I glanced at Galen for his reaction. He was smiling.
“That’s a great idea,” Galen offered before I had a chance to answer. “Hadley is worried about doing this. It will be good for her to a have a family member close when it comes time.”
“I’m glad to be that family member.” Wesley said the words, but there wasn’t much energy behind them. “We should probably gather some supplies.” He looked up to the third-floor window. “That means I’ll have to go inside.”
My heart went out to him. “Just tell me what you want and I’ll collect it.”
“No.” Wesley was firm when he shook his head. “It’s time. I want to see May. I want to help you. We’ll do this together.”
I was relieved beyond measure. “Thank you … for this and the really cool cart.”
Wesley’s expression softened. “Just think of it as a lifetime of missed Christmas and birthday gifts all rolled together.”
“It’s more than that.” I smiled at him, my eyes suddenly burning with tears. “I really do appreciate it.”
“Oh, now, none of that!” Wesley looked panicked as he focused on Galen. “Can’t you do something to make her stop that?”
Galen shrugged, noncommittal. “Maybe, but you’ve forbidden me from being handsy.”
Wesley rolled his eyes. “You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you, boy?”
Galen snickered. “I certainly hope so.”
26
Twenty-Six
Wesley gave me a list of ingredients to gather. Thankfully May had them all in stock on the third floor. When I came downstairs, I heard Galen and Wesley talking in the kitchen, their voices hushed.
“She seems worried,” Wesley noted. “I’m not sure what to make of it.”
“Why do you have to make anything of it?” Galen was calm as he brewed coffee. “This is her first séance. Of course she’s worried.”
“Emma was thrilled the first time she held a séance,” Wesley argued. “She was eight, hosting a slumber party, and her mother was ticked off because she tried to call for Bloody Mary, which thankfully didn’t work. May made her settle for a nice and sweet spirit, which Emma hated.”
“Hadley is not Emma,” Galen pointed out.
I could see Wesley through the crack between the door and the frame. He bristled at Galen’s words. “I know she’s not Emma. Did I say she was Emma?”
Galen refused to back down. “No, but you’re treating her as if she grew up in the same manner as Emma.”
“I am not.” Wesley was clearly annoyed, although his anger lasted only a moment. “What do you mean by that?”
Galen, who I often thought had infinite patience, looked tired as he regarded my grandfather. “Hadley is her own person. She’s a pretty great person.”
“I happen to like her, too,” Wesley argued. “She’s a mixture of things. Of May … of me … most importantly, of Emma. I see Emma in her whenever she smiles.”
“Which is great, and I’m happy for you.” Galen’s tone was even. “But she’s not Emma, and it’s unfair to hold her to that standard.”
I was both impressed and worried by his words. What if Wesley didn’t like what he had to say and took off? It wasn’t just that I needed my grandfather for the séance. I wanted to get to know him better.
“I’m not holding her to any standard,” Wesley shot back. “I’m not pushing her to be something she’s not.”
“I know, but … it’s hard for her.” Galen was somber. “She belongs here, but she feels like an outsider. Comparing her to Emma won’t make that better. She’s brave, but she’s also afraid of failing at being a witch because all she hears is the amazing things that May could do.”
“That’s not fair.” Wesley’s expression twisted. “Honestly, that’s not fair at all. Hadley was raised on the mainland. She didn’t know about any of this. No one expects her to be May.”
“Except for Jareth, who couldn’t glamour May,” Galen argued. “He managed to glamour Hadley at the funeral home the other day and then pointed out that May couldn’t be glamoured, which I’m sure didn’t make Hadley feel good.”
“I’ve always hated that bloodsucker,” Wesley muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ll handle him.”
“You’ll stay away from him,” Galen shot back, extending a finger. “I already had a talk with him. Sometimes he forgets his manners, but he’s basically a good guy. He and Hadley made up on their own. Let her decide how she wants to deal with him.”
“But … she’s my granddaughter.”
“And you should celebrate that by getting to know her. She’s pretty funny … and entertaining … and sometimes a bit of a spaz. She’s great, though. She deserves for you to get to know her as she is, not as you think she should be.”
Wesley rolled his eyes. “I’m not sure I should be taking advice from the guy who has been sharing a bed with my granddaughter for the past week despite barely knowing her. What’s up with that, by the way? I hear the gossip from my workers, and I don’t like it.”
Galen’s eyes lit with mirth as I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at Wesley’s outrage. “Are you asking my intentions toward Hadley?”
“I guess. I want her with an honorable man.”
“I try very hard to be an honorable man.”
“Honorable men don’t sleep in the same bed with single women,” Wesley argued.
“Really?” Galen didn’t appear bothered by Wesley’s statement. “Last time I checked, you and May divorced a long time ago, yet you shared the same bed quite often. Does that make you a dishonorable man? I mean … she was a single woman once divorced, after all.”
Wesley’s scowl was so pronounced it made him look like a cartoon character. “You think you’re funny, don’t you?”
“No.” Galen’s face remained impassive. “I think I care about Hadley. I think I care about her a great deal, so much that I think about her half the day when I should be working.”
Oh, that was kind of sweet. My cheeks flushed with pleasure, but I was careful to keep myself hidden from view because I didn’t want to be caught eavesdropping. That would be embarrassing.
“That doesn’t mean you have to spend the night,” Wesley argued.
Galen sighed. “Things are different now. It’s not like when you and May started dating. I don’t know why I’m even telling you this because it’s not your business, but nothing has happened. We’ve only slept.”
“Oh, right. Nothing has happened.” Wesley adopted a mocking voice. “I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. I know what happens when two people share a bed.”
“Yes. They sleep.”
Wesley wrinkled his nose. “I don’t believe you.”
“I don’t care.” Galen was firm. “Things aren’t going to change between us. We’re happy together. We’re having a good time. If people would stop dying around us we’d be even happier. I won’t let you derail this.”
“I don’t want to derail this.” Wesley let out a heavy sigh. “She’s all I have left. She’s … my legacy.”
“And I’m hoping she’s my future,” Galen supplied. “You’re doing right by her, Wesley. The golf cart was a nice touch, and she’ll remember her first gift from her grandfather forever. That doesn’t mean you can exert yourself on her life. She’s an adult.
“She doesn’t know you,” he continued, “but she wants to. Don’t ruin things by being you.”
“I’m pretty sure that was an insult,” Wesley grumbled, folding his arms over his chest.
“And I’m pretty sure you can take it,” Galen fired back, growling when his phone dinged. He reached for it on the counter, his jaw tightening as he read the message on his screen. “Apparently Henry has been seen by the Elks lodge. Two people are reporting it.”
Wesley turned serious, all frustration from their earlier conversation evaporating. “Go. I know it’s important. I’ll stay here and do the séance with Hadley.”
“Booker and Lilac ar
e coming, too.”
“Why?”
“Because I want Hadley protected just in case.”
Wesley furrowed his brow. “Do you think she’s in danger?”
“I think someone has broken into this lighthouse at least once, probably twice,” Galen replied. “I think Hadley’s senses told her someone was watching her at the cemetery the other day. I think someone tried to frame her for murder yesterday. I think she could’ve easily been killed yesterday. I’m not taking any chances.”
Wesley sighed. “See, I want to dislike you because I’m convinced you’re a pervert, but you’re too good of a man to allow me to do it. I hate that.”
Galen grinned. “You’ll live. I need to tell Hadley I’m running out.”
“I can do that,” Wesley protested. “She’ll be fine. I promise.”
“I know she will.” Galen pushed himself away from the counter. “It doesn’t matter. She already knows. She’s been eavesdropping through that door for at least five minutes. I still want to say goodbye.”
I scowled as his words registered. Crap. And here I thought I was being so stealthy.
I was still stewing when Galen strolled out of the kitchen and tapped my chin. “Give me a kiss.”
“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” I said hurriedly, brushing the front of my shirt to give me something to do with my hands. “I was just … listening.”
“That is eavesdropping.” Galen didn’t seem bothered by my actions. “I have to follow the lead on Henry. I’m sorry. I’d like to be here for you, but … .”
“You have a job to do,” I finished, sulking. “It’s okay. Booker and Lilac will be here.”
“They will be. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“Okay.”
“Great.” Galen gave me a quick kiss. “When I get back I’ll give you a few pointers on eavesdropping without getting caught.”
I glared at his back. “You’re not nearly as smart as you think you are.”
“Oh, I’m plenty smart. I think you’re plenty smart, too. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Be safe.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“You’d better be.”
WESLEY SET UP FOR the séance. I watched closely, barely glancing at Booker and Lilac when they joined us. I was interested in the process and eager for it to get underway.
“We’re ready,” Wesley said when he was sure the candles were in the right positions. “Everyone gather on the floor and hold hands.”
I sat to his right and Lilac settled across from me. Booker took his spot across from Wesley and didn’t complain when I gripped his hand a little more tightly than necessary. He gave me a knowing look and an easy smile, but remained silent.
This was Wesley’s show, so I watched as he closed his eyes and began to speak.
“May Belladonna Potter,” he intoned. “We call to you in the great beyond. We demand your presence. Right now!”
I gaped. “Oh, well, that’s not going to work.”
I couldn’t have been more wrong. May, her ghostly face determined, appeared in the center of the circle. She glanced between faces as she got her bearings, ultimately focusing on Wesley.
“Well, it’s about time.”
Wesley snickered. “It’s good to see you, too.” He sounded almost reverent as he gazed upon her. “You look … good.”
May rolled her eyes. “I’m sure I look stretched, because that’s the way I feel. We have to be quick. I’m not sure how much time I have.”
Now it was my turn to make a face. “I thought you were a ghost. Don’t you have all the time in the world?”
“That’s not what I mean.” I could tell May was feigning patience when we snagged gazes. “Something has happened the last few days. I’m not sure how to explain it.”
“I know how to explain it. You haven’t been visiting even though I desperately needed someone to talk to. Do you even know what happened to me yesterday?”
May looked exasperated. “We’re talking about me right now, dear. We can talk about you when my problem is fixed.”
I was taken aback. “What’s your problem?”
“Someone has built a barrier of sorts,” May replied. “I can’t control my comings and goings. In fact, I haven’t been able to enter the lighthouse since … well … I can’t keep track of my days. When was the last time you saw me?”
“The night you saw the person break into the lighthouse,” I answered automatically, my mind buzzing with possibilities. “You scared him or her off. Galen searched the lighthouse and came up empty. That was it.”
“And when was that?”
I shrugged. “Days ago. You haven’t been back since.”
“Not for lack of trying.” May’s eyes landed on Wesley. “The only reason I managed to break through now is because Wesley used magic to call to me. Even now I can feel something trying to push me out.”
“You should’ve come to me,” Wesley groused. “You should’ve visited the ranch and told me what was going on. We could’ve fixed this days ago.”
“I tried,” May said simply. “I don’t think I’m strong enough to visit other places … at least not yet. I’m anchored to the lighthouse. It was my home. Maybe eventually, but … for now I can’t.”
Wesley clenched his jaw. “Then we’ll fix it so you can come here whenever you want. This is your home.”
“It’s Hadley’s home now,” May corrected. “I would love to be able to visit from time to time. I can’t even do that. Someone is working against me.”
“It has to be Madame Selena,” I supplied, twitching my nose because it itched. I was too afraid to release Booker and Wesley’s hands to give it a scratch. “She’s behind all of this, including what happened on the beach.”
May made a face. “Selena? What does that old hag have to do with anything?”
“That’s what I’d like to know.” Wesley shifted to get more comfortable. “I’m confused.”
I related the story of Gus’s death again, keeping it quick and succinct. When I finished, Wesley was more furious than the first time he heard the story and May was flabbergasted.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me about Selena’s part in this sooner?” Wesley barked. “I heard about the shooting, and you mentioned it briefly a few minutes ago. I naturally assumed Gus was the target.”
“He was the target,” Booker interjected. “He was always meant to die. Hadley was meant to serve as a distraction to Galen because whoever did this didn’t want Galen to clear Ashley. This all began when he started asking hard questions of others.”
“But … what does Selena have to do with it?” May asked, still confused. “How could she have ties to either of them?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Would she take money to cast a spell?”
May nodded without hesitation. “She was known for it. That’s why we didn’t get along.”
“But that rift was started on your end,” Wesley pointed out. “She wanted to be friends, but you wouldn’t allow it. She was always bitter about the way you were regarded in town, as if you were the expert and she was a fraud.”
“She was a fraud.” May was unemotional. “She had access to a lot of magic, but never bothered to learn how to properly wield it. She wanted me to give her the secrets of the trade, but I couldn’t do that if she was going to be lazy about it.”
“She obviously picked up on something,” Booker pointed out. “She was strong enough to try to curse Hadley to forget.”
“Hadley was strong enough to break free.” Wesley puffed out his chest, pride evident. “She didn’t need any help to do it. Her instincts took over.”
“And she’s lucky for it.” May looked thoughtful. “Where is Selena now?”
“We don’t know. Her golf cart was found tipped over on the main highway this morning. Galen had his men out looking for her last night, but they never found her.”
“There was blood on the cart seat,” Booker added. “It wasn’t enough to make me think she died there
, but it was enough to cause concern. The working theory is that someone forced her off the road – perhaps the same person who shot Gus – and then took her from the accident scene to make sure she couldn’t talk.”
“I guess that makes sense.” May continued floating in the center of the small circle, but took on a far-off expression. “Does Galen think she’s dead?”
“He said she was either dead or about to wish she was,” I answered. “We don’t know. He thought maybe Maureen was behind everything, but she has no motive. Even with both Gus and Trish dead, she inherits nothing. Also, she apparently has an alibi that holds up for Trish’s death.”
“She could’ve hired someone,” Lilac pointed out. “Maybe she didn’t know she wasn’t in the wills.”
“She’s the one who told us she wasn’t,” I countered. “I really don’t think it’s her.”
“Then who does that leave us with?” May asked. “Who else could’ve done this?”
“Henry and Barbie are Galen’s top suspects,” Booker supplied. “Henry was sighted at the Elks lodge and Galen headed out there to see if he could track him down. If it’s not Henry or Barbie, I don’t think we have any ideas on culprits.”
“And we believe Selena cast a spell to keep me out of the lighthouse,” May mused. “That sounds about right. She would want to visit and knew I would pop up and tell you to kick her out if I realized she was here.”
“Could she have been the one who broke in the last time we saw you?” I asked.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what to make of any of it.”
“She came here under the guise of helping me,” I offered. “She was far more interested in looking at your books, though. Then, when I came back here yesterday to research cupids, I felt certain that someone had moved things around on the third floor.”
Booker scowled. “You researched cupids?”
“You bet your diaper-covered posterior I did.” I winked at him, causing Wesley and Lilac to snicker. “I’m nowhere near done either.”
Witches Just Want to Have Fun Page 52
