Heart of the Witch (Witches of Keating Hollow Book 2)

by Deanna Chase

  Noel stared at him for a moment. Then tears filled her eyes and fell silently down her cheeks.

  “Noel, I—don’t cry.” Hell, what had he done? He reached up and gently wiped the tears away, unsure what else to say.

  “I’m sorry, too,” she finally said, blinking back the tears. “I know you were just doing your job. That you were just protecting us. It was a stressful day. Daisy… well, you know she’s had anxiety issues since her dad left the first time. I had no idea how all that would affect her.”

  “You don’t need to apologize to me, Noel,” he said gently. “How is Daisy doing with all of this?”

  She let out a small bark of laughter. “Surprisingly, better than the rest of us. She’s thrilled he came back and seems to be taking it all in stride. We saw him yesterday in Eureka. I’m pretty sure he’s going to stick around Keating Hollow, assuming everything works out with his legal issues.”

  “What does that mean for you guys?” Drew asked cautiously. His heart was in his throat. If she’d decided she needed to try to repair her family, that was it for him. He’d be the odd man out, and rightly so. Family was too important. He wouldn’t try to change her mind.

  She shrugged. “I guess it means custody agreements and visitation schedules. I want Daisy to have a relationship with her dad.”

  A small kernel of hope blossomed in his chest. “And you? Do you want a relationship with him?”

  She gave him a gentle smile and pressed a soft hand to his stubbled cheek. “Only one that revolves around Daisy. I want to be a responsible co-parent, but as far as anything else between me and Xavier… it’s not in the cards. My heart belongs to another.”

  “But it used to belong to him,” Drew said, wanting to get it all out on the table. “And the three of you were a family. It’s not too late to repair that.”

  She dropped her hand and narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you trying to tell me you want out of this relationship we’ve started, Drew? Because if you are, just be clear about it.”

  It was his turn to laugh. But there was no humor in it. “Not at all, Noel. I’m so far in with you, you’re the only thing I’ve thought about since I saw you last. I’ve been in such a bad mood that Clarissa threatened to lock me in the jail cell until I figure out how to be civil. I just want to put all the cards out on the table. If you think you might want to try again with Xavier, then I need to know now, because I won’t—can’t—stand in the way of that. But please, tell me now and let me get on with grieving what we could’ve had. It would be easier on all of us.”

  Noel got to her feet and started to pace, seeming to consider what he’d just said.

  Drew leaned forward and clasped his hands together, waiting for her to speak and end his torture.

  Finally, she stopped, placed her hands on her hips, and said, “You’re something else, you know that?”

  There wasn’t any heat in her tone, but still, he didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bag thing. He just shrugged.

  “Drew,” she said, crouching down in front of him. “There are a few things that I need to clear up.” She placed her hands over his. “You know my mom left us when I was ten years old, right? Just up and left us and never came back.”

  “Yeah. I knew that,” he said, nodding.

  “You also know how much that betrayal affected me, right?”

  “Sure.”

  Noel shifted and took a seat next to him. “Now imagine how I’d feel when my husband, who also knew that information and knew how deeply it hurt me, up and did the exact same thing. Just left. No note. No explanation. No goodbye. Add in the fact that I had to watch my young daughter, who loved him with all her heart, suffer the consequences. Do you think I’d be able to forgive him, no matter what his reasons were?”

  “He was trying to protect you. You know that, right?” Drew asked, wondering why he was defending the man. He supposed he just needed to know that she was completely sure she was done with him.

  “I’m not a fragile piece of glass, Drew. He could’ve—no should’ve—told me about his past. Even if leaving was the best option, I deserved to know why.”

  She has a very good point, he thought. “So, no forgiveness, then?”

  “Oh, I can forgive him. I just can’t be with someone who doesn’t see me as an equal partner and who isn’t honest about who and what they are. I understand why he did what he did, but I can’t go back. What happened can’t be changed. And I’ve moved on. I’m all-in with the deputy sheriff, unless this is all too much for him. If it is, he needs to let me know.”

  The dread that Drew had been carrying around with him for the last three days vanished as a slow smile claimed his lips. He raised one hand, cupping her neck, and said, “It’s definitely not too much for him.”

  “Good,” she said. “Now kiss me.”

  Chapter 27

  Noel stood to the left of the wedding arbor, waiting for her sister to make her way down the aisle. It was New Year’s Eve, and most of the residents of Keating Hollow had gathered at Lin’s orchard to witness the nuptials of Clay and Abby.

  The Townsend sisters had outdone themselves getting the orchard ready for the festivities. Yvette had created hundreds of floating candles that made the space glow in soft light. Faith, being a water witch, had created a half-dozen moving portraits of Abby, Clay, and Olive, all made out of water and depicting their happy life together. Noel’s gift was more practical. Being that is was December, she’d created a giant bubble of protection to keep the wind from ruining the outdoor event. It wasn’t flashy, but it was priceless, considering they’d rejected the idea of an indoor wedding. Abby and Clay were both earth witches, and they very much wanted to commit to each other in the outdoors, with nature surrounding them.

  Everything else was simple and beautiful. Rose, lavender, and thyme bundles adorned the arbor, while clear twinkle lights lit up the nearby orchard. Noel glanced past Clay, who was waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle, and she made eye contact with Drew. He was watching her with awe in his handsome face. She smiled at him and blew him a kiss. The last few weeks had been nothing short of magical.

  Xavier had promised to cooperate with the authorities and had moved to Keating Hollow. He’d gotten his own place and started spending a lot of time with Daisy. The two were like peas in a pod, falling into an easy rapport with each other as if no time had passed. She hadn’t had one nightmare since Xavier’s return. Noel still had her daughter seeing a therapist occasionally, just to be on the safe side, but even the therapist was making noise about stopping the appointments unless something came up.

  On the nights that Daisy spent with Xavier, Noel spent hers with Drew. And as a bonus, Noel felt better than ever. Her energy levels were up, and she knew it was because of Drew. The man just made her happy. She suspected it was only a matter of time until she and Drew were the ones planning a wedding, but they had to give Daisy time to adjust.

  Noel was still making goo-goo eyes at Drew when she heard Bruno Mars singing “Marry You.” She glanced up and laughed when she spotted Wanda chauffeuring Abby in her golf cart to the end of the aisle. Wanda pulled the vehicle to a stop and killed the music.

  The real wedding song, “Lucky” by Jason Mraz, started to play. Olive and Daisy hopped out of the cart with flower baskets in hand, and together the pair tossed rose petals as they skipped down the aisle. It was the most adorable thing Noel had ever seen.

  Then everything seemed to stop, and all eyes were on Abby. She stood with their dad, bright and glowing with love, her eyes never leaving Clay’s.

  Noel’s heart swelled, and she thought it would burst right then and there. Her sister deserved this happiness, and Clay and Olive did, too. Noel clutched her bouquet as silent tears streamed down her cheeks while she watched her sister, her best friend, marry the man of her dreams.

  “Come sit with us,” Drew said, pulling Noel away from one of Clay’s second cousins. He’d apparently taken a liking to her and wouldn’t take no for
an answer.

  “Got to go. Remember the boyfriend I was talking about?” Noel said to the inebriated man. “This is him.”

  Boon, Clay’s cousin from Nevada, swept his gaze over Drew and said, “I can take him.”

  Drew laughed. “I’d like to see you try, man.”

  “Lay off, Boon,” Clay said, coming up from behind them. “That’s my best man and his girl. He’s also the town lawman, so watch it.”

  Boon grumbled something about needing to find another bridesmaid to hook up with and wandered off.

  “Good luck with that,” Noel said, laughing. The other two bridesmaids were Yvette, who was entirely too uptight for a one-night-stand, and Faith, who was entirely too sweet for one.

  “He’ll likely pass out at the table before he gets another word out,” Drew said, watching the guy stumble away.

  Noel nodded. He was a fair mess.

  “Come on,” Drew said. “Daisy here has something to ask you.”

  Noel glanced down at her daughter. “You do? What’s that?”

  “This way, Mommy.” Daisy took her by the hand and led her to a table in the far corner where it was a little bit quieter. Daisy pointed to a chair with a small box sitting in the middle of a cake plate. “You sit here.”

  Noel gave her a questioning look but did as she said.

  “Drew, you here,” she pointed to the chair next to Noel. Once he sat, she climbed up into his lap. His arm went around her waist, steadying her, and the action seemed so natural, it was as if they’d been sitting together like that their whole lives.

  Tears stung the backs of Noel’s eyes as she gazed at the two people she loved most.

  “Go ahead,” Drew whispered into Daisy’s ear. “Ask her.”

  Daisy gave her mother a shy smile before turning away. “You ask her,” she told Drew.

  “Oh no, you don’t,” he said with a laugh. “You’re the one who started this. Go on. Ask her.”

  Noel frowned, looking between them and the box. “What’s going on?”

  “Mommy,” Daisy said, “didn’t Aunt Abby look beautiful?”

  “She sure did, baby. Did you tell her that?”

  “Not yet,” Daisy said.

  “Make sure you do before we leave tonight, okay?”

  Daisy nodded, paused, took a deep breath, and asked, “When will you and Drew get married?”

  “What?” Noel jerked back, stunned. Then she narrowed her eyes at Drew and asked, “Did you put her up to this?”

  “Oh, no.” He raised one hand as if swearing an oath. “She asked me the same thing twenty minutes ago.”

  “And what did you say?” she demanded, both intensely curious and mildly horrified she was being put on the spot by Drew and her six-year-old.

  “I said just as soon as you were ready.” He gave her a self-satisfied smile, and if he hadn’t been holding her daughter, she might’ve seriously considered gut-punching him. Or kissing him. She wasn’t sure which.

  She turned her attention to her daughter, determined to understand where this question was coming from. Was it just because they were at Abby’s wedding, or was this coming from someone else? Someone like Abby, who seemed to think that since she and Clay had tied the knot that everyone should be doing it. “Why do you want me to marry Drew?”

  Daisy gave her mom a bright smile. “You’d look really pretty in a wedding dress.”

  Noel chuckled. “Okay, maybe if it was the right wedding dress. But that’s not a good enough reason to get married.”

  Daisy glanced over at Olive, who was sitting between Abby and Clay at another table. She was holding both their hands and beaming like she’d won the lottery, and Noel began to understand.

  “Do you want what Olive has, sweetheart?”

  Daisy shook her head, and in a very small voice, she said, “Olive has two mommies. I want two daddies.” She glanced back at Drew. “But only if my second daddy is Drew.”

  Drew’s eyes got misty as he hugged Daisy to his chest and whispered, “Sweet girl, nothing would make me happier.”

  Noel’s heart melted right there at that table in her dad’s orchard. What was she going to do with that? She met Drew’s eyes and realized through her blurred vision that both of them were crying. She sniffed and started to laugh. “Looks like we both got gut-punched by a six-year-old.”

  “Huh?” Daisy asked, confused.

  “Never mind, baby,” Noel said, reaching for her daughter. “Don’t you worry. When the time is right, I’m sure Drew and I will get married. Until then, let’s not rush anything. Okay?”

  Daisy frowned and stared at the box in front of them. Then she glanced back at her mom and said, “When you do, can we drive in on the golf cart? That was fun!”

  “Anything you want, you little troublemaker. Now go on and dance with your cousin.” She pointed to where Olive was wiggling around on the temporary dancefloor. “Drew and I will be out there in a second.”

  Daisy’s eyes lit up when she spotted Olive, and a second later, she was shaking her hips and waving her arms in time with her new cousin.

  Noel turned to Drew with one eyebrow raised. “You helped with that little ambush.”

  “You’re right. I did. And I’m not even sorry,” he said, grinning at her.

  She shook her head. “You’re trouble. You know that?”

  He reached out and grabbed the box they’d been tactfully ignoring. “I think it’s time you opened this.”

  She glanced down, then back to him, her mouth suddenly dry. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “You’ll have to open it to find out.”

  “Drew—”

  “Just open it,” he insisted.

  Shaking her head, she pulled the top off the white box. Inside, she found a sapphire ring on a silver chain.

  “It’s the promise ring my dad gave my mother just one month after they started dating,” Drew said, taking it from her and fastening it around her neck. “They’ve been married for forty years this spring.”

  Noel reached up and fingered the ring. “Are you sure you didn’t put Daisy up to that conversation?”

  He laughed and shook his head. “Never in a million years would I think to coach her into that. I had already planned on giving this to you tonight.” He sat back down, facing her. “I want you to know that I fully intend on marrying you when you’re ready… when Daisy’s ready, and not just when she’s excited about weddings. This is my promise that I’m never letting either of you go again.”

  Those damn tears were back again, and this time, Noel couldn’t stop them.

  “I love you, Noel Townsend. One day, I’m going to stand up there at that alter and make you my wife.”

  “I love you, too Andrew Baker,” she said. “Just don’t make me wait too long.”

  “Count on it.” Drew leaned in, brushing his lips over hers. “How’s Valentine’s Day?”

  She giggled. “You’ll probably have to run it by Daisy.”

  He glanced over at the little girl who was busy eating yet another piece of wedding cake. “I’m pretty sure as long as it involves chocolate and a pretty dress, she’s going to be a solid yes.”

  “You’re probably right,” Noel said, grinning as she stood up and held her hand out to him. “You know what they say, like mother like daughter.”

  He gave her a curious look.

  She laughed and tugged him out of his chair. “It’s time for cake.”

  Chapter 28

  Yvette Townsend grabbed a glass of champagne and made her way to an empty table. Clay and Abby had just run off to spend their first night together as a married couple. And now she was hanging out while the rest of their guests celebrated New Year’s Eve.

  The evening had almost been too much for her. She’d smiled until she was sure her face was going to crack. Just weeks ago, she’d been looking forward to this wedding celebration. She loved weddings… or used to, until her own marriage blew up because of an accountant named Jake.

  Now she
was doing her damnedest to not rain on her sister’s parade. She was thrilled for Abby, but her own heart was still bruised.

  “Yvette?” a familiar male voice said from behind her.

  She closed her eyes and tried to pretend she hadn’t heard her soon-to-be ex-husband or the regret in his tone. Why had he come? Abby and Clay had asked her if they should send him an invitation. In a moment of weakness, she’d said yes. She didn’t want him to be ostracized because he’d been too scared to face who he really was for the last twenty years. But now that he was here, all she wanted to do was scream at him. Or punch him. Maybe both. She wasn’t mad that he was gay. She was hurt because he’d been her best friend and he’d left her.

  “Vette?” he repeated apprehensively.

  Not wanting to cause a scene, she turned around and faced him. Damn, he was handsome. Had he lost weight? And was that a new suit? And his freakin’ skin even glowed. Isaac looked better than ever, and Yvette knew she looked like she could use a week at the spa. “Hello, Isaac. It was nice of you to come.”

  “You’re not upset that I’m here?” he asked, taking a seat next to her.

  Yes. “No. Of course not. Clay is your friend and Abby is still your sister in law. You should be here.”

  He placed his hand over hers, and she had to fight to not yank hers away. “Thank you for being so understanding.”

  Understanding. Right. She shrugged. “That’s me. The understanding ex who was the last to know.”

  He frowned, his dark eyes troubled. “You know that’s not how it happened.”

  Crap. Son of a… She needed to stop this conversation now. Reliving the details of their breakup wasn’t how she was going to spend the rest of her New Year’s Eve. “Let’s just forget it, okay, Isaac?” She raised her champagne glass in a toast. “We’re here to celebrate Abby and Clay.”

  He clinked his glass against hers and gave her a grateful smile. After downing the rest of his drink, he got up and held out a hand. “Dance with me? For old time’s sake?”