Essence of the Witch

by Deanna Chase

  “Hey, man,” Cameron said. “You okay?”

  Gideon barely looked at him as he ground out, “Perfect.”

  “Yeah, you sound like it.” Cameron chuckled to himself.

  Gideon felt the urge to growl at the other man but managed to contain himself as he walked outside.

  Miranda grabbed her wool coat from the coat rack and followed him. Before he could say anything, she asked, “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “Me? Nothing other than finding you with—” He stopped abruptly. What was he doing? Yes, he’d spent the morning with Miranda in her bed, but they weren’t a couple. They hadn’t even broached the subject of exclusivity or anything close to a relationship. He had no right to be angry with her. “I’m sorry. You don’t owe me any explanations. I should go.” He turned, intending to leave her be, but Miranda caught his hand and stopped him.

  “Wait,” she said.

  He let out a slow breath and turned to face her, but he didn’t say anything. He didn’t have any words. The pain of seeing her with Cameron was still a fresh wound, but it was pain he didn’t have a right to feel.

  “Cameron and I are working on a script for a television show. That’s why we were meeting today,” she said, staring him in the eye.

  Gideon held her gaze, his body still tense with jealousy. He rolled his shoulders, trying to relax, to let it go, but he was still too keyed up. “You are?”

  “Yes.” She gave him a small smile. “He has a producer who is interested. They’re meeting next week.”

  “Who is it?” he asked automatically. In his line of work, it was second nature.

  She laughed. “Why? Do you think you might want to bid for the project?”

  He didn’t even know what the television show was, but just knowing that Cameron and Miranda had created it, his interest was more than piqued. “Maybe. I’d love to hear about it, anyway.”

  She chuckled. “We’ll have to loop Cameron in on this discussion, but I bet that can be arranged.”

  “Script, huh?” he asked as he once again replayed the scene of her throwing her arms around Cameron and proclaiming her love for him. In hindsight, it looked a heck of a lot more like a spontaneous display of affection than a declaration of love. Holy hell, he was an idiot.

  “Yeah. Script.” She threw her head back and laughed.

  This time it was his turn to flush red. But then he narrowed his eyes at her. “Hey, if all you were doing was working, then why did you get embarrassed when I walked in the café?”

  “Seriously?” She rolled her eyes. “Because the first thing I thought of when I saw you was being bare-assed naked and ordering you to strip. I suspect I’m going to be flushing about that memory for a long time.”

  “Oh.” His face heated even more, and he was sure he’d turned a lovely shade of tomato-red. “I think that particular memory is going to become a favorite of mine.”

  Her eyes twinkled in the late afternoon sunlight as she moved in and pressed one hand to his cheek. “You’re a piece of work. You know that, right?”

  He nodded. She was right, after all. He’d gone all caveman on her, and now he felt like an idiot. “Is it too condescending to say I’m proud of you? Your books are incredible, and it’s amazing that Witching for You is being turned into a movie, even if the studio is effing it up. And now you’re working with Cameron Copeland. Do you have any idea how huge that is?”

  “I know,” she said softly, leaning in to rest her head on his shoulder. “It’s pretty overwhelming actually, but I’m determined to take a step back and enjoy it. And as for you saying you’re proud of me, no, it’s not condescending at all. Thank you.”

  He ran a hand over her thick, dark curls. “I think it’s safe to say that I’m not okay with either of us dating other people right now.”

  She pulled back, her eyes wide as her mouth worked, but no words came out.

  “I know I don’t have a right to be making demands,” he said, unable to believe that he’d just told her he wanted to be exclusive. They’d just reconnected. He didn’t even have any idea how long he was going to be in town. Yet there he was, making a claim. He couldn’t help it. They belonged together. There was a reason why none of his other relationships had worked out, and that reason was standing right in front of him.

  “It’s okay. You’re right,” she finally said. “If we’re going to do this, it should be just us. No dating anyone else. For either of us.”

  The emphasis she put on the words either of us had him grinning. She hated the idea of him dating other people. It was written all over her face. “So, we’re doing this then? Dating only each other until…” He lifted his hands and shrugged his shoulders. “I guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

  “Right.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

  Dammit. He knew that look was because he’d hurt her before when he’d walked away, and she was probably thinking it would happen again. But the thought of leaving Miranda Moon made bile rise into the back of his throat. He’d done it before, but now he had the benefit of knowing what it would be like to lose her. He wasn’t eager to experience that pain again.

  Gideon tightened his arms around her and pulled her in close. “Let’s not think about the future for now,” he said into her ear. “How about we just enjoy each other and Christmas in Keating Hollow.”

  “I can do that,” she said, twisting her head to glance up at him. “Christmas really is magical in this town. And it’s going to be even better once we get this ball planned.”

  “It’ll be the best Christmas ball this town has ever seen,” he said. The truth was he couldn’t care less about the ball. He only wanted to spend time with the woman he’d never stopped loving. If that meant planning a charity ball, then bring on the mulled wine and candy canes. Whatever it took, he was there for it.

  “You bet your tight as—erm—buns.” Her eyes were twinkling again, even as a gust of wind picked up and made her shiver.

  “You’re cold.” He tugged her back toward the café. “Let’s get you inside so you can get warm before we head to dinner.”

  She didn’t hesitate. Once they were back inside, Miranda shed her coat again, revealing her gorgeous curves. Gideon couldn’t take his eyes off her, and he started to wonder if they needed dinner at all. Maybe they could just get takeout and go back to her house.

  “Looks like you two worked out your differences,” Cameron said, standing and shoving his laptop into a case.

  “Huh?” Gideon asked like an idiot.

  The other man rolled his eyes. “Everyone saw the way you two were looking at each other out there. I’m glad Miranda’s happy, but you know you acted like a class-A douche when you walked in here, right?”

  Gideon nodded because it was the truth.

  “She doesn’t deserve that. Treat her right, okay?”

  Who was this guy? He was acting like her big brother or some sort of father figure. Still, the man spoke the truth, and Gideon found himself nodding. “There’s no question.”

  “I hope not.” He glanced at Miranda and said, “I’ll call you when I know more. Have a good night.”

  “You, too. And thanks again, Cameron. This has been amazing for me.”

  “Right back at ya.” Cameron waved at her, winked at Gideon, and then disappeared out into the cold without anything more than a long-sleeved cotton T-shirt to protect him from the chill.

  “He’s hardcore,” a woman said from behind them.

  Gideon turned to the woman wearing a lowcut red sweater, tight black jeans, and knee-high, spiked-heel boots. Her bright-red hair was kind of wild, and she wore a dazzling smile.

  “Hi, I’m Wanda,” she said, holding her hand out. “You must be Gideon.”

  Gideon raised his eyebrows. “Sounds like I have a reputation already.”

  Wanda laughed, the infectious sound filling the room. “Keating Hollow is a small town. It’s not every day an attractive single man shows up out of the blue
for no apparent reason.” She winked at Miranda. “Unless of course your reason for visiting is the lovely lady standing next to you.”

  In fact, Gideon hadn’t known Miranda was in town, but she had become the reason he hadn’t already moved on. “I was only planning on staying a few days, but this place seems to have a hold on me.”

  “Place or person?” She grinned, clearly not expecting an answer, and focused her attention on Miranda. “Hey, you. I’ve been meaning to tell you I have a decoration crew all lined up for the ball. They’re just waiting for instructions.”

  Miranda reached out and hugged the other woman. “You’re a gift from the gods. Thank you. We’re going over things tonight. I’ll let you know our game plan sometime tomorrow. Does that work?”

  “It’s perfect.” Wanda gestured to a golf cart parked in a spot in front of the café. “I’m off for my weekly race with Abby. Did you hear that witch put a hex on Rosie? My turbo boosters just stopped working, and then the headlights started rotating all over the place, turning them into some strange version of disco lights. It’s impossible to see anything down at the river with that nonsense. She’d better be ready, because I’m bringing the fire this time.”

  Miranda laughed. “Just don’t blow anything up, okay?”

  “Killjoy.” Wanda waved to Gideon as she started to retreat. “Have fun tonight kids. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

  Gideon was still staring after her when he said, “Somehow, I get the feeling that list isn’t very long.”

  “I think you’re right.” Miranda slipped her hand into his. “Ready?”

  He pressed a kiss to her cheek, nodded, and led her back out into the cold.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Miranda was overwhelmed. Utterly and completely overwhelmed. Her day had been packed full of emotion. She’d started out worried about the movie, fell into bed with Gideon, felt the start of another dream-come-true while working with Cameron, and now she was in an exclusive relationship with Gideon.

  It was a lot.

  And she didn’t have any headspace to process any of it. Not that she had the opportunity at the moment. She and Gideon were knee-deep in Christmas ball planning. They’d shared a margherita pizza and a bottle of red wine while working on the menu and bar options. The food would be served on floating trays at various spots at the ball, while the champagne and other drinks would just magically appear in the glasses when the guests voiced their choices.

  “Why are there hot wings on this list?” Gideon asked her with a fair bit of side-eye. “No one is going to want to get sauce all over their face while wearing black tie.”

  She snickered. “You’re not wrong about that. They were a request from Levi. He said something about Silas hating all the stuffy parties he has to go to and how he wished that just once an event would surprise him with wings and beer. So that’s for him.”

  “That’s actually pretty sweet,” Gideon said.

  “It is, isn’t it?” Miranda couldn’t help but think of Cory when talking about Levi and Silas. He’d had a sweet teenage romance just like theirs. She’d always thought the two would find their way back together, but then the worst had happened. For years she’d wanted to rewrite his story, center him in a romance, and give him the happily-ever-after that he deserved, but she still wasn’t ready. One day, she’d get there.

  Miranda flipped open the notebook just as the waitress brought them another basket of sourdough bread that she’d asked for. “Thank you,” Miranda said, smiling at the waitress as she picked up the breadknife and reached for the basket.

  “Son of a—ouch!” Gideon howled and slammed back against the booth, holding his hand to his chest.

  Miranda’s limbs froze with shock as she watched blood soak his hand. “What the heck happened?”

  His gaze fixated on the knife still in her hand. “You stabbed me with that thing.”

  She glanced at it, finding a smear of blood on the sharp edge. What? How had she stabbed him? She’d just been holding the knife, hadn’t she? Maybe she’d moved it while reaching for the bread? The how didn’t matter, though. Gideon was bleeding, and every cell in her body tingled to help him.

  Miranda had been a healer at one point in her life, but she’d quickly learned she didn’t have the energy to keep up with healing patients on a daily basis. It was too draining. She dropped the knife, reached across the table, and grabbed both of his hands in hers. Magic bubbled to her fingertips and swirled inside of her like a storm. It had always been that way. She didn’t have the ability to only use what was needed. Her magic ripped through her, coating his hands and making them glow for a moment before the magic vanished.

  “How is it? Did the bleeding stop?” she asked him.

  Gideon gingerly opened his good hand and looked down at the cut finger. “Yes, but this wound is going to need attention.”

  Miranda nodded, reached into her purse, and pulled out a wad of bills. “Yep. I’m not skilled enough to do more than staunch the bleeding. Time to get to the healer.”

  “Oh my gosh, sir,” the waitress gasped as she appeared at their table. “Are you all right? Can I get you anything?”

  “A clean towel?” he asked.

  “Of course.” She darted away and was back in the blink of an eye with a white towel. “Here. Just take it. The meal’s on us.”

  Miranda gestured to the money on the table. “There’s no need to do that. This was my fault. Thanks for your help.” Then she placed her hand on Gideon’s arm and led him out of the restaurant. Once they were in her car, she said, “I’m so sorry about that. I don’t even know what happened.”

  “Me either.” He rested his head against the seat and closed his eyes. “First fire and now knives. Remind me to keep the poisonous herbs and roots away from you.” He sent her a tiny smile.

  Miranda knew he was joking, but for the love of the goddess, what was happening to her? Had she been on a date in recent memory when something hadn’t gone horribly wrong? The only time something hadn’t gone wrong lately was when she’d been with Cameron. Except those had been work sessions. The one time she was supposed to have been on a date with him, he’d stood her up. Then she’d lit his assistant’s hair on fire. Her other recent disasters included being set up with her cousin, her car breaking down, and now she’d almost cut Gideon’s finger off. He was right to be worried.

  Miranda grimaced. “I’m a walking disaster.”

  Gideon reached out with his uninjured hand and squeezed her thigh. “But you’re my walking disaster.”

  “Oh, man. That was really sweet.” She lightly squeezed his fingers and then brought them up to her lips and kissed them lightly. “Thanks for making me feel better.”

  He moved his hand and cupped the back of her head as she drove the short distance to the healer’s office.

  Miranda led the way into the healing clinic and strode up to the reception desk. To her surprise, Gerry Whipple, one of the healers, was behind the desk.

  Gerry looked up and smiled at Miranda. But the smile quickly vanished, and her lips curved down as her expression turned to one of concern. “Honey, where did that dark aura come from?”

  “What?” Miranda asked, glancing around as if she could see what the healer was talking about.

  “You’ve got some sort of bad juju going on. Feels kind of like a sour love spell. Let me get you back into one of the offices so we can take a look.”

  “Wait. That’s not why I’m here.” She gestured to Gideon, though a bad love spell would explain so much. She just had no idea where she would’ve gotten it. Miranda didn’t mess with love spells. If she was going to fall for someone, it wasn’t going to have anything to do with a spell. “He has a finger that probably needs some stitches.”

  Gerry stretched her neck to see around Miranda. “Oh, I see. Well, good thing you brought him in then; otherwise you might not have known, and things could’ve gotten really unpleasant for you and the people around you.”

  “I thin
k we’re already there,” Miranda said dryly. “I’m the one who accidentally stabbed him.”

  “Oh, sweetie,” she said, shaking her head. “Did this happen on your date?”

  “Yes.” Miranda sighed. At least now she knew for sure why all her dates had been going south. And yet, she and Gideon had still managed to get together. That knowledge soothed her and even made her a little hopeful. If she had a botched love spell affecting her life and it hadn’t stopped them from starting up again, then anything could happen, right?

  “That makes sense. Okay, let’s get you both fixed up.” A younger woman appeared from the back and took Gerry’s place at the desk as the healer led them both back into the patient area. “Here you go, Miranda. You take a seat, and I’ll be right back after I get your young man situated with Martin.”

  Gideon let out a small chuckle, no doubt amused by her ‘young man’ comment.

  “I’m sorry,” Miranda said again.

  “I know,” Gideon said, his expression still amused. “It’s going to be fine.”

  “Yes, it is,” Gerry confirmed, holding the door open for him. “Martin will have that finger fixed up in no time.”

  Miranda sat back on the patient chair and closed her eyes as she waited for Gerry to return. Who in the hell had cursed her love life and when? As far as she knew, she didn’t have any enemies. She felt sick thinking about it, but if Gerry was able to clear her energy, she would be grateful. An involuntary shudder ran through her as she considered how long her aura must’ve been tainted. Her “date” with her cousin had been weeks ago. If it had been allowed to fester, she hated to think what might’ve happened the next time Gideon took her out. Her entire body started to shake from the horror of feeling violated.

  There was a knock on the door, followed quickly by Gerry entering the exam room. The older woman gave Miranda a wide smile. “I’m back.” She grabbed a pair of latex gloves and tugged them on. “Now, let’s see what we can do about this spell-gone-wrong.”

  Miranda sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “You said my aura had a dark tinge. What else do you see?”