“I guess.” Hannah recognized he was trying to let her off the hook, but that’s not what she wanted. “Speaking of Lindsey, how is she doing?”
Boone let his eyes drift to the swinging doors as Jinx came bounding in, his tongue hanging out of his mouth. He looked positively thrilled with life, which had Boone letting loose a legitimate smile. “Who’s a good boy?”
Jinx rubbed himself over Boone’s legs, his butt twitching wildly.
“He wants you to scratch his butt,” Hannah volunteered, her eyes drifting to the door as Cooper appeared. He didn’t look nearly as thrilled with life as Jinx. “How did the bonding go?”
His frown was pronounced as he slid through the doors, and it was only then that Hannah realized he wasn’t wearing shoes.
“Um ....” She wrinkled her nose, confused. “Did you get mugged on Main Street?”
“Mugged? No. I did get doggie bombed on Main Street, though.”
“I don’t understand.”
“He crapped on my boots.”
“Who? Jinx?” Hannah wanted to feign shock but she couldn’t. The dog had made his disdain of Cooper known over recent weeks and this was simply the newest instance of defiance.
“Oh, don’t be cute.” Cooper made a face as he crossed behind the table, his glare landing on Jinx as the dog happily allowed Boone to scratch his butt. “You know darned well that dog hates me.”
“Oh, Jinx wouldn’t do that,” Boone complained, his eyes lit with mirth. “He’s a good boy.”
As if to prove it, Jinx shot Boone an adoring look.
“You’re not fooling anybody, buddy,” Cooper shot back. “I know exactly what you’re doing. You’re trying to make me look like a crazy person. I’m not going to fall for it, though.”
Jinx rubbed his head against Boone’s knee, as if to say “can you believe this guy?”
“Just ignore him, Jinx,” Boone said. “He’s jealous because he’s not a good boy.”
“Ha, ha.”
“I guess it’s good for you that I like bad boys, huh?” Hannah teased her boyfriend, although she remained leery. “I’m just going to ....” She drifted toward the doors and looked out, frowning when she caught sight of the boots. There was indeed a noticeable stain on one of them. “Did you just stand there while he crapped on you or something?”
Cooper’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “He did it all stealthy-like. I thought he wanted to be petted. It wasn’t until I smelled it that I realized what he was really doing.”
“Jinx!” Hannah was horrified as she looked toward the dog, who was suddenly the picture of innocence. “I can’t believe you did that.”
The dog’s brown eyes were clear, as if to say “I love you, Momma. How can you possibly be suspicious of me?”
“Such a good boy,” Boone intoned, fondling Jinx’s silky ears. “I can’t believe anybody would think you would purposely do something so horrible.”
Hannah had no doubt it had been on purpose but there was no sense debating it. Cooper wouldn’t cool down until they changed the subject. “So, you were about to tell me how Lindsey is handling things,” Hannah prodded.
“I was?” Boone looked baffled. “I don’t remember that.”
“It was right before you got distracted by Jinx.”
“Oh, right.” Boone nodded even though he didn’t necessarily agree. “Um, as for Lindsey, she’s really down. She blames herself for getting separated from Angel — which is ridiculous — but she thinks this wouldn’t have happened if she’d stayed with her.”
Since Hannah thought the same thing, she opted not to comment. Instead she slid into her seat at the table. “Is she home alone today?”
“No. She’s volunteering at the library. I wanted her someplace public.”
“That’s probably smart.”
“I don’t know about it being smart,” he countered. “I was afraid she would crawl into her head and get lost if I left her to her own devices, though. She tends to be theatrical, in case you haven’t noticed.”
Hannah’s lips quirked as she opened one of the omelet containers. “Girls that age can’t help themselves when it comes to drama. It’s ingrained in the hormones.”
“Oh, I know all about the hormones.” Boone’s gaze was dark as he sat next to her. “All I’ve had to hear about for weeks is how hot Cooper is.”
“I am hot,” Cooper noted as he sat next to Hannah. He made sure to give Jinx a wide berth. For his part, the dog planted himself between Boone and Hannah and fixed the security guru with a defiant stare, as if daring him to pick a fight.
“You shouldn’t be hot to my teenaged daughter,” Boone insisted. “She’s a child.”
“She’s not a child,” Hannah countered. “I mean ... she is, and she’ll always be your child. She’s growing into a woman, though. She has feelings and emotions—”
“I know all about the feelings and emotions,” Boone snapped. “She tells me about her feelings every single night. Trust me. I know what she’s feeling.”
Hannah had to purse her lips to keep from laughing. “I take it you’re not a fan of the feelings.”
“Not even a little.”
“You’ll grow to appreciate them.”
“When?”
“When she’s older and has her own family.”
“Oh, yeah?” Boone didn’t look convinced. “Does your father appreciate your feelings? I mean ... you were engaged to a guy. You were living with him. Was your father okay with that setup?”
Hannah hesitated. If it was one thing she hated talking about, it was her relationship with her ex fiancé. He’d been a cheater, an emotional abuser of the highest order, and the sort of man who made himself feel bigger by making her feel smaller. “Um ....”
“I’m sorry.” Boone was instantly contrite. “I shouldn’t have asked you that. It wasn’t fair. I know that situation was ... rough.”
“No, it’s okay.” Hannah licked her lips and darted her eyes to Cooper. He looked uncomfortable on her behalf. “It’s not a big deal or anything. I’m over it ... other than I hate him and wish a nest of fire ants would take up residence in his pants.”
His shoes forgotten, Cooper reached over and patted her hand. “As a witch, you might be able to make that happen. Once things settle down, you should ask Jackie about it.”
“I’m pretty sure that goes against the karma thing she’s always preaching about.”
“That’s true. It can’t hurt to ask, though.”
Because she happened to agree, Hannah filed the idea away to think about later and focused on Boone. “You know Lindsey’s not being dramatic just to be dramatic, right? She’s processing her own mortality. Angel being taken knocked her for a loop and made her wonder what would’ve happen if their roles would’ve been reversed.”
Boone slid her a thoughtful look. “I didn’t consider it from that perspective before, but it sort of makes sense. I still think it’s best for her to be at the library today.”
“I happen to agree. She needs a distraction.”
“And we need to focus on Angel,” Cooper added. “She’s still out there. I refuse to believe she’s not. I think we have to keep searching even though it’s unlikely that we’ll find her just hanging around Casper Creek.”
“I agree.” Boone bobbed his head and grabbed a container of biscuits and gravy. “I have search teams that will be here within the hour. I know that’s probably not what you want to hear, but I have no choice but to go by the book on this.”
“Why would that bother us?” Hannah asked, genuinely curious.
“Because there’s a magical dome hanging over the town and we’re likely dealing with some sort of paranormal monster.”
“Ah, that.” Hannah mustered a rueful smile, although it was pure torture. “Well, we’ll just have to make sure we don’t do anything weird while they’re here.”
“That would be nice,” Boone agreed. “You guys need to go about your business as if nothing has happened. My understandin
g is that you’re not open today.”
Hannah shook her head. “We had planned two days off for cleaning and stocking. I guess it came at a good time. We are supposed to be open tomorrow, though. I guess we can postpone another day if we have to, but I’m really not keen on it.”
“Let’s hold off, at last for a few hours,” Boone suggested. “We might have a better feel for things.”
“I was thinking I would head down to the caves to take a look,” Hannah supplied. “I’ll leave Jinx with Tyler just to be on the safe side. Those hills over there are treacherous and I don’t want him getting hurt.”
Cooper balked. “I don’t know that it’s safe to be wandering around those caves.”
“I don’t see where we have much choice.” Hannah was matter-of-fact. “We know that supernatural creatures have hidden out there before. We’re operating under the supposition that we’re working with some sort of magically-charged being. We have to look inside the caves.”
Boone cleared his throat to cut off whatever Cooper was going to say. “I know you don’t want to hear it, but I think she’s right. We have to check the caves.”
“Then I’m going with you.” Cooper’s tone told Hannah she didn’t have any choice in the matter. “You can’t go alone in case something happens.”
“I would love your company.” She flashed a smile for his benefit. “There’s little I love better than tromping through caves with you.”
The sarcasm was enough to have Cooper grinning. “Am I going to have to call you Ms. Hickok again?”
“Ugh. Do I even want to know what the two of you are talking about?”
“Probably not,” Cooper replied. “Suffice it to say she was annoyed with me last night and we played a little game.”
“Gross.” Boone lightly cuffed the back of Cooper’s head. “That’s not proper breakfast conversation. Tell me something else.”
“Actually, we do have some information,” Hannah offered, brightening. “We learned a story about warring sister witches last night and I think it might have some bearing on what’s happening now ... although I still haven’t figured out how.”
“Tell him the story,” Cooper prodded. “We’ll figure out the rest of it later.”
Boone was relieved to be off the “Ms. Hickok” conversational train. The last thing he wanted to hear was something dirty. “Yes, tell me about the weird sister witches. That seems like a safe topic.”
“You might change your mind when I’m finished,” Hannah warned.
“Anything is better than watching you guys throw foreplay at one another over the breakfast table. Tell me what you have.”
“With pleasure.”
11
Eleven
Jinx tried to follow Cooper and Hannah out of town. Even though Hannah ordered him to stay, he whined and carried on as if he were being tortured. Ultimately, Tyler had to put a leash on him to make sure he didn’t run wild.
“He’ll be okay,” Tyler reassured them as they moved away from the paddock. “He just likes an adventure and doesn’t understand why he can’t be part of this one.”
“I’m sorry, Jinx,” Hannah called out. “It’s not safe for you, though. Those hills are treacherous.”
“Yes, it’s only safe for us,” Cooper drawled. “We’ll be fine if we fall and break an ankle. Oh, wait ....”
Hannah shot him a quelling look. “If you’re going to have attitude, I bet Tyler has a leash for you, too.”
Cooper smirked. “I didn’t know you rolled that way.”
It took her a moment to realize what he was inferring and she made a horrified noise deep in her throat. “Cooper!”
Jinx barked one more time, a pathetic expression on his face for his mistress. Then, as if starring in a horror movie, his eyes were dark when he focused on Cooper.
“He’s going to rip my throat out when I’m sleeping one night, isn’t he?”
“No.” Hannah snorted ... and then thought about the possibility a little harder. “He’s far more likely to try and smother you in your sleep.”
“Oh, well, that makes me feel much better.”
They linked hands for the walk, the banter serving as amusement rather than actual strife. When they reached the edge of the dome, Hannah slowed her pace and stared hard at the magical barrier. “Can you see it?”
“Is this where it’s at?” Cooper shook his head. “Sorry. I don’t see it.”
“Maybe you have to be a witch to see it.”
“Or magically inclined.”
“Maybe.” She forced a smile and tentatively extended her fingers to touch the wall. “We tested it thoroughly yesterday, but I’m still a little nervous.”
“Then maybe you should stay on this side of the wall.”
“I can’t. I have to do something, Cooper. I can’t just pretend everything is hunky-dory.”
He was quiet for a beat and then managed a smile. “I don’t know that I’m comfortable dating a woman who can drop ‘hunky-dory’ into a conversation quite so easily.”
“Does that mean you want to break up?”
“Never. I just think hunky-dory is a weird saying. If you want to refer to me as a hunk, I’m fine with it. Nothing else should be hunky, though.”
“What about Jason Statham?”
Cooper’s forehead creased. “Are you talking about that guy in the giant shark movie?”
“He’s been in more than that, but yes. My favorite movie he’s in is Spy. Have I ever told you how much I love that movie?”
“That’s the Melissa McCarthy one, right?”
“Yes. I think she might be my spirit animal in that movie.”
He laughed. “It’s pretty funny. How about, when all of this is behind us, we pick up barbecue and have a movie night? That can be the main event.”
“I would like that.” However mundane, the conversation settled her. She took a deep breath and moved through the wall, only exhaling when she reached the other side. “See. I’m perfectly fine.”
“You’re better than fine.” He followed her, briefly snagging her around the waist and pressing a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth. “You’re absolutely perfect.”
“Oh, you’re too cute.” She tapped his chin and separated. “Let’s get to the caves, huh?”
It wouldn’t have been Cooper’s preferred afternoon excursion but now that they were out there, their destination settled, he just wanted to get it over with. “I’m going in first.”
“Why are you going in first?”
“Because I brought the flashlights.”
“Oh.” She felt like a bit of a ninny. “I guess that makes sense.”
“And I’m the head of security.”
“Yes, but I’m your boss.”
“It’s my job to keep my boss safe.”
“I guess I can live with that.”
They had to climb to the cave single file. Hannah went first in case she slipped and Cooper needed to catch her. It wasn’t an overly long climb, but they were both out of breath when they landed in front of their destination.
“I think I need to work out more,” Hannah said as she caught her breath. “That was like a five-minute climb and I feel as if I’ve aged ten years.”
“I’ve always wanted to date an older woman.” He rubbed his hand up and down her back to center her before digging into the small bag he’d brought with him. “Here.” He handed her a flashlight and retrieved one for himself. Then he turned serious. “If we do find something in there, you have to be ready to run.”
“If Angel is in there, I’m not running.”
“You might have to depending on what we’re up against.” He refused to back down. “It’s better to do an initial retreat than fall in the opening battle.”
She blinked several times in rapid succession. “Is that something you learned overseas?”
“Dungeons & Dragons.”
She froze, mystified. “You played Dungeons & Dragons?”
“Yeah. Didn’t you?�
�
“No. I ... no.” She had no idea what to make of the new revelation. “Do you still play it?”
“Not in years. Why? Do you want to set up a game?”
“I would rather set up a weekly euchre tournament or something.”
Now it was his turn to be confused. “Euchre is a card game, right?”
“Um ... it’s the card game. Don’t tell me you’ve never played it.”
“Sorry.” He held out his hands and shrugged. “My understanding is that euchre is a Midwest game. It might even be Michigan-centric. Not everybody plays it.”
Hannah’s mouth dropped open. “That can’t be right. Euchre is the best game ever.”
“Well, I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“Or, I could teach you.” She knew she was babbling to center herself, but it felt like a necessary endeavor. “We could turn it into a game. Er, well, another sort of game.”
“Strip euchre?”
“You need partners to play it. Are you saying you want me to get naked in front of two other people?”
He shrugged. “It depends. Do I get to pick these people?”
She lightly slapped his arm and choked out a laugh. “No. We might be able to turn the tutorial into a private affair, though.” She rolled her neck and glanced toward the cave. “We really can’t put this off any longer.”
“I know.” He turned serious. “I’m going in first.”
“I didn’t forget.”
“Good.” He planted a firm kiss against her lips. “If you don’t run headlong into danger in here and make me lose my head, I’ll learn whatever card game you want me to.”
“Deal.”
COOPER’S HEART BEAT HARD AS HE plunged into the darkness. He wasn’t fearful by nature — his military service had drummed that out of him — but his desire to keep Hannah safe was overwhelming. It was one thing to risk himself, he figured it was part of his job description, but her life was worth more than his ... at least to him. He would die for multiple people. He would kill for her if it became necessary.
Dances With Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 5) Page 11
