Boone shrugged. “I didn’t want the other parents to think you were a nut. I knew you would tell your friends — and especially the kids you didn’t like — so I thought it was best to wait. Then, as you got older, I worried that you would melt down because I didn’t tell you and ... well ... here we are.”
Lindsey worked her jaw, puzzling things out. “I guess that makes sense. I have a lot of questions, though.”
“Oh, good. There’s nothing I love more than questions.” Boone heaved out a sigh as he settled next to his daughter. “Do you remember when you were little and just took my word for everything?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
That warranted a smile, no matter how she tried to fight it. “I’m not kidding.”
“I know you’re not. I guess I can answer some questions over dinner. I would prefer if they weren’t really weird questions, though. Save those for a time when I’m not looking for a missing girl.”
“Wait ....” Realization dawned on Lindsey’s face. “Do you think a monster took Angel?”
Caught, Boone shifted his eyes to Cooper. “I would appreciate if you would at least try to help.”
“I didn’t realize you wanted me to be involved in this conversation.” Cooper tugged on his bottom lip as he regarded the feisty teenager. “I was under the impression you knew a lot of this stuff.”
“I’ve heard my dad say stuff, but I never thought it was real.”
“Did you think it was some elaborate hoax or something?” Hannah queried, curious.
“I don’t know. I guess I just thought it was our thing. He would tell me stories occasionally, treat the supernatural as normal, and I would laugh because I thought it was a joke.” Lindsey turned a set of accusatory eyes on her father. “I’m pretty sure it’s your fault I’m not better prepared for this.”
Boone let out a dry chuckle. “I’m not surprised you feel that way. If you have questions, I’m more than willing to answer them ... within reason. I don’t want to hear some weird ‘are were-ferrets real’ question. Only serious questions are allowed.”
“Okay.” Lindsey bobbed her head. “I’m going to have a bunch of them. I’m warning you.”
“I would expect nothing less. You need to eat your dinner while you’re asking, though.”
“Fine.” Lindsey’s forehead was creased in concentration as she opened her container and absently reached for the ketchup, which she proceeded to dump all over her fries. “If Miss Abigail is a ghost, does that mean we all turn into ghosts when we die?”
Boone was taken aback. Of all the questions he expected her to ask, that wasn’t one of them. “Oh, well ....” He looked to Hannah for help. He knew what his daughter was asking, but he honestly didn’t know how to answer it.
“I don’t think it works that way,” Hannah volunteered as she settled between Boone and Cooper. “I haven’t been at this all that long, but I think if everybody who died came back as a ghost, it would be a very crowded afterlife.”
“Then who decides who comes back as a ghost?” Lindsey pressed. “Is God real?”
That question was way above Hannah’s paygrade. “Um ... I don’t know.”
“How can you not know? Aren’t you one of them?”
“One of whom?”
“The magical people.”
“Oh.” Hannah rubbed her forehead, her dinner all but forgotten. “I guess. I didn’t know I was a witch until I moved to Casper Creek, though. I’m still learning about all of this.”
“You’re a witch?” Lindsey’s eyes were so wide Hannah thought they might pop out of her head. “Doesn’t that mean you’re evil?”
“Only when I have PMS,” Hannah quipped lamely.
Lindsey shifted her gaze to her father. “Is she evil?”
Boone chuckled. “No. Witches, just like people, can be good or bad. Hannah is a good witch. That’s not to say there aren’t evil witches out there, though. You need to be careful.”
“Right.” Lindsey bobbed her head, an air of thoughtfulness weighing her down like an anchor. “Was Astra a bad witch?”
Boone cleared his throat and pinned Cooper with a look. “This one is all you.”
Cooper groaned. “Thanks for that.” He blew out a sigh. “Astra is ... complicated. Everybody has good and bad qualities.”
“Oh, really?” Hannah made a face. “That’s the opposite of what you told me when I moved here. I believe your opening line to me was ‘she’s the devil and you need to stay away from her.’ Maybe your feelings toward her have softened.”
“Oh, don’t even.” Cooper made a tortured face. “You know that’s not true. I just don’t want Lindsey to scream and point if she sees Astra. That will be a very unpleasant situation.”
“Totally,” Lindsey agreed. “I’m serious, though. Is she evil?”
“She’s not a good person,” Cooper replied. “I don’t believe she’s trustworthy in the slightest. If you have a choice in the matter, it’s best that you don’t trust her.”
“Okay.” Lindsey didn’t seem bothered by the admonishment. “If Astra is evil and you were in love with her, how do you know Hannah isn’t evil? Maybe you have a type or something and don’t even realize it.”
Hannah wasn’t expecting the question so it hit her hard. “Oh, wow.”
Boone’s frown was pronounced. “Why would you say that?”
“It was just a question.”
“Hannah has been nothing but warm and welcoming to you,” Boone insisted. “She’s gone out of her way to talk to you, stand up for you when I complain, and even invited you out here to watch over you.”
“And look what happened. A storm hit and Angel went missing. Maybe that was supposed to be me.”
Boone was horrified. “What is wrong with you?”
“I’m not saying she’s definitely evil,” Lindsey volunteered hurriedly. “I’m just saying that maybe she’s evil and nobody has noticed.”
Hannah had no idea why she was so embarrassed, but her cheeks were on fire. “I think I’m going to head upstairs and eat.” She moved to collect her takeout container and flee.
“You are not.” Boone’s tone was firm. “This is your home and my daughter is the one who is treating you abysmally.”
“I’m not trying to treat her badly,” Lindsey insisted. “I just think it’s possible that Cooper is attracted to a certain type of witch. He might not even realize it.”
Boone opened his mouth, what Cooper assumed was a nasty diatribe on his lips, but the security chief knew it was his job to dispel this part of the conversation. After all, it was Lindsey’s crush on him fueling her theory.
“Hannah is a good person,” he insisted.
“Of course you think that.”
“No.” Cooper barked out the lone word. “Hannah is a very good person. She’s giving, sweet, and altogether loving. She’s gone out of her way for you and I don’t think you’re being very nice.”
Boone nodded in agreement. “Actually, you’re being very cruel, Lindsey. I’m positive it’s because of your little crush on Cooper. Here’s the thing, though, he doesn’t reciprocate your feelings. He looks at you like an annoying little sister.”
“Does that mean I think of you as my dad?” Cooper asked dryly.
Never moving his eyes from Lindsey’s face, Boone jabbed a finger in Cooper’s direction. “Don’t make me take you over my knee, boy.”
Cooper snickered. “I’ll try to keep my attitude in check.”
“That would be great,” Boone enthused. “I can only take one misbehaving teenager right now.” His gaze was serious as he stared at Lindsey, who was starting to squirm. “Cooper might think your crush on him is cute, but you’ve officially stepped over a line. It’s not okay to be cruel to people.”
“I wasn’t trying to be cruel,” Lindsey muttered. “I just ... wondered.”
“No, you’re jealous,” Boone corrected. “Just for the record, even if you were older, Cooper wouldn’t have feel
ings for you.”
“Why not?”
“Because he and I are too good of friends for him to risk dating my daughter.”
“Oh, so it’s your fault,” Lindsey groused.
“Right now, you’re the only one at fault,” Boone countered. “I think you owe Hannah an apology.”
Lindsey was morose when she locked gazes with Hannah. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings,” she started.
“It’s fine,” Hannah said hurriedly. “There’s nothing to get worked up about.”
“She owes you an apology,” Boone insisted. “Make her give it to you. I’m trying to instill a sense of right and wrong in her. She needs to know what she did was wrong.”
Hannah hesitated and then nodded. “Fine. You can finish your apology, Lindsey.”
“I really am sorry,” she insisted. “I don’t have anything against you. I just ... Cooper was supposed to be mine. I wasn’t all that worried when Astra was around because I knew they weren’t meant to be together. I’m afraid you guys are meant to be together, though. That means there’s no chance he’ll wait around long enough for me to be old enough.”
“There’s no chance of that anyway,” Boone warned.
“You don’t know,” Lindsey shot back. “You might be stricken mute or something and blink one too many times. He might think that’s code for it being okay to date me. Weirder things have happened.”
Despite the serious nature of the conversation, the adults around the table broke into chuckles.
“She’s a spitfire,” Cooper noted.
“She is,” Boone agreed. “She drives me nuts, though.”
“She can’t help herself. I’m so hot I drive her insane.”
“Yes, that must be it,” Boone deadpanned.
The mood at the table had lightened, but the atmosphere outside was growing increasingly dark. That’s the thing Hannah noticed when she flicked a glance toward the front window. “It looks as if it’s going to storm.”
Cooper followed her gaze, frowning when he got a gander at the window. “Is it a regular storm or a dust storm?”
At mention of dust storm, Lindsey stiffened in her chair and turned a pair of frightened eyes toward her father. “Is it a monster?”
“Of course not,” Boone replied automatically.
As if on cue, a huge bolt of lightning stretched across the sky, followed immediately by a tremendous rumble of thunder. The noise was so deafening that Jinx, who had been passed out under the table, jerked awake. The dog was so confused, his senses flying into overdrive, that he did the exact wrong thing and bolted for the door.
Hannah realized what was happening too late to stop it. “Jinx!” She knocked over her chair as she stood, but it was already too late. The dog was gone. “Jinx!”
The only response was another roll of thunder, and this time she could feel the ground vibrating under her feet because it was so close.
Another storm was upon them.
14
Fourteen
Hannah raced through the door, paying little heed to the storm. The second she emerged from the protective overhang she was hit with a wall of rain that drenched her clothing within five seconds flat.
“Jinx!”
“Hannah, get back inside,” Cooper ordered, his voice loud enough that it caused her to jolt. She hadn’t realized he’d followed her to the street. Now, using his most commanding voice, he became an unwanted presence.
“I’m going to find him,” Hannah insisted, putting her head down. “You should go back inside. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“Absolutely not.” Cooper vehemently shook his head. “You can’t go out in this.”
“I have to.” It wasn’t a choice for Hannah. “Jinx is out here.”
He paused at the simple words, resignation washing over him. She wouldn’t leave the dog to fend for himself. She once told him that Jinx was the only thing she had to hold onto when her previous life fell apart. She loved the goofy fur monster with her whole heart, and she would never abandon him … even for the limited duration of a storm.
He made up his mind on the spot. “I’ll look for him.” It wasn’t a sacrifice. Not really. Even though Jinx had decided Cooper was the enemy these days, that didn’t mean he wasn’t fond of the dog. “You go back inside. As soon as I have him, I’ll bring him to you.”
“No.” Rain ran down Hannah’s face in a torrent, mixing with her tears. “He might not come to you. If he hears your voice, he won’t necessarily respond. If he hears me, though, he’ll have no choice.”
Cooper wanted to argue with the statement — the idea of her running around during a dangerous storm filled him with dread — but he knew better. “Then we’ll go together. Just ... wait one second.”
Hannah, belligerent, shook her head. “You wait. I’m going.”
“I just want to tell Boone where we’ll be.”
“Go ahead. Nobody is stopping you. I’m going after Jinx right now.”
“Hannah.” Cooper was exasperated, but it didn’t matter. She was already moving. He growled under his breath and then headed inside the saloon, dragging a hand through his bedraggled hair as he met Boone’s concerned gaze. “I’m helping Hannah find Jinx. You guys should stay here.”
“I’ll help, too,” Boone automatically offered.
“No, that’s not necessary.” Cooper cast a sidelong look toward Lindsey. “I don’t think she should be left alone.”
The weight of Cooper’s words hit Boone hard. “Oh.”
“Just in case,” Cooper reassured him quickly. “Angel was alone during a storm. This doesn’t feel like the same thing but ... you never know.”
“Right.” Even though he knew it was a good idea to remain behind, Boone was uneasy. “Maybe we should all go out together. If there are four of us, we’ll find Jinx faster.”
“I don’t see a need for everybody to get wet,” Cooper countered. “You guys stay here, eat your dinner. Hopefully this won’t take too long. Jinx will probably run to Hannah the second he hears her voice.”
The sound of pronounced footsteps caught Boone’s attention before he could respond, and when he turned to the door — hoping against hope to find Hannah returning with the mischievous dog — he found a horse standing in the opening instead. “What the ....?”
Cooper’s eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. “Is that Honey?”
“The horse is named Honey?” Lindsey brightened considerably. “That’s so cute. Can he stay inside? I think he’s afraid of the storm.”
“He can’t stay inside.” Cooper was firm. “He’ll crap on the floor, and unless you want to clean it up, he’s going back to the paddock. Although ....” He trailed off, considering.
“How did he get out of the paddock in the first place?” Boone finished for him.
“Crap.” Cooper grabbed Honey’s bridle and gave the horse a nudge to get her to backup. “Come on. I’ll take you back home. We’ll get you in the barn.”
It took some maneuvering — both Cooper and Boone working together — but they finally managed to get Honey onto the street ... where they found absolute bedlam waiting for them.
“No way.” Cooper was horrified when he registered the baby goats racing up and down the muddy expanse. He’d lost count of how many Tyler had these days, but it appeared all of them were having a grand time taking on Main Street. “Son of a .... !”
Any and all thoughts of taking shelter inside with Lindsey fled for Boone and he motioned for the teenager to join them rather than retreat inside. “Come on. You need to help us round them up.”
Lindsey didn’t look keen at the prospect. “I would rather stay inside.”
“I don’t care what you want. You’re sticking with me.”
“But my dinner is in there.”
“And we can heat it up when we’re done.”
“I don’t want to get my hair wet.”
“It will dry.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t like st
orms. They make me nervous.”
“Don’t give me that crap. This is all about your hair. I don’t care if your hair looks stupid. We have to get these animals back in the barn. Do you want them to wander away and get lost?”
Lindsey shrugged. “I don’t know. Won’t they eventually come back on their own?”
“Not if they can’t find their way back.”
“Yeah, but ... they’re just goats. Aren’t goats really easy to replace?”
Boone’s temper, which he’d barely been holding in check, surfaced with a vengeance. “Get out here right now!”
His tone told Lindsey everything she needed to know. He wasn’t messing around. “Okay.” She swallowed hard and emerged into the rain, her lower lip protruding as she crossed to the two men. “What do you want me to do?”
“Wrangle the goats,” Boone gritted out. “When you get one, take it to the paddock. Don’t leave Main Street. Stay in my sight at all times. If one of the goats escapes and hides between the buildings, tell me and we’ll get it together. Do you understand?”
“I’m not stupid. I’ve got it.”
“I didn’t say you were stupid.”
“You’re talking to me like I’m stupid,” the teenager groused.
Boone shook his head and focused on Cooper. “That little girl you’re picturing, the one that looks like a miniature version of Hannah, just remember that she’ll grow up to be mouthy like this one.”
Cooper swallowed a laugh and tugged on Honey’s bridle. “I’ll keep that in mind.” When he got to the paddock, which was a slog because Main Street had turned into a mud pit, he was relieved to find Tyler leading another horse into the barn. The look of relief on the other man’s face was profound.
“You found her. I was so worried when she wasn’t with the others.”
“She showed up in the saloon,” Cooper replied, leading Honey into her stall. “Do you want me to dry her off?”
“Yes, but we need to collect the other animals first. That can wait.”
“Boone and Lindsey are wrangling goats on Main Street right now. I was about to go back and help them.”
Dances With Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 5) Page 14
