Vision of the Witch (Witches of Keating Hollow Book 10)

by Deanna Chase

  Her mouth went dry as she glanced at the rose petals again, and she knew if she didn’t get out of there right then she was likely to make his vision a reality. There was just a chemistry with Grayson that she couldn’t deny. Goddess help her, she didn’t even want to. Brushing past him she said, “It’s time to go.”

  He let out a quiet sigh from behind her as he followed, his footsteps echoing on the wood floors.

  Before they reached the door, Grayson grabbed a coat off of his coat rack and handed it to her. “Here. Put this on.”

  She glanced at the long wool coat and almost declined it, but when she looked out the window, the snow had really started to fall. Even with her ability to usually stay warm despite the elements, she had to be responsible. It wasn’t just her she had to take care of anymore. “Thanks.”

  He nodded, pulled on a jacket, and held the door open for her.

  Amelia hurried out into the snow, the chill stinging her face. Holy hell. It almost never got that cold in Keating Hollow.

  Grayson held the door open for her and then jogged over and jumped into the driver’s side. He started the vehicle and rubbed his hands together, warming them up. “Good thing we’re leaving now. It looks like it’s going to get thick out here tonight.”

  Amelia nodded, hoping that her brother and Holly were already on their way home.

  Grayson pulled out of his driveway, but before he took off down the street, he pumped the breaks and stopped next to a black truck. The hood was open, and two young men were peering at the engine.

  Grayson lowered his window. “Hey guys. Everything okay here?”

  The taller one turned to Grayson, and Amelia instantly recognized him as Silas Ansell, a young Hollywood star and the brother of newlywed Shannon Ansell-Knox, who’d taken up residence in Keating Hollow when he was between jobs. The slightly shorter, curly haired teen beside him was his boyfriend, Levi Kelley, Hope Garber’s brother. Silas shook his head. “Levi’s truck won’t start. We’d just stay here at his house, but I have a new puppy at home who needs dinner.”

  “Hop in,” Grayson said without hesitation. “I’ll give you a ride.”

  “Are you sure?” Silas asked. “My house is halfway up the mountain.”

  “You’re in luck. Because Grayson is headed that way. I think we might be neighbors,” Amelia said, remembering that she’d heard the gorgeous house that had recently been built behind hers belonged to the star. “I rent the Bradley place.”

  “Perfect.” He glanced at Levi. “That okay? It means you might be stuck at my place for the night.”

  Levi laughed. “That’s not a hardship.” He grinned at his boyfriend and the pair hurried to climb into Grayson’s Toyota.

  “Hi, I’m Silas,” he said to Amelia. “I’m not sure if we’ve met.”

  She glanced back at him. “Not officially.” She offered him her hand. “Nice to meet you. I’m Amelia Holiday.”

  “Glad to finally meet my neighbor. I apologize for not coming around, but…” He shrugged. “I can be a recluse when I’m in town.”

  Levi snorted. “He’s not really that anti-social. It’s just hard to know how people are going to react when they meet the Silas Ansell.”

  Silas cast him a dirty look. “You don’t have to throw me under the bus. What if she didn’t know who I was? You ruined my chances of anonymity.”

  Amelia laughed. “Too late. I already knew. But don’t worry. I won’t be peeking in your windows or going through your trash.” She winked at him. “Not yet anyway.”

  He let out a humorless laugh. “If only you knew how often that happens.”

  “It does? Here in Keating Hollow? You can’t be serious.”

  “Oh, no. Not here. It happens mostly when I’m in LA.” He gave her a small smile. “The witches in this town don’t put up with that kind of nonsense. And then there’s Levi.” He gave his boyfriend a tender glance. “One of his gifts is sensing people. That makes it harder to spy on us.”

  “That’s a handy skill.” Amelia smiled at them, loving the way they were looking at each other. Love radiated off them, making her heart swell.

  “It is.” Silas reached over and took Levi’s hand in his, and Amelia turned around, feeling like she was a third wheel in that moment.

  “So, Amelia, how do you know Grayson?” Levi asked a few minutes later.

  Amelia opened her mouth to answer but then closed it, not knowing what to say. That they’d dated? That he was the father of her baby? Both felt entirely too personal to just blurt out to the neighbors.

  “Amelia and I knew each other in New York. It was a surprise to both of us that we both ended up here,” Grayson said easily as he made the turn up the winding mountain road that led to her rental.

  “Really? That’s cool,” Silas said. “And you’re both here for good now?”

  “That’s the plan,” Amelia said. “I work at the fire station. Fire witch.”

  “Sweet. Now I know what to do when I can’t get the fire started in my wood stove,” he said.

  She chuckled. “Happy to help.”

  They chatted about the movie Silas had just wrapped and what jobs he had coming up. Levi was quiet for most of the conversation, only speaking when they turned into Amelia’s driveway and got a look at the modern three-bedroom that she’d been lucky enough to rent after the Bradley’s moved Back East due to a new job opportunity. “This is a really cute house, Amelia. I bet it’s easier to keep clean than the monster Silas built.”

  “My house isn’t a monster. It’s only four bedrooms,” Silas insisted.

  Levi snorted. “Four bedrooms and an office all for one person.”

  “When I’m here, there’s usually two of us. And now I have a dog, too,” Silas said indignantly. “And there’s room to grow. What if we… er, I have kids some day?”

  “Kids?” Levi asked, his voice shaky and full of both surprise and terror.

  “One day. Maybe.” Silas slipped his fingers through Levi’s and then kissed the back of his boyfriend’s hand. “It was just a thought for some time in the future.”

  Levi was shaking his head when they all heard a loud crack followed by a thundering boom.

  Amelia jumped about a foot and her heart pounded as she stared at the tree that had just fallen across the road about twenty feet from her driveway. “Holy hell,” she muttered, clutching her chest. “That was way too close.”

  Grayson wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him while Silas and Levi clung to each other. “We better get everyone inside. The snow is coming down wetter and heavier than I anticipated.” He glanced at Amelia’s house. “Whoever built here did a good job of clearing around the house. It’s unlikely any trees will fall on it.”

  The four of them hurried to the house, and Amelia quickly let them all in. They stood at the front window, watching as more and more snow accumulated on the mountain. “It looks like you’re staying here,” Amelia said to Grayson. “Your Toyota is blocked for the time being.”

  He shrugged, clearly not at all bothered by the news.

  “We should get to my house before it gets worse, “Silas said. “It won’t be too far if we cut through the tree line at the edge of the property.”

  “Be careful,” Amelia said, eyeing the snow. “Stick together and if visibility is bad, come right back here. I have an extra guest room you can use. It’s the nursery, but there’s a double bed in there, too. Holly and Rex are using the other one.”

  “Thanks, Amelia. I think if we go now it won’t be too terrible.” Silas squeezed her hand and then turned to Grayson. “Thanks again for the ride.” The two teenagers waved as they headed toward her back door.

  “We’ll be here if you need anything,” Amelia called after them.

  “Thanks,” Levi replied as he followed Silas out into the snow.

  Amelia watched until she saw them disappear into the thin tree line between their two houses.

  Grayson turned to her. “Looks like it’s just us.”


  It was then she realized that her brother and Holly hadn’t made it home yet. She grabbed her phone and sent a quick text. A moment later, Rex texted back that they were still in town and conditions were worsening. It looked like they were going to stay at the inn for the night. “It really is just us,” she said to Grayson, her heart speeding up at the prospect of the two of them alone in the house for the night. She quickly turned away and went to her wood burning stove. “I’ll get the fire going.”

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I don’t mind making something if—”

  “I’m fine,” she said, waving a dismissive hand. “I had enough to eat at the reception. If you want something, feel free to take a look and see what you can find.”

  Grayson nodded and disappeared into the kitchen that was to the left of the living room.

  After changing out of her dress and into something more comfortable, Amelia walked out onto her back deck, collected a bundle of firewood from her storage shed, and returned to the living room where she used her magic to start the fire in her wood stove. Before long, the heat warmed the small modern house as she curled up with a blanket on the couch and stared out the front window at the stunning view of snow covering the Keating Hollow valley. In the distance, she could just make out the river that ran through town, and she wondered, not for the first time, how she’d gotten so lucky to find such a magical place.

  “This is a truly gorgeous location, Amelia,” Grayson said from behind her.

  She glanced back at him, finding him rocking on his heels as he too stared out her picture window.

  “Sometimes I can’t even believe that I’m here.”

  “I’ll forever picture you like this from now on.” He dropped his hands onto her shoulders and gently massaged.

  “Damn, that feels good,” she said, closing her eyes and reveling in his touch. He knew exactly how much she loved being massaged, and while she knew she should ask him to stop, it just felt too good.

  He dug his thumbs into the muscles at the base of her neck and said, “I have a surprise for you.”

  “What surprise?” she asked, not really caring about the answer.

  “You have to get up to see it.”

  She glanced back at him, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “What are you up to?”

  He rounded the couch and held his hand out to her. “Come on. You’re going to want this.”

  Her defenses were down, and she was suddenly too relaxed to resist him. She slipped her hand into his and let him help her off of the couch.

  He put one hand on the small of her back and gently guided her down the hall.

  Amelia eyed him. “What are you up to? I’m not sleeping with you.” She said the words automatically, but there wasn’t any heat behind them.

  Grayson just chuckled. “So I’ve already been told.” He tugged her into her master bedroom, but instead of stopping near the bed like she expected him to, he continued to guide her toward the master bath. After pushing the door open, he nudged her in. “Back at Shannon’s wedding, you did tell me you had a vision of relaxing in the tub instead of spending the night with me. As pained as that makes me,” he said with a smirk, “I didn’t want your vision to be ruined just because I’m here, so I got your bath ready for you.”

  “You did this?” she asked as she stared at the cup of tea and lit candles on the ledge of the tub around the bubble bath that had been drawn.

  “Well, it wasn’t Silas or Levi.” He winked and then backed out of the room. “Enjoy it. I’m going to make myself at home in the guest room.”

  “Grayson?” she said before he closed the door.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thanks for this.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  When he was gone, she got undressed and slipped into the warm water with a contented smile on her face. There was a reason she’d fallen in love with him back in New York.

  Chapter 4

  Grayson woke early. He’d lain awake half the night thinking of Amelia in the other room, wishing he was with her and holding her close as she slept. He’d missed her more than he’d realized. Just being near her calmed him, quieted all the voices in his head that questioned his life choices. He wasn’t on edge or worried about what came next. He was just happy to be in the moment.

  It was the complete opposite of being in Kira’s presence.

  He knew now that he’d been crazy to let Amelia go back in December. But he’d spent years making tabloid stories go away about Kira, and that was a hard habit to break. Especially since she’d been the one person who’d been there for him when he’d needed someone the most.

  Things were different now. They had been for a few years, but he hadn’t been able to see it. It wasn’t until he got back to New York City and found Kira knee-deep in another round of self-destruction that he’d done what he could to put her back together and then told her he was done for good.

  That hadn’t gone over well, but by the time he’d left, he felt certain that he was finally moving on. He had given everything of himself that he’d had to give, and the star would just have to figure out how to navigate her life without him.

  Grayson peered out the window to find the snow was still coming down. It was clear he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He padded into the kitchen, wearing his clothes from the day before, and made a pot of coffee. Then he got to work making breakfast.

  Just as he was setting the table, he heard Amelia’s footsteps in the hall. He glanced back and spotted her in her flannel pajamas and a thick robe. Smiling at her, he said, “Good morning.”

  “Morning.” She glanced at the waffles, bacon, and fresh fruit and then stared at him in surprise. “You did all this?”

  “It appears so.” He handed her a mug of coffee, doctored with her favorite vanilla creamer. “Have a seat.”

  She slipped into one of the chairs at her table and smiled up at him. “I could get used to this.”

  Warmth spread through his chest, and he gave her a quiet smile as he said, “So could I.”

  Amelia’s cheeks turned pink, and she suddenly became very interested in her waffle.

  Grayson sat beside her and watched her for a moment before he filled his own plate. Silence built between them until finally he said, “I’m going to miss this when the snow clears.”

  She lifted her head, caught his eye, and smirked. “You mean making me breakfast and waiting on me hand and foot? I’m going to miss that, too.”

  He chuckled. “If there’s an opening for that position, I’ll gladly throw my hat in the ring.”

  Grinning, she said, “You’re hired.”

  “Offer accepted. Now you’re never getting rid of me.” His tone was teasing, but he meant every word. He’d already decided that if she’d give him another chance, he was going to show her that he was all in.

  Her grin faded as his words seemed to sink in, but Grayson pretended he didn’t notice. She’d see soon enough. After they were done with breakfast, Grayson cleared the table and asked, “Do you have a chainsaw?”

  “What?” she asked, clearly taken aback by his question.

  “A chainsaw. If you have one, I can work on removing the tree from the road so that when the snow removal service gets up and running your road can be cleared.”

  She frowned. “I have no idea. We can check in the shed.”

  “Okay, I’ll do that after I finish these dishes.”

  Amelia stared at him as he started to load the dishwasher. Then she shook her head. “What are you doing?”

  “The dishes?”

  She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean. First the bubble bath, then breakfast, and now the dishes. You want something. What is it?”

  Grayson placed the plate in his hand in the dishwasher and turned around, leaning against the counter as he decided to be completely honest with her. “You.”

  Amelia blew out a breath. “Grayson, you walked away from me. Remember?”

  “I did, and I regret it every day.”


  She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at him, her brows pinched and distrust in her big dark eyes.

  The look on her face felt like a gut punch. He knew he deserved her reaction, but that didn’t mean it didn’t kill him. “I know it’s too soon to be having this conversation. That I need to earn your trust. But I thought I’d just make myself perfectly clear. I didn’t walk away from you because I didn’t want you. I did it because I felt I had to. My circumstances have changed, and if you’ll let me, I’ll do anything I can to prove to you that you can trust me.”

  “It’s not going to happen in less than twenty-four hours,” she said, her tone chilly.

  Damn. She wasn’t giving an inch, was she? That was okay. He wasn’t going anywhere. “I know. Just making sure you know my intentions.” He winked at her and went back to finishing the dishes. After a moment, he heard her let out a huff and then retreat back to her bedroom.

  Grayson finished up the dishes, and just as he was getting ready to go look for a chainsaw, his vision turned dark. When it cleared, he was standing in an unfamiliar room, overlooking a dramatic coastline. The furniture was all white, the walls void of any color. He stood in the middle of the room, staring down at Kira, who was draped over a chaise lounge wearing nothing but a short silk robe. She held her hand out to him and said, “Welcome home, Grayson.”

  His vision turned dark again, and when he blinked, he was back in Amelia’s blue-gray kitchen. He grabbed the counter and sucked in a sharp breath, his heart racing with trepidation.

  “No,” he whispered under his breath with intense conviction.

  That wasn’t happening. It was rare that his visions didn’t come true. It had only happened a few times in his life. But if there was one thing he knew for sure, it was that under no circumstance would he let this one come to pass. When Kira called, and he knew she would, he would not be answering. He’d been back in Amelia’s life for less than twenty-four hours, and he already knew he’d do anything to stay with her.

  He was one hundred percent done with sacrificing himself for someone who only cared about herself.