“We’re getting a dog?” The statement was enough to make Clove move a little closer. She still didn’t trust us. Even as an adult, Clove was tiny. As a child she was small enough to pick up and cradle like a baby, despite the fact that she walked and talked.
“Santa will bring you a dog,” I said, nodding.
“Way to ruin Christmas, Barb,” Landon said. “Don’t tell them that.”
“Christmas won’t be ruined,” I said. “It already happened. It was the best Christmas I ever had – until we spent last year together.”
“Oh, geez,” Landon huffed. “Now I want to kiss you again.”
Bay’s eyes widened. “Is she your girlfriend?”
Landon nodded. “Yes.”
“Can I be your girlfriend, too?” Young Bay seemed a little needy to me. This was starting to get awkward.
“Sure,” Landon answered. “I’ve always wanted two girlfriends.”
“Fun,” Bay said. “Can I put bows in your hair and dress you up?”
I snorted. Landon didn’t look thrilled with the request.
“Sure,” Landon said, casting me a withering look when I dared laugh again. “It’s not like she’s going to have time to really do it.”
I pointed at young Bay, and Landon frowned when he saw she had a ribbon in her hand. “I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“Where did that come from?” Landon asked, flustered.
“It was in my pocket,” Bay answered.
“I think it was supposed to be in your hair, wasn’t it?” I challenged.
Bay lowered her eyes and nodded.
“I always hated the ribbons my mother put in my hair,” I explained. “I yanked them out and shoved them in my pocket as soon as I was out of sight.”
“Well, great,” Landon said. “Couldn’t you have told me about that before I agreed to let her put ribbons in my hair?”
“What fun would that be?” I challenged. “Go ahead, Bay. You can put the ribbon in his hair.”
Bay brightened considerably, and immediately set about her task. Landon remained kneeling, but he didn’t look happy about his new reality.
“Just be glad I don’t have a camera,” I said. “I would definitely save this one for posterity.”
“Ha, ha,” Landon muttered.
I focused my attention back on Thistle. “Where is Aunt Tillie?”
Thistle shrugged. “Probably doing something bad.”
“I see Thistle and Aunt Tillie’s relationship was etched in stone early on,” Landon mused.
“It’s because they’re so much alike,” I said.
“I’m nothing like that old lady,” Thistle snapped, folding her arms across her chest. “Take it back!”
“I’m not going to take it back because it’s true,” I argued. “I know you girls are magically tethered to the property, but Aunt Tillie usually didn’t allow us … I mean you … out without keeping at least half an eye on you. Where is she?”
“She’s looking at a field,” Clove supplied, her gaze busy as it bounced between us. “You’re strangers, so I shouldn’t tell you this, but she says she’s going to garden out there.”
“Oregano,” young Bay said, happily tying the bow in Landon’s hair. She leaned back to admire her handiwork when she was done. “I definitely want to keep you.”
Landon cupped the back of her head a moment and searched her face. I had no idea what he was looking for, but apparently he found it. “You’ll get to keep me one day,” he said.
“Not today, though?” Bay looked crushed.
“Not today,” Landon confirmed. “We’re only here for a brief visit.”
“That’s probably a good thing,” Aunt Tillie said, appearing at the edge of the clearing. “I would hate to think you’re some sort of pervert going after young girls.”
I stilled, surprised. It was hard for me to ascertain whether she was my Aunt Tillie or young Bay’s wayward great-aunt. They looked almost the same – and they definitely shared the same wardrobe. I tried not to laugh as I took in her rubber boots and cargo pants. I was almost positive she was young Bay’s Aunt Tillie, which technically still made her my Aunt Tillie, but not really. Ooh, I’m getting a headache.
“I’m not a pervert,” Landon said, pushing himself to a standing position and putting a little distance between himself and Bay. “I was only talking to her.”
“I know,” Aunt Tillie said, resting her hand on Clove’s head. “That’s why you’re still alive. The ribbon is a nice touch, though.”
Landon reached up and tugged the bow out of his hair, quickly shoving it in his pocket. “We were just stopping by. There’s no reason to get … curse happy.”
“Ooh, curse him,” Thistle said. “I haven’t seen a good curse in like, forever.”
“Aunt Tillie cursed you just yesterday so you would drop food all over your clothes when you ate,” Bay reminded her.
“That doesn’t count,” Thistle whined. “I want to see a good curse.”
“Why doesn’t that count?” I asked, smiling at the memory. I remembered Aunt Tillie’s random food curses well. They weren’t funny then, but they were pretty hilarious in hindsight.
“Yeah, why doesn’t that count?” Aunt Tillie echoed.
“Because that was against me, and that’s not fun for nobody,” Thistle said.
“Anybody,” Bay corrected.
“I hate it when you do that,” Thistle snapped.
I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. I corrected Thistle’s grammar for years. I thought it was funny. Her? Yeah, not so much.
“Do you know who we are, Aunt Tillie?” Landon asked, focusing on my great-aunt. “Do you know why we’re here?”
“I know who you are,” Aunt Tillie replied. “I’m not sure why you’re here. It’s odd, though. I don’t feel out of place with you here. Sure, I’m convinced you’re a pervert, but I don’t think you’re dangerous.”
“Why do you think I’m a pervert?”
“You’ve got that look about you,” Aunt Tillie answered.
“It’s the long hair,” Thistle offered. “He’s a hippie freak, right?”
“Nuh-uh,” Clove said, shaking her head so vehemently her black curls bounced. “He’s ‘The Man.’”
“Is that so?” Aunt Tillie asked, narrowing her eyes as she regarded Landon. “Well, that just figures, doesn’t it?”
“What figures?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter now,” Aunt Tillie said. “You’re leaving again.”
“But why were we here in the first place?” I was so confused. “Where is my Aunt Tillie?”
“She’s always watching,” Aunt Tillie replied, grinning as she collected her young charges. “You were here to remember not to forget.”
“Did you read that in a fortune cookie?” I grumbled as Landon grabbed my hand. He sensed the oncoming shift, too.
“You were always a funny girl, Bay Winchester,” Aunt Tillie said. “I was hoping you would outgrow it, but I guess I was wrong.”
Even as the colors swirled, I wasn’t ready to give up. “But why this memory?”
“Because your aunt likes to remember the simple times, too,” Aunt Tillie replied. “Have fun, kids. Try not to be a pervert the next go-around.”
Sometimes you have no choice but to get up, dust yourself off and move on. You know, be the bigger person and all that other crap. So get up and dust yourself off. You don’t have to move on, though. I have a new curse, and I’m willing to teach it to you for free. They canceled “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” and I have an opening in my schedule. You just happen to be the beneficiary of that opening. Lila can write a letter complaining to ABC if she doesn’t like it.
– Aunt Tillie to Bay after a bullying incident
Twelve
“I wish Aunt Tillie would stop telling kids about ‘The Man,’” Landon lamented as he dusted off his jeans a few moments later. It was probably a wasted effort because we weren’t really here, but it seemed the right thing t
o do, so I joined him in wiping off my own clothes. “Kids shouldn’t be afraid of law enforcement. It’s wrong.”
“I wouldn’t get worked up about it,” I said, glancing around. “Hey, we’re not at the inn.”
“You’re so observant for a reporter,” Landon teased, pressing his finger against my chin. “I can’t believe how cute you were as a kid.”
“You’re just excited because young me was in love with you the second she saw you,” I said, gripping his finger. “It was love at first sight.”
“Why wasn’t it love at first sight for big Bay?”
I frowned. “You need to think of a different way to phrase that,” I instructed. “Big Bay makes it sound as if I’m about to start taking on water.”
Landon chuckled as he offered me a kiss. “I don’t think old Bay is much better.”
“Definitely not.”
“How about … perfect Bay?” Landon was in full charm mode.
“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“I liked seeing you as a little kid, and seeing you born was … something I’ll never forget,” Landon answered. “I like memories like the one we were just in. It gives me a chance to see you when you were younger.”
“Why is that so important to you?”
“Because it makes me feel closer to you,” Landon replied.
“If we were any closer, they’d have to sew us together.”
“Ha, ha,” Landon intoned. “It’s just … when anyone brings up your childhood you get a funny look on your face. It’s not that you didn’t have a happy childhood, because I can see you did, but I think you let bad memories overshadow the good ones because things were hard for you.
“I get it,” he continued. “You were labeled the weird girl who talked to herself because people didn’t understand you could see ghosts. That doesn’t bother me. I like that you’re different. I only wish you would embrace the good memories and let go of the bad ones.”
“I think that’s easier said than done,” I said. “It’s hard when you grow up in a tiny town where everyone knows everyone else’s business and people go after you.”
“By people do you mean Lila Stevens?” Landon asked.
I frowned. “Did you have to bring her up?”
“I did,” Landon said, nodding.
“Why?”
“Because I’m pretty sure that’s her over there.” Landon pointed to a spot over my left shoulder, causing me to swivel. I scowled when I saw Lila flouncing across the town square. She clearly had a purpose, and when my eyes landed on the three girls eating ice cream on a bench under the willow tree, I couldn’t hide my disgust.
“How did you even recognize her?”
“She looks like a ferret as an adult,” Landon answered. “That right there is a ferret if I ever saw one. It looks like she’s heading toward Bay. I mean it looks like she’s heading toward you. I mean … you know what I mean.”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed, blowing out a heavy sigh. “Crap. I’m sure she’s about to do something evil.”
“I was under the impression that’s all she did,” Landon said, moving closer to me. “Let’s follow her.”
“Why? I don’t want to see her.”
“I think this is going to be an interactive one,” Landon said. “There’s no way Aunt Tillie would force you to see this if you couldn’t be mean to that little troll. Come on. Haven’t you always wanted to torture Lila the same way she tortured you?”
I let Landon lead me toward the imminent showdown, my mind busy. “I can’t be mean to her,” I said finally. “I’m an adult.”
“And this isn’t real, as you’ve told me three million times,” Landon pointed out. “You can be as mean as you want. Don’t you want to save young Bay from that tyrant?”
“Oh, admit it. You only want to see if this Bay falls for you, too.”
“Oh, she’s going to be putty in my hand, sweetie,” Landon said. “I can feel it.”
“That’s borderline gross.”
“I guess I’m a pervert, huh?” Landon’s grin was lopsided. “Come on. I want to see Thistle and Clove, too. How old do you think you are here?”
I tilted my head to the side, considering. “I look about fourteen,” I answered. “That means Clove and Thistle are thirteen and twelve.”
“I can just imagine Thistle at this age,” Landon muttered. “All those hormones and not knowing what to do with them probably made her a monster.”
“She was a monster before the hormones,” I said. “Let’s just watch for a second.” I tugged on Landon’s arm to slow him. “Lila might walk right past us.”
“You’re so naïve,” Landon said as he slung an arm over my shoulders. “Don’t worry. If she gets out of control I’ll be mean to her. I’m looking forward to it, in fact.”
“Look who it is,” Lila sang out, skipping closer to Bay, Clove and Thistle, and causing them to direct their attention to the oncoming enemy. “It’s Babbling Bay and her smelly cohorts.”
Landon frowned. “That was the worst insult ever.”
“Go away, Lila,” Bay said. “Leave us alone.”
“Yeah, leave us alone,” Clove echoed. She had ice cream on her face, which made me wonder whether Aunt Tillie had been busy casting eating curses.
“Wipe your mouth, Clove,” Lila shot back. “You eat like a cow.”
“You smell like a cow,” Thistle retorted. “Don’t come over here. We don’t want to see you.”
“It’s a free country,” Lila said, dancing around. She was careful not to get too close. Even then she worried about Thistle, who was three inches shorter and twenty pounds lighter than her. “I can do whatever I want.”
“So, what?” Thistle asked. “Are you pretending to be a horse’s ass today? Is that how you’re using your freedom?”
Landon snickered. “Okay, I kind of like mouthy teenage Thistle. Don’t ever tell her I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” I said, leaning my head against his shoulder. “I’m not sure I want to watch this.”
“Why?” Landon asked, his eyes locking with mine. “What’s about to happen? Is she going to do something to you?”
“She always did something to me,” I answered. “I don’t remember this specific day, though.”
“Bay … .” Landon didn’t get a chance to finish his statement because Aunt Tillie picked that moment to make her appearance. She detached from the shadow of the nearby bakery and moved in Lila’s direction. I watched her for a moment before sliding my gaze back to Bay, Clove and Thistle. They clearly didn’t see her. “I think that’s their Aunt Tillie.”
“Is she going to do something to Lila?” Landon asked.
“Probably.”
“So Aunt Tillie didn’t have a problem battling it out with a fourteen-year-old girl to protect her family,” Landon mused. “That’s one of the things I like best about her.”
“Me, too,” I admitted.
“You need to shut your mouth, Thistle Whistle,” Lila said. “No one is talking to you.”
“You have got to come up with better names for us,” Thistle said. “Your nicknames are bleeding tragic, just like your stupid nose.”
“You shut up!” Lila’s hands landed on her narrow hips. “My mother says I’m going to grow into my nose.”
“Your mother hasn’t grown into her nose, so how long are you expected to wait?” Thistle asked. “If I were you, I’d put a bag over my head and hide in a hole until graduation. That’s where you belong … with all the other snakes.”
“Yeah, in a hole,” Clove said.
Landon chuckled. “I’m guessing Clove wasn’t the one you wanted on your side during an insult competition, huh?”
“No,” I replied. “She was too sweet.”
“And what about you?” Landon asked, focusing on Bay. “You look as if you want to crawl into a hole of your own.”
“Lila always made me feel that way.”
“Well, Lila is in ja
il awaiting trial, and you have me,” Landon pointed out. “I think you won.”
“Because I have you?”
“Yup,” Landon said, kissing my cheek. “Truthfully, Bay, this isn’t so bad. She’s a terrible kid, but I think this is normal teasing.”
“Wait for it.”
“I’m going to tell my mother if you don’t leave me alone,” Lila threatened. “She’ll go to the principal and have you guys kicked out of school. She said if you were mean to me one more time … .”
“Oh, stuff it,” Thistle said.
Aunt Tillie stayed behind a parked car, listening to the exchange but otherwise remaining still. I couldn’t help but wonder why she was waiting.
Lila narrowed her eyes as she decided whether she wanted to keep lobbing insults at Thistle. Ultimately she turned her attention to Bay. “So, Bay, I heard you were caught talking to yourself in the cemetery the other day. The principal called your mother in. The secretary told my mother that they’re demanding you talk to a psychiatrist because you’re troubled. How come you’re such a loser?”
Landon frowned. “She is an evil little twit.”
“Leave me alone, Lila,” Bay said, dumping her half-eaten ice cream cone in the garbage.
“What are you doing?” Clove asked. “You’ve been whining about ice cream all day.”
“I lost my appetite,” Bay said. “Let’s go home. Mom said Aunt Tillie is going to let us help her in the basement. You know what that means.”
“Wine,” Clove said. “That’s always fun.”
“Oh, well, great,” Landon grumbled. “Little you is going off to do something illegal. I’m thrilled I got to see this.”
Clove and Bay moved to leave but Thistle remained seated on the bench. She didn’t look happy.
“Where are you running off to, Bay?” Lila asked. “Are you going to go home and cry to your mom and dad? Wait, you only have a mom. Your dad didn’t want to hang around because he knew you were a loser too.”
Bay lowered her eyes and stared at her feet. “Come on, Thistle.”
“Okay, I officially hate little Lila,” Landon said. “I hated her before, but … .”
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