Boot Scootin' Boogeyman

by Lily Harper Hart

  Under different circumstances, Hannah might’ve been embarrassed by the statement. Instead, she merely smiled. “It was a wonderful date regardless. However, I am sorry about all this. I’m especially sorry for her family. I know you’ll figure out what’s going on here.”

  “I certainly hope so.”

  “I know so.”

  COOPER DROVE HANNAH HOME AND walked her to her room. It wasn’t strictly necessary, of course. He could’ve dropped her off at the front door of the saloon. That somehow felt incomplete, though, and he wanted to milk every moment he could with her.

  “Well, that didn’t go exactly how I planned,” he admitted ruefully as they faced each other in front of her door. “I’m really sorry.”

  “You didn’t cause this.” Her tone was mild and yet still scolding. “Why would you possibly blame yourself?”

  “Because, if we’d stuck to the lake for our walk instead of hitting downtown, we could’ve kept doing what we were doing.”

  “And what were we doing?” she asked in a teasing manner.

  He shrugged. “Getting to know one another. Bonding.” He raised his hand and brushed a strand of hair out of her face. “Pretending there’s not a certain crackle in the air when we’re around one another.”

  Heat rushed to her cheeks. “I thought I was the only one who felt the crackle.”

  “Nope. It’s both of us.”

  “Sometimes it’s overwhelming,” she admitted.

  “It is.” He leaned forward until his lips were only inches from hers. “We’re still doing this the right way, which means you only get a kiss after the first date.”

  She giggled at his serious expression, amused beyond belief. “Okay. Just one kiss.”

  The exchange was soft and sensuous. There was a bit of urgency behind it, but neither pushed past the invisible barrier they’d set up. The inclination was to drag each other to the other side of the door, start ripping off clothes, and fall into bed. It was too soon for that, though. They both realized it. Things were already intense between them. They would only get more intense if they gave in to their urges.

  When they finally separated, they both were a little breathless. Hannah giggled lightly as she stared into Cooper’s wild eyes.

  “That was nice,” she said after a beat, internally cringing at how ragged her voice sounded.

  “It was really nice,” Cooper agreed, moving his hand to the back of her neck so he could touch her soft skin. “I had a good time ... despite everything.”

  “I did, too. As for what happened at the end, you can’t blame yourself for that. It’s not fair. You didn’t do anything.”

  “No, but I’ll always wonder if I could’ve stopped her. I mean ... if we were only there five minutes sooner, could she have been talked down?”

  Hannah thought back to the scene and slowly shook her head. “No. You couldn’t have stopped her. I think she was gone from the minute she stepped on that bank roof. I don’t know why. I don’t know what happened to her in the time she was gone. We can’t let it haunt us, though. There was literally nothing we could do.”

  “Yeah.” He let loose a sigh, one that was more about longing than frustration, and briefly pressed his forehead to hers. “Do you want to go out with me again sometime?”

  She laughed at his expression. “Yeah. Definitely.”

  “Good. How about I bring breakfast to the saloon tomorrow and we’ll pick a date then. I’m afraid if I don’t force myself to leave right now, it’s going to be a very different night and we’re not there yet.”

  Hannah wasn’t certain she believed that. They felt so in tune at times it was only logical to take the next step. There was no hurry, though. There was no need to rush things. She wanted to embrace the magic of whatever was happening and enjoy it in the proper timeframe. No rushing was required.

  “Breakfast sounds great.”

  “Good.” He gave her another kiss, this one soft and quick. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Yeah. You will. I ... .” Whatever she was about to say died on her lips as the distinct sound of nails against hardwood floors assailed her ears. Then, like clockwork, Jinx appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He was so excited to see them, he let out a low woof and started racing up to greet them.

  “I’m sorry,” Tyler called out, appearing behind the dog. He looked disheveled, and exhausted. “He saw the lights on over here and I couldn’t contain him. I tried to wrestle him down, but he’s stronger than he looks.”

  Hannah greeted her dog, the one thing that was absolutely necessary to bring from her old life, with a hug and a series of head strokes as Jinx yipped and placed his paws on her shoulders for a hug.

  “Have you been naughty?” Hannah asked on a laugh as Jinx licked her face, and then looked to Cooper for the same greeting. “Have you been getting into trouble?”

  “He’s been terrorizing the goats, and vice-versa,” Tyler replied. “He was fine ... until he realized you were home. I’m really sorry.” Tyler pointed his apologetic grimace toward Cooper. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys.”

  “It’s okay.” Cooper forced himself to take a step back. “I was just leaving. I’ll see you for breakfast tomorrow, Hannah.”

  She nodded. “I’m looking forward to it.” She opened the door to her apartment to let Jinx inside, lingering a moment to listen as Cooper and Tyler talked on their way out of the saloon.

  “Why didn’t you make your move?” Tyler complained.

  “I did. I don’t need a stronger move than that tonight.”

  “How come? I thought you two would be all over each other.”

  “We were ... but we don’t need to move too fast. Don’t worry about it. We’re fine.”

  “If you say so.” Tyler sounded dubious. “How was your date otherwise?”

  “Eventful.”

  “Well, since you’re not getting any action tonight, you can come over to the barn and tell me about it over a beer or two. I’m dying to hear all the juicy details.”

  “I don’t kiss and tell.”

  “Oh, please. We both know you want to gossip like a schoolgirl.”

  Hannah smiled as she shut her apartment door. Despite an unexpected suicide that would likely haunt her dreams, it had been a good night.

  4

  Four

  Hannah took extra time with her appearance the next morning, something she internally chided herself for even as she was applying mascara. She wanted to look good for Cooper, even though he’d seen her at her absolute worst and didn’t seem to care. Still, she wore her favorite pair of jeans — the ones that made her butt look like she belonged in a Beyoncé video — and a blue T-shirt that set off her eyes.

  Jinx bounded out of the apartment ahead of her and was already downstairs with Cooper when she arrived. He was stroking the dog, telling him what a good boy he was, when Hannah appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

  Silence descended on the saloon as they held each other’s gazes and there was a moment Cooper was convinced he might actually stride over to her, take her in his arms, and head right back upstairs. Then he remembered where he was and that he was trying to be respectful and patient.

  “Good morning,” he said finally, his voice husky. “You look nice today.”

  Hannah’s smile was so wide it took over her entire face. “Have you even looked at my outfit?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” Carefully, he moved around Jinx and stepped in front of her. The way she smiled did something funny to his insides. He couldn’t put a name to it, but he liked the feeling. “Good morning.” He’d already greeted her, but he couldn’t stop himself from doing it again.

  On impulse, she rolled up to the balls of her feet and gave him a quick kiss. There was nothing smoldering about it, unlike the night before, but it was familiar ... and sweet. “Good morning.” Her grin only widened when she registered the flustered way he looked at her. “What did you bring for breakfast?”

  He cleared his throat
to force him to return to the here and now. “Eggs. Hash browns. Bacon. The usual.”

  “Then we should probably eat.”

  “Yeah.” He brushed his fingers over her cheek, held her gaze for a moment longer, and then forced himself to turn back to the table. It felt somehow torturous to look away from her. “I figure a good breakfast is exactly what we need before a full day of tourists.”

  “Right.” Hannah’s legs felt shaky as she sat at the table and accepted the takeout container he handed her. “I had a really good time last night. I just wanted you to know that because you seem upset about what happened at the end. That wasn’t your fault and it didn’t ruin anything.”

  “It wasn’t exactly an uplifting moment, though,” Cooper pointed out as he sat next to her. He was determined to keep things light. “Up until then, however, it was a perfect evening.”

  “It was fun,” she agreed, her stomach growling when she opened the lid and got a gander at her breakfast. After the previous evening, she wasn’t sure she would have an appetite again. Apparently she didn’t have to worry. “I had weird dreams, though.”

  “Yeah?” Cooper’s eyes filled with concern as he handed her strawberry jelly. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I’m not sure there’s anything to talk about. I woke up in the dream and knew it was a dream. You know sometimes how you can do that?”

  He nodded. “It doesn’t happen to me very often,” he noted. “When it does, it’s always weird. I mean ... I know it’s a dream, but I still react as if it’s happening in the real world.”

  “That’s how it was for me. Anyway, I was in a town ... although it wasn’t Casper Creek. It wasn’t where we were last night either. I’m pretty sure it was a made-up town because there was no rhyme or reason to the layout.”

  “How so?”

  “There were no streets. It was just buildings plopped everywhere.”

  “Ah. Yeah. Even the oldest towns had roads.”

  “I was looking around, but it was really foggy. I could hear people talking but not see them and when I called out the only response I got was crying.”

  Instinctively, Cooper moved his hand to her back and lightly rubbed. It was a way to offer her solace, soothe her. He wasn’t sure she realized it, but she needed soothing. That was the reason she brought up the dream in the first place.

  “It was like being trapped in a horror movie,” she continued. “You know how I told you I like horror movies, right? Well, this was like that and I kept feeling as if someone was following me through the fog, as if someone was stalking me, but whenever I would turn there would be no one there.”

  “Who did you expect?” Cooper was genuinely curious. “I mean ... were you expecting a Freddy Krueger type? You said you knew it was a dream so that might make sense.”

  “The only good film in that series was the first. Well, and Freddy Vs. Jason was fun. I wouldn’t call it good, though.”

  Cooper made a face. “You really are a fan of the genre. I thought maybe you were just talking about classics.”

  “Oh, no. I love them all. Good movies. Bad movies. Terrible movies that are so bad they’re good. The only thing I don’t like is bad movies that don’t realize they’re bad. Those are the worst.”

  He pursed his lips in an effort to keep from smiling. The moment seemed to call for some gravitas. He couldn’t stop himself, though. “What movie is so bad it’s good?”

  “Um ... there are like a million of them, including Bait, which is a shark movie where killer sharks get trapped in an underground mall after a tsunami and all the shoppers are food.”

  Cooper’s mouth dropped open. “That can’t be a real movie.”

  “It is and it’s awesome. I’ll show it to you one night. Like ... maybe we can have a movie night or something.” She lowered her eyes quickly. “I mean ... if you want.”

  He rubbed her back even harder. “I want to have movie nights with you. I also want to watch the shark movie where they’re in the mall. I’ve never heard anything more ridiculous so now I have to see it.”

  She laughed, mightily relieved. “Good. Just so you know, though, I love shark movies ... and monster movies ... and even giant crocodile movies. Lake Placid is one of my favorites.”

  “We’ll talk about your taste in movies later,” he teased. “Go back to the dream. Did anyone ever come for you in it? Did you have to run?”

  “No. That was the most disturbing part. It was just me and the fog ... and the crying I could hear in the background. I tried to find the source of the crying but there was nothing. It was a little disturbing, though.”

  “It sounds disturbing.” He kept rubbing for a moment and then leaned forward to brush his lips against her cheek. “I’m sorry you didn’t sleep well.”

  “I didn’t sleep badly,” she insisted. “That wasn’t the only dream I had either. It was just the last dream, so it stuck with me.”

  His eyes lit with intrigue. “What other dream did you have?”

  Pink climbed her cheeks. “Oh, well ... .”

  “Was I the star?”

  “You might’ve made an appearance,” she hedged. “This bacon is really good.” As if to prove her point, she tore into it with gusto, making Cooper laugh. He felt like he was in high school again because everything was shiny and new.

  “Next time I want a featured role.”

  The sound of someone — a female someone — clearing a throat at the door caused both of them to jerk their heads in that direction. Becky Gibbons, one of the local witches who was helping Hannah ease into her powers, stood in the opening. Her expression was less than welcoming.

  “Good morning,” Hannah offered quickly, recovering to the best of her ability. “You’re here early.”

  “My car is in the shop so I had to take a bus and I didn’t want to risk being late,” Becky replied primly as she headed toward the coffee pot on top of the bar. All the workers knew there was a fresh pot brewing at any time of the day. “I’m diligent about my work.”

  Hannah pressed her lips together to hide her amusement. Becky was becoming something of a thorn in her side. She was twenty-three, blond, perky ... and always staring at Cooper. She had a crush on him, to the point where it was becoming uncomfortable. When the young woman found out that Cooper and Hannah were pursuing a relationship, she turned overtly hostile with Hannah. She was still docile and flirty with Cooper, but her efforts had started to make him uncomfortable.

  “You’re a very diligent worker,” Hannah agreed, briefly flicking her eyes to Cooper. A strong current of dislike was emanating from him, but she was determined to fix things with Becky before they got worse ... if that was even possible. “What did you do last night? Anything fun?”

  Becky rolled her eyes at the question. She didn’t even try to hide her reaction. Still, she answered ... and after a few seconds, it became apparent why she answered. “I’m taking a dance class. It’s supposed to be for weight loss. Even though my doctor says I’m in the perfect range for my height, I want to get toned and firm.” She moved closer to the table, her eyes on Cooper. “It shouldn’t take me too long and then I’ll be practically perfect.”

  Despite being agitated with the young woman, Hannah also felt profoundly sorry for her. She was desperate to get Cooper’s attention and blamed Hannah for “stealing” him. The thing is, as Cooper had made abundantly clear, it wouldn’t have mattered if Hannah never took over Casper Creek. He simply wasn’t interested in Becky.

  “That sounds fun,” Hannah supplied, choosing her words carefully. “I’ve always wanted to take a dance class, but I have negative rhythm and can’t follow simple steps. I tried when I was a kid and the instructor told my mother I was hopeless.”

  “How long did the dance classes last?” Cooper asked as he mashed his eggs and hash browns together.

  “Two weeks.”

  “That’s giving up early.”

  “Yes, but I’m one of those people who doesn’t want to do something unless
I can be good at it. I knew I was never going to be a good dancer. So, instead, I joined the newspaper at the school and did much better.”

  “So you only like doing things you excel at,” Cooper noted. “Good to know.”

  “And yet she’s still here,” Becky muttered loud enough for everybody to hear.

  Cooper slowly sent a dark look in her direction, which she promptly ignored. Instead, she moved to the open chair on his right and slid into it.

  “What did you do last night?” she asked. It was clear the question was directed solely at Cooper so Hannah focused on her breakfast.

  “Hannah and I went out to dinner,” Cooper replied without hesitation. He saw no reason to lie. Becky was going to have to get used to the situation. She was part of the coven at Casper Creek, and although Hannah was still a novice witch, he had no doubt she would eventually take it over. While Becky was a passable witch, she had nowhere near the power that Hannah possessed. They were going to have to come to a meeting of the minds ... or one of them was going to have to go. Since Hannah owned the town, there was only one person who could easily be lifted out of the scenario and banished. He hadn’t yet broached the subject with Hannah, but it was only a matter of time if Becky didn’t calm herself.

  “You ... went out to dinner.” Becky licked her lips and glanced between them, her gaze darkening when it landed on Hannah. “I didn’t realize you were doing that. Going to dinner, I mean. I thought you were just hanging out here occasionally.”

  “No. We’re doing it all.” Cooper was blasé as he turned his full attention back to Hannah. “Are you working in the saloon again today?”

  She scowled and nodded as she dunked her toast in an egg yolk. “Yeah. I really want to learn to do something else. I mean ... I don’t mind the saloon. The uniform makes me feel a little ... on display.”

  Cooper’s lips curved at the mention of her uniform. It was low cut, which meant that Hannah’s assets were on full display when she was slinging drinks. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t a fan of the outfit. “I happen to like the uniform.”