Just then his radio came to life. Dispatch called him about some teenagers out in a field. The farmer was worried they were going to tip his cows and said the law better get out there fast or he was going out with his shotgun.
“Tell him to hold his horses, Betty. I’ll be right there,” Thorn responded. “I’ve got to go. I guess I’ll see you around?”
“You will,” I confirmed.
“A pleasure to meet you, Kinsley.”
“Hey, one thing really quick. Did my mom say she was coming this way?”
“As soon as she and your father get dressed,” Thorn said as he ducked back into his cruiser. “Good night.”
“Good night,” I said with a wave.
Once he’d pulled out of the driveway, I could see something on the other side of his car. It looked like a shadow barreling toward me across the field next to the house.
I squinted my eyes to see what was coming toward me. It took a second for me to figure it out because I only had the light of the moon to help me see. It wasn’t a shadow.
It was a cat.
Chapter Two
Meri ran up to me and leapt into my arms. He rubbed his head against my chest and began to purr so loudly that it vibrated right to my heart.
I just stood there for at least five, maybe ten, minutes holding him. Tears ran down my face, and I couldn’t believe how much I’d missed him. I hadn’t known he could even purr that loud.
After a while, I finally said, “We should go inside.” I set him down and started walking toward the house.
“You’re not going to tell anyone about that?” he asked. “Right?”
“About what?” I asked and smiled at him over my shoulder.
“Whatever… creature,” he said and sashayed past me through the front door.
“Now, there’s the Meri I know,” I said with a laugh. “It’s good to see you again. I missed you so much.”
“Well, if you hadn’t abandoned your home and family, you wouldn’t have that problem now, would you?” he shot back at me.
“Ouch,” I said.
“Just being realistic,” Meri said. “It is good to be back in this house, though. The other one is so boring.”
“Why did they move? Why wouldn’t they stay here at Hangman’s House?” I asked.
“The house has been cursed since you left. They finally got tired of dealing with it a couple of years ago and moved into Remy’s old house. Thank gawd he didn’t sell it,” Meri said with a flick of his tail. “But, now you’re back and you can make it right.”
“With the house?”
“Yeah. Please tell me you haven’t forgotten everything, Kinsley. That head of yours should have been hollow enough to stuff a few memories into.”
“Wow, you are exactly how I remember you,” I said.
“You wouldn’t have it any other way,” Meri retorted.
“Whatever.”
“Whatever.”
“So, my parents are coming?”
“What do you think?” Meri asked.
“Are they mad?”
“Kinsley, come on.”
“At least it’s too late for them to throw a huge party tonight,” I said.
“You think so?” Meri asked. “Anyway, let’s go inside. Maybe if you promise to stay, the house will let you turn the lights on.”
I picked up Meri and started for the front door.
“I can walk, you know,” he said.
I gave him a squeeze and a kiss on the head.
“Yuck.” But he started to purr again.
Back inside the house, I tried the light switch next to the front door. Nothing happened.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I will stay. I’m here to stay.”
I tried the switch again, and the lights came on. They were quite dim, though.
“I promise. Coventry is my home, and I intend to stay.”
With that, the lights brightened to normal levels. I looked around the living room of the house I grew up in and sighed.
The lack of furniture would be an issue. I didn’t have much of that in my trailer.
“Looks like I’ll be sitting on the floor,” I said.
“Meh, not really. The attic in the library still has all its furniture. Your parents left that intact. You just have to hang out up there. Having guests over might be a problem,” Meri said.
“I wasn’t planning on having many guests,” I said. “I hoped I could just keep my head down and maybe get a job. I don’t want a lot of attention.”
“You’re hilarious,” Meri said.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Come on, Kinsley. If you don't think your family is going to make a huge deal out of you coming home, then you clearly took a bump to the head."
"But I ran away. They should all be mad at me. It should take time for them to warm back up to me. Years even,” I said.
"Ha ha. I think you really did hit your head. You don't remember your own family? Do you think they're going to punish you for living your life the way you wanted? For doing things on your own terms?" Meri asked.
"But I broke my father's heart when I left, didn't I? And I never visited. I was afraid if I came back, even for a visit, I'd never get away again,” I said.
"How'd that work out for you?"
"What are we talking here? Break it down for me,” I said.
"I imagine there's going to be a party here. In the back. The whole coven, and probably the whole town, will be invited. You'll be the center of attention for hours on end."
"Ugh,” I said.
"Hey, you could have listened to me thirteen years ago and just stayed,” Meri said.
"No, I couldn't have. I would have always wondered. My life here would have never felt settled,” I said.
"And it will now?" Meri asked.
I shrugged. "Yeah. I learned my lesson. I had to do it the hard way, but it's learned."
A knock at the door ended our conversation.
"I wonder who that could be,” Meri said.
"I don't know. Who knows I'm here?"
"The sheriff and your parents,” Meri said. "Unless your mother already started calling people. That's entirely possible."
"I'll just get it." I looked out the peephole, and it was my parents. "What are you doing knocking?" I said as I opened the door. "This is your house."
My mother pulled me into her arms. I felt my father wrap his arms around both of us. Last was Meri who rubbed against my legs and then sat on my feet.
For a while, we all just stood there. At some point, I started to cry. My mother just stroked my hair and kissed my cheek.
Eventually, we broke our embrace. My mom was smiling, but tears were running down my dad's cheeks. He pulled me back into a hug and mom stood back as he held me for a while longer. "My little girl,” he said and kissed the top of my head.
His hair had gone nearly gray, but it started to change to a deep chestnut right before my eyes. My mother went from gray to fire engine red curls.
"Your hair,” I said.
"What is it?" Dad asked.
"Both of you. Your hair is turning red,” I said. "Bright red."
"Wow, that hasn't happened for a long time. It must be because you're here with us, darling,” she said. "And yours..."
"What? What's going on with mine?"
I ran into the bathroom to look. I could remember my mother's hair changing to funky colors when I was little. It happened every time she unlocked a new powerful spell or ritual. People told me it happened to her a lot more often before I was born. When she first came to Coventry, it was like a kaleidoscope.
When I was younger, I would get streaks of color in mine. I always thought it was cool. My magic was retrained, though, so it never made all of my hair change.
Returning to Coventry as an adult must have snapped something loose. My auburn hair had turned a shocking shade of purple. As I watched, the purple blended into a deep turquoise at the ends. It was like that mermaid hair color t
hat women paid hundreds of dollars for except I didn't have to bleach or color mine. It had just happened.
"That's so weird,” I said as I walked out of the bathroom.
"I think it suits you, sweetie,,” Dad said.
"Thanks,” I said. "I guess there's nothing I can do anyway."
"Let's get pancakes," my mom said. "I could really go for some pancakes."
"A trip to the diner?" my dad asked.
"I don't really have money to eat out,” I said.
Both of my parents just stared at me like I had two heads. My mother spoke up first.
"We're not asking you to buy your own dinner. We offered. Please, let us take you to dinner?"
"Isn't that what you did on your first night in Coventry?" Dad asked. "I don't think that went well."
"It wasn't my first night, honey. Besides, it's not like we're going to find a dead body."
"You're right," Remy said. "So, what do you say, Kinsley? Welcome home dinner at the diner?"
"Sure,” I said. "But what about Meri?"
"I'm fine,” he said and started up the stairs. "Just remember to bring me bacon."
"All right, let's go then,” I said just as my stomach growled.
I hadn't been eating well because I was trying to make my money last. I couldn't deny that I was starving.
"Sounds like we're just in time,” Dad said.
"I guess I'll take my car so you guys don't have to bring me back here after dinner,” I said. "I'll just have to get it unhitched from the trailer."
"We'll give you a ride,” Mom said.
"Yeah, we can drop you off at home after," Dad said.
My stomach growled again loudly, and I agreed with it. If I rode with my parents, we could get to the diner faster.
"Sure,” I said. "Thank you."
Mom and Dad had what looked like a brand new Toyota Camry. It was burgundy and smelled like new car as I slid into the back seat.
"New?" I asked as Dad got behind the wheel.
"We've had it for about a year, but a little magic seals in that new car smell,” Mom said.
"We were sorry to hear about the divorce,” Dad said as we backed out of the driveway.
"Remy," Mom scolded.
"What? I want her to know we understand and that we're here for her,” Dad said.
"Well, we don't need to bring it up tonight,” Mom said.
"It's okay, guys. At this point, I'm just glad that it's all over. I'm ready to move on with my life,” I said. "Speaking of which, do either of you know of any places around town that are hiring? I'm just about out of cash, and I need to get a job."
"If you make amends, Hangman's House will take care of you, dear,” Dad said.
"I know. I remember, but I want to work. I think it's best if I keep busy,” I said.
"You could always get married and have grandchildren for your mother and me,” Dad said.
"Remy," Mom scolded.
"Ha ha. I'd love to, but I think I need to let the body of my last marriage get cold first,” I said.
"Nonsense,” Mom said. "We're witches. You can do what you want, but you should probably meet someone first. I'm not sure who your dad is trying to marry you off to."
Dad pulled the car into the parking lot of the diner. It was a new place not far from Hangman's House on the outskirts of town.
"What happened to the old diner?" I asked. "The one near the square."
"It sold to new owners a few years ago, but then they moved out here. With all the tourists, they needed a larger restaurant."
"New tourists?" I asked.
"Yeah, tourism has really picked up in Coventry,” Dad said. "Much more so than when people were putting videos of their ghost hunting on YouTube."
"To be fair, one of them died,” Mom said. "People dropping dead left and right didn't attract anything other than the strangest of paranormal investigators."
"Tourists, huh?" I asked as my dad parked the car.
"Yeah, why?" Mom asked.
We got out and started walking toward the doors. When we got up there, dad opened the door for my mom and I.
"So, I was thinking of what I could do for work,” I said as we waited for the hostess to seat us. "If there are a lot of tourists, then that's room for making a profit."
"You're thinking of opening a business that caters to tourists?" Dad asked. "Like what?"
"I'm not sure, yet,” I said. "It's still nebulous."
"Welcome, folks!" a woman dressed in a turquoise dress and white apron said as she walked over to us. As she got closer, I saw that her nametag said Reggie. "Just three this evening?"
"Yes, ma'am,” Dad said. "And we'd like a booth if possible."
We sat down and the waitress took out drink order. Dad got a Dr. Pepper and a chocolate milkshake. Mom got a Diet Coke, and I got a regular Coke. I couldn't abide that diet stuff. I didn't know how Mom drank that stuff.
She left and Dad pulled the menus out of the holder between the napkins and the condiment carousel. I opened mine and began to look. The original plan had been for pancakes, but I kinda wanted a burger.
The diner's menu had the perfect solution to my dilemma. They had pancake and sausage sliders with a side of home fries. You could get them with cheese or without, but I wanted mine without cheese so I could dunk them in maple syrup.
"What are you thinking of?" Dad asked.
"I think I want the pancake sliders with a side of syrup,” I said.
"That does sound good," he responded.
"Not me, I just want the mega stack,” Mom said.
"The mega stack?" I asked.
"Yeah, it's an eight stack,” Mom said. "Sometimes they throw a ninth on for free."
"You're going to eat nine pancakes?" I asked.
"Yeah, and a side of cheesy hash browns,” Mom said.
"I think that's one of the things I missed most about this place,” I said. "I hated having to watch what I ate."
"I hear that,” Mom said.
"But why do you drink that diet soda?"
"A habit I picked up before I moved to Coventry,” Mom said. "I tried to switch to regular, but it never took."
"What's even weirder is that we've started drinking Coke floats when it's hot, and your Mom puts a scoop of chocolate ice cream in her Diet Coke."
"Oh, gawd, Mom. That's so weird,” I said with a laugh.
"What? I like it. That's all that matters, right?"
"Yeah, that's all that matters,” I said.
The waitress came and took our orders. When she was gone, we were all quiet for a few minutes. Some of the joy from our reunion had receded, and I knew it was time to start doing the messy work of putting back together what I had broken.
“I can rent a place,” I said. “I didn’t come here assuming I could stay with you.”
That was a lie. I was off to a good start. I didn’t know what I was going to do if they didn’t let me stay with them, and I certainly didn’t have the money to rent a place. If my parents didn’t take me in, I was going to have to beg one of my Aunties. Perhaps Aunt Annika and Uncle Gunner would take me in.
“You don’t have the money to rent a place,” Dad said. “You know your mother and I would never turn you away.”
“You don’t have to stay with us, though, Kinsley. Hangman’s House is yours. I’m not sure how the old house is going to feel about it, but you can make amends. Meri will be glad to back at the old place,” she said with a smile.
“Meri is your familiar, Mom,” I protested.
“Meri hasn’t been mine since the day you were born. He’ll want to stay with you, and I’m not going to stop him.”
“What are you going to do for a familiar?” I asked.
“Oh, I’m sure we’ll be fine without one. We don’t do a ton of magic anymore,” Dad said.
“And if we need one, one will come to us,” Mom said. “You don’t need to worry about that.”
I saw the waitress walking across the restaurant toward us w
ith our plates, and my stomach growled loudly. “Sounds like I’m just in time,” she said with a chuckle.
“You heard that?” I asked.
“Honey, the whole restaurant heard that, but that’s okay. That’s what we’re here for.” She set all of the plates in front of us. “Everything look okay?”
“It does,” Dad said.
“Can I get you folks anything else right now?” Reggie asked.
“Not right now,” Mom said. “Kinsley?”
“I’m good,” I said.
“Kinsley? Kinsley Skeenbauer?” Reggie asked. “I guess that makes sense given who you’re with. I haven’t seen you in ages!”
I studied her for a moment and tried to place the curly blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes. “Regina Harlow?”
“The one and only.” She smiled and gave us a little curtsey. “Are you just visiting, or are you back?”
“I’m back,” I said. “I just got back into town today.”
“Oh, that’s great news. We’ll have to catch up soon,” Reggie said as the cook rang the bell.
“Hey, Reggie. Order up!” he called from the kitchen.
“I gotta go, but don’t be a stranger, okay?”
“I won’t,” I said.
“She seems nice,” Dad said when Reggie walked away. “Where do you know her from?”
“She went to school with me for the time I was there,” I said. “Reggie’s a nice girl. We had a few classes together. She wasn’t one of the girls who picked on me, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“I don’t remember you talking about her,” Mom said.
I shrugged. “There was a lot I didn’t tell you back then. I forgot that you guys were teenagers once too, and I thought that you’d never understand anything.”
“Sounds about right,” Dad said. “I felt the same way about my parents.”
“There’s no way I would have ever told my mother anything,” Mom said. “I hope we didn’t make you feel like you couldn’t talk to us.”
“It wasn’t you,” I said. “It wasn’t anything you did or said. Adults just seem like… aliens from another planet at that age. It was like we were different species even.”
Black Magic Kitten Page 2
