CHAPTER 15
Mia studied Trent’s reaction to his announcement carefully before she spoke. He hadn’t wanted to tell her. “I met Levi.”
“My brother has a big mouth.” Trent shook his head. “He loves all this stuff. He runs around that coven like it’s his personal harem. And the women let him. I’ve never been active in the family business, so to speak. I’m the normal one who the townspeople trust. Levi and my mom, they were all about the craft.” Trent squatted by the fire, using a poker to adjust the logs before he added a heavier log to the mix. “How’d the subject even come up?”
“He was my EMT when I was attacked. Maybe he felt sorry for me.” Mia was glad she hadn’t told him more about her. Trent didn’t like his heritage; maybe he really wouldn’t like it if she explained her and Grans’s practices.
Trent left the fireplace and sat on the other end of the couch. “There’s something there you’re not saying.” He laughed as Mia felt her eyes widen and a pit the size of an orange started to grow in her stomach.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Mia stammered.
He shook his head and focused on his coffee. “For instant, it’s almost bearable.” He set the cup on the rustic wooden coffee table and put his arm over the back end of the leather couch and watched Mia.
She couldn’t help it; she squirmed first. “Okay, so what do you want me to say?”
Trent tapped his fingers on the leather. “We could start with the truth.”
Mia set down her tea. “I talked with your brother on the way to the hospital. He told me he knew my grandmother and Adele from coven business.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t understand. Why would your grandmother be involved . . .” Then he stopped. “Your grandmother? I mean, I felt your power, but I didn’t think your grandmother and Adele . . . Of course, it all makes sense now.”
“And there’s the answer.” Mia smiled. “Although we’re not the same, you and I.”
“Because I don’t practice and you do?” Trent’s voice was hard, angry.
Mia shook her head. “No, because we’re not the same type of witch.”
“I don’t understand. There are different types?” Trent leaned forward, the anger leaving his face.
She nodded. “We practice kitchen witchcraft. Mostly healing and throwing spells for happiness and world peace.”
Trent laughed. “You spell for world peace? Seriously? I bet you were a shoo-in during the beauty contest interviews.”
“Don’t joke, Grans had a pretty successful track record going until the whole oil thing got in the way.” Mia leaned back in her chair, waiting for the judgment.
Trent studied her closely. “You’re not joking, are you?”
“You’ve seen the kitchen witch in my window.” When he nodded she continued, “Gloria is my familiar. My contact with the Goddess. She allows me to focus on the spell. Mr. Darcy used to be my familiar, but he’s got other issues right now.”
“I thought the doll was some sort of weird decoration.” Trent smiled. “So you’re a kitchen witch. Who else knows?”
“The coven, your brother, and my grandmother. Christina knows, but she thinks it’s kind of cool. I don’t have brothers or sisters, and my parents don’t like to talk about this whole thing. But that’s it. Or at least I hope no one else knows. It could ruin my business.” Mia picked up her tea and took a sip. “I’d hate to be run out of town or burned at the stake. Idahoans are pretty conservative in some ways.”
Trent laughed. “In Magic Springs you’d more likely be named to the city council. Our little town has a long history of welcoming the different. Why do you think my family started the coven here? For the amazing skiing?”
“No, that’s your brother’s thing, isn’t it?” Mia pulled on the string of her tea bag, gently swirling it through the water. “Still, I’d rather we keep my little secret. Besides, you don’t even practice.”
“I don’t claim my family heritage. Once my oldest brother went off to law school, I told Dad I’d run the store and Mom could train Levi in the craft. He’s been happy as a clam. Gives him lots of slope time.” Trent shook his head. “Honestly, not to offend you, but I think it’s all a big sham.”
“I believe my spells and potions can heal the sick and help the world keep its balance of positive energy.” Mia cocked her head. “According to some philosophers, we can both be right.”
“In a parallel universe.” Trent shook his head. “Let’s just agree to disagree. You a football fan? How about those Broncos?”
“Denver or BSU?”
“The girl knows a bit more than she lets on.” Trent smiled. “Maybe we can spend a quiet evening in pleasant conversation.”
“Just don’t bring up politics. I’m pretty liberal using Idaho standards.”
“And there we go down the rabbit hole again.” Trent stood and poked at the fire.
Mia watched him as he squatted next to the hearth, his powerful legs tight against his jeans. She hadn’t noticed when, but he’d traded his hunting boots for a pair of the slippers from the box near the front bench. Just a couple of old homebodies, she thought. What would it be like to make love to Trent in front of the fire, the flickering lights from the lanterns playing with the shadows on their bodies?
A knock at the door burst her fantasy. Her eyes widened as she stared at the door.
“Stay there.” Trent walked to the door, the fireplace poker still in his hand. “Maybe it was a branch on the porch.”
“Someone’s out there,” Mia whispered.
Trent ignored her warning and continued walking to the door. He looked out the side window, then opened the door. Mia held her breath as William Danforth entered the foyer. “I saw your lights. I was on my way to Magic Springs when I hit a van someone had left in the middle of the road.”
Mia stood from the couch. “You hit my car?”
William pointed at her. “You! I should have known. What exactly do you have against my family that you’re trying to kill all of us?”
“I didn’t kill Adele. Besides, you ran into my car, not the other way around.” Mia felt heat rise to her face, even though the cabin still felt chilly.
William sniffed. “We’ll let the law settle this.” He pulled off his coat and dumped it on the floor. “Is there any food in this place? I’m starving.”
Mia shook her head. If he thought she was going to share the soup she’d made with someone who’d not only accused her of killing his aunt, but now hit her van . . . ? Well, it would be a cold day in hell.
Trent came and stood next to her. A show of solidarity. His next words ruined the thought. “We’ve got some hot soup. You want some coffee or tea?”
Mia burned at his words. Trent put an arm tightly around her. Then he squeezed. His message was clear, be good. Finally she got hold of her anger. “Why don’t I see if the soup’s ready?” She shrugged off Trent’s arm, and headed to the kitchen. She stopped and glanced back at William. “Hey, where’s Barney?”
William looked like she’d caught him naked in the Lodge’s ladies’ locker room. He swallowed, “Who?”
“Barney Mann, the attorney handling your aunt’s estate and the guy you had lunch with about,” she glanced at her wrist at a watch that wasn’t there, “four hours ago?”
William turned a deeper shade of purple. “How did you know we had lunch today?”
Trent had crossed the room to stand next to Mia again. This time he didn’t pull her into a protective hug but edged in front of her. “We ate at the same restaurant. Not very observant for someone who is supposed to be a journalist.”
William flashed the fingers on his hand. “Details. I never was good at the detail stuff. That’s probably why I’m an ex-journalist. Hard to admit that I was here for Aunt Adele’s birthday to beg for part of my inheritance early.”
“That’s why you were in town?” Mia stepped closer, but Trent grabbed her arm, keeping her next to him.
“Sad but true. You said there’s coffee?” William sniffed the air. “And soup?”
“Have a seat in the living room. Mia will bring it out.” Trent nodded to the fireplace. “You can slip off your shoes and warm up your feet.”
“Sounds divine.” William pulled off his boots, left them in the middle of the hallway, then went and landed loudly on the couch. “Sugar, no cream.”
Mia glanced at Trent. Quietly, she asked, “What?”
Trent leaned toward her ear and whispered, “I don’t want to let him out of our sight until we find out what happened to Mr. Mann.”
A chill ran down Mia’s back and she shivered. “I’ll get the soup. You want coffee too?”
Trent nodded, his gaze not leaving their guest’s back. “I’ll be right here.”
Mia walked into the kitchen. As she dug through the drawers for spoons, she found a knife small enough to fit into the pocket of her sweater. She patted the outside of the bulky cardigan, just to make sure it didn’t show.
Filling three bowls with soup and adding spoons to the bowls, she put a sleeve of crackers she’d found in the pantry that didn’t seem too stale on a tray. She carried the tray into the living room and set it on the coffee table. The men were silent and watched her as she entered. Even with the crackling fire Mia felt the chill in a room that a few minutes ago had been warm and cozy enough for her to consider throwing caution to the wind and bedding Trent. Just for fun. Now the room felt like a deep freeze, even with the third body.
“Soup’s on.” Mia tried to sound perky, to break the ice.
“Smells great.” Trent smiled at her, and for a second she wondered if he had picked up on her thoughts about throwing him on the bear rug and tearing off his clothes. When his smile widened her eyebrows raised. She definitely was going to have to find out what kind of power Trent had been keeping under wraps. Grans had told her that some families with long roots in the world of witchcraft passed on talents to their offspring, like reading thoughts. On the other hand, the reaction could be her imagination or his ability to read body language. Either explanation was perfectly normal and not supernatural at all.
When Trent chuckled Mia shook her head. Or not.
William grabbed a bowl and spoon, crunching crackers into the soup and shaking a ton of salt and pepper over the mixture without even tasting the broth. Mia groaned inwardly. She hated people who never tried the true taste a chef gave food without trying to mask the flavor with seasonings. The worse offender in her mind had been the dishwasher who worked at the hotel. Dusty carried an individual bottle of hot sauce to work. When he ate his employer-provided meal, no matter what they’d cooked that day, he poured hot sauce over the plate. Mia shuddered at the memory. The man was crass and creepy. Just like William.
She picked up her bowl and slipped into one of the wing chairs next to the couch. She tucked her feet under her and focused on eating. Who knew when they’d be able to leave the cabin, and the walk back to the road, and then maybe to town, would be long. They would all need food. She wondered if the pantry held any energy bars they could borrow. Watching the men eat, she wondered who would be the first to break the silence. Her money was on William.
He didn’t disappoint. As soon as he finished his soup, he belched, and then pointed at Trent. “You’re the grocery store guy, right?”
Trent nodded, still eating.
“The lawyer said he’s still waiting for your bill to come in to close out Adele’s estate. You need to send that so I can get out of this freezer and back to Arizona.” William pounded his finger on the coffee table, making the empty bowl jiggle.
“I send bills to my customers at the end of the month, dead or alive.” Trent didn’t even look up from his soup.
“That’s two weeks away. What am I supposed to do for two weeks? The worthless piece of man this town calls a lawyer won’t even release me money for living expenses. The Lodge isn’t cheap, you know.”
Mia bit her lip. So that was why William had taken Barney to lunch, trying to get estate money released. The lawyer had stood his ground and got a free meal. He’d played the game well.
“Not my problem.” Trent set his bowl on the coffee table and focused his gaze on Mia. “Amazing soup. I can’t believe you got so much flavoring out of cans.”
“You supplied the owner with some fantastic product. I made a list of what I used so we can restock.” Mia bit into the last bite in her bowl. “I’m definitely buying some of this dried pasta. Who makes it?”
“Actually, a local producer. They run a small organic farm in the summer, selling to me and out at the farmers market in Sun Valley. In the winter they produce pasta. You should try their goat cheese ravioli. Heaven.” Trent leaned back in his chair, but Mia noticed he’d turned the chair to face the couch, where he could keep a watch on William.
“Food? We’re talking food?” William snorted. “I’ve got a major problem here and all everyone I meet wants to talk about is freaking food.”
“What do you expect when you’re sitting with a caterer and someone who runs a grocery store?” Mia laughed. “We aren’t going to be chatting about auto repair.”
William waved his hand, dismissing her comments. “Even the lawyer wanted to talk about how great the food they serve was at that dump of a golf course where he agreed to meet me. You would have thought it was his last meal.”
A chill ran up Mia’s back at his words. She glanced at Trent and, setting her bowl on the table, moved her hand closer to her pocket. “Where is Mr. Mann now?”
William grimaced. “Still in Twin Falls. He said he had some business to complete. I think he wanted to hit the all-you-can-eat buffet before going back into isolation. You’d think he’d lose some of that weight while he hibernated during the winter. It’s not like you can get a decent meal in town.”
Mia focused on Trent, wondering if his mind reading worked on important things, like whether the portly lawyer really was working his way through The Fall’s Buffet or lying dead somewhere in an alley. When he shook his head slightly Mia interpreted that as good news for Barney and released her grip on the sweater pocket.
William pulled out his cell. “Crap, still no service. Don’t you guys have cell towers here at all?”
“Depends on the provider. Most cell towers are closer to town. People build houses here to get away from all the techie gadgets that run their normal world. Downtime.” Trent stood and stretched. He picked up the tray. “Coffee?”
“More instant,” William whined.
“Definitely. You still want some?” Trent waited.
“Better than nothing, I guess,” William leaned forward, his leer focused on Mia. “Maybe I can get to know you a little better while we wait.”
Mia popped up and out of her chair. “Sorry, have to help Trent.”
As they walked out of the living room, Mia heard William mutter, “Your loss.”
When they reached the safety of the kitchen Trent turned to her. “You okay?”
“Fine. That man is a total pig. First he accuses me of killing Adele in front of the entire community, then he wants to,” she added air quotes to her words, “‘get to know me.’ What a creep.”
Trent filled the teakettle with bottled water. “Remind me not to tick you off.”
“Funny.” Mia searched through the cabinets for fresh cups. “I’m tired and cold and worried about Grans and Christina.”
“Christina seems to have a good head on her shoulders. And your grandmother could hunt and skin a bear in the middle of a snowstorm if she needed to, so I think one night without you watching over her won’t hurt.” The kettle started screaming and Trent moved it off the stove, pouring the hot water into the cups. “Unless there’s something you’re not telling me.”
Mia pursed her lips. Should she mention her fears about her cookbook and the real reason Christina was in town? Could Trent ease her mind about Christina or, worse, confirm that she did have something to worry about. She decided this wasn’t the best time to discuss ex-boyfriends and Isaac’s schemes. “Not really. Well, there is, but this isn’t the . . .”
Her words were cut short by a loud knocking on the front door.
Trent smiled. “For a deserted cabin in the snow, this place is quite the way station.”
They joined William, who had reached the door and just stood there, watching the shadowed figure on the other side of the frosted window.
“You going to open it?” Trent asked William. He looked, in Mia’s opinion, even paler than he had a few minutes before. For someone who lived in Arizona, the man must not get outside much; he looked whiter than an Alaskan accountant.
Not for the first time that night, Mia wondered about the whereabouts of the portly lawyer. Had he stayed in Twin Falls, like the smug William had said, or was there something more sinister to his absence?
“Get out of the way.” Trent shoved William aside and reached for the door handle. “If we’d acted this way when you showed up, you’d be frozen on the porch, instead of blocking the door.”
“But . . .”
Mia didn’t hear the rest of what William Danforth the Third planned on saying because just then, Trent swung open the door. Her breath hitched involuntarily as she watched the figure enter the room.
Levi walked through the door, brushing snow from his coat and stamping his feet.
William shrank back and let out a deep breath, like the Ghost of Christmas Future had just passed him by.
“Dude, you know how hard it was to find you in this storm?” Levi nodded to Mia. “Hey, girl. How are you feeling? Your Grans is worried sick. You aren’t having the best month now, are you?”
“How did you know we were here?” Mia asked.
Levi flashed a glance at his brother. “Let’s just say I got an emergency transmission when you went off the road.”
“Took you long enough to get out here.” Trent slapped his brother on the back. “I hope I’m not interrupting your storm party.”
“As a matter of fact you are. When I left the girls had just opened the tequila and were making margaritas. I hope they save one for me.” Levi’s face broke into a grin. “Get your stuff, kids. I’ve got a snowcat out there to take us back to town.”
“Seriously? That’s great.” William sat on the bench and started pulling on his shoes. “Hey, wait. What’s a snowcat?”
Levi grinned. “You’re about to find out.” He glanced at his brother. “You need to lock up?”
“I’ll walk through and make sure everything’s good. The fire’s burned down, so we should be good there if I douse it with some water.” Trent winked at Mia. “Wouldn’t do for the cabin to burn down. Not sure I could pay the replacement cost.”
Mia followed Trent back into the living room, where she cleaned up the plates and bowls they’d used. She rinsed them and set them in the dishwasher. “Hopefully they’ll be fine there until the owner reopens the cabin. I feel bad, leaving a mess.”
Trent helped her put away the last of the pantry items they’d used. “We need to get going before we don’t have any light at all. The road up the mountain can be pretty dangerous at night in the best of times.”
As they redressed for the trip into town, Mia felt the knife in the pocket of the sweater. When she slipped off the sweater and put on her coat, she kept the knife close. “Just in case,” she whispered. When Trent came to check on her, she pasted on a smile she didn’t feel. “Let’s get out of here.”
The three stood on the porch while Trent locked the door and replaced the key. Mia saw him whisper what she assumed was a protection spell for the cabin and then he turned back.
When their eyes met he had the good sense to look abashed at her seeing him perform magic. The man hadn’t told her the entire truth when they had told their secrets, now had he?
“Lowly grocery store owner, my butt,” she muttered as they followed Levi and William to the snowcat.
“I know enough to get myself out of trouble, that’s all,” Trent protested.
“And monkeys fly.” Mia climbed into the back seat of the cat next to William, leaving the shotgun seat for Trent. His brother might need his “help” as they inched their way back to town.
She gazed out the window at the quickly darkening sky. And that was the trouble with dating a witch, she thought. They never were completely honest with you. Mia thought about Isaac and his deception and betrayal, not only as her boss but as her lover. Maybe honesty just wasn’t a characteristic any man had.
Human or witch, it didn’t seem to make a difference.