Authors: Vanessa Devereaux
Maybe he should call it a day with Hayley. She’d
been treated badly before by a guy; she didn’t need to be hurt again. Maybe he
should walk away.
No, he couldn’t do it. Deep down he knew he had
strong feelings for her. She was so right for him and he had this feeling deep
in his heart that he was falling in love again. She was also great with his
kids. When would he find another woman like that?
Maybe
never.
He kicked off the heavy black Santa boots.
Shit, life just wasn’t easy. At one time it had
been.
When Amanda had been alive.
Her death had sent
his life in a downward spiral of sadness and tears.
He flopped back on the bed and looked up at the
ceiling.
“Amanda, honey, please tell me what to do.”
*
* * *
Sadie tapped her fingers on the steering wheel of
the rental car. She hoped that neither Lucy nor Brad had seen her pulling into
the driveway and were now wondering what she was doing just sitting there
staring into space.
She only had herself to blame for the situation with
Presley. She should never have taken her to the Other Realm. She only hoped
that Brad and Lucy could forgive her. She hadn’t alerted the Board to the
problem yet.
Sadie knew the consequences
when she did get around to it. She was probably going to lose Perfect Pairing
and be banished from visiting the mortal world ever again.
A tear ran down her cheek. What would she do? She’d
never see all her perfectly matched couples again, Rachel and Mitchell, Brad
and Lucy, Katey and Luc, Evie and Kyle, Gen and Jake.
And not
to mention all the babies, present and future.
She rummaged through her bag for a tissue and dabbed
her eyes and nose.
Oh, and she’d forgotten Cole and Hayley to add to
her list. She clicked her fingers to take a look at the current situation with
them. Cole was lying on the bed, not looking happy. He was thinking of giving
up on the relationship because he was scared of waking up with Hayley beside
him.
This could be her last time to intervene. If the
Department of Love pulled her from the mortal world, she’d never be able to fix
things for them. And she knew deep in her heart they were made for each other.
She closed her eyes and made two circles in the air
with her hands…
She jumped when she heard someone tapping on the car
window. Opening her eyes, she saw Brad standing there in his sheriff’s uniform.
His truck was now parked beside her car. He must have just gotten home. What if
he’d seen her doing her magic?
“Hi, Sadie, what are you up to out here in the car?”
he asked her.
Chapter
Seventeen
Cole noticed Hayley wiping up the teacups in the
kitchen. He couldn’t risk upsetting her by not staying over, so he’d come up
with a lie. He’d never been one to do that sort of thing, but it was for her
own sake.
“Nina just called and said the furnace is acting up
again, so I’m going to go take a look.”
“Okay, are you coming back because I rented a DVD
and have some popcorn?”
Cole purposely looked at his watch. “I’ll see what
time it is once I get the problem fixed.”
She nodded. She looked hurt. She should be. He was a
coward of the worst kind. He walked over and kissed her.
“Thanks for playing Santa,” she said.
Shit, he couldn’t look at her or he’d break down.
“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”
He turned and fled, hating himself more with each
step he took.
Cole didn’t look back, but got in the car and turned
the key in the ignition.
****
He was breaking up with her. No correct that, he had
just broken up with her, but he hadn’t said so in so many words.
She sat down at the table.
All
alone again.
She’d been foolish enough to get emotionally involved with
a man and so soon after the end of her engagement. She was a romantic at heart
and thought bad luck in love couldn’t happen twice.
She’d been wrong. Christmas was supposed to be the
time of miracles. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Maybe she’d be
an old maid all her life, running this place as a graying spinster that
everyone in town gossiped about.
The inn, yet another one of her mistakes.
The tea had brought in some business, but she
probably would have to sell up after the New Year. There was nothing to keep
her here in Casper.
She looked up to see Cole standing in doorway of the
kitchen.
“My truck won’t start.”
“You want me to give you a ride home?”
He shook his head. “I lied.”
“About the truck not starting?”
“No. Shit, how can I say this? I’m scared of what’s
going on between us.”
She stood and walked over to him. “I’m scared too,
but I guess that’s what life and relationships are all about.”
They rested their foreheads against one another.
“It’s just I have this thing about spending the
night lying next to you, waking up and finding you there. I feel like it’s the
last betrayal of my wife.”
She threw her arms around him. “I never ever want to
replace her if that’s what you’re thinking.”
He nodded. “Okay, let’s give it a try.”
****
She’d found the perfect solution.
A
date that took place in the bed.
A movie and popcorn
while they snuggled under the covers.
Hayley rubbed her foot along his
leg, feeling the muscle on his calf push against the sole of her foot.
“You do realize that’s given me an erection?”
“You’re kidding?”
“Isn’t that why you did it?” asked Cole.
“Nope, I was warming my feet.”
“Yeah, a likely story.”
They burst out laughing, snuggling under the
blankets just a tad more until they were facing one another, the sheet tented
over their heads.
“It was snowing hard when I walked out to lock my
truck,” said Cole.
“Who cares what’s happening outside when we’re cozy
in here.”
He brushed her nipples with his fingertips, turning
them hard and making them ache for more. Hayley slid her hand down his belly,
feeling his cock sitting up on it.
“You were right about the hard-on.”
“What are you going to do about it?”
“I’ll have to think about that.”
Hayley slid her body on top of his, feeling this
cock brush against her belly.
“That’s going to make it even harder,” whispered Cole.
“That’s the general idea.”
****
The dinner Lucy had prepared looked delicious. Pot
roast complete with potatoes, carrots, and onions. She watched as Lucy cut up
some meat and vegetables and placed them in a bowl for Presley. The cat sat
beside her, glancing up at Sadie at regular intervals. The cat recognized her,
she knew it.
“It’s wonderful having you with us,” said Brad, helping
himself to some green beans.
Under normal circumstances, Sadie would already be
on her second serving of food, but her stomach was in knots. She doubted she
could even swallow a tiny carrot.
“Mmm, good, right Presley?” asked Brad.
Presley slapped her spoon on the table, splattering
some gravy over Sadie.
“Hey, hey,” said Lucy. “You’re going to make a
mess.”
Sadie watched as this happy family went about their
evening meal. How was she going to break the news to them? Where would she
start?
“You’ll be happy to know the store dropped the charges
against me for the shop-lifting incident,” said Lucy, buttering a slice of
bread.
Brad patted her hand. “All some stupid
misunderstanding,” he said.
“Circumstantial evidence.
Anyone could have put that stuffed toy in your bag and they knew it.”
“It was embarrassing all the same. I’ve never been
so terrified in all my life. I thought I’d be shipped off to jail for the
holidays.”
Sadie knew it could happen again.
“In fact, that’s why I’m here,” said Sadie, giving
up on eating and setting down her fork. “I know how the toy got into your bag.”
Lucy and Brad stopped eating.
“Sadie,” said Presley, pointing at her. The cat
meowed and jumped up on Presley’s lap.
“No, Kitty, you’ve been warned about that when
Presley’s eating,” said Lucy.
Lucy attempted to lift the cat, but it turned around
and scratched her.
“Honey, you okay?” asked Brad. He jumped up and
looked at her hand, which was now bleeding.
“Kitty’s never done that before,” said Lucy.
“She’s reacting to me,” said Sadie as Brad led Lucy
over to the sink and turned on the tap to rinse her hand.
“What she doesn’t like strangers around?” asked
Brad.
“She’s Presley’s familiar,” said Sadie.
“Familiar, isn’t that a witch’s cat?” asked Lucy.
“Oh Sadie, you can be so funny at times.”
“Brad, I don’t suppose either of your parents or
grandparents were witches or warlocks?” asked Sadie.
He burst out laughing. “No, none of them were, and
it’s Christmas, Sadie, not Halloween.”
“Then it’s just as I thought. I think we all need to
go into the living room and have a long chat.”
“This sounds serious,” said Brad, wiping his hands.
“Let’s just go and sit down, because I have to get
this off my chest,” said Sadie.
Brad picked up Presley and Lucy followed behind. The
three of them sat on the couch while Sadie sat in the armchair opposite.
“I….”
She didn’t know where to start. At the beginning
might be a good place.
“Do you remember that night I babysat Presley when
the two of you first met?”
Brad got hold of Lucy’s hand. “I sure do.”
Presley began twisting her father’s wedding band as
he kept his hand on Lucy’s knee.
“You might remember that I gave Presley a charm to
keep her safe.”
“She still has it,” said Lucy.
“I sensed danger for her and I did something
stupid.”
“Like what?” asked
Brad.
Sadie took a deep breath. “I knew of the danger
because I’m a witch.”
“You’re a witch,” said Brad. He began laughing.
“What you mean like Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, or the lady on Bewitched?”
“Brad, I really am a witch.”
The only way she could make them believe her was to
do something.
She waved her finger and lifted the frame with their
wedding photo up in the air. The two of them sat with their mouths open.
Presley giggled and the cat hissed.
“Tell me this is a dream or you have that on some
sort of wire,” said Brad.
“It’s not a trick and that night I babysat I took
Presley to the Other Realm to keep her out of harm’s way.”
“The Other Realm…what a minute,” said Lucy. “We had
trouble finding you when we came home. You said you were checking the furnace
in the basement.”
“Now don’t tell me our basement is the Other Realm,”
said Brad.
“No, of course not.
I
lied to cover my tracks. And while Lucy and I were having lunch in Casper I
discovered that Presley has certain talents.”
“Presley has talents?” asked Brad.
“She can levitate things that she wants.
It’s
how the teddy got into Lucy’s bag at the store.”
Sadie burst into tears, and then so did Lucy.
“I don’t believe any of this,” said Brad. “You’re
saying that our daughter is a witch, too.”
“I’m not sure…I don’t know, but I do know it’s
probably because she went to the Other Realm at such a young age.”
Brad put his arm around Lucy who set her head down
on his shoulder. She put her hand over her mouth.
“Presley, honey, show your mommy and daddy what you
can do,” said Sadie.
Presley giggled and waved her finger so that not one,
but two of her toys lifted off the ground and drifted toward her.
“Shit, Sadie, what the hell have you done? Our daughter’s
a freak,” said Brad.
Chapter
Eighteen
He’d done it. He’d spent all night with Hayley
sleeping close to his body. It had been the best night’s sleep he had in…well,
since the night before Amanda’s accident. The last time she’d slept by his
side. He felt refreshed in a way he hadn’t in a long time. And the warmness of
Hayley’s body still permeated his own. Every winter morning since his wife’s
passing he’d woken up shivering despite having the heat cranked up in the house.