After a startled beat, Hannah and I both break into laughter.
This is friendship. Love. Home.
Epilogue
ROMY
* * *
“A witch of the Orb of Night coven is teacher, healer, seeker, giver, and protector of all things. May you walk this path with honor, humility, strength, and empathy.”
I bend my knees so Ziggy can set the flower hair wreath on my head. It’s made of pink rosebuds and white moonflowers, which Trace planted in the backyard of his house. They only bloom at night, so he got up early this morning before dawn and picked them for my crown. I love them.
“I will,” I answer quietly.
Applause breaks out. We’re in the yard behind Dad and Cassie’s house, with white folding chairs set up in rows for my graduation ceremony. I turn to smile at everyone. My nerves are gone now, and I feel relief and joy. I passed my WED exam a month ago.
After I spoke to the board again, they changed their decision to increase the WED requirements for me, although I was determined I’d pass the exam even if they didn’t.
My gaze goes unerringly to Trace, sitting in the front row, clapping and beaming with pride. We share a special smile, a look… a promise.
Now the ceremony is complete, the guests stand and start milling about, many of them coming up to me to congratulate me. But first is Trace, with a hug and an inappropriately long kiss bent over his arm that has me clutching my floral crown.
I guess I’ve turned into a hugger now. I enjoy showing my affection for my family—my sisters, Dad and Cassie, Grandma and Grandpa Candler, and all the many aunts, uncles, and cousins. So I squeeze people back and accept their good wishes and smile like the happy witch I am.
Someone hands me a glass of champagne, which I gratefully accept and take a sip of. The bubbly tickles my throat on the way down. I feel like my veins are fizzing with champagne and excitement.
Trace stays near me with a hand on my lower back or waist as people cycle in and out to chat. He looks so handsome in his suit, radiating energy and strength.
He didn’t lose his powers. And while the Board of Elders still wasn’t altogether happy with my activities, the women of the coven have been working to change that. I started my own group to work for change, for fairness and equality in the coven, and I’ve gotten so many members. Now we have subcommittees working on various things, and I’ve been back to the Board of Elders to make presentations about some of our concerns.
Trace has even gotten involved. Hey, he’s a feminist. And I love that.
The fact that he stood up to Ziggy about me doesn’t seem to have hurt him. In fact, I think Ziggy has new respect for him. And Trace and I have been talking about him being ready to move into more of a leadership role in the coven. Which I totally support.
“Have I told you how proud I am of you?” Trace murmurs in my ear when we get a moment alone.
“Yes.” I’m sure my smile is huge. “But I wouldn’t be here without you.”
He opens his mouth to deny it, and I press my fingers to his lips. “You know it’s true.”
“Well, I know it’s also true that I wouldn’t be here without you.”
He would. But it would be different. “I will always be here for you.”
“Same, beautiful girl.” The breeze blows the pale green ribbon of my crown over my face, and he tucks it back. “I have a gift for you.”
“Oooh. Where is it?”
“Later. It’s for later.”
“Oh, that kind of gift.” I do an exaggerated wink that makes him laugh. “I can’t wait.”
“Okay, that too.” He curves his hands around my waist and squeezes. “Don’t get me all thirsty in the middle of the party.”
“We could sneak away to your old bedroom…”
He considers this.
“I’m kidding!” I tap his chest.
Cassie has tables of hors d’oeuvres and snacks and drinks set up. People are filling plates and sitting informally to eat.
“I’ll get you some food,” Trace offers.
“I’ll come with you.”
We meet up with Julie and Garrett at the food table. “Hey guys,” Trace says.
“You’re welcome,” Garrett says to Trace.
“What?” He frowns. “Did I say thank you?”
“No, but you should.” Garrett adds some shrimp to his plate.
“For what?”
“That mano-a-mano talk we had.” Garrett lifts his chin, smirking. “Remember? Where I told you to pull your head out of your ass?”
I watch with raised eyebrows. “That must have been good.”
“He can be a real idiot sometimes,” Garrett says. “If it happens again, just let me know.”
I laugh. “Okay, good to know.”
“What are friends for?” he replies modestly. “You know, it’s hard to find a friend who’s wise, handsome, generous, and caring. You better not lose me.”
I burst out laughing, and Julie and I exchange mirthful glances.
Trace shakes his head. “I know you love me.”
“Would you two stop flirting,” Julie says.
I laugh again. Julie’s quiet, but she has unexpected moments of humor. “Let’s find somewhere to sit,” I say to her.
She and I cross the patio and find four chairs that we pull together, and the guys join us a moment later. I’m growing to love Trace’s friends, and I love how relaxed he is around them. In fact, he’s a lot more relaxed most of the time now.
I watch Felise and Magan sitting across the patio, talking to some cousins. Magan and Dallas broke up a couple of months ago, and she was sad but knew it was for the best. Felise’s friend Cam is here again. There’s something about the way he looks at her that makes me think he likes her as more than a friend. Trace sometimes teases me about my intuition and tells me I make up stories about people, but I’m usually right. Sometime I’ll ask Felise about that.
Dad and Cassie stand near the champagne bar, holding glasses and chatting with Ziggy and his wife. A rush of affection fills me. I’ll always love my mom, but I’m so grateful that I have these two in my life. And every other family member who’s here. They’re loud and noisy and nosy, but they’re my family.
Since that night Dad talked to me and the next day when I did my shadow work, I’ve thought a lot about the questions I had. The questions I still have. I know who the most important people in my life are. I know that my values match theirs. I’ve thought about ways that I can make the world a better place, even in small ways, how I can use the talents I have, and not let others’ values and judgments stop me from using them.
I blink in surprise when a woman walks up to us, blond hair gleaming in the sunlight. It’s Ziggy’s granddaughter. Who I know from the gallery.
“Hi, Romy!” she says, smiling. “Congratulations!”
“Thank you.”
“Hi, Amy.” Julie stands, and the two women hug. “Haven’t seen you in ages.”
“I know. We have to change that.”
“For sure! I’m just on my way out, but let’s chat next week.”
I tilt my head. Amy. Her name is Amy.
Amy gives me another smile as she turns away.
I turn to Julie. “Amy? Is that who you set up Trace with? The one who didn’t show up?”
Julie blinks. “Oh. Right. I forgot about that! Yes, that’s her.”
“Huh. Did you ever find out why she didn’t show?”
Julie’s eyes widen. “No idea! Garrett, can you get me more shrimp?”
“Of course, my love.”
“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Julie stands too, and they disappear.
Trace and I look at each other.
“Weird,” he says.
“Yeah.”
We shrug.
Later, back at Trace’s house, he gives me my gift. It’s in a large, flat box wrapped with pale pink paper. I unwrap it and open it to find… gold. At first that’s all I see. I spy a chain, and I carefully lift it. Is i
t jewelry?
No, it’s too big for that. With a smile, Trace takes one end of the chain and holds it up while I lift the other. “Oh!”
The brass shapes dangling from the chain are moons… starting from a sliver of an old moon, then a waning crescent, slightly bigger waning moons, a full moon in the center and then waxing crescents, thirteen moons in all.
“It’s beautiful,” I breathe, hardly able to take my eyes off it. “I love it.” I lift my gaze to meet Trace’s eyes.
He smiles. “Good.”
“Where did you get it?”
“I made it.”
My eyes bug out. “Really? That’s amazing!”
“I learned some new magic skills.”
I grin. “You did a fantastic job. This is truly gorgeous.” I touch my fingers to a shiny brass shape.
“I thought it would look good above the fireplace.” He nods his head.
“Oh. Yes, it would. But is it for me or for you?” I tease.
“It’s for you. And you could see it all the time if you lived here.”
I lower my chin, and give him a half-smiling look. “Oh really?”
“Yes.” He takes the other end of the chain and carefully sets the creation back in the box. “Will you move in here? With me and Cheddar?”
Asleep on the rug, Cheddar’s ears twitch.
“I would love to.”
Trace sets the box aside, going to his knees in front of me where I sit. He takes my hands. “I love you. I want you in my life all the time.”
“I want that too. I love you too.” As I study his handsome, beloved face, I’m taken back to that night at the Singing Horse. I stare into his gold-and-emerald-flecked eyes, remembering what he told me.
Nothing’s ever perfect. No family is perfect. And sometimes love is painful. You just have to have the courage to open your mind and your heart to the possibilities.
And like that night, I feel dazzled. Hypnotized. Enchanted.
“Are you putting a spell on me?” I whisper.
His smile melts my heart. “There’s no such thing as a love spell. This is all us.”
I remember thinking that night I never should have done the DNA test. There were other moments I questioned that decision. Life is full of choices. I could have followed the path I knew and accepted my life as it was. But something inside me spurred me to make decisions that would chart a new course. And yes, it will not always be perfect, this strange and wonderful path I’m on. But I’m on it with Trace and my family and my friends. It’s not finding the answers to all my questions—looking for the answers to all my questions is what life is all about.
Thank you so much for reading Big Witch Energy! If you like standalone romances with heat, heart, and humor, check out Firecracker!
* * *
Arden Lennox’s charmed life may be in pieces, but she’d sooner get her hoohaw bleached than move back in with her parents. She’s no longer the prom-queen princess married to the football star. She’s a broke, penniless widow, and it’s time she stood on her own two feet.
* * *
An under-construction unit in a quaint Chicago brownstone is cheap (free), but it comes with an unexpected surprise. Tyler Ramirez, her brother’s gawky high school best friend, is now a smoking hot firefighter who spends most of his spare time in her unit hammering, drilling, and screwing. Usually with his shirt off—a temptation she has no intention of indulging.
* * *
One-click FIRECRACKER now!
* * *
Read on for an excerpt!
Excerpt from Firecracker by Kelly Jamieson
Tyler rolled out of bed at the crack of noon on Sunday.
Hey, he’d just come off a twenty-four-hour shift. He’d only had a few hours’ sleep due to not one but three drug overdoses they’d had to respond to…typical Saturday night. He’d crawled into bed when he got home at eight thirty to grab a few more z’s.
He yawned and stretched as he walked naked to the bathroom to crank on the shower. After that and a pot of coffee, he’d be good to go.
Two full days off stretched ahead of him. A gorgeous summer Sunday, judging from the bright sunlight streaming in the bathroom window. He’d see what Jamie and Mila were up to; maybe they’d hit the beach or something.
After a shower and a rub of a towel to his hair, he started coffee then returned to the bedroom to pull on a pair of loose athletic shorts and a faded navy Chicago Fire Department T-shirt. He looked at the mail that had arrived yesterday while he’d been at work. Nothing interesting.
He poured coffee into a travel mug and headed downstairs to find Jamie, but paused outside his apartment door. He needed to get bathroom measurements from Apartment Four so he could go to Home Depot and pick up some stuff. Maybe he should do that now.
He ducked back inside his apartment to grab a tape measure and a notepad. He shoved a pencil behind his ear. Juggling his coffee and the other things, he crossed the hall. But when he tried the knob, it was locked. Huh.
They hardly ever locked their doors in the building, since it was just the three friends, and the exterior doors were always locked. But he had a key, so he retrieved it then let himself into the apartment.
He’d helped Mila and Jamie unpack Arden’s things a couple of days ago. They hadn’t touched the really personal stuff, but unpacking her sheets and pillows had felt weird. Even weirder because it was Arden’s sheets and pillows. The girl who’d starred in every single one of his teenage fantasies.
The apartment even smelled different now…must be because of her things being there…an exotic fruity floral scent. He strode purposefully to the bathroom and yanked open the door.
The female scream that split the silence nearly ripped his eardrums open.
“Jesus Christ!” The items he was carrying flew out of his startled hands, the tape measure and the mug clattering to the floor, the note pad skidding down the hall. As he staggered back, he caught a glimpse of naked woman.
Smooth, tanned skin. Long dark hair. The sweep of a hip and—sweet mother of God— the curve of a breast tipped with a dark nipple. And wide, horrified eyes as she grabbed a towel and held it in front of herself.
“Get out!” she shrieked then let out another piercing scream. “Aaaaah! Help! Jamie! Help!”
Jesus, fuck, it was Arden. Tyler held up his hands. “Hey! Hey! Calm down.”
She made some frightened noises.
“It’s me, Tyler! Remember…Tyler Ramirez? Jamie’s friend?”
She gaped at him, the little blue towel she clutched not covering much. Now he wanted to whimper. She was fucking gorgeous.
Still.
“I am so sorry.” He kept his eyes firmly on her face, smiling tentatively. “When did you get here?”
“Um.” She looked like she was having a heart attack. Good thing he was a trained EMT. “Yesterday.”
“Shit.” He grimaced. “I could’ve sworn Jamie said you were arriving Monday.”
“No.” She swallowed. “Are you really Tyler?”
He frowned. She didn’t even recognize him? “Yeah.”
“Oh. Okay. Um…could we continue this conversation when I’m dressed?”
He smacked his forehead and turned around. “Yeah. Of course. Dumbass,” he muttered under his breath. “I’ll, uh, wait in the living room.”
He picked up his things, rubbing at the hardwood floor he’d just refinished weeks ago, hoping like hell the travel mug hadn’t scratched the new finish. Looked okay. Then he strode back to the living room where they’d arranged her furniture. He was going to fucking kill Jamie.
He set his things down on the granite counter and pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes. Christ, that vision was seared into his retinas for the rest of eternity. Naked Arden Lennox. Holy shit.
Okay, okay, calm down, dude.
He was over that high school crush. Way the fuck over it.
She was here and he was an idiot.
He’d been trying to imagine what it wo
uld be like to see Arden again. It had been, what—eleven years since he’d seen her? Nah, he’d seen her one year at Christmas when she’d been home…so maybe nine years ago? Whatever. So he’d had a crush on her. That was a long time ago. He’d been a kid then, and she’d married someone else. She was a widow now, mind you, but still. They were different people.
And he’d just embarrassed them both.
A few minutes later, Arden appeared, now dressed in a pair of cropped black leggings and a loose tank top. And yeah, she was still just as beautiful with those big brown eyes, creamy smooth skin, and sweetly curved lips.
“Well, that was a great reintroduction, wasn’t it?” Tyler said with a grin. “I really am sorry. I had no idea you were already here. I came to get some measurements so I can get started on your bathroom next week.”
She still seemed shaken and annoyed. “I guess there was a miscommunication about when I was arriving.”
“Yeah. I’m going to murder your brother.” He frowned. “I’m surprised he didn’t come running to your rescue. That scream was loud enough that everyone in Lincoln Park probably heard it.”
“He’s not home,” she admitted. “He and Mila went out to get breakfast a little while ago. They’re going to bring back something for me, so I jumped in the shower.”
“What? They’re not bringing me anything?”
“Actually, I think they are, but they didn’t want to wake you up.”
“Oh. Okay.” He paused. “So you screamed for him even though you knew he wasn’t here.”
She made a face and her lips twitched. “I figured a burglar wouldn’t know that.”
“Quick thinking. Luckily I’m not a burglar.”
“How did you get in?”
“Through the door.”
Her eyebrows rose. “You have a key?”
“Yeah. Uh…is that a problem?”
“I’d kind of like to know when someone’s coming into my apartment.”
“Interesting concept.”
She frowned, and he couldn’t stop his grin. Jamie and Mila wandered at will in and out of every other apartment, and he’d learned to lock the door if he really needed privacy.
Big Witch Energy Page 26
