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“Yes, she’s marrying that young man from New York City.” She smiled.
Everything was riding on the elder witch’s response. Her confident tone gave him a bit of hope, and his tension began to ease. “I might as well tell you the whole story. My mother is a witch. Many years ago she had a dispute over a man with a witch from the neighborhood. Soon after, the woman placed an ancient curse on her out of spite.”
He placed his cup on the coffee table.
“My mother met a man after my father passed away, and she wasn’t aware he had a resentful ex-wife in the wings. His ex was an unmerciful witch who set fire to our home and vowed that my mother would never cross over to the other side. Her punishment would be to linger between life and death.” He loosened the top button on his shirt, relieved to get it all out.
“So, you’re saying your mother is a zombie?” She raised her brows, her eyes wide open.
“I never really thought of her as a zombie, but it’s true, she’s part of the living dead. It’s been three long years. She doesn’t survive on the blood of others. Somehow she lives on as an empty shell.” All of his sorrow peaked as he spoke about the way his mother was forced to live.
The woman lifted a book from a box under the coffee table. She opened it and slowly flipped through the pages. “I’ve seen this only once before. A witch from London had placed the curse of everlasting hell on earth upon a woman who had betrayed her. There are not many witches left who have the power to remove it.” Her glasses slid down her nose, and as she adjusted them, she peered over their top. “Let me check my Book of Shadows,” she said, and gave a remorseful sigh.
He held his breath in anticipation.
“I know this must be difficult for you. I have to do some research before I can give you an answer.” She offered a skeptical stare.
Something told him she was stalling. Maybe it wasn’t within her realm of practice. The thought of failure made him sick to his stomach. “Is there anything I can do in the meantime?” He tried to hide the desperation in his tone by clearing his throat.
“Sit tight. I’ll do the best I can to gather information. This isn’t something we can take lightly. It can be extremely dangerous.” She frowned. “Our coven works wonders with everyday spells, not curses. Practices of the witches of the past are not found in our books.” She gave him a friendly pat on the back. “Try to remain positive. Keep your energy level high. We’ll begin soon.”
The huge bird gave a shrill cry as if he was angry. Jon jumped up and turned to face the door.
“I’ll be on my way.” His ears rang from the sound of the bird’s unnerving squeals. The meeting didn’t go as well as he’d hoped, but at least he had someone on his side. Years of living with a secret of a magnitude beyond all sense of reason had weakened his once positive spirit. He was resigned to the fact that it was out of his control.
Once outside in the fresh air, he breathed in the sweet scent of her garden in an attempt to knock his anxiety down a notch. Even with a successful law practice, a man needed more than work in his life. On the drive home, he listened to an instrumental station on the radio and wouldn’t allow negative thoughts to get in the way. He had a plan in motion. It was more than he had yesterday. With things moving forward, he vowed to focus on getting to know everything about the beautiful and sexy Krista Winter.
Chapter 3
Krista trotted back to her car with racing thoughts and an adrenaline rush speeding up her pulse. As she approached the parking lot, the breathtaking scenery helped bring her back down to earth. She took a deep breath and stopped to take in her surroundings. The mountains stood tall and claimed the region with their strength and timeless presence. Fields of wildflowers beside the surrounding area gave way to a light, floral fragrance. It helped to validate her choice to relocate to this area. Who could resist a place where the wonder of nature stood outside every window? With the pink tinged sky and stunning evening sun, she envisioned a perfect night with her best friend. She wanted to share the details from her afternoon, but it might come as a shock to her friend if she did. A proper lady doesn’t throw herself at a stranger. Funny how familiar and at ease she was in Jon’s arms.
On the drive to Terri’s house, the continuation of the stunning views and the scent of pine gave her a fresh outlook on the future. Jon was right. Andy had nothing on her. He was bluffing, and she wasn’t going to give him another minute of her time. There was no validity in his accusations, and he didn’t know anyone in town. Even if he blabbed her secret to a few people, they’d never believe him. She didn’t practice witchcraft anymore, and furthermore, she kept a low profile with the other witches in the area. She believed her secret was safe.
In the back of her mind, she wasn’t ready to face her past—not yet. It was too risky to speak about her heritage in the town of Bartlett. People here accepted her, and it felt great. The last thing she wanted was to be an outcast.
Her friend stood at the front door as Krista pulled into the parking lot of the development. Mountain Woods was a beautiful place. It bordered a creek and it was peaceful and serene. She hurried up the walkway. After their hello hugs, Terri led her into the kitchen, where a peony scented candle burned on the center island. Krista pulled up a stool and sat.
“It smells great in here,” Krista said.
“I’m trying out a new line of candles. The office manager had a party last week.” She raised her brows. “You look great. Did you get a makeover? A new foundation or something?”
“No, not a thing.” Her stomach flipped. Was she that transparent? She forced a breath. The last thing she wanted to discuss was the afternoon rendezvous with her new lawyer. She felt uneasy, but she bit the side of her lip and took a leap of faith. “I did something out of character today.”
“What do you mean?” Terri sat close, staring her up and down. “I’m waiting.” She tapped her fingers on the counter.
“Do you remember I told you I was going to see a new lawyer today?”
“Sure, you told me that this morning. Did it go well?”
“It did, but I’m a little embarrassed by what happened.”
“What on earth do you have to be embarrassed about?”
“All right, here it is. I almost had sex with him.” She folded her hands and pressed her lips together, hesitant to continue.
Terri’s eyes opened wide. “Him who?”
“The lawyer,” she blurted.
