Witching For Hope: Premonition Pointe, Book 2

by Chase, Deanna

  “Hello, Hope. It’s nice to see you again,” Troy said, holding his hand out. “Skyler can’t stop talking about the dog wedding you two are planning. It sounds pretty crazy to me, but that’s Sky for you.”

  Hope smiled at the attractive man, taking in his kind blue eyes and easy smile. “It’s one of my more unusual requests, but also one of the most fun. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  Yasmeen snorted, and when all three of them looked at her, she averted her gaze and said, “Peggy Pitsman is the town’s newest up-and-coming event coordinator. If you need to plan an event, she’s who I’d call.”

  So much for winning Yasmeen over, Hope thought.

  What a bitch, Troy thought, almost making Hope laugh out loud.

  Never in a million years would I book Peggy Pitsman to do anything for me,” the mayor thought. Not even pick up the dog droppings from our yard. That woman is a menace with all her lies and gossip.

  Hope did chuckle to herself then. It was good to know that at least some people in town weren’t taking Peggy’s words seriously.

  “What’s so funny, Hope?” Yasmeen demanded. “You do know Peggy’s daughter is in the hospital, right?”

  “Yes,” Hope said, her expression suddenly somber. “It’s really terrible. What’s that, the fourth overdose this month, Mayor?”

  Iris let out a heavy sigh. “It is. I’ve got a couple deputies working on tracking down leads on where this stuff is coming from, but so far, there’s not much to go on. Have any of you heard any rumors we should look into?”

  “Nope,” Yasmeen said, shaking her head. “The only rumor I heard was the one about Hope trading sexual favors for work.”

  “Yasmeen!” the mayor admonished. “I already told you that is a vicious lie. Stop being catty.”

  Hope’s eyebrows shot up. She’d never heard the mayor speak to anyone like that, much less a new business owner who’d just opened up shop.

  “Sorry.” Yasmeen held her hands up. “I thought we’d all heard that one. I didn’t say it was true.”

  The mayor gritted her teeth, and Hope loved her for it. It was nice to have someone on her side for a change. Iris stared at Yasmeen for a long moment and then said, “Try to refrain from being offensive, Yasmeen. It’s not a very attractive quality.”

  The bell chimed again, and the mayor’s husband walked in. He was a shorter man with a thick head of blond hair and a wide smile. “Oh, hello, Iris. Hope. And you, sir, I’m not sure we’ve met.” He held his hand out to Troy, who introduced himself. Then he glanced nervously at Yasmeen. “Hello again.”

  “Hello, Tom. You’re looking good today,” she said, giving him a coy smile.

  Hope stared at them and frowned. Had Yasmeen really just flirted with the mayor’s husband right in front of his wife?

  “Looks like you’re having a meeting,” Tom said to his wife. “What’s going on?”

  “We’re brainstorming ideas for new businesses,” she said, looking impatient.

  “I know some people,” Troy said. “I’ve got a lot of contacts up and down the coasts in both Southern California and back East. They might be interested in adding another shop here, especially if there’s major support from the town.”

  “Oh, if we’re talking about people from out of town, I have a ton of friends already interested,” Yasmeen said. “They’ve been in the art industry for decades. Poppy Tims, Butch Manroe, Annie Deckman. They all have very successful shops.”

  “What kind of art do they sell?” Iris asked her.

  “Oh… um…” She tapped her finger on her chin. “One is into photography, original paintings, that kind of stuff. Butch is all about metal art, both high-end jewelry and wall art. That kind of stuff.”

  “Huh. That’s strange,” Troy said.

  “Why?” the mayor asked.

  He shrugged. “It’s just that I know most of the major art galleries down south, and I’ve never heard of those people.”

  “Surely you don’t know everyone,” Yasmeen snapped.

  “There’s no doubt about that. But the art scene is a pretty tightknit circle. I just found that unusual is all.” Troy took a step back and shoved his hands in his pockets. “I think I’ll take a look around at the art for a minute.” He turned to Iris. “Let me know if you want a list of potential contacts.”

  “I will. Thank you, Troy.”

  “Anytime.” He nodded to Hope. “Good to see you again.”

  “Thanks, you too.” Hope watched as he took a cursory tour around the store and then disappeared back out into the overcast day.

  Tom eyed him and the shop and then turned to Yasmeen. “You know, if you need any lumber for new displays, let me know. I’ll make you a great deal. I’ve even got a guy who can build them for you.”

  “That’s kind of you,” Yasmeen said and glared at Hope. “The last guy I asked wanted my first born. He had a really bad attitude, too, like he was above helping a fellow business.”

  Hope turned and rolled her eyes and dropped back to take a look at a shelf of handblown ornaments. She assumed Yasmeen was talking about Lucas. He’d told her about someone who wanted custom shelves but wanted them rushed and at half price. If that was the case, Hope was glad Yasmeen canceled. She didn’t need that kind of customer. Keeping an eye on the trio, Hope moved to pretend she was interested in the glassware. While none of their thoughts were coming through, there was a ton of obvious tension between them. And if there was gossip to be had about Yasmeen and the mayor, or the mayor’s husband, then Hope was more than willing to eavesdrop the old-fashioned way.

  “Don’t worry, Yas,” Tom said, sliding a hand down her arm as if to soothe her ruffled feathers. “He was probably just intimidated by all that natural beauty.”

  “Tom! Seriously?” Iris threw her hands up and stormed out of the store.

  “Dammit,” Tom mumbled. “I need to go.”

  Yasmeen reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Wait. She’s just being dramatic. Besides, we both know she won’t be a problem much longer. Just give it time.” She smiled up at him. “Trust me.”

  He started to lean closer to her but then pulled his hand away. “I need to go. Try to behave for once.”

  Yasmeen snickered and then disappeared into the back of her store.

  Hope was fairly certain they’d forgotten all about her and that Yasmeen was having an affair with the mayor’s husband.

  Of course she was. The people who yelled the loudest about morality always seemed to be the ones committing the worst sins.

  Hope quickly exited the store and spotted Iris and Tom standing under an awning having an argument.

  “Don’t ever do that to me again!” Iris insisted. “You humiliated me in there.”

  “I was just being friendly,” Tom countered. “You remember friendly, right? It’s how civilized people behave.”

  “Oh, you want to talk about civilized? Let me tell you what civilized is. It means supporting your wife instead of trying to exploit every single business connection I have for your own gain. It’s unethical for you to use my office, my title, and the trust I’ve gained from this community just to add more accounts to your roster.”

  Hope frowned. Tom owned a lumber business. Why was Iris so upset about him working with Lucas? The man needed a supplier.

  “I didn’t use your connections! How is Lucas King one of your connections?” he demanded. His cheeks were so red he looked like she’d just slapped him.

  “Because he came to me for help with zoning, and now it looks like I did him favors just so you could get his business. What the hell, Tom? You know how this all works. We need to be so far above board that we don’t even need a life vest. Don’t you see that?”

  He glanced at the shop and spotted Hope lurking there. She stared at her phone, trying to pretend she was waiting for an Uber.

  Finally, he turned his attention back to the mayor. “I’ll do what I want. That’s what you do.” Then he strode away, leaving the mayor shaking with a
nger.

  Hope wanted to go to her to offer comfort, but she took off too quickly, and Hope suspected she was the type of woman who burned off her frustrations by working, not by gossiping with girlfriends. But she’d run the idea by Grace, Joy, and Gigi and see if they were open to inviting Iris to a coven meeting if the opportunity arose. She quite liked the mayor.

  “Oh. Em. Gee. Did you just witness all of that?” Skyler asked. He was holding Pete’s hand as they walked down the sidewalk toward Hope, and they had takeout bags from Abalone. “Talk about entertainment. Do you know what they were arguing about?”

  “Sky,” Pete said with a chuckle as he shook his head.

  “Oh, come on, Petey. Hope had a front row seat to the show. She needs to spill because she’s my new bestie.”

  Hope laughed. “Well, if you must know, I personally witnessed her husband flirting with Yasmeen. When Iris stalked off, Yasmeen told her husband to not worry so much because Iris wouldn’t be a problem much longer. I think they are having an affair.”

  “That is scandalous,” Skyler said, putting one hand over his chest as he craned his neck to the side.

  “An affair?” Pete asked, frowning. “I don’t think that’s it. Or at least not all of it. They could be messing around, but if they are, I’d rather not think about it.” He shuddered as if he’d be scarred just thinking about them together.

  “Then what else could it be?” Hope asked.

  Pete pursed his lips and cast a glance at the store behind them. “It’s because she just filed today to run against the mayor in the next election.”

  Both Hope and Skyler let out a loud gasp and then said, “Nooooo.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Hope was exhausted by the time she walked into her house. After the scene at Yasmeen’s glass shop, she’d gotten a call from Troy. He was planning to throw a dinner party for some of his artist friends who were coming to town in a few weeks and asked for her help. She’d been glad to get her mind off the scene back at Yasmeen’s shop. Who knew a small town could be full of so much drama? Wasn’t there already enough going on without the added bonus of Yasmeen trying to run for mayor? Hope feared that if she managed to get enough of her gossiping friends to vote for her, the town was doomed.

  The house was dark and entirely too quiet. Her mother’s car was out front, but there was no sign of her in the house. “Mom?” Hope called, dropping the mail on a side table.

  “I’m here,” her mother called from down the hallway. A light flipped on, and Angela appeared wearing yoga pants and a wrinkled sweatshirt. Her dark hair was a mess, and there was a pillow wrinkle creased on her face.

  “Did you have a nice nap?” Hope asked, suddenly intensely jealous. How nice it would’ve been to sleep the afternoon away.

  She nodded and wiped the sleep out of her eyes. “I was starting to get a migraine. The nap helped.”

  Hope grimaced. “I’m sorry. Has it gone away, or do you need some medication?” Her mother had suffered from migraines off and on when Hope was a kid, but they’d gotten much worse during the last year before she’d taken off and left Hope on her own. “Is it worsened by all the telepathy?”

  “These days, yes. When I get overloaded with other people’s thoughts, it takes a toll.” She ran a hand down her face and yawned. “I passed out.”

  Hope took a seat in her oversized chair and studied her mother. “Where were you that you got overwhelmed?”

  “Pointe of View Café. I was listening in on a conversation between two college-age guys. They were delivery drivers who were talking about their jobs, but one of them was thinking about some extra packages he delivers on the side. How he didn’t want to do it anymore after all the overdoses, but that she would kill him if he tried to quit.”

  Holy shit. Hope leaned forward, suddenly very interested in what her mother had to say. All week her mom had been spending some time listening in on people, but there hadn’t been anything of interest. Now it appeared she’d stumbled on a jackpot and run into a guy who was transporting ashe. “She would kill him? The person we’re looking for is a she?”

  “That’s what it sounded like to me,” she said with a nod. “He thought about the time he smoked some and was frightened about how he couldn’t really remember anything. Right about that time, I got up and went over to them, intending to get a name. I pretended I thought he was the son of a family friend and called him Hal when I said hello. But the little bastard thought it was funny and just went with it.”

  “Funny guy,” Hope said dryly. “His friend didn’t think about his name or anything, did he?”

  “Nope. He did call him E, so that’s something to go on I guess, but it’s really frustrating that I don’t seem to be getting anywhere on this.”

  “Mom,” Hope said, getting up and moving to sit with her. “You’ve been fantastic. Now I know I’m looking for a woman, and if a delivery driver who goes by E or has a name that starts with E shows up, we’ll know to check him out.” She threw her arms around Angela and gave her a hug. “I’m sorry listening in on people’s thoughts has been so hard on you. Want me to make some dinner? Or tea or something?”

  Angela shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m actually going to go out for a walk and get some fresh air on the beach. I could use some space from people.”

  Hope knew that meant she just wanted to quiet her mind, and even though Hope was the only other person in the house, it wasn’t as if her mom could turn off her ability to hear her thoughts.

  “That’s right, bunny. I’m craving some peace.” Angela kissed her on the cheek and rose from the couch, disappearing down the hall. A few minutes later, while Hope was in the kitchen warming some leftover pasta, she heard the front door open and then shut.

  She’d just sat down at her table when the door opened and closed again. Footsteps sounded on the hardwood floors, making Hope frown. “Did you forget something?”

  “Nope,” Lucas said from the kitchen doorway. “I remember everything.”

  Hope turned and smiled at him as her heart sped up. Damn, she’d missed him, and it had only been forty-eight hours since she’d last seen him. “You’re a sight for sore eyes. I didn’t know you were coming by tonight.”

  Lucas crossed the kitchen and wrapped her in his arms. Without a word, he covered her mouth with his and kissed her slowly, taking his time to explore her lips, tongue, mouth. By the time he pulled back, she was breathless and leaning into him, wanting more.

  “I went by your house to see you yesterday,” Hope said.

  “I know. My mom really enjoyed the visit.” He brushed a lock of her dark hair behind her ear.

  “She said you were working.”

  “Yeah. I was doing a job estimate. I’m sorry I missed you.” He cupped his hand around the back of her neck and pulled her in for another kiss, this time gently tugging on her bottom lip, making her entire body tingle.

  Hope closed her eyes and let out a tiny moan. Damn, it felt good to be in his arms again.

  “I want you, Hope,” he said huskily, moving his mouth to her neck and trailing kisses down to her shoulder.

  “That’s—ah!” He’d chosen that moment to sink his teeth into flesh, making it sting slightly. “That’s not fair,” she breathed. “You know that always gets me going.”

  “No one said I was going to be fair.” He brought his hands to her sides and started to tug at her shirt.

  She chuckled. “This is going to sound silly, since I’m a grown-ass woman, but my mom could come home at any time.”

  He immediately lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “No she won’t. On my way in, she told me she’d be scarce and to get in here and show you just how much I want you.”

  Hope narrowed her eyes at him. “She did not say that.”

  “Oh, she did. In fact, she told me that she was going to go check into a hotel so that we’d have our privacy.” He took the opportunity to tug her closer to him so that she was pressed against his fit body.

 
“You’re messing with me, right?” She grinned up at him, loving their exchange. It was light and playful, just like it had been before. She’d always loved making love with him. Their nights had been full of laughter, and sex with him was just fun.

  He chuckled. “I know it sounds like it, but she really did say that. I’m pretty sure it’s because all I’ve been thinking about since I kissed you last is how much I want to trail my tongue over every inch of your skin.”

  Hope groaned. “She read your thoughts, ordered you to pleasure me, and then decided to get a hotel room? This is very surreal.”

  “It is, but I’m not complaining. I just want you.” He ran a light thumb over her lips.

  As much as she wanted to drag him off to her bedroom right at that moment, she still had things to say and didn’t want to do it in a post-sex haze. Hope took a step back and cleared her throat. “I think it’s obvious I want this as much as you do, but we need to talk first.”

  Lucas dropped his hand and stiffened. “That sounds ominous.”

  Hope chuckled softly. “It’s not. At least I don’t think it is.” She took him by the hand and led him into the living room. After gently pushing him down into the oversized chair, she climbed onto his lap, letting her legs drape over one of the arms.

  “This could be worse.” He wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled her neck.

  Hope twined her fingers in his and said, “I owe you an apology.”

  Lucas stopped kissing her jawline and pulled back to look at her. “For what?”

  “For blaming everything on you when you left fifteen years ago.”

  His eyes narrowed slightly and searched hers. “But I was the one who left after we decided to try to build something here.”

  “I know. But what I like to conveniently forget is that you asked me repeatedly to go with you and I refused. Honestly, Lucas, I didn’t even consider it.” She felt her cheeks heat, and she had to avert her gaze just to regain her composure. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to sit on his lap while talking. She’d wanted them to be close, physically connected when she declared her love for him. But admitting her own faults while being unable to retreat was harder than she expected.