by Denise Gwen
“Lopped Ezekiel’s head off, right then and there?” Papa asked with a smile.
“Yes.” Mama’s eyes shone like black coals. “That would end any further discussion.”
“My goodness,” Papa chuckled, winking at Maddie and Bettina. “Remind me, girls, never to take up with a blonde seductress, or I may find myself gazing up at the sharp end of an executioner’s axe.”
The girls giggled but quickly quieted their amusement in the face of their mother’s fury. She gazed stormily at them, then stared at her husband. “That’s not funny.”
“Claudia,” Papa remonstrated.
“I said it’s not funny.” Mama glowered.
“Claudia, darling,” Papa crooned. “My darling, you’ve gone nearly a week without me. Think of all the teasing I’ve got to make up for.” He grinned at the girls. “Your mother went for too long without me. She needs a good loosening up.”
“I’m loose enough,” Mama said ominously.
“Coiled tighter than a drum,” Papa said under his breath.
Mama managed a tiny smile. “Oh,” she demurred, “I must admit to being a little bit tense.”
“Only a little bit tense,” Papa teased again. “Hmm, let’s see.” He slid his hand under Mama’s cape.
“Daniel,” Mama said in a reproving tone. “Stop that.”
“Oh,” Papa said, “I’m sure the girls are old enough to understand.”
“Daniel, for shame!” Mama said, but then she giggled. “You really are the naughtiest boy—!”
“I’ve been locked in a cold freeze for nearly a week ,” Papa said. “That’s a long time for a man to go without seeing his favorite little witch.” He winked. “And I stand corrected. You’re not loose, woman. Why, you’re not even tight. You’re a block of ice under there!”
“You haven’t changed one bit, have you?” Mama asked, but she was smiling.
“Were you expecting, perhaps, a miracle?”
Maddie and Bettina exchanged glances and rolled their eyes.
Even if things weren’t necessarily back to normal, they were getting there mighty fast. True, it was kind of gross listening to her parents’ love talk, but it did feel good for them to be back together again and sparring like the lovebirds they were. Maddie didn’t know how Bettina felt about it, but it made Maddie feel safe, much safer than she’d felt in quite some time.
“Do I get to stay home from school tomorrow?” Victoria whined.
Papa glanced at her. “My dear, you’ve just experienced the most horrific night of your life, a night you will never, ever forget, a night that you will live to tell your grandchildren.” An ominous pause, then: “I suggest you call in sick and write your memoir before retiring to bed.”
Victoria gazed at Papa with a look of wonder. “Geez,” she said, “my dad doesn’t talk like that.”
Papa smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“I know, but really? Do I have to go to school?” She gazed down with apprehension at the emerging trees and houses and streets below her. They were still in Northern Kentucky but would be at the Ohio River in a matter of moments, and then in another few moments, back at the house in Batesville. “I mean, I didn’t get a wink of sleep.”
“What are you going to tell your folks?” Maddie asked.
Victoria scrunched up her eyebrows. “I don’t know. I doubt they’ve even noticed I’ve been missing all night long.”
“I’m sure they noticed that,” Bettina said.
“Yeah, I know,” Victoria said, then added, “I wouldn’t be in the least bit surprised if they’ve called out the sheriff to look for me.”
Papa and Mama exchanged glances.
“Why don’t we try a forgetting charm?” Mama asked in a low voice.
“But what about the police?” Papa fretted. “What if her parents alerted the entire village?”
“I can handle that,” Bettina said hastily, then blushed. “I can tell Ri—I mean, Officer Colton, to call down the search.”
“You know this Officer Colton well?” Papa asked.
“She’s been seeing him,” Mama said in a voice of cold asperity.
Bettina ducked her head, blushing.
“My, my, my,” Papa said. “What’s been going on since I’ve been away?”
Mama pressed her lips together in a repressive frown. “Quite a bit, I’m afraid.”
“He’s awfully nice, Papa,” Bettina protested. “You’ll like him.” Then, under her breath, she added, “At least, I hope you will.”
“I’m sure I will, dear,” Papa said, but as he turned his head away from Bettina, Maddie noticed a look of concern filling his eyes. He and Mama exchanged a look.
“Don’t you go falling in love just yet, Madeleine,” Nana called out in a scratchy voice. “You’ve got plenty of time to fall in love and make your mother miserable.”
“I’m never leaving home,” Maddie said stoutly. “I hate boys.”
“So do I,” Victoria said, “although there is this one boy—”
“You very nearly got married off to a warlock-slash-vampire this evening,” Papa mused. “I doubt that your next beau will be so repulsive.”
“Don’t think about him,” Maddie said. “I can’t stand him.”
“Neither can I,” Papa agreed. “But the day will come, my dear, when you will present a handsome young man to me and say, ‘Papa, this is the man I intend to marry.’”
“No I won’t!” Maddie cried, her cheeks flaring crimson.
“Less vehemence, dear,” Mama said. “Your papa’s only pulling your leg.” She cast her husband a sly, sidelong glance. “I know it’s been a week since you last saw your father, but if you’ll recall, my dear, your father is something of a jokester.” In a softer voice, she added, “And I’ve missed the sound of his voice.”
“I do like to joke a lot,” Papa said, his voice suddenly serious, “but I really mean it, Maddie. Don’t go leaving me until you’ve found a man who will treat you as the empress-in-training that you are.”
Maddie listened raptly, waiting for the funny little joke at the end, the punch line, but none came. She looked over at her father and was surprised at what she saw—a look of love, yet with a sadness in his eyes she’d never seen before.
“Oh, Papa,” she said lightly. “You say the silliest things.”
But she spoke softly, too low for him to hear.
Bettina pointed. “Look, there’s the Ohio River.”
“We’re nearly home,” Maddie said.
And they nearly were.
THE END
