Witchin' USA

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I’ve decided to hide in bed all day,” I said. “I figure if no one sees me there won’t be an attempt on my life for an entire twenty-four hours.”

  “That’s a reasonable assumption.”

  “So that’s what I’ll do.”

  “No.” Galen was so sure of himself I wanted to punch him all over again. “I need you to go through everything on the third floor to see if May hid anything of note up there.”

  That didn’t sound terrible, but I was in no mood to do what Galen wanted, given his actions over the past nine hours. “Why should I do that?”

  “Because I told you to.”

  “Try again.”

  “Because I asked you to?” Galen looked hopeful. He was cute enough I almost gave in. Almost.

  “Try again.”

  “Because I’m willing to let go of the fact that you erroneously thought I would have sex with an unconscious woman?”

  I extended my finger in his direction. “Sold.”

  Galen chuckled. “You’re very funny, especially when you’re crabby before your morning dose of caffeine. I’m going to try to get someone over here to work with you because I’m nervous about leaving you alone. But for the start of the day you need to be careful and lock all your doors.”

  “I’d planned to do that.”

  “Good.”

  We lapsed into amiable silence for a moment, something niggling at the back of my brain and forcing me to ask a question that I’d managed to bury for most of the night. “How well do you know Wesley Durham?”

  “Well enough to know that he’s pretty straight forward,” Galen replied. “He’s a cantankerous guy who says what’s on his mind. I wouldn’t want to spend an extended amount of time with him because he’s kind of bossy, but I would never worry about him stabbing me in the back.”

  That was kind of what I was getting at, yet … . “Sarah Santiago mentioned that she thought her brother was still working for Wesley. She thought it made sense for Wesley to want to lay claim to the lighthouse.”

  Galen turned on his side and faced me. “Are you asking if I think Wesley is the type to hire someone to murder you?”

  “I want to believe he’s not, because … because … .”

  “Because he’s your grandfather and you never got to know your grandmother,” Galen finished, his fingers finding a strand of my hair and idly playing with the ends. “I’m torn on this one.”

  “You’re torn because you think he’s dangerous?”

  “I’m torn because I don’t think he’d hurt you,” Galen clarified. “When I called him last night he seemed as worried as I was when I realized you should’ve already been home. He volunteered to go out and look for you.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s innocent,” I pointed out. “He could very easily have purposely kept me busy on his property for longer than I wanted, ensuring I had no choice but to drive home after dark. Maybe he even called someone to alert them when I would be on the highway so he or she could intercept me.”

  “All of that is possible.”

  I pressed the heel of my hand to my forehead. “I don’t know what to think. That makes me feel … guilty.”

  “Because he’s your grandfather?”

  I nodded.

  “Hadley, the thing is, you’re right.” Galen adopted a pragmatic tone. “He is your grandfather, and on paper it would seem that maybe you owe him the benefit of the doubt. In truth, you don’t owe the man anything.

  “He never went out of his way to see you,” he continued. “As much as I loved May – and I did love her – I don’t think she did enough to be part of your life either. You’re so thrown by this life that it’s almost painful to watch you at times. What they did wasn’t fair to you.”

  “We talked about that,” I admitted. “He said that they tried to see me several times, but my father shut them down.”

  “Then perhaps they should’ve tried harder.”

  “I think it’s because my father wasn’t magical.”

  “That’s not fair to you,” Galen argued. “You’re clearly magical. Even if you weren’t, you’re their granddaughter. They had one child and she had one child. You’re all they had left of your mother. I don’t think they treated you fairly.”

  “I think maybe you’re just saying that because you want to get naked together.” I offered up a rueful smile. “You even said you want to do it when you can claim I remember everything.”

  “I definitely want to do it,” Galen agreed, refusing to show any trace of shame. “I still think they treated you unfairly. We can’t go back in time and change that, though, so we can only go forward.

  “The thing is, I want to tell you to trust Wesley because I think you need it,” he continued. “You’re looking for a family tie that you can hold onto for a bit. He could give you that. From what Booker said, he seemed genuinely interested in you.”

  “You and Booker talk about me behind my back, huh?”

  “Booker and I have a unique relationship that is better left unexplained for the next little bit,” Galen replied. “As for Wesley, I’ve never known him to be anything less than honest. He’s a fiery guy who has gone after trespassers with a shotgun a time or two, but I’ve never looked at him and seen a killer.”

  “But?”

  “But we have a killer on this island,” Galen said. “Someone is killing older residents. Do you know much about serial killers?”

  “I know that they’re usually men who hunt in their own ethnic groups.”

  Galen arched a surprised eyebrow. “How do you know that?”

  “Criminal Minds. Shemar Moore is all kinds of hot.”

  Galen’s smile slipped into a frown. “I’m way hotter than him.”

  “You keep telling yourself that.”

  Galen poked his finger into my stomach to get me to laugh. “I will keep telling myself that,” he said. “It’s the truth. I constantly tell myself the truth.”

  “Whatever.”

  “You’re right about serial killers hunting in their own ethnic groups,” Galen said, sobering. “We’ve never really had a normal serial killer on this island – if normal is a word you can use for that – but I’ve done a decent amount of research.

  “Serial killers tend to pick an age that means something to them,” he continued. “If some blonde did him wrong in high school, for example, he might go after blonde teenagers to get even.”

  “Like Ted Bundy going after girls who looked like a girlfriend who dumped him,” I offered.

  Galen nodded. “Exactly. You know more about this than I expected.”

  “I watch a lot of television.”

  “That makes me feel a bit worse, but okay.” He forced a smile. “Most serial killers go for younger women. They don’t go for older women.”

  “Maybe you’re missing something,” I suggested. “Maybe the age isn’t what is important.”

  Galen looked intrigued. “What do you mean?”

  “Maybe they have something else in common.”

  Galen hummed as he ran his finger up and down my arm, the movement so intimate – something I don’t think he realized – that it sent chills up my spine. “The only thing I can think of is that they were property owners.”

  “Isn’t everyone who lives on the island a property owner?”

  “Yes and no,” Galen hedged. “They’re all business owners, but property is a different thing altogether on this island. Property generally passes from family to family, like it did from May to you or to Wesley from his father. Property is at a premium here.”

  That was both interesting and confusing. “But there are so many businesses. Even if it’s not residential property, the people here own the businesses, so that’s property ownership.”

  “No, the downtown property is owned by the DDA, which controls leases and placement.”

  “What is it with this DDA? They sound like megalomaniacs.”

  Galen’s chuckle was warm. “They are simply interested in the
economic health of the island. They own the property and structures. The business owners rent the buildings from them.”

  “So they don’t own the property.”

  “No.”

  “But May, Bonnie and the other dead woman you mentioned did own their property,” I mused, my mind busy. “That seems like an important tie, don’t you think?”

  “It’s definitely worth pursuing.” Galen cupped the back of my head and forced my eyes to him, moving his face close and causing my breath to catch in my chest. “Promise me you’ll stick close to the lighthouse until I can get someone out here to hang with you this afternoon.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  Galen tightened his grip. “Promise me.”

  “Okay. I promise.”

  Galen stared into my eyes for a long time before releasing me and rolling back a bit. “I’m going to go into the office, but I’m hopeful I will be able to work from here this afternoon. I’m still going to see if I can get someone to come hang out with you.”

  “I’m going to lock myself in the lighthouse and go through everything on the third floor like you asked. And, yes, I promise I’ll be good.”

  “I trust you.” Galen’s eyes were clear. “That doesn’t mean I trust whoever is trying to hurt you. Just … be really careful. I will call you if I send over someone you don’t know.”

  “I would really rather you didn’t do that.”

  “You’ll have to live with it if I have no choice. Now … come here.” Galen wrapped his arm around my waist and tugged me so I was pressed against his chest. I considered fighting the effort, but ultimately rested my cheek against his beating heart and remained still. “We have exactly five minutes before we have to get up.”

  “And what do you want to do with that time?” I was both excited and terrified of his answer.

  “I’m doing it.”

  I almost melted. “Has anyone ever told you that you have enough charm to build an entire island all your own?”

  “No one as cute as you.”

  “Well … you do.”

  “I know.” Galen stroked the back of my head, the movement soothing. “Now, let’s talk about the fact that you thought I would have sex with you while you were passed out.”

  “You said you wouldn’t bring it up again,” I protested.

  “I said I would consider not bringing it up again. I’ve considered it … and then I discarded the notion. What kind of guy do you take me for?”

  “Oh, geez. I’m going to have to choke you to shut you up, aren’t I?”

  “Who told you I’m into that?”

  “Ugh. I knew I should’ve ignored what you said and stayed in bed all day,” I complained. “This day is already starting to suck.”

  26

  Twenty-Six

  “What are you doing here?”

  I was beyond annoyed when I found Lilac on the front porch after I’d finished breakfast. She had a bright smile on her face, a pair of short shorts that looked as if they were in danger of falling into a crevice and never returning showing off her toned legs, and a tiny bra top (complete with fringe) that revealed enough cleavage that I momentarily thought I might’ve stepped into an alternative world that only allowed strippers to inhabit the island.

  “I’m happy to see you, too,” Lilac said dryly, smirking as she pushed past me. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such a warm welcome in my entire life.”

  Part of me felt guilty. The other part – the bigger part – was certain I was about to be overwhelmed with agitation. “I’m sorry.”

  “Are you really?”

  “Not even a little,” I admitted. “I’m tired. It’s been a long two days.”

  “I heard all about your adventure last night,” Lilac said, taking me by surprise when she shut and locked the door, testing the handle a few times before pointing toward the stairs. “Why do you think I’m here?”

  I already knew the answer. “Galen.”

  “Yup.”

  “He said he would call if he sent anyone over,” I argued. “He didn’t call. I’ve had my phone with me all day. I think that’s against the rules.”

  “He said you would say that.” Lilac didn’t appear bothered by my tone. “He said to tell you to suck it up or he’ll explain how he can see in the dark so even though you thought he didn’t see you change your clothes last night … he did.”

  I tightened my jaw. “He told you that?”

  Lilac held her hands palms up and shrugged. “Men are pigs. What can I say?”

  “I’m going to kill him.”

  “That would be a shame given the fact that he’s openly flirting with you. Every woman on the island wants to claim him for herself.” Lilac headed toward the stairs. “I can’t remember the last time he showed this much interest in a woman.”

  “I suppose you think that makes me lucky,” I groused, frowning as I followed Lilac. “What are you doing?”

  “It definitely makes you lucky,” Lilac confirmed. “You’re too tense to realize that right now – and I get that – but it definitely makes you lucky.”

  “It doesn’t make me feel lucky.”

  “Have you seen him shirtless?”

  “Yes.”

  “Without his pants on?”

  “Yes.”

  “Without his boxers on?”

  Lilac was relentless, but I refused to meet her gaze. “Technically … um … yes.”

  “Then you’re definitely lucky.” Lilac’s grin widened. “And you need to give me every detail while we’re going through the stuff on the third floor.”

  “Ugh.” I covered my eyes with my hand. Lilac’s enthusiasm would prove contagious. I could already sense it. The last thing I wanted was to admit my attraction to Galen and then have it parroted back to me when Galen returned in time for dinner. “I’m guessing you still believe you’re incapable of keeping a secret, right?”

  “Pretty much,” Lilac confirmed, climbing the stairs. “I can promise to try to keep what you say to myself, but I think my record is eight hours if it’s a good secret. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

  “You could force yourself to keep a secret.”

  “What fun is that?”

  She had a point, but still … . “Let’s just see what we can find on the third floor, shall we? We’ll keep the gossip to a minimum.”

  “Oh, sure,” Lilac said dryly. “That sounds like a great way to spend a morning.”

  “SO WHEN DO you think you’re going to sleep with him?”

  Lilac promised to refrain from asking too many questions if I agreed to focus my full attention on searching the shelves and crates. She lasted five minutes before cracking.

  “I’ve already slept with him three times,” I pointed out. “Granted, I was extremely out of it for two of those times, but I remember the third very well. He snores … and drools.”

  “Honey, I’ve seen him at the beach,” Lilac said. “If snoring and drooling is the worst that you have to put up with, you’re coming out way ahead.”

  I wanted to argue the point, but I’d seen him without a shirt numerous times now and I couldn’t find a single thing to bolster a contrary position. Instead I turned my attention to the search. “Do you really think there’s something up here that’s worth killing me over?”

  “I don’t know,” Lilac replied, sitting on the floor next to one of the crates and sifting through its contents. “I knew May to say hello to her and even hang out at some of the music events on the beach. She was always friendly and fun, but she never struck me as the sort of person who was hiding expensive things.”

  The statement struck me as odd. “How exactly would one act if they were hiding expensive things?”

  “I don’t know.” Lilac’s shoulders hopped. “Perhaps they would carry around a shovel or something. Maybe wear an eye patch. Oh!” She jutted out her finger. “I bet that sort of person would walk with a limp.”

  “Why a limp?”

  “Because h
alf the demented people I’ve seen in horror movies have limps.”

  I really couldn’t argue with her logic. “I just wish I had an idea of what we were looking for,” I said, grabbing a huge book from the bottom of a shelf and flipping it open. I widened my eyes as I read the first page. “What’s a Book of Shadows?”

  Instead of answering right away, Lilac made a face. “Seriously? You’re like the worst witch ever. How can you not know what a Book of Shadows is?”

  “I must’ve missed that day at witch school.”

  Lilac snorted. “I know you meant that in a sarcastic way, but I’ll bet that your mind just flashed to Hogwarts, didn’t it?”

  Sadly, she was right. “They didn’t have a Book of Shadows at Hogwarts.”

  “They had wands. Real witches don’t have wands. Harry Potter was not realistic.”

  “And yet real witches are somehow realistic,” I grumbled, turning a page in the book. “Holy eye of newt! This is a book of spells.”

  “Of course it’s a book of spells.” Lilac made an exaggerated face. “What did you think you would find in there?”

  “I don’t know. I don’t know what to do about any of this. In some ways it’s been easier to pretend it’s not happening. I have plenty of other things to focus on, after all.”

  “Naked sheriffs?”

  “I was going to say a new grandfather I didn’t know existed.”

  “That’s a big deal, too,” Lilac conceded. “This is all going to settle eventually. Once it does, you’ll be able to think about the rest of it. You’ll be able to enjoy the anticipation of seeing Galen naked. You’ll be able to dabble with magic and have fun. You’ll be able to sit on the beach and have a drink and absorb the fun of a single day instead of fear the next morning.”

  “Oh, wow, that was almost poetic.”

  “Thank you.” Lilac beamed. “I wanted to be a poet when I was a kid.”

  “Really? I wanted to be an intergalactic space warrior.”

  “Princess Leia?”

  “You know it.”

  “Everyone wanted to be her.” Lilac shifted her eyes back to the crate. “A lot of this stuff looks interesting in an abstract way, but I have no idea what we’re looking for so I don’t know if it’s really interesting.”