discovered the bodies. News made it around Hemlock Cove right away. I had several people mention it while answering questions.”

  That was news to me. “Oh. Well … even if the killer knows I found the bodies, what good does coming after me do?”

  “I don’t know. If I thought like a killer I’d be a profiler. I just know that someone came after you and we have a serial killer in the area. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that you piqued someone’s interest while you were asking questions in Gaylord the other day.”

  I hadn’t even thought of that. “You think I talked to the killer?”

  “I think it’s a possibility.”

  “Wow. Okay, well, that’s fair enough.”

  “That’s not the only thing I’m worried about,” Landon added, shifting the compress on his shoulder and staring deeply into my eyes. “There’s one other possibility you seem to be overlooking.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Not what. Who.”

  “Who is that?”

  “Brian.”

  Landon was so serious when he delivered the name I could do nothing but stand there like an idiot for what felt like forever. I finally burst out laughing, my shoulders shaking hard.

  “It’s not funny, Bay.” Landon made a face. “He vandalized the office. He was mean and bitter to you before leaving. He tried to sneak in a stipulation that he’d be able to take back the business if something happened to you.”

  Even though I was positively gleeful at the thought, I sobered marginally. “Yeah. He’s a real tool. That doesn’t mean he’d try to kill me.”

  “How do you know he wouldn’t?” Landon refused to back down. “I saw him at that closing, Bay. He hates you. He hates me, too. He hates me enough to kill to get to you.”

  “I know he hates me, but … it’s just a newspaper. Why would he possibly try to kill me over that?”

  “I’ve seen people kill for much less.” Landon ran his thumb over my cheek, the gesture simple and yet wrenchingly intimate. “I know you don’t think he’s capable, but I disagree. I’m going to spend part of my day tracking him down. I want you to know because I don’t want secrets between us. There’s nothing you can do to change my mind.”

  “I won’t try to change your mind.” I was serious. “The faster you rule out Brian – and you will rule him out because he’s a sniveling weasel and not a killer – the faster you can focus on the real culprit.”

  “I hope so.” Landon leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss. “I know I’m supposed to be badass and grit out the pain, but I need you to rub Bengay on my shoulder and help me put on a shirt before we go to the inn for breakfast. I also need you not to tell anyone, because it will ruin my reputation.”

  I bit my bottom lip to keep from laughing. “You’re still a badass.”

  “Don’t patronize me.”

  “I would never.”

  THE FAMILY LIVING quarters squawked with noise – essentially loud screeching – when we let ourselves in through the back door. Landon and I exchanged curious looks but didn’t immediately rush inside to see who was melting down. Instead, I helped him out of his coat and hung it on the rack by the door before kicking off my shoes.

  “A year ago I would’ve drawn my weapon and assumed someone was dying,” Landon not
ed as I helped him remain upright so he could remove his boots. “It’s a little sad that my reflexes have been dulled to the point that sound doesn’t alarm me.”

  I smirked and tilted my head to the side to listen.

  “Don’t even think about it!” Aunt Tillie bellowed.

  “I’ve already thought about it and you’re on the losing end of the decision,” Mom fired back.

  “They’re in the kitchen,” I said after a beat. “We could avoid them by going up the stairs and cutting across the second floor before coming back down.”

  “We could,” Landon agreed. “But I think your mother will baby me if she sees I’m injured I’m willing to risk the noise for fresh bacon.”

  “You’re shameless.”

  “I’m injured, sweetie. I need bacon to make me feel better.”

  “Go ahead and milk it.” I directed him toward the swinging door that led to the kitchen. “I think you’ve earned whatever babying you’re about to get.”

  “I think so, too.”

  I pushed open the door and frowned when the noise level doubled.

  “You’re not the boss of me,” Aunt Tillie barked from her recliner. The chair was relatively new, a recent purchase because her old one had begun to take on a certain odor. Thistle was convinced the odor was what remained when evil touched the bright circle of goodness. I was withholding judgment.

  “I’m not trying to be the boss of you, Aunt Tillie.” Mom stood in the middle of the kitchen, a spatula clutched in her hand and an apron covering her clothes. “I’m trying to keep you from being the old lady who gets arrested for bullying the area kids. I don’t think that’s an unreasonable stance.”

  “Do we even want to know what’s going on?” Landon asked, shuffling closer to the stove so he could search for his heart’s desire. “Where is the bacon?”

  “It’s in the oven,” Marnie replied, slapping his hand when he reached for the door. “It needs to stay in there until everything else is ready. We’re keeping it warm.”

  “Oh, this is pure torture,” Landon whined as he sank onto one of the counter stools. “I need bacon.”

  “You need to wait for five minutes,” Marnie shot back. “You hardly look like you’re starving.”

  “I could be starving,” Landon grumbled.

  “You’re not, though,” Mom snapped, sparing him a glance. “Why are you holding your arm that way?”

  “He was injured last night,” I answered. “There was a mishap in the snow.”

  Landon arched an eyebrow and I could practically hear his mind working from across the room. He wanted to know if I planned to tell my mother about our escapade. I hadn’t really thought about it until I was faced with the dilemma.

  I knew keeping the truth from her would be impossible. Chief Terry knew. He’d let it slip, and then it would become a big thing. On the other hand, she would make a big deal out of it and the last thing I needed was her going all needy and belligerent on me. It was better to let her focus on Aunt Tillie.

  “What’s the deal with Aunt Tillie?” I asked, directing the conversation where I wanted it to go. “What did she do to cause this lovely little scene this morning?”

  Aunt Tillie narrowed her eyes. “I wouldn’t get involved in this if I were you.”

  “Oh, no.” Mom swiveled toward Aunt Tillie and waved the spatula back and forth. “I want her involved in this. You keep complaining that I’m unreasonable. Bay knows nothing about this situation, so she hasn’t been swayed one way or the other. I want to hear what she has to say.”

  “I only want to hear it if she agrees with me,” Aunt Tillie said. “If she’s going to agree with you I want her and her bacon-loving boyfriend to take a hike.”

  “Hey.” Landon was affronted. “What did I do to you?”

  “I have a list if you ever want to see it,” Aunt Tillie drawled. “I think you’ll be shocked and ashamed when you see everything listed. It’s almost two pages now.”

  “Shocked,” I intoned, making a face for Landon’s benefit.

  “I haven’t done anything to you today,” Landon reminded Aunt Tillie. “I am mildly curious what you’ve done to put Winnie in this state, though. She’s generally immune to your shenanigans.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you,” Mom started.

  “Wait, wait, wait.” Aunt Tillie thumped around in her chair until she managed to lean forward. “I’m telling the story because you’ll tell it in such a way that forces Bay to take your side.”

  Mom rolled her eyes. “Fine. You tell the story.”

  “Gladly.” Aunt Tillie rubbed her hands on her leggings – which looked to be giraffes doing … something they probably shouldn’t be doing – and fixed me with the most innocent expression in her repertoire. “You see, the thing is, the kids in the neighborhood have banded together to lie about me.”

  “That did it!” Mom slammed her spatula on the counter. “That is not what happened at all. I’ll tell them what happened.”

  Aunt Tillie balked. “You’ll tell it wrong.”

  “At least there will be some semblance of the truth associated with the story when I’m done.” Mom’s voice was withering. “So, I got a call from Tammi White this morning.”

  “A born liar if there ever was one,” Aunt Tillie interjected.

  Mom continued as if Aunt Tillie hadn’t spoken. “It seems your great-aunt has been hanging around a message board with some of the other gamers for that stupid thing she’s doing on the phone. She threatened all the area kids with curses if they didn’t gift her with something she wanted from their arsenals.”

  I had no idea what to make of that. “That’s so much worse than I was expecting.” I slid a sidelong look to Landon. “I think you should arrest her.”

  “It’s not funny!” Mom practically exploded when I cracked a smile. “Tammi is threatening to turn Aunt Tillie in to Terry. She could be arrested.”

  My mother came by her dramatic flair honestly – Aunt Tillie helped raise her, after all – but the idea of Chief Terry arresting Aunt Tillie for messing with kids on a message board was ludicrous. “He won’t arrest her.” I pinned Aunt Tillie with a dark look. “Stop threatening the kids over a game. You’ll lose your street cred if other people find out. I mean … will Mrs. Little fear you if she figures out you’re messing with teenagers instead of her?”

  Aunt Tillie made a face. “Margaret Little will fear me until the end of time because I’m terrifying. As for the threats, well, you may be right.”

  I was stunned. “You think I’m right?”

  Aunt Tillie nodded. “Absolutely. I’m not going to go after Hemlock Cove kids now. I’m going after all the tourists in town. They’ll be leaving in a few days and won’t be able to figure out who I am before it’s too late to stop me from looting their online stores.”

  I should’ve seen that coming. “Now I need a shot of bacon,” I muttered. “It’s going to be a long day. I can already tell.”

  Twenty-Two

  Despite his argument to the contrary, I put my foot down and insisted Landon not attempt to drive while his shoulder was so sore. I dropped him at the police station, personally delivering him into Chief Terry’s hands before risking an escape.

  “Don’t let him drive and make sure he doesn’t roughhouse or anything,” I instructed.

  Landon pinned me with a withering look. “Roughhouse? How old do you think I am? Do you think I do a lot of roughhousing?”

  “I think we do it together several times a week,” I shot back.

  Landon’s cheeks flushed pink. “Don’t say things like that in front of Chief Terry. He doesn’t like it.”

  “I certainly don’t,” Chief Terry agreed, flicking his eyes to the door when the overhead bell jingled to announce Ashton’s arrival. “As for Landon, I’ll take care of him. You don’t need to worry about that.”

  “Do I look worried?”

  Chief Terry tilted his head to the side. “Maybe a bit. I’m more worried about you than I am about
him. What are your plans for the day?”

  Oh, geez. Landon had clearly gotten to him. “I’m fine.”

  “You were attacked last night.”

  Ashton’s eyebrows flew up his forehead as he removed his coat. “You were attacked last night?”

  “Landon was attacked last night,” I corrected. “He was the one hurt, which is why I’m here. His shoulder is really sore. I want you to take care of him.”

  “Oh, don’t do that.” Chief Terry extended a finger and wagged it in my face. “I know all your tricks, missy, and I have no intention of falling victim to them. I get that you’re worried about Landon for obvious reasons. He’s walking like an old man who’s just had his hip replaced thanks to how gingerly he’s holding that shoulder.”

  “Thanks, man,” Landon deadpanned. “That doesn’t give me a complex or anything.”

  Chief Terry ignored him. “I’m worried about you. Whoever attacked was clearly trying to get to you.”

  “You were attacked? Really?” Ashton looked impressed as he moved closer to Landon. “What happened? Did you pull out your weapon? Did you get to shoot anyone?”

  Landon rolled his eyes. “I didn’t shoot anyone. I was more worried about Bay because she was out in the open and vulnerable.”

  “She obviously managed to save herself,” Ashton noted. “How?”

  Landon and I exchanged a quick look, something unsaid passing between us. We hadn’t considered how to explain to Ashton what had happened in a manner that kept the big family secret from escaping.

  “Bay screamed as loud as she could and scared him away,” Chief Terry answered. “It’s in the report, which happens to be on my desk if you want to take a look.”

  “Maybe I will.” Ashton’s eyes sparkled in a way that made me uncomfortable. “I find this entire thing fascinating. Agent Michaels, did you jump in front of your assailant to protect your girlfriend? That’s how it often happens in movies and that’s what I’m picturing in my head.”

  Landon’s expression would’ve been comical under different circumstances. “No. Bay heard something in the woods behind us and I realized trouble was coming a split second before I was hit with the world’s biggest tree branch. Then, while I struggled to get up, Bay held off our attacker and scared him away.”