Witch Me Luck (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 6)

by Amanda M. Lee

  “I know,” Landon said. “I’ve searched that greenhouse eight different times trying to catch her with contraband.”

  I smirked. “What would you do if you found anything?”

  “Burn it.”

  “Would you arrest her?”

  “As a duly sworn law enforcement representative, I should say yes,” he said. “You and I both know that’s not the truth, though.”

  “Now I really think you’re sweet.”

  Landon cocked an eyebrow. “Really? Do you want to reward my sweetness?”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  Landon’s smile had a hint of angel and a whole lot of devil when he flashed it. “I’m glad you asked.”

  “DO THE POLICE have any idea where Sam is?” Clove asked. Her face was drawn, and she gripped her fork so hard her knuckles paled.

  After a round of coffee in the guesthouse that involved Landon repeating everything he’d already told me, we found ourselves back at the inn for breakfast. We seriously have nothing but liquor in our cupboards right now. It’s a little sad, and if our mothers knew they would pitch a righteous fit.

  “I already told you we don’t know where he is,” Landon said, patiently. “The second I know something I will tell you.”

  “I know,” Clove said. “I just can’t stop thinking about him.”

  “Try,” Landon said. “This could go on for days. You’re going to drive yourself crazy if you keep dwelling on it.”

  “It’s nice that you’re worried about me,” Clove said.

  “I am worried about you,” Landon said. “I’m also worried that if you’re worked up Bay is going to be worked up, and that’s going to seriously cut down on my fun quota this weekend.”

  Clove shot him a dark look. “That’s great.”

  Landon was unruffled. “Eat your breakfast. You need to take care of yourself.” I leaned over and rested my chin on his shoulder, batting my eyelashes as he glanced down at me. “Oh, you’re going to ask me for something big, aren’t you? You only do that eyelash thing when you want something. Just for the record, I don’t think it’s as cute as you seem to think it is.”

  I frowned. “What makes you think I was going to ask you for something?”

  “I know you,” Landon replied. “What do you want?”

  “I … I don’t want anything,” I said, pulling my head away from him. “I only wanted to cuddle for a second.”

  “You’re a horrible liar,” Landon said. “Tell me what you really want.”

  “I don’t want anything.”

  “If you tell me, I might give it to you.”

  “I … .” Crap. “I was just wondering how busy you were going to be this afternoon.”

  “Why?”

  “I was hoping we could finish our afternoon at the festival.”

  “Why really?”

  I pressed my lips together. “It’s just … there’s a special picnic for people who graduated the same year I did.”

  Landon waited.

  “I wasn’t going to go,” I said, “but then I thought better of a few things you and Thistle have been saying to me and I thought maybe … .”

  Landon tilted his head to the side, but remained silent.

  “Fine,” I said. “I want all the girls who thought they were better than me to see me with you.”

  Landon snorted. “All you had to do was ask. I’m sure I can go to the picnic with you. I can be your trophy boyfriend. I’ve always wanted to be able to add that to my resume.”

  I made a face. “You’re loving this, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  I turned back to my breakfast. “Do you think less of me?”

  “Why would I? This whole thing makes me look good.”

  “You’re not that good looking.”

  “Of course I’m not,” Landon said. “That’s why you want to parade me around like a prize bull.”

  “You’re never going to let me live this down.”

  “Probably not,” Landon agreed. He tapped the edge of my plate. “Eat your breakfast. You need to take care of yourself, too.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I like you healthy,” Landon said. He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “And don’t worry; when my high school reunion comes around I plan to parade you in front of everyone, too.”

  Sadly, I was just pathetic enough for that to make me feel better.

  “Oh, good grief. Do you two walk around pawing each other every chance you get?”

  I froze when I heard Lila’s voice. Lila Stevens was in my family’s home. Lila Stevens was … wait … why was she here?

  I shifted in my seat. “Lila.”

  “Bay.”

  Aunt Tillie chose this moment to walk out of the kitchen. She was dressed normally, which made me wonder whether she’d worked out an agreement with my mother after we left the previous evening. The second she saw Lila, her façade slipped. “Be gone, demon!”

  “Oh, stuff it,” Lila said, shooting Aunt Tillie a dark look. “Your theatrics don’t work on me.”

  Unfortunately for Lila, Aunt Tillie took that as a challenge. “I could amp it up a notch.”

  “Don’t you have some dentures to sharpen or something?”

  Everyone at the table sucked in a breath.

  “Oh, good, they’re adding new actors,” one woman said. “It was starting to get old with the same faces every day.”

  “The only thing I’m going to sharpen is the stake I’m going to drive through your heart,” Aunt Tillie said.

  “Sit down,” Landon ordered.

  “Don’t tell me what to do,” Aunt Tillie countered.

  “Sit down now.”

  “You sit down.”

  “I’m already sitting down.”

  “Then … well … keep doing it.”

  Landon growled, and I patted his arm to soothe him. “What are you doing here, Lila? We don’t want you here, and I have a hard time believing you want to be here.”

  “I’m looking for Nick.”

  “Nick?”

  “Yes, Nick Spencer. My old boyfriend.”

  “Are you trying to suck more life from his husk?” Aunt Tillie asked.

  “You shut your mouth,” Lila snapped, pointing her finger in Aunt Tillie’s direction. “I’ve had just about enough of you.”

  “Are they trying to say that woman is a vampire?” The guests watched Lila with interest. “I don’t think vampires are supposed to walk around during the day.”

  “She’s not a vampire,” Aunt Tillie said. “She’s a succubus.”

  “What’s that?”

  “A demon who lives off the life force of others.”

  “Oh, fun.”

  “I am not a demon!” Lila stamped her foot on the floor. “These people keep making up horrible lies about me. They’re witches. You know that, right?”

  “Isn’t that the whole point of this town?”

  “Yes, but they’re real witches,” Lila said. “They keep casting spells on me. You didn’t think I knew that, did you?”

  “Actually, it took you longer to figure it out than we thought it would,” Thistle said. “We overestimated your intelligence.”

  “Shut your filthy mouth,” Lila said.

  “This is getting out of hand,” Landon said.

  “Good,” Lila said. “Arrest them.”

  “You’re the one trespassing,” Landon said. “You weren’t invited here, and no one wants you here. I think you should be going.”

  “You can’t be serious,” Lila said. “You’re taking the side of these … freaks?”

  “These freaks are my family,” Landon said. “Now get out.”

  “You can’t kick me out,” Lila said. “This isn’t your property.”

  “It’s my property, though,” Aunt Tillie said. “I can kick you out.”

  Lila narrowed her eyes. “You can try.”

  That was all the challenge Aunt Tillie needed. Her face was pinched, a
nd I could feel the crackle of energy as magic licked at the edges of the room. Oh, no. This wouldn’t be good.

  “What’s going on?” Landon couldn’t feel magic, but he knew Aunt Tillie well enough to know that something very bad was about to happen.

  “I have no idea.”

  “She’s not going to set her on fire, is she?”

  I certainly hoped not. The fire extinguisher was in the kitchen. “Probably not.”

  “I … crap … what is she doing?”

  Lila screeched and her hands flew to her face. “What’s happening?”

  I was still trying to figure that out myself, so when Lila finally shifted her fingers so I could see a hint of her upper lip, memories of high school graduation came rushing back. I leaned closer to Landon. “Don’t worry. She’s just giving her a mustache.”

  Landon looked concerned for a moment, his eyes trained on Lila, and then he shrugged. “I can live with that.”

  Lila desperately tried to cover her lower face. “I knew you were responsible for this the first time it happened.”

  “Responsible for what?” Aunt Tillie asked, faux innocence flitting across her face. “I’m not doing anything. Did anyone here see me do anything?”

  The guests all shook their heads in unison, mesmerized.

  “You know what you did,” Lila hissed, refusing to move her hand so her words came out muffled. “I’m going to make you pay.”

  “That will be a neat trick,” Aunt Tillie said. “I can’t wait to see it.”

  Lila focused on Landon. “This is assault,” she said. “You have to arrest her.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Landon said. “By the way, I think it’s an improvement.”

  Lila whimpered and stamped her foot on the floor once more. Then she turned on her heel and fled. “This isn’t over.”

  “Have a nice day,” Thistle called to Lila’s fleeing back. “Who’s the freak now?”

  Landon arched an eyebrow. “I think we can all safely hide under that umbrella. Can someone pass the bacon?”

  Twenty-Eight

  “What time does your picnic start?” Landon asked, linking his fingers with mine as we walked through the festival.

  “In about an hour,” I said. “Do you need to stop in at the police station?”

  “Chief Terry said he’ll text me if something pops up,” Landon said. “Right now, we’re just looking for Sam. We can’t do anything until we find him. I’m all yours.”

  “That’s just how I like you.”

  Landon smiled. “How about we play some games?”

  I wrinkled my nose. “What kind of games? I don’t think we have time to play naked hide-and-seek.”

  “I only suggested we play that because I was drunk when it came up,” Landon said. “You know that, right?”

  I cocked an eyebrow.

  “If you want to play, I’m willing. I don’t want to hear any complaints if we get caught, though.”

  “I was joking,” I said. “I didn’t realize you like carnival games. Actually, I didn’t realize anyone liked carnival games. They’re all rigged.”

  “Only people who can’t win say they’re rigged.”

  I think carnival games must be a man thing. I’ve never seen the appeal of throwing money away to win a cheap stuffed toy or a Jack Daniels mirror. Still, he was doing me a favor by going to the picnic. If he wanted to play a few games, I had no problem watching him waste his money. “What do you want to play?”

  Landon glanced around the midway. “What do you want me to win you?”

  Was that a trick question? “You’re going to win me something?”

  “That’s what a man does at a carnival,” Landon said. “He wins his woman a prize.”

  That was kind of demeaning, but I let it slide. I pointed to the stuffed witch at a nearby booth. “I want that witch.”

  “You don’t think I can win it, do you?”

  Was that a trick question? I was so confused. “Let’s just say I’ve never seen anyone win a carnival game.”

  “Well, you’re about to,” Landon said, tugging my hand. “One stuffed witch coming up.”

  “I HONESTLY can’t believe you won this.” I clutched the witch against my abdomen as we walked through the fair. “I … how did you know you could do it?”

  Landon rolled his eyes. “I had to throw three balls through a hoop,” he said. “It’s not like I solved the debt crisis.”

  I pursed my lips, trying to keep from smiling, and failed. “No one has ever won anything for me before. This is amazing.”

  Landon’s cheeks colored. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Why not?”

  “I have no idea,” I said. “I guess no one ever wanted to.”

  “That makes me a little sad,” Landon said. “Do you want me to win you something else? There are plenty of stuffed animals to choose from.”

  It was an interesting offer, but I already felt like I’d won enough for one day. “I’m good.”

  “See … now I kind of want to win you ten things.”

  “How many girls have you won things for?”

  “A few,” Landon conceded. “I was very popular in high school.”

  That didn’t surprise me. “Are you saying the popular boys in high school won the popular girls stuffed animals at carnivals?”

  “I feel like you’re trying to trap me.”

  “I’m not,” I said. “I honestly … this is the best thing that’s happened to me all week.”

  “No, what I gave you this morning was the best thing that happened to you this week,” Landon teased. “This is just … a stuffed toy.”

  “It still means something to me. I’m going to put it on my bed.”

  “Yeah, now I have to win you something else,” Landon said, glancing around for inspiration. “I have to make up for your entire high school existence.”

  “You’ve already done that.”

  Landon cupped the back of my head and gave me a sweet kiss. “Yup. Now you’re getting as many prizes as you can carry. Come on. We only have a half hour for me to win you as many things as I can.”

  MY ARMS were laden with stuffed animals and toys by the time the picnic rolled around. Landon had been so earnest in his efforts I almost wanted to cry. I figured that would send him over the edge and there wouldn’t be room to walk in the guesthouse by the time he was done trying to eradicate all of my high school memories if that happened, so I fought back the tears.

  “Wow, someone has been busy.”

  I forced a smile onto my face as I regarded Heather Dempsey. She’d been one of Lila’s cohorts a decade ago, and I’m not going to lie, I was a little happy to see she’d gotten fat. What? I’m petty. I know it.

  “Hello, Heather,” I said, shuffling the prizes in my arms. “It’s good to see you.”

  “You, too,” Heather said. “You look exactly the same. Who is your friend?”

  “This is Landon.”

  Landon extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  Heather shook his hand flirtatiously. “Well, aren’t you just … handsome.”

  “I’ve been told,” Landon said.

  “I’ll just bet you have.” Heather reluctantly turned her attention back to me. “Did you win all those stuffed animals yourself?” she asked, laughing. “How much money did you spend? Did you think those would impress us if we thought he won them for you?”

  I frowned. “I … .”

  “I won them,” Landon said, taking an instant dislike to Heather.

  “For Bay?”

  “She’s my girlfriend,” Landon said, slipping an arm around my waist. “I wouldn’t win them for anyone else.”

  “You’re with Bay?” Heather wrinkled her nose. “How did that happen? Is she like … paying you? It wouldn’t surprise me. She never could get a date in high school unless he was drunk.”

  Landon frowned. “Why are we here again?”

  I was surprise
d by the question. “I … .”

  “Oh, is that a hard question to answer?” Heather said. “Could you go to jail if someone finds out she hired you?”

  “I’m with the FBI,” Landon said.

  “Of course you are.”

  Landon gritted his teeth and turned to me. “Why don’t you let me take those to the car? You can … catch up here … and I’ll be back in a few minutes. I need a little air.”

  “No,” I said.

  “I’ll be back, Bay,” he said. “I promise.”

  “I don’t want to stay,” I said. “Let’s take these to the car together and then get some ice cream.”

  He was surprised by the offer. “But I thought … .”

  “I did, too,” I said. “It turns out I wanted to impress people I don’t even like – and that seems like a waste when I could spend the afternoon with someone I already like.”

  Landon smiled. “Come on. I’m going to buy you eight ice cream cones.”

  Heather’s face fell. “Are you leaving? Lila isn’t even here yet. She’s going to be sorry she missed you.”

  Somehow I doubted that. “I’m not sorry I’ll miss her,” I said. “Have a good life, Heather.”

  “DO YOU want to tell me what kind of epiphany you had this afternoon?” Landon asked, licking his melting ice cream cone as he watched me.

  We sat at a picnic table, the warm sun radiating down on us, and he seemed to be enjoying himself. “Epiphany?”

  “This morning you were desperate to impress these people,” he said. “You were desperate to impress them with me, which I’m going to reward you for later. You were still desperate to impress them. Five minutes with one woman turned that all around. Why?”

  “I … it wasn’t the time with Heather,” I said. “Don’t get me wrong, that wasn’t a highlight of my day, and I got perverse pleasure in seeing she’s gotten fat, but it wasn’t her.”

  “What was it?”

  “You.”

  Landon’s eyebrows shot up. “Me?”

  “You know I was miserable in high school,” I said. “You’ve already heard way too much about it. Today, though, you tried to make up for all of it.”