Banshees and Babysitters

by Amanda A. Allen

  “Do you still feel this…stupid…even now? After all these years of parenting?”

  “Are you kidding? Every. Single Day.”

  Scarlett pushed herself up and slipped on a pair of sneakers while they talked, admitting, “That makes me feel better.”

  “We’re all just stumbling through parenthood, Scarlett,” her mother said, and the exhaustion in her voice told Scarlett the truth of the feeling. “Screwing up over and over again and hoping we don’t scar our babies while we hate ourselves for every misstep.”

  “That’s encouraging,” Scarlett said sarcastically and then slipped a jacket over her lacy tank.

  “You’re a good mom, Scarlett,” Maye said. “You stuck by your girls while Grant abandoned them. He might be feeling the effects of his choice now, but you didn’t make the mistake.”

  “Not about him disappearing on the girls,” Scarlett said. “He wasn’t a terrible Dad before his girlfriend. He might have left physically first, but Mom…our relationship fell apart. That isn’t just his fault.”

  Scarlett’s knowing kicked in and she was sure her mom didn’t agree. But her mom hadn’t lived Scarlett’s life and there had been a point where she might have kept trying physically, but mentally and with her heart—she had been out. She still thought that Grant had done the wrong thing. On so many fronts. And she didn’t excuse him, but…it wasn’t all his fault.

  “I suppose better see what I can find out. Don’t tell the girls. I will when I come out tonight.”

  “Ok,” Maye said.

  “Thank you for being there. For being a safe place for them.”

  “Of course,” Maye said.

  She paused for a long moment where the knowing whispered to Scarlett that her mother had something else to say.

  “Thank you for moving back here. I know it wasn’t easy. I didn’t make it easy when I told you before you’d ever left that it would all fall apart. I shouldn’t have done that to you. I shouldn’t have made you expect what happened with Grant. I tainted your happiness.”

  It was true, but Scarlett was going to let it go. She needed to. Her best friend had left town because he’d needed her to be able to leave all this baggage behind and she couldn’t. Had she lost a lasting love with the one person who had always accepted her? For what? For holding onto anger?

  “I love you, Mom. I can let that go.”

  Scarlett heard her mom sniff and gasp back tears.

  “I have to go save that jerk Grant so my babies aren’t the children of a con.”

  “They’re already the nieces to one,” Harper said from the doorway. “You look amazing.”

  “Shut up,” Scarlett said and then hugged her sister. “Well…let’s keep Ella and Luna from being further damaged by their idiot dad.”

  “Let’s,” Harper said winding her arm through Scarlett’s and squeezing for a second.

  * * * * *

  “What are you doing here?” Jen asked. She was bouncing a chubby little bald thing on her shoulder that Scarlett was not going to look too closely at. She didn’t need to see the result of her husband cheating on her.

  “Where is he?” Scarlett asked. She pushed her hair back to have something to do with her hands and hated herself a little more for dressing up for this. It wasn’t like both Grant and Jen hadn’t seen her with her unbrushed mom bun and flour-covered jeans.

  “Why! Why are you here? We don’t need you.”

  “I’m here to help keep him out of jail,” Scarlett said carefully.

  She couldn’t help but look Jen over and notice the dark circles under her eyes, the leggings that had been spit-up on, and the way those shoulders curled towards her stomach as if she was so tired it hurt. A flash of empathy passed through Scarlett, but she wasn’t a saint, and it didn’t linger very long.

  “I have a lawyer coming,” Jen said. “We don’t need you to muddle things up.”

  “Don’t be stupid,” Harper started, but Scarlett laid a hand on her sister’s arm.

  “We don’t need her permission to do what we do,” Scarlett said. “And we don’t need to see Grant.”

  “That’s right you don’t,” Jen snapped. “He’s my husband now.”

  Scarlett held back the deserved snort.

  “Are you worried that Scarlett is going to try to get him back?” Harper’s expression was genuinely flabbergasted. “Why would she want to do that?”

  “It’s no secret that he had to basically shove her begging self off of him.”

  The flash of empathy Scarlett felt before burned out in a fire of fury, but Scarlett reminded herself that she was the better person here. She wasn’t the cheater. She wasn’t the family destroyer.

  “What…what…”

  “Harper,” Scarlett said sharply, taking hold of her sister’s arm. “Lex will never let you get away with burning down the police station.”

  “He’d do it himself if he heard this cow,” Harper said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring down Jen.

  “She’s a wench. It doesn’t matter. What matters is getting Grant out of jail before Ella and Luna start to really worry.”

  “We should let him suffer,” Harper said.

  “And we would,” Scarlett replied, “Except for Ella and Luna.”

  “Fine,” Harper snapped.

  “Leave it alone,” Jen said. She walked towards them and Scarlett finally snapped.

  She lifted her hand and spoke to the window and it pressed against Jen even though they were inside.

  “Um, Scarlett,” the girl at the desk said.

  But Scarlett didn’t even turn, she walked towards Jen and said, “Surprise. We’re real.”

  She reached out a hand and let her fingers run over the potted plants she’d given to Lex after he’d started working here. They curled towards her and she fed them her magic, growing in front of Jen who stumbled back, clutching her baby closer. She was so panicked, Scarlett was sure Jen didn’t realize that none of the magic touched the baby.

  “I’m a druid, the girls are druids. I don’t want a relationship with Grant again, but let me be clear with you right now. You will be respectful to me, my family and most especially my daughters or you will discover just what druids are capable of.”

  “That’s probably enough, Scarlett,” Lex said. He’d probably been called in by the desk girl. “If you turn my waiting room into a jungle, the work you put in will be wasted.”

  “This woman is horrible,” Scarlett said without turning around.

  “Be that as it may be,” he said, “I’m going to need you to rein yourself in. In fact, Grant asks that you look after her.”

  “No,” Scarlett said.

  She eyed Jen who’d grabbed the baby carrier that Scarlett hadn’t even noticed and retreated to the wall.

  “He says to remind you that there is a baby involved.”

  That got to Scarlett for a moment, but she wasn’t a protector of the random tourists of Mystic Cove—that was Lex.

  “Do you have somewhere to stay?”

  “Why are you being nice?” Harper asked. “Let’s just leave.”

  Jen nodded in reply to Scarlett and gave Harper a nasty look.

  “Stay on Arbor Avenue if you go out, don’t go out after dark. Good luck.”

  “Is that a no?” Lex asked as Scarlett finally turned.

  She gave him one of his classic expressionless shrugs and got a raised brow in return.

  “I am not a saint. She won’t be in danger as long as she’s not stupid, don’t you agree?”

  Lex nodded, his gaze still surprised.

  “I can hardly take her to my mom’s house which is where I will be, I won’t leave her in my home—that’s the center of my balance—and staying at her side would make me choose between her baby and mine.”

  Lex nodded. His gaze was still intent and too expressionless.

  “Fine!” Scarlett snapped and pulled out her phone texting the group of druids with a quick recap. Some of them would probably look af
ter Jen, but it wouldn’t be Scarlett. She really wasn’t a saint. She needed to use her abilities to get Grant out of trouble so her daughters didn’t borrow guilt. Then she’d deal with the emotional melt down of Ella and Luna. Finally, curling into the grove with them and maybe let those intertwined roots steady her and her daughters.

  “I don’t need you or your freak friends,” Jen said.

  “We’d leave you to it,” Harper said, “Except for your kid. Don’t worry. They’ll keep their distance.”

  “This is all your fault,” Jen told Scarlett who thought for a moment and then blew Jen a kiss.

  Chapter 4

  “Mabel’s?”

  “Yeah,” Scarlett said. Mabel’s Diner was the hub of gossip, and no doubt they’d be discussing the murder. Scarlett could only hope that they’d be distracted by the murder that they missed the suspect being Grant. They, of course, being the entirety of Mystic Cove. But then again…she had just messaged the coven and asked them for help as far as watching over Jen…so that wouldn’t be a secret for long.

  “Fluffy cloud thoughts,” Harper said with a wicked tone.

  Scarlett took a long breath in and whooshed it out. She tried another and holding her breath before she whooshed it out. Another. And another.

  “You’re going to make yourself pass out if you keep that up,” Harper said, taking the keys to Scarlett’s ancient, rusty SUV.

  “You can’t pass out from deep breathing,” Scarlett said with a sniff. She wound her hair up onto the top of her head now that she’d seen Jen. Oh, goodness, Scarlett thought, realizing she’d dressed up—not for Grant—but for Jen. Well, that was a nasty realization. She told herself to shake it off and get her A-game on because people would be examining her closely as soon as they realized that her ex was the murder suspect.

  “Want me to do the sleuthing?” Harper asked, tossing her hair and straightening her fitted jacket. “I’ll ask the questions. You be the eye-candy. Look sad and worried.”

  “I hope you’re joking,” Scarlett answered.

  “What? No. I can do this,” Harper said. She parked the SUV outside of the diner, and they got out of the car.

  “You’re mean to most people. You like…family. Um…”

  “Sometimes,” Harper inserted.

  “And Quinton,” Scarlett said. “That poor little book worm doesn’t know what to do with you, but you do like him.”

  “I like Henna. I’ve said this.”

  “Harper, you don’t like Mabel.”

  “She’s a nosy biddy,” Harper said immediately.

  “You don’t like the cook, Abe,” Scarlett said, taking her sister’s arm and pulling her close before the witch couple who was passing heard what she said.

  “He looks at me weird,” Harper replied instantly.

  “He wants to date you,” Scarlett countered

  “What? Ew. No.” Harper tossed her hair again and avoided Scarlett’s gaze.

  “You don’t like Brad Day,” Scarlett said.

  “Neither do you,” Harper replied defensively.

  “He’s stupid, but that’s besides the point. I can fake it much better than you. And I enjoy Mabel. And Abe. And I don’t hate Brad.”

  “Fine,” Harper said. She swung the door open and seated herself before Mabel could. Scarlett made an apologetic face at Mabel who gave a nod and shook her head after Harper.

  Scarlett sat as Harper said, “Want to split a meatloaf omelet?”

  Scarlett nodded and then stood and crossed to Abe.

  “Hey,” he said as he flipped eggs. “You want to get an order in early? It won’t take Mabel long to get your order.”

  “We want a meatloaf omelet split with two hash browns,” Scarlett said, “But I was wondering if you guys had Mr. Muscato in here?”

  Abe nodded, glanced up, and then expertly cracked two eggs onto the grill. “Sheriff was in here earlier asking about him. How’s that new sister of yours?”

  “Maeve is good,” Scarlett says. “Seems to be feeling a bit more comfortable.”

  Scarlett hoped that was true, but she couldn't worry extra over Maeve right then.

  “That’s good. You tell that child, I said hello.”

  “I will.”

  “So what do you want then? Not just an omelet.”

  Scarlett felt her face heat and knew she needed to say hello to him a bit more often.

  “Did you hear about Mr. Muscato dying?”

  Abe nodded. “Someone was in here right quick after that. I heard some normal killed him. Makes sense. He was shot wasn’t he?”

  Scarlett realized she didn’t know the answer to that.

  “It wasn’t the man they took in,” she told Abe, wanting him to believe that Grant wasn’t guilty.

  “Did your knowing whisper that to you?”

  Scarlett paused for a moment. That was a way of describing how druids felt that only druids would probably use.

  “You aren’t druid,” she said to him.

  “Dated one,” he said abruptly and then flipped a half a grill-full of hash browns.

  “My knowing did whisper it to me,” She told Abe straightforwardly while refusing to pry into his personal business.

  “And why would your knowing whisper to you about a normal guy from out of town?”

  Scarlett pressed her lips together, reminded herself that the gossip would catch up to him before long and admitted, “He’s my girls’s dad.”

  “He’s your ex?”

  ‘That too,” she said sourly.

  “Muscato was a nasty piece of work with a veneer over the top,” Abe said. “Nasty and trying to be mean.”

  “Was he…” A tourist couple passed and Scarlett paused for a moment and then said, “Like us?”

  “Don’t think so,” Abe said.

  Mabel crossed over as he replied and asked, “Don’t think what?”

  “Was Muscato like us?”

  “Planning to solve another murder, Scarlett?”

  “Her baby daddy is the suspect,” Abe said before Scarlett could hide just why she was inquiring.

  “Is he really?” Mabel’s eyes brightened and Scarlett had to firmly remind herself that she liked Mabel very much. “Didn’t he leave you? And get someone else pregnant? Was that who was at the school? With the too-young wife and the baby? Why are you helping him?”

  “Says he’s innocent,” Abe said again. He plated Scarlett and Harper’s omelets and Scarlett grabbed the plates.

  “Oh is he?” Mabel didn’t sound like she believed it. “But why are you helping him?”

  “Knowing told her so,” Abe said flatly. “The knowing is what kept Maeve alive after that drug business.”

  It was clear that Scarlett’s claim to feeling Grant’s innocence was enough for Abe, but Mable’s expression said she’d reserve judgement. Scarlett took her and Harper’s plates before Mabel could and headed back to the table before forgetting that she enjoyed Mabel.

  “What did you learn?” Harper asked as she slid her plate towards herself and drenched her omelet and potatoes in hot sauce.

  “I learned,” Scarlett said, “That Abe thinks Muscato was a normal.”

  “Well shoot, anyone could have killed him.”

  “And supposedly he was shot,” Scarlett added.

  “Didn’t Lex tell you that?”

  “I didn’t think to ask,” Scarlett admitted.

  “You were probably in shock,” Mabel said, not even hiding that she’d been eavesdropping. She handed Scarlett a bottle of ketchup and a side of sour cream—remembering Scarlett’s preferences before she had to ask. Mabel refilled Scarlett’s coffee, handed her cream and orange juice and took the seat next to Scarlett. “Seems to me anyone like us would have used our abilities to kill a normal. I don’t know anyone who has a gun.”

  “Do you know where Mr. Muscato was staying?”

  “Mr. Muscato stayed with Agnes over at her B&B. Same place your ex is staying, Agnes said.”

  Scarlett’s mind fl
ashed with the memory of Jen saying she had somewhere to stay. Scarlett had to doubt that the crotchety siren would let Jen come back. Agnes wasn’t a woman to feel sorry for a young mother and her baby. A problem for later.

  “He was shot? Are you sure?” How many times had Scarlett and Grant fought over the guns in his closet? She’d made him keep them locked up. She’d been toxic after she’d found it unlocked one day. He’d never made the mistake again, and she’d checked on it nearly daily.

  If Grant were coming to witch town—how he’d always referred to Mystic Cove—and was feeling a bit like a powerless normal, would he have brought a gun? She didn’t have to think very hard about that answer and it worried her a lot.

  She was going to have to find the killer and make them confess to keeping Grant from being arrested because there was very little doubt in Scarlett’s mind that Grant’s gun had been used to kill Mr. Muscato. Scarlett took a bite to hide her thoughts and waited for Mable to tell her more, but all she had was stories from around town about Mr. Muscato being a jerk. It sounded like everyone would have had a reason to kill him. The one person Scarlett couldn’t see killing Mr. Muscato was Grant. He must have barely gotten into town.

  Scarlett needed to talk to Agnes, but the woman had never liked her.

  “This is for Maeve,” Mabel said, interrupting Scarlett’s thoughts. “I know you’re a baker and she can have all the treats she wants, but this is special.”

  “I’m sure she’ll love it,” Scarlett replied, taking the box that would certainly be peach pie. “Thank you for loving her.”

  “Course I do. She’s a good kid. I wake up in a sweat worrying about those girls before I remember that the worst already happened.”

  Scarlett reached out and took Mabel’s hand. “We all failed Bridget. And we’ll all be there for Maeve.”

  “Bridget was a good kid. She didn’t deserve to die like that. She haunts me, but I won’t think about old Muscato again once we find his killer and I know they aren’t going to jump out at me from the alley. But Bridget…I think about her every day.”

  “Me too,” Scarlett said. She rose because this place was weighing her down and making her sad. “I need the trees.”