All the Pretty Witches (A Hannah Hickok Witchy Mystery Book 6) Read online

  “You have news?” Boone handed Cooper a container. “Is this news going to terrify me?”

  “I don’t think so.” Hannah’s face was blank. “I mean ... I don’t see why it would. It’s good news, although maybe not to you.” She broke off, considering. “Huh. Maybe you won’t like this news.”

  “We don’t care if he doesn’t like it,” Cooper countered. “He’s not part of the decision.”

  “What decision?” Boone shifted his gaze between their faces. “Oh, you didn’t knock her up, did you? You guys aren’t teenagers, for crying out loud. That is just unbelievable. Don’t you know how birth control works? I’m trying to set a good example for my kid here.”

  Despite the fact that she was an adult — and Boone had jumped to the wrong conclusion — Hannah’s cheeks burned hot. “I’m not pregnant.”

  “She’s not,” Cooper confirmed, grinning at Tyler as the animal wrangler strolled through the saloon doors. “We are, however, moving in together.”

  Tyler didn’t even break stride. “I hope you brought pancakes for me this morning, Boone. I’m in a pancake sort of mood.”

  “Then you’re in luck.” Boone’s smile was indulgent. “Somehow I knew you would want pancakes this morning.”

  “Are you suddenly psychic?” Tyler drawled, accepting the container that Boone handed him.

  “No, it’s just that you eat eggs and fruit six days of the week. On the seventh you allow yourself to overdose on carbs. This is the seventh day.”

  “Oh, it’s so nice to be understood,” Tyler teased.

  Annoyance crawled over Hannah’s features as she watched the easy interplay. “Didn’t you hear him?” she challenged. “We’re moving in together.”

  “We heard him.” Boone switched his attention back to Hannah. “Do you want me to congratulate you?”

  “Um ... yeah. That’s the standard reaction.”

  “Well, congratulations.” Boone bobbed his head.

  “You don’t sound excited,” Cooper pointed out.

  “Am I supposed to be excited?” Boone’s expression was blank.

  “It’s a big deal.” Hannah jutted her lower lip out, morose. “We’re excited.”

  Amusement, fast and bright, washed over Boone’s well-lined face. “I’m glad you’re excited but this isn’t exactly earth-shattering news. You guys have spent every single night together for the past three months. You were already living together. Cooper just had a separate address while you were doing it.”

  Hannah’s plump lower lip slipped out. “We’re excited.”

  “Of course you are.” Boone slid his eyes to Cooper. “How should I fix this?”

  Cooper held out his hands and shrugged. “I have no idea. She was in a really good mood until you ruined it for her, though, so ... thanks.”

  Boone was chagrined. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He adopted an apologetic smile. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. We’re thrilled about you moving in together.”

  “Even though you’re technically already living together,” Tyler muttered under his breath as he slathered his pancakes with butter.

  “Knock it off.” Boone snapped his fingers and pointed at Tyler. “They’re excited. We should be excited for them.”

  That’s when it hit Hannah that Boone really was like their surrogate father. He understood each and every one of them and exerted influence in all their lives. She absolutely loved the way he interacted with them. “We are excited,” she agreed, digging into her food. “Eventually, down the road, we’re going to build a house out by the creek.”

  This time Boone was legitimately surprised by the news. “You’re not moving into the apartment upstairs together?”

  “We are for now,” Cooper replied. “One day we want a house at the creek, though. It will be close enough to town that our commute will be quiet and easy and yet set far enough away that we won’t have to worry about tourists wandering inside to take a look around.”

  Boone smirked. “That sounds kind of cute. What kind of house are you going to build?”

  “We have no idea. We figured we would get through this mess before we start looking at plans.”

  “I want something rustic,” Hannah insisted. “I want a huge front porch with rocking chairs. I want a hammock for our side of the creek.” She stopped short, considering. “Wait ... we can’t build a house out there if Astra is constantly stopping in on the other side for unannounced visits. She’ll spend all her time spying on us.”

  Cooper hadn’t considered that. “We’ll handle Astra,” he promised quickly. “We’ll make sure she’s not an issue. We obviously can’t do it now, but we’ll add her to our vanquish list and tackle her after we deal with Amelia and Bettina.”

  “Right.” Hannah’s expression remained clouded as she flicked her eyes to a pouting Lindsey. The girl looked absolutely furious about her current predicament. “You can help us look at house designs if you want,” she offered in a soft voice. “You probably will have some fun ideas.”

  Lindsey shot her a withering look. “Why would I want to help you? Cooper is supposed to be my boyfriend. All he’s done since you came around was fall all over you.”

  “That is not true,” Cooper shot back. “I was never your boyfriend.”

  “You were supposed to be,” Lindsey groused. “You were just waiting until I got old enough for you to date.”

  Cooper shot Boone a worried look. “I was not waiting for her to get old enough to date.”

  Boone let loose a haphazard wave. “Don’t listen to her. She’s a real pain in the ass today. She’s just trying to cause issues.”

  Hannah wasn’t so sure. Lindsey’s crush on Cooper was legendary. While the men wrote it off as cute and adorable, Hannah knew better. Lindsey was legitimately upset about the turn of events, and it wasn’t simply because she was still mourning what happened to Angel.

  “I think you should go the log cabin route,” Boone said. “You can do some funky stuff with that design out here, and the proximity to the creek is going to make for a very nice setting. You’ll literally only be a five-minute walk from town, although you are going to run into some trouble for parking. Have you considered that you’ll ruin the view if you try to drive your truck all the way out there?”

  Cooper worked his jaw. “No. I honestly hadn’t considered that. We need a road, though.”

  “Not necessarily.” Tyler was thoroughly engaged in the conversation. “You could get one of those off-road things with a cab. That way you’re covered if it’s raining when you need to go somewhere. You can leave your truck in the lot here and take the other thing to and from the cabin. It might even be fun.”

  Cooper brightened considerably. “Now that sounds like a great idea.”

  “That sounds like a guy thing,” Hannah noted, dragging her eyes from Lindsey. The teenager refused to meet her gaze.

  “You can have your own,” Cooper reassured her.

  “You can,” Boone agreed. “There’s one called the Gator — I just saw it the other day — and it has a small little flatbed in the back and everything for toting things. I’m guessing Jinx would absolutely love to ride in that thing.”

  Hannah grinned at the picture they were painting. “Well, that does sound kind of fun.”

  “It does,” Cooper agreed. “We’ll look into buying one of those even before we start on the house just so we can drive it around the property.”

  “I think that sounds like a fabulous idea.” Hannah risked one more glance at Lindsey, but the girl refused to make things easier and engage. “Let’s see what options they have, huh? I think the Gator sounds massively fun, but I don’t want to buy the first thing I see.”

  “Oh, there’s a lot to choose from,” Boone intoned. “I’m going to want to drive it, too.”

  “I think that can be arranged.”

  “Then I’ll help you look.”

  “Somehow I knew you would say that.”

  12

  Twelve
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br />   Because it had been a few days since she’d seen her — and she had happy news to spread — Hannah set out after breakfast to track down Abigail. Once Lindy arrived to take over the bar, Hannah decided to take advantage of the opportunity and find her errant grandmother’s ghost. The search was easier than she expected.

  “What are you doing?” Hannah moved to stand next to Abigail, who was in the alley behind the brothel eyeing the upstairs apartment. “Is she doing something?”

  “Hmm?” Abigail dragged her eyes to Hannah and then shook her head. “I don’t think she’s doing much of anything. I haven’t seen her yet today. I’ve been watching, though.”

  Hannah bobbed her head. “You don’t trust her.”

  “I don’t.”

  “I don’t trust her either.”

  “You trust her more than me.”

  Hannah searched for the right words to placate her grandmother. She didn’t know her all that well, but it was obvious Abigail was struggling thanks to the turn of events in Casper Creek. “We’re trying to figure things out,” she said finally. “We’re going to put an end to this.”

  Abigail let loose a sigh, the sound long and drawn out. “Of course you’re trying to put an end to this. I want to help you do it. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Bettina isn’t a threat.”

  “No?” Abigail arched an eyebrow, making an expression that Hannah was certain would’ve sent her employees scrambling when she was still alive.

  “Okay, she’s not as big of a threat as her sister,” Hannah conceded after a beat. “I’m not going to pretend she’s not dangerous because she is.”

  “She’s definitely dangerous,” Abigail agreed, her eyes flashing. “She wants you to join her cause.”

  “Meaning?”

  “She wants you to fight alongside her.”

  “I am going to fight alongside her.” Hannah saw no reason to lie. “Amelia wants to take over the nexus. She’s not a good person.”

  “Neither is Bettina.”

  Hannah hesitated and then held out her hands. “I don’t think Bettina is a bad person. No, I’m being serious.” She tried to ignore Abigail’s incredulous stare. “I think that centuries spent elsewhere have caused her to lose touch with humanity.

  “Now, I would never pretend that’s a good thing — it’s fairly frightening if you want to know the truth — but it’s not necessarily a bad thing either,” she continued. “Bettina knows that her sister has to be stopped. She’s dedicated to doing just that.”

  “You do understand that Amelia and Bettina shared the burden of dark magic for a long time, right?”

  Hannah nodded. “I do understand that.”

  “Neither of them chose to be good or bad. They simply were what they were.”

  “Yes, but at a certain point, Bettina recognized the harm that could be done to others if she didn’t do something,” Hannah insisted. “She knew that her antics, along with those of her sister, were putting people in danger. If she wanted to stop it, she had to sacrifice herself ... which is exactly what she did.”

  “She didn’t die.”

  “No, but ... she did put an end to the immediate danger.”

  “And what makes you think that she’ll do the right thing a second time?”

  “Because she’s no longer sharing the burden of the dark magic with her sister,” Hannah replied simply. “Amelia is the keeper of the darkness and Bettina the holder of the light. They’re both powerful individuals. Bettina recognizes how dangerous the darkness is, though. She won’t stop until she ends the darkness.”

  Abigail stared at Hannah for several seconds and then made a clucking sound. “You’re being naive.”

  The statement grated, but Hannah managed to keep from snapping at her grandmother. “I’m not. You’re being judgmental. I would never pretend I like Bettina’s attitude or have faith that she won’t turn into a problem. Right now, though, we need her to beat Amelia. She’s the real threat. I mean ... she sent a demon after me. I’m positive that Amelia needs to be dealt with first.”

  Abigail’s eyes went wide. “She sent a demon after you?”

  Hannah nodded and launched into the tale, leaving nothing out. “Cooper could’ve been killed. If I hadn’t raced out there when I did ... .” She got choked up at the thought.

  “You did the right thing,” Abigail reassured her in a gentle tone. “You saved him. You were brave and made sure that he would live to see another sunrise. You did exactly the right thing.”

  “I’m not feeling down about myself,” Hannah said after a few seconds, her voice strong. “I know I did the right thing. I wish I knew if the demon was dead — part of me thinks he fled to save himself — but that’s neither here nor there.

  “I know that you’re having trouble right now,” she continued in a soft voice. “It can’t be easy to sit back and watch the town you loved more than anything be run by someone who has no idea what she’s doing. I swear I’m doing the best that I can, though.”

  Abigail was taken aback. “Honey, you’re doing a marvelous job. I believe that to my very core. These witches, though ... they could destroy everything you and I have worked so hard for. They kept me out of town because they didn’t want me talking to you.”

  “I’m well aware, and I’m sorry that happened. We still need Bettina.”

  “I don’t trust her.” Abigail refused to back down. “She’s going to try to take your power at some point. You have to be aware of that.”

  Hannah hesitated and then nodded. “I’m aware. She shows far too much interest in me for it to be healthy. It’s okay, though. I won’t let her use me as a weapon after the fact.”

  “It might not be that easy. Simply saying you refuse to be used is not the same thing as not being used.”

  “No, but I’m aware that she has plans for me.” Hannah refused to back down. “I know that she thinks she’s going to be able to turn me to her way of thinking. That’s not going to happen. I have too much to live for. I have plans all my own.”

  Abigail held her granddaughter’s gaze for an extended beat and then nodded. “You’re a strong girl. You’re learning on the fly and yet putting everybody to shame. I can’t tell you how proud I am of you.”

  “I’m glad.” Hannah fervently wished she could reach out and grab her grandmother’s hand. It wasn’t possible, though, so she opted to turn the conversation in a different direction. “I didn’t come here to talk to you about Bettina. I actually came to tell you something else.”

  “Oh, really?” Abigail’s expression shifted from annoyed to interested. “Are you pregnant?”

  Hannah’s forehead creased with annoyance. “No, and why is that everybody’s first assumption?”

  Abigail held back a giggle. “Maybe because you and Cooper can’t keep your hands off one another.”

  “Well, I’m not pregnant. We are, however, moving in together.”

  Abigail’s expression didn’t change. “Weren’t you already living together?”

  Exasperation reared up and grabbed Hannah by the throat. “No. Cooper still has his own place.”

  “Yes, but you spend every waking hour together. He only goes to his place long enough to grab fresh clothes.”

  “He still had his own place. Now he won’t.”

  “Okay, well, that’s sort of cute.” Abigail’s smile was benign. “Do you want me to buy you a housewarming gift?”

  “You’re a ghost. It’s not as if you can go into a store.”

  “I can make someone else do it for me. How does a crockpot sound? I’ve always loved a good crockpot.”

  “Oh, geez.” Hannah slapped her hand to her forehead and looked to the sky. “Why can’t everyone just be excited for us and leave it at that?”

  “Because that’s not the way family works,” Abigail replied, unruffled by her granddaughter’s tone. “Family has to give each other a hard time because that’s what keeps people from getting big heads and huge egos.”

  Hannah
considered the statement. “Tyler and Cooper give each other grief all the time and they both have huge egos.”

  “Just think how bad things would be if each of them didn’t have the other to drag them back from the precipice.”

  “I guess.” Hannah didn’t want to think too hard about that possibility. “Cooper is moving into the apartment with me for now. Eventually, we want to build a house down by the creek.”

  Abigail’s smile widened. “I always wanted that, too. Once I got older, it wasn’t something that I could manage because the distance was too great. Something tells me you and Cooper will make it happen, though.”

  “You’re not bothered by it? The fact that I’ll essentially be giving Cooper a part of your legacy, I mean.”

  “I love Cooper.”

  “I know but ... .”

  “I love you, too.” Abigail’s eyes twinkled. “Never in my life have I seen two people as in love with one another as you and Cooper are. It’s as if destiny literally extended a hand to make sure you found each other because it was necessary for both of you to thrive.”

  Hannah was taken aback by the schmaltzy sentiment. “Oh, well ... .”

  “And look how cute you are when you’re embarrassed,” Abigail crooned. “It’s downright adorable.”

  “Okay, I think I’m done with this conversation.” Hannah flicked her eyes through the opening between buildings and frowned when she heard raised voices. She could see people running and hear people yelling but couldn’t make out what was happening. “What do you think that is?”

  All traces of mirth had left Abigail’s features. “I don’t know, but I’m guessing it’s not good, whatever it is.”

  Hannah had the same feeling. Rather than hang around and continue having a ridiculous conversation with her grandmother, Hannah broke into a jog and cut through the opening, not stopping until she landed on Main Street. The bulk of the guests were otherwise engaged with the shows and visiting the stores, but several workers were running ... straight toward the chairlift.

  A whispered warning crawled up the back of Hannah’s neck, causing her body to break out in goose pimples. Instinct had her racing in the direction of the lift and she was out of breath when she arrived and found Cooper and Tyler standing at the edge of the mountain looking down.