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She bolted forward, but Liam reached out and caught her elbow. “Suzette, wait.”
“I’m going to kill him,” she said, barely restraining herself. “Then I’m going to let that witch bring him back to life with her magic spells, so I can kill him again.” She shook her head in disgust. “This just proves what I already knew. Jimmy’s a lying, cheating slimeball. I can’t believe I gave him another chance. Why are men such pigs, Liam, hmm?” She pierced him with a glare, daring him to answer. Bright pink blotches stood out against her pale, freckled cheeks.
Liam hesitated. With her flashing eyes and flaming hair, Suzette looked like an angry tigress. He needed to tread carefully. He glanced toward Cora for help, but it looked like she and Magnus would be engaged at the carousel for a while. There was no way around this. He was on his own. Drawing himself up to his full height, he gave Suzette one of his most disarming smiles. “Come, now. Notallmen are swine. Surely, you must admit some are quite decent.”
Suzette scoffed. “Not that one.” She jerked a thumb at Jimmy, who was now facedown in Hazel’s magical cleavage. “He’s a grade-A moron. See, this is my problem. I never learn. Maybe I’m destined to be alone. Oh, my God, that’s it, isn’t it? That’s my fate. I’m going to grow old and be found dead in my apartment, eaten by my cats. I should just quit while I’m ahead and join a convent!”
“There, there.” Liam gave Suzette’s shoulder an awkward pat. Her face was growing alarmingly red. “Don’t strap yourself to the wheel of pain just yet. Why don’t you take some deep breaths, and we’ll—”
“I can’t take deep breaths. I’m running on fumes. Angry, noxious, patchouli-scented fumes!” She was on a roll, and it was clear she wasn’t going to back down. “I need to go over there and confront him.”
“All right,” Liam said in resignation. If Suzette was determined to have it out with the man, then Liam would back her up. “Let’s go talk to this halfwit, but first I have a question.” She was angry and insulted, yes, but something important was missing. Liam knew what love and heartbreak looked like, he knew what it felt like and he saw neither emotion on Suzette’s face. That was a good thing. “You don’t love him, do you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “No. I’m just angry at myself for believing he was being faithful, and I don’t like being played. But I’m not head over heels for him or anything. It was never like that.”
“Good,” Liam said, tossing his turkey leg in the nearest garbage bin. “Then this is going to be easy.”
He followed Suzette as she whirled and marched over to the tent, her pink velour gown trailing behind her. At the entrance she stopped and jammed her hands on her hips. “Jimmy. What a surprise.”
The skinny man pulled himself from Hazel’s embrace very slowly, as if he was waking from a dream. When he saw them standing at the entrance, he jerked, scrambling off the velvet floor cushions. “Suzette?” All the color drained from his face. “What are you doing here?” He yanked his flowy shirt over the front of his breeches, but it was quite clear where his feelings stood.
“Oh, no. You don’t get to ask the questions.” Suzette whipped her head back and forth between him and the witch. “Looks like you’ve been keepingverybusy at the fair, Jimmy. At least you weren’t lying about that.”
Hazel appeared confused. She smoothed her bohemian skirts and went on autopilot, gesturing to a table of multicolored glass bottles. “May I interest you in a potion, milady?”
“Sure. Do you have any rat poison?” Suzette drawled. “I have a very large rat I need to exterminate from my life.”
Jimmy stepped closer and lowered his voice so Hazel couldn’t hear him. “Suzette, I can explain. Hazel’s just a friend. She’s been going through a lot, so I’ve been trying to cheer her up this week to make her feel better, that’s all. You’re still it for me. This doesn’t mean anything.”
Liam stepped up beside Suzette and, to his surprise, she snaked an arm around his waist and snuggled closer. Liam played along, drawing her tight against his side.
“Who are you?” Jimmy had the audacity to look affronted.
Ignoring him, Liam deliberately bent down and whispered in Suzette’s ear, “You’re doing grand, woman. He looks flustered enough to topple over in a thin breeze, but I’ll still clock him in the face for you, if you like. Just say the word. It’ll be fun.”
“Maybe later.” Suzette gave him a secret smile that probably looked downright flirty to the gaping man watching them.
“You did promise me a day of frivolous fun,” Liam reminded her.
“Suzette, who is this guy?” Jimmy sputtered, crossing his scrawny arms and glaring at Liam.
“Oh, he’s just a friend.” Suzette fluttered her lashes and gave Liam an extra-tight squeeze for emphasis.
“Yes, and I’m going through a lot, myself,” Liam deadpanned. “Suzette’s been making me feel...muchbetter.”
“Come on, babe,” she said breezily. “Let’s get out of here. I’m done with rats. Have a nice life, Jimmy.”
“Wait! What about us?” Jimmy started toward her, but Hazel seemed to have finally caught on.
“Jimmy, what the hell?” Hazel said. “You told me you were single.”
“He is now,” Suzette sang out, tugging on Liam’s arm to leave.
Hazel backed Jimmy into a corner, spewing such colorful swear words, Liam had half a mind to stay behind just to listen. Maybe there’d be a few he could add to his ever-growing list. But Suzette was ready to go, and his role was to play her adoring paramour so he couldn’t linger.
By the time they reached Cora and Magnus, who were exiting the carousel, Suzette was in a much better mood. “Did you see the look on his face?” she asked, rolling her eyes.
“I don’t envy the dumb beast,” Liam said. “From the looks of it, Jimmy’s going to be drowning in Hazel’s curses and hexes before the day is through.”
