Main Street was practically deserted as I made my way towards Hypnotic. I expected to find only Thistle inside of the magic store, but I heard raised voices the minute I walked through the door.
“I don’t have a crush on him.” Clove looked up from behind the counter when she heard the wind chimes above the front door of the store jangle. “Will you tell her I don’t have a crush on Trevor?”
I sighed as I threw myself down on the couch in the middle of the store, searching the room for a sign of Thistle. I found her dusting shelves on the far side of the store, grinning wickedly in Clove’s direction.
“She doesn’t have a crush on Trevor,” I offered lamely.
“Oh please,” Thistle scoffed. “You know she has a crush on him. You saw it the minute she opened the door. We talked about it the whole way into town.”
“You talked about me behind my back?” Clove practically screeched.
“Of course we did,” Thistle said. “You were our main topic of conversation – even though you obviously forgot we were even in the room the minute you saw him. Not that I blame you.”
Clove shot me a dirty look. “How could you?” She’s so dramatic sometimes.
“Oh, please,” I sighed. “Of course we talk about you behind your back. We also talk about our moms behind their backs. And Aunt Tillie, too. We all talk about each other. Lying about it is pointless.”
“We were talking about Bay twenty minutes ago,” Thistle said pointedly to Clove.
“What were you saying?” I asked suspiciously.
“Nothing,” Clove said hurriedly. “We weren’t talking about you.”
“She’s lying,” Thistle said. “We were both wondering how long it would be before you got over Landon.”
I bristled at the statement. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that you’ve spent the last six weeks moping about and it’s starting to get annoying,” Thistle said truthfully. “If I have to watch The Notebook one more time I’m going to burn the DVD.”
“That’s terrible,” Clove hissed. “Why did you tell her that?”
“Because it’s the truth, and she needs to hear it,” Thistle responded airily.
“I have not been moping about Landon,” I said indignantly.
“What would you call it?”
“I haven’t been thinking about him at all,” I lied.
“You are such a liar,” Thistle teased. She sobered after a second, though. “I’m only joking. You should take as much time as you need to get over him. I know you liked him.”
I was about to explode and tell her that I didn’t like Landon when my mind drifted to the image of him waving from the boat. Who was I kidding? “It’s funny that you bring up Landon . . .” I started.
“Why?” Clove asked curiously. I think she was just glad that my arrival had derailed Thistle’s Trevor interrogation.
“I just saw him,” I said, in what I hoped was a neutral tone.
Clove’s mouth dropped open and Thistle dropped the book she had been dusting back on the shelf – in what I was sure was not its proper placement. They were both beside me on the couch in seconds.
“Where?”
“How did he look?”
I told them about the call from Chief Terry and the abandoned boat that was towed into the dock. When I got to my conversation with Landon, Thistle and Clove were totally entranced.
“So, what did he say?”
“He said he thought that Aunt Tillie brought down a lightning bolt and vaporized his suspect,” I said nervously.
“Well, she did,” Thistle said thoughtfully. “I thought he was denying that happened. That’s a big step forward.”
“The last time I saw him he was,” I said.
“He’s had some time to think about it,” Thistle said sagely. “He knows what he saw. He just didn’t want to believe it. After some time, though, he realizes there’s no other explanation.”
“You don’t seem upset by this little tidbit of information,” I said.
“Why would we be?” Clove looked confused.
“Because that’s our big family secret,” I said simply.
“It’s not that big of a secret,” Thistle reminded me. “Everyone in town thinks we’re off.”
“Not everyone,” I protested.
“Bay,” Clove started gently. “You’ve always been the one to fight what we are. You even ran away to Detroit to get away from it. I thought when you came back you would realize that you can’t hide from it, but you still try to and I don’t understand why.”
I was flabbergasted by her comment. “I don’t try to hide from it.”
“Yes, you do,” Thistle agreed. “We’ve never said anything about it because we thought you would grow out of it. You’re still scared of our birthright, though.”
“I don’t see you telling Marcus,” I challenged her.
“He knows,” Thistle shrugged simply.
“How?” I was floored by her admission.
“What do you mean how? Everyone in this town knows. You can’t tell me you haven’t heard the whispers? That you haven’t felt the stares on your back? That you haven’t known in your heart that they all know?” Thistle was trying to gauge my reaction.
“I know they know,” I said finally. “It’s just that no one admits that they know.”
“That’s their problem,” Thistle said dismissively. “I don’t care who knows.”
“You don’t care who knows? What if they found out that Aunt Tillie charcoaled a guy at the Hollow Creek?”
“You don’t think they’re already gossiping about that? I mean, they don’t know exactly what she did, but they do know that she did something.”
“Mrs. White asked me if Aunt Tillie used a voodoo doll to dismember him,” Clove said.
“Mrs. Gunderson asked me if Aunt Tillie shot fire out of her eyes and burned him alive,” Thistle added.
I bit my lower lip as I considered what they were telling me. I didn’t tell him that Brian Kelly had asked me if Aunt Tillie boiled him in a cauldron and used him as a secret ingredient in her wine. “Still, those are just rumors,” I said. “They don’t actually know anything about us.”
“I think you’d be surprised,” Thistle said. “Callie White once came in and asked us if we carried love potions. When we said we didn’t, she told us we should consider it because that would make us rich.”
“Callie White is an idiot,” I grumbled.
“You’re just saying that because you found her making out with your high school boyfriend under the bleachers at homecoming,” Thistle chided. “That’s not the point, though. I’m just saying that everyone knows about us, no matter how much you want to pretend otherwise.”
“Landon is different, though,” I said finally. “He’s an outsider. He hasn’t heard all the rumors. He doesn’t think we’re evil.”
Clove patted my hand reassuringly. “He knows we’re not evil, Bay. He also knows he’s drawn to you and he can’t figure out why. He knows there’s something special about you. That’s why he’s back. He doesn’t want to let you go and he’s willing to give you the time to come to him with the truth.”
“Do you think?” Part of me hoped that was the truth and part of me was terrified at the prospect.
“Of course,” Thistle laughed. “Aunt Tillie knows, too. When he left, she told me he would be back. And she was right. God help us, that crazy old bat was right.”
Clove looked around nervously. We were all convinced that Aunt Tillie could hear us talking about her – even when she was miles away. “Bay, the thing you have to ask yourself is if you are ready to tell Landon the truth?”
“I don’t have to tell him right away,” I said irritably.
“No, you don’t have to tell him right away,” Thistle conceded. “But, eventually, you’re going to have to tell him. You can’t truly move forward unless you do.”
“We don’t even know if he’ll stick around long enough to find out,” I said pragmati
cally.
Clove and Thistle exchanged knowing looks. “He’s going to stick around,” Clove said finally.
“He can’t make himself stay away,” Thistle laughed. “I’m surprised he managed to stay away this long, frankly. He’s here for the long haul now, though.”
“How do you know that?” I asked suspiciously. “Have you seen something?”
“I’m not the one that sees things,” Thistle reminded me. “Sometimes I channel things, but not usually anything to do with your love life. When I channel, it’s usually a life or death situation.”
I turned to Clove questioningly. “Have you seen something?” She did see things. That’s why she was the one who read the tarot cards at the shop. People swore up and down about her abilities, even though Clove only saw half the stuff she predicted. She was just really good at reading people.
“About you and Landon?” Clove asked teasingly. “No, I haven’t seen anything. That doesn’t mean I don’t know.”
“Know what?” I asked fearfully.
“That he’s the one for you,” she said simply.
“That’s not what you two were gossiping about earlier,” I reminded her.
“We’re not omnipotent,” Thistle said. “Despite what Aunt Tillie would have us believe. Sometimes, though, you just know. And I know he’s the guy for you.”
“And it’s not just because he’s really hot,” Clove said earnestly. “It’s because he has a good heart and I know he’ll always be there when you need him.”
“What else could you want?” Thistle asked honestly.
“I don’t know,” I admitted finally. “I think I’m just . . .”
“Afraid,” Thistle supplied. “You’re afraid of letting him in because you’re afraid he’ll run again. You have time; take it.”
Clove patted my knee affectionately. “He’ll be here when you’re ready. I promise.”
Crap. I hated it when they thought they knew everything. I loathed it, though, when I thought they were right.
Six
I was more than a little relieved when my cell phone buzzed in my pocket. When I pulled it out, I wasn’t thrilled to see the name Brian Kelly pop up on the caller ID. “Crap,” I muttered.
“What’s wrong?” Clove asked curiously. “I thought you were getting along with him better?”
“That was before Edith told me that he was having secret conversations with someone behind my back.”
“Edith needs more to do with her day,” Thistle said. “I think you should suggest a few more visits with Aunt Tillie.”
“I’m trying not to piss her off this week,” I said. “I’d like to have a clear complexion when I have dinner with Landon.”
“So, you’ve decided to go?” Clove asked with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.
I answered the phone instead of acknowledging her question.. “Hey Brian. What’s up?”
“I have a new advertiser at the newspaper,” Brian answered. “He’s going to be throwing a lot of business our way, but he wants to meet with the editor of the paper first.”
“Why?” I knew most of the paper’s advertisers. They usually didn’t want one-on-one meetings with me.
“I don’t know why,” Brian said. “I just think you should do it. We could use a good influx of cash.”
Despite the dire straits the news industry currently found itself mired in, The Whistler made a solid profit each year. We had a stable advertising business, and tourists bought up as many copies of the paper as possible because they thought it was quaint. They used it as mementos for their photo books and, I imagined, to laugh over with their friends during cocktail hour when they got back to the “big city.” Still, I knew that Brian wanted to make as much money as possible. I didn’t see the harm in agreeing to his request.
“I’ll be there in a few minutes,” I said. “I’m at Hypnotic. It won’t take me long to get there.”
“Good,” Brian said and then disconnected.
When I put my phone back in my pocket, Thistle and Clove were watching me expectantly. “He wants me to meet with some new advertiser.”
“Who?” Thistle asked. She had never liked or trusted Brian.
“I have no idea,” I said honestly.
“Have you heard of any new businesses coming to town?” Thistle turned to Clove.
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything,” Clove said. She had been nursing a backdoor crush on Brian Kelly since she’d met him. I was hoping that crush would disappear now that Trevor was on the scene. Clove was too good for Brian, quite frankly.
“I’ll tell you who it is when I get home tonight,” I said, dismissing Thistle’s concerns outright. “How bad can it be to meet with an advertiser, right?”
Clove looked me up and down dubiously. “You probably should have straightened your hair this morning. You look like you’ve spent time in a wind tunnel.”
“The air is really dry,” I reminded her.
“That doesn’t explain your hair.”
“Oh, good grief,” I huffed. “Go back to talking about me behind my back while I’m gone.”
“Don’t worry,” Thistle winked. “We will. I might even call my mom and get her in on the action.”
“Don’t you dare! If you tell your mom, she’ll tell my mom and Landon will be forced out there for dinner.”
“I told you,” Thistle said blithely. “Winter bores me. I have to get my entertainment where I can.”
“Don’t worry,” Clove said placatingly. “I won’t let her use the phone.”
“If you do,” I threatened. “I’ll tell Aunt Tillie it was your idea for them to use her wine closet for the new furnace.”
“That’s not true,” Clove protested.
“Aunt Tillie doesn’t know that,” I said as I strutted out of the store.
“I think Bay is catching Marnie’s menopause madness,” I heard Thistle say before the door shut behind me.
When I got back to The Whistler, I dropped my coat and hat off in my office before heading to Brian’s office. Edith was waiting for me when I got there. “Who’s in there?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “He looks familiar, but I just can’t place him.”
“He doesn’t look evil, does he?”
“What does evil look like?” Edith asked.
“Kris Jenner.”
“Who?”
“Never mind.”
I raised my hand and knocked on Brian’s door, waiting for an invitation before I entered. Nothing could have prepared me for who I found inside. The man sitting in the chair, wearing a pressed suit and wringing his hands nervously, was someone I hadn’t seen in years. I recognized him, though, from Thistle’s photo book and my own weak memories. “Uncle Teddy,” I said breathlessly. “What . . . why . . . what are you doing here?”
“Bay, this is Ted Proctor,” Brian started to introduce me.
“I know who he is,” I said irritably. “He’s Thistle’s dad.”
“Oh, right,” Brian looked properly chastised. “He was worried you wouldn’t remember him.”
“Thistle has a picture of him up in her bedroom,” I said warily.
“She does?” Ted spoke for the first time since I entered the office.
“What is he doing here?” I pointed the question at Brian.
“He’s a land developer,” Brian said easily. “He’s looking at some property in the area for a group of businessmen that want to invest.”
I glanced back at Ted. He looked different than I remembered – and yet the same. His dark eyes were deep pools of concern, and his brown hair – which had a little more gray at the temples than I remembered – was still slicked back in the manner he had worn it all those years ago.
“So why do you need to see me?” I asked finally.
“I thought it was best,” Ted said. “Brian and I are going to be doing some business together. Instead of hiding from you, I thought it would be best to just announce my presence.”
“T
o me?”
“Yes,” Ted looked confused.
“What about to your daughter?” My mind traveled to the conversation that Thistle, Clove and I had had this morning. I had been surprised when Thistle mentioned her dad. Maybe I shouldn’t have been. Maybe she knew her dad was in town and she’d been keeping it a secret. Somehow, I doubted that was the case.
“I plan on seeing Thistle,” Ted shot Brian a nervous look. “I’m just not sure how to do it.”
“Well,” I said angrily. “Her store is a couple blocks down the road. She’s there right now. I was just with her.”
“Still joined at the hip, I see,” Ted said, flashing me a bright smile. “The three of you were more like sisters than cousins. Even when you were little.”
“Which is the last time you saw me,” I reminded him.
“Yes,” Ted nodded. “I would recognize you anywhere, though. You look just like your mom.”
“I do not.”
Ted looked confused. “Yes you do. You always did. I would imagine Clove still looks like Marnie, too.”
Well, that was true. “I wouldn’t open with that,” I said. None of us wanted to admit we looked like our moms. If that was true, I couldn’t help but picture us all still living together and fighting over the same guy in thirty years. I shuddered at the unwanted thought.
Ted laughed, despite himself. “Yeah, I remember how mad Marnie used to get when people told her she looked like Tillie.”
That still infuriated her.
“How is your Aunt Tillie?” Ted asked. I think he was just trying to fill the awkward silence.
“She’s fine,” I said. I didn’t miss the fact that Brian had coughed the word “evil” into his hand, though. “She’s as ornery as ever.”
“I would expect nothing less.” I think Ted was trying to charm me. It wasn’t going to work, though.
“So, what property are you interested in?” I changed the subject.
“I’m still looking,” Ted said, shifting his gaze laterally to Brian, clasping his hands behind his back. I knew he was lying, his body language confirmed it, but I couldn’t figure out why. “I just didn’t want to keep hiding while I was in town.”
Witching You Were Here (Wicked Witches of the Midwest Book 3) Page 4
