“I did no such thing!”
“I was there. I witnessed it.”
“I was there, too,” Landon said. “She didn’t do anything of the sort. Stop attacking Bay because you’re upset. She’s not your enemy.”
“Oh, you always take her side.” I had never seen Clove this snide.
“I am taking her side,” Landon said. “She’s had a long day. She’s been worried about you. Why don’t you ask Sam whether he thinks Bay said he was the robber.”
“I’ve already told her that’s not what she said,” Sam said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “She won’t listen. She’s been all over the place all day. I’m not sure what to do. I was stunned when she came outside and told me we were coming to dinner here.”
“How did you even know about the dinner?” I asked. “We left a note for you at the guesthouse, but you haven’t been back all day. You’re not picking up your phone either.”
“I don’t live at the guesthouse anymore,” Clove said.
“Since when?”
“Since my family turned on me and cast me out.”
If I didn’t know better, I would think Clove had been into Aunt Tillie’s wine stash. “We cast you out?”
“I can’t even look at you,” Clove said, tilting her chin up and focusing on the chandelier in the middle of the lobby. “It hurts too much. You’re officially dead to me.”
Apparently I was dead to the better part of my family tonight.
“Oh, good grief,” Thistle said. “Have you been watching Gone With the Wind or something? You’re acting like a crazy person.”
“You’re crazy.”
“You’re the craziest.”
“All of you shut up right now.” We jerked our heads when Uncle Teddy, Thistle’s father, poked his head into the room. “We can hear you in the dining room.”
“Our voices do carry,” Thistle said, nonplussed. “I blame our mothers.”
“I blame your mothers, too,” Teddy said. “They’re obviously the ones who taught you that it’s okay to act this way in public.”
I shot him a dirty look. “Don’t you dare say anything bad about our mothers.”
Teddy was taken aback. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I just … everyone can hear you guys fighting.”
“Get used to it,” Landon said, tugging on my arm and heading toward the dining room. “It’s going to be a long dinner.”
“You’re done fighting, right?” Teddy asked.
“Of course,” Clove sniffed, slipping her hand in Sam’s. “We’re adults.”
Teddy focused on his daughter. “Right?”
“Oh, you’re cute,” Thistle said. “You know very well we’ve only begun to fight.”
“That’s what I was afraid of,” Teddy grumbled.
“SO does everyone know everyone?” Dad asked, glancing around the large table excitedly. Much like The Overlook, the Dragonfly was packed. Since the Dragonfly had been in operation for only a few weeks, this was a boon for their bottom line.
“I don’t think so,” one of the women at the middle of the table said.
“Okay, I’ll do the honors,” Uncle Warren said. He introduced everyone in turn, stopping long enough to give Clove’s shoulder a squeeze as he passed. Either he was oblivious to what was going on or he was trying to pretend we hadn’t been engaging in a screaming match five minutes earlier.
Once everyone was introduced, I spent the next five minutes trying to ignore the fact that Lila sat directly across the table from Landon and me. I’d forgotten she was staying here – or maybe I had just buried the information – but she seemed happy with the turn of events.
“I heard you guys arguing out there,” Lila said, sipping from her glass of wine. “Trouble in paradise?”
“No,” Landon said, sliding his arm around the back of my chair. “We’re still living in paradise.”
Dad frowned. “I didn’t realize you were in town this week, Landon. How can you get away with not going to work?”
Dad and Landon had made great strides in their relationship. They were still reliably testy with one another when the opportunity struck.
“I knew the town was having a big festival,” Landon said. “I worked sixteen hours a day earlier in the week so I could finish my case on time and spend the rest of the week with Bay.”
“Well, that’s nice,” Dad said.
“Then you guys had a bank robbery that resulted in a murder,” Landon said. “I’m working from here right now.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Dad said. “Do they have any leads?”
Landon kept his eyes trained on Dad, not offering even a hint that Sam had been questioned. “No.”
“Oh, that’s not true,” Lila said, giggling. “I heard you guys in the lobby. Clove’s boyfriend is a suspect. Isn’t that right, Clove?”
I scowled. “Leave her alone,” I hissed.
“Shut up, Bay,” Lila said. “No one is talking to you. How does it feel to date a bank robber, Clove?”
“He is not a bank robber,” Clove said.
“No, he’s not,” Landon agreed. “We have absolutely no evidence to suggest Sam is the robber. You should probably stop eavesdropping on conversations you’re not a part of, Ms. Stevens.”
“Lila.”
Landon ignored her. “We’re investigating the case. We don’t have any solid leads yet. Sam is not a suspect.”
Technically, Sam was a person of interest. I knew Landon was trying to ease the situation by denying he was a suspect, but it was still a minor lie.
“That’s not what you people were saying in the lobby,” Lila said.
“Drink your wine, Ms. Stevens,” Landon snapped.
“Does Hemlock Cove have a lot of robberies?” Eric Vaughn, a middle-aged man introduced by my uncle a few minutes earlier, interrupted.
“No,” Landon said. “I believe there has been only one other attempt in the past fifty years, and this was the only one with a real weapon.” He reached for a bottle of wine and poured some into his glass and mine.
“And it just figures that the culprit would be dating a Winchester,” Lila said.
“Shut your mouth,” Thistle exploded.
“Thistle!” Teddy was on his feet. “Don’t talk to our guest like that.”
“She’s not a guest,” Thistle said. “She’s the Devil.”
“I think I’m missing something,” Warren said.
“Lila is mortal enemies with your daughter and nieces,” Landon said.
“Mortal enemies?”
“Pretty much,” Landon said. “Apparently she tortured Bay all through school, and they all hate each other.”
“I don’t believe that,” Dad said. “Lila has been nothing but a delight since checking in. We even had tea together this morning. She was very interested in everything about the inn.”
I glared at Lila. “Seriously? You’re spending time with my father? You’re a piece of work.”
“Your father happens to be a delightful man,” Lila said. “I was just trying to figure out how you went so wrong when you have half of his genes.”
I clenched my hands on my lap.
“I don’t know who you’re trying to fool, but we all know why you’re cozying up to Uncle Jack,” Thistle said. “You’re doing it because you get off on torturing Bay. You always have.” Thistle glared at my father. “The fact that you’re letting this … woman … manipulate you is very disappointing.”
“I’m confused,” Dad said, helpless.
“What’s confusing?” Clove asked. “Lila has been terrible to Bay for her whole life. Now you’re taking Lila’s side. I’d say that’s pretty much par for the course where you’re concerned.”
I was surprised Clove was taking up my cause.
“I think you guys are overreacting,” Teddy said.
“Of course you do,” Thistle said. “You don’t really know us.”
“That’s right,” Clove said. “We always overreact.”
“We lik
e it,” I said.
“I think things are getting out of control,” Dad said. “Why doesn’t everyone just apologize to each other and let it go?”
“Because that’s not the way we do things,” Thistle said.
“That’s because you’re immature,” Lila said. “You’re still stuck in high school.”
I opened my mouth, a hot retort on my lips, but it was cut short by the electricity going out.
“Oh, what now?” Dad asked.
“I think the locusts are coming,” Landon said, his hand on my neck. “Everyone duck and cover.”
Thirteen
“You’re sure your circuit breaker is out here?” Landon asked, keeping me close as we skirted the outside of the Dragonfly. “Aren’t most circuit breakers located inside?”
“This is an older building,” Dad explained. “It would have been really expensive to move the box inside. Instead, we just spent money to encase the box in a special area outside. It was a lot cheaper.”
“Great,” Landon said.
“It’s there,” Dad said, pointing.
Landon let go of my hand and moved to the square annex. “Let’s just hope the circuits flipped. I’m not an electrician. If something else is wrong, I don’t know how to fix it.”
“We haven’t had any problems,” Dad said.
“Maybe Lila sucked all the energy out of the room,” I muttered. “She is a vampire.”
Landon grinned. “She’s evil. I’ll be back in a second. Try not to do anything you’ll regret.”
“What does that mean?”
Landon cast a pointed look in my father’s direction. “I’ll be back in a second.”
Dad watched Landon disappear inside the small room. “He’s around quite a bit these days.”
“I like it when he’s around.”
“I can see that. You two seem very … close.”
“Is there something wrong with that?” I asked.
“No,” Dad said hurriedly. “I just … it must be hard on you.”
“What?”
“He’s with the FBI. His life is probably in danger on a regular basis. How do you deal with that?”
“My life has been in danger more times than his since we met,” I said. “He has his own share of worries where I’m concerned. I don’t really think about it.”
“I guess I hadn’t considered that,” Dad said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I … what’s the deal with you and Lila?”
“She’s the Devil.”
“You mentioned that,” Dad said, smiling wryly. “Can you be more specific?”
“She just … .”
The inn’s lights flashed on.
“Oh, thank God,” Dad said. “It was just the circuit breaker after all.”
Apparently he’d forgotten his question. It was just as well. I wasn’t in the mood to tell my father how miserable Lila made my childhood. I didn’t want to sound bitter, especially when he was still grappling with the fact that he’d been absent for most of my formative years.
Landon joined us. “I’d have an electrician come out and check it just to make sure. Maybe it was just a fluke.”
“Thanks,” Dad said, extending his hand to Landon.
Landon shook it. “I didn’t cure cancer. I just flicked a switch.” He slung his arm over my shoulders. “Shall we go in and finish the most uncomfortable dinner ever?”
“The food will be good,” Dad said. “I … I’m sorry about the Lila thing. I don’t know what to do about it.”
“You could kick her out,” I suggested.
Dad faltered. “I’m not sure that would be good for business.”
“It would be good for family loyalty,” Landon said, leading me toward the inn.
“I … .”
“It’s fine, Dad,” I said. “Don’t worry about it.”
Landon shook his head, but didn’t offer further argument. The sound of rustling in a nearby bush caught his attention as we passed and he stilled to study the area.
“What are you looking at?”
“I heard a noise.”
“It’s probably just an animal,” Dad said. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s eat.”
“I … just a second,” Landon said, resigned. He moved over to the bushes and looked down, his face a mask of mirth and ire when he glanced back up. “You’re right. It was an animal.”
“Raccoon?” Dad asked.
“I’m thinking more like a … mole.”
I watched as Landon reached down and dragged a struggling Aunt Tillie from her hiding spot. Dad’s face fell when he saw her, while I felt inexplicably bolstered by her presence.
For her part, Aunt Tillie didn’t look disturbed by her capture. Her face was bright as she regarded all of us. “So what’s for dinner? I’m starving.”
“YOU’VE got to be kidding me,” Thistle said, her face splitting into a wide grin when she caught sight of Aunt Tillie. “She cut the power?”
“I did no such thing,” Aunt Tillie said. “I was searching for … mushrooms.”
“Mushrooms?” Warren said, his face flushed. “You were looking for mushrooms?”
“What? That’s a thing,” Aunt Tillie said. “I need them for a special recipe I’m brewing.”
“And you were looking for them at night?” Teddy asked. “Does anyone else think that sounds … suspicious?” He looked to Landon for support.
Landon shrugged. “I happen to love mushrooms.” He settled back in his chair. “Why don’t you sit next to me, Aunt Tillie. I think everyone would be more … comfortable … if you were close to me.”
“She can have my chair,” Lila offered. “Or she can take your chair and sit next to Bay and you can sit by me.” Lila patted the open chair next to her for emphasis.
“I’d rather sit next to Aunt Tillie,” Landon said.
Lila’s face fell. “Well … fine.”
“Hello, Lila,” Aunt Tillie said, hoisting herself up in her chair and resting her elbows on the table as she stared at my nemesis from across the table. “I see the years have been hard on you.”
“What are you talking about?” Lila asked. “I look exactly the same as I did when I was in high school.”
“Well, that’s true,” Aunt Tillie said. “You looked like an ugly ferret then, too.”
Lila narrowed her eyes. “You’ve always hated me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Dad said, nervous. “Tillie is just … feisty.”
“No, it’s true,” Aunt Tillie said, unruffled. “I have always hated her. She’s earned it.”
“She has,” Thistle agreed.
Aunt Tillie shifted her gaze to Clove. “How are you, missy? I haven’t seen you since this morning.”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
“Well, I am.”
“You’ll feel better by the end of dinner,” Aunt Tillie said. “I promise.”
Landon narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “What’s happening at the end of dinner?”
Aunt Tillie smiled. “Dessert.”
“Are we sure she’s not the one who turned out the lights?” Warren asked.
“Of course I didn’t,” Aunt Tillie said. “Why would I do that?”
“Then what were you doing here?” Warren asked.
“I told you, I was looking for mushrooms.”
“You can’t find mushrooms at night.”
“That shows what you know,” Aunt Tillie said. “I can always find mushrooms whenever I look. I’m gifted.”
“You’re … something,” Lila said.
Aunt Tillie turned her attention back to Lila. “I’m surprised you came back to town.”
“Why?”
“Because everyone here hates you,” Aunt Tillie said.
“Everyone here hates you, too,” Lila said. “I don’t see you leaving.”
“They don’t hate me. They live in fear. I encourage it.”
Dad swallowed hard. “Tillie, are you sure you want to
join us for dinner? I’m sure that Winnie is worried about you.”
“On the contrary, I’ll bet Mom is perfectly happy to serve a meal without having to worry about Aunt Tillie,” I said.
Dad rubbed his forehead. “Of course.”
“You’re not kicking me out, are you?” Aunt Tillie asked, her eyes wide with faux innocence.
“Of course he’s not,” Landon said. “That would be bad for business.”
The jab was pointed, and Dad didn’t miss the meaning behind Landon’s words.
“You’re always welcome here, Tillie,” Dad said. “You’re … family.”
The rest of the guests turned back to their meals, but the pall over the table was palpable. Finally, Lila could take the silence no longer. “So, Tillie, I heard you poisoned all the women at the senior center because they ticked you off.”
“First, I didn’t poison anyone,” Aunt Tillie said. “That’s a vicious lie.” She glanced at Landon. “I’m being framed.”
“I’m not on duty,” Landon said dryly. “I don’t really care.”
“They weren’t ticking me off,” Aunt Tillie said. “They were cheating. I can’t stand a cheat.”
“How are you not in jail?” Lila asked.
“I’m highly motivated. How are you still single? With a personality like yours, I would think some recent parolee would snap you up.”
Lila frowned. “I’ll have you know, I’m a very successful person. I don’t need a man to complete me.”
“You’re a terrible liar,” Aunt Tillie said. “You’ve been sitting there trying to flirt with Landon since we came in. You even unbuttoned your shirt a little to try to give him a good look down it. If you’re going to be that desperate, you should just whip it off. The boy isn’t good with subtlety.”
I risked a glance at Landon, expecting to find his face red – with embarrassment or anger. Instead, he was smiling at the interplay. Instinctively, I slipped my hand in his. He didn’t look up, but he rubbed his thumb over the bridge of my knuckles.
Lila blushed. “I did nothing of the sort. I was just … hot.”
“Hot for something,,” Aunt Tillie said. “While we’re at the same table, though, I heard that you think I’m mentally incompetent.”
Lila shot me a withering look. “I think someone is filling your head with lies.”
Witch Me Luck (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 6) Page 10
