Boot Scootin' Boogeyman
Page 20
“Tyler and Boone are taking care of them. I want to take care of you.”
“I’m okay.” It was an automatic response.
“You’re not okay, but you will be. I promise.” He kissed her cheek and pulled back, gratified to see some of the color returning to her angular features. His fingers were gentle as they brushed over her cheeks. “You did really well, Hannah.” He knew he was laying it on thick, but he was impressed with what she’d managed to pull off. “I mean ... really, really well.”
“Thank you.”
He pulled her back and held tight, resting her head against his chest, glancing up at the sound of approaching footsteps. He wasn’t surprised to find Boone watching them.
“Is she okay?” Boone asked, concern etching the lines of his face.
“She’s okay,” Cooper replied. “She’s just ... overwhelmed. I think she’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.” He inclined his head to the four women slowly coming to their senses in the middle of the road. “What about them?”
“They seem mostly okay, if a bit dehydrated.” Boone rubbed his chin, thoughtful. “I don’t know if they remember anything. They seem cloudy on what happened.”
“If we’re lucky, they’ll only remember the past few weeks in hazy dreams and assume it’s their imagination working overtime. It’s probably best if they don’t remember anything.”
“Yeah.”
Hannah stirred, lifting her head. “How are you going to explain this to their families? I mean ... I’m sure everyone will be thrilled to be reunited, but this isn’t going to be easy to cover up.”
“It’s easier than you think,” Boone countered. “We have a culprit. He’s dead. We’ll just say that he was injecting the women with an unknown compound and controlling them with post-hypnotic suggestions. People will believe it because the outcome is exactly what they wanted it to be. Trust me.”
“It sounds like you’ve done this before.”
“Well, let’s just say I’ve dealt with my fair share of the unexplainable.” Boone rubbed the back of his neck and shifted his eyes back to the women. “I guess I need to call for an ambulance to have them transported to an area hospital to be checked out. I think they’re okay, but I would prefer handing them over to a qualified professional.”
“And what about Nick?” Hannah queried, her eyes going back to the body. “What will you do with him?”
“I’ll send him in for a full autopsy because I’m curious, and then I’ll have him cremated. I’m willing to guess that he won’t have people lining up to claim his remains.”
Hannah pursed her lips. “What about his mother? She might not be as crazy as some people think. He really was a monster.”
“I promise to check on her.” Boone flashed a quick smile. “I can’t make any promises, though. Either way, you don’t need to worry about it. All you need to do is focus on yourself.” He flicked his eyes to Cooper. “I’m guessing our friend here is going to be focusing on you, too.”
“You’ve got that right,” Cooper intoned, breaking into a legitimate grin as he held Hannah’s gaze. “I see a lot of takeout in our future ... especially since we’re spending the entire day in bed tomorrow. With Jinx, of course,” he hastily added. “All three of us are going to lock ourselves away.”
“That sounds great.” Hannah managed a sigh and brightened. “I mean ... that sounds really great.”
“It does. It’s going to be part of our new normal going forward. I promise you that.” He swooped in and gave her a soft kiss. “Did I mention you did really great?”
His earnest nature made Hannah laugh. “Maybe once or twice.”
“I’m going to keep telling you because it was ... amazing.”
“It was,” Boone agreed, shifting away from the cuddling couple. “I’m going to ... head over there. You two keep doing what you’re doing.”
Cooper’s grin widened. “That’s the plan ... for the foreseeable future.”
ON THE BLUFF OVERLOOKING CASPER Creek, Stormy stood and watched the scene play out on Main Street. She’d been there from the beginning, watching and waiting. She wasn’t sure which faction would win ... right up until the point when Hannah had shoved the magically imbued sword into the creature’s chest.
Stormy wasn’t sure what he was. She’d never come across a creature like him before. She was, however, awed by what Hannah managed to accomplish. Apparently the novice witch was stronger than anybody had let on. That meant she was a bigger threat than Stormy initially envisioned.
That didn’t mean she was too big of a threat to take down, though.
“Soon,” Stormy muttered. “Soon this place will be mine, and there’s no one who will keep it from me.”
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Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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