Bound In Blood (The Adams' Witch Series Book 1) (3 page)

BOOK: Bound In Blood (The Adams' Witch Series Book 1)
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He took her chin in his hand and made her look in his eyes. They were light again, an intense blue that writhed her insides to knots. “Because you are too good. You cannot fathom anyone being unlike yourself, but it is out there. This makes three now that will burn away their sins and I have not a doubt there will be more.” Thomas took his eyes from hers and peered into the woods. “Their supernatural powers have kept them hidden. My father will find them out though.”

Isabella bit down on her trembling lip.
Surely, Mrs. Worth be a mistake
.

Determined not to waste their time together, she took a deep breath, stepped around Thomas, and leaned against the barn wall. “My father was in town today. Is that why you think he may know of Mrs. Worth?”

“I saw him. You did not think I forgot, did you?” Thomas leaned against the wall next to her. “‘Tis the only reason I allowed myself to come tonight. I wanted to wish you well on your birthday.”

If it were not for the darkness of the night, Thomas would see Isabella’s flaming cheeks. She bit down on them, though a smile lit her face anyway. “Thank you.”

“I happened to see your father carrying a rather nice gift. I asked him if he needed help, but he declined. I was hoping he would agree so that I might have seen you.”

Isabella’s cheeks grew a touch hotter. “I would have liked that.”

His hand slowly reached for hers and she met him in the middle, palm pressing against palm. He brought her hand up by the fingers and placed a soft kiss there. “I have one request before I take my leave. Would you be so kind as to grace me with a letter written on your new desk?”

Her lips would not move. His face held all the emotion, all the devotion she had within, though she could not bring herself to voice her attachment. She turned her head to the ground and squeezed his hand.

He pressed hers in response. “I must leave.” His look mirrored the loss she felt. “Farewell, dear Isabella.”

“Farewell,” Isabella choked out.

And he was gone.

She wondered if his cheeks burned like hers, if his hand tingled at the spot where he kissed her, and if his heart thudded in his chest.

It felt like a dream, a joyous dream. Only a whisper of his retreating step on the grass proved he was ever there at all.

She crept back to the house. Thomas filled her thoughts, like always. She reached her bedroom and pulled her nightclothes on, already half dreaming as she slipped into bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER THREE

 

 

Sarah

 

“It’s 9:30!” I screamed into the lacy pillow.

A roaring lawn mower had been driving me crazy for over half an hour. The constant noise made it sound as if the grass had been cut directly underneath my window a gazillion times.

A picture popped into my mind of Rose in a bathrobe and curlers driving a huge beast of a lawn mower, commanding and taming the machine like she had with my mother last night. I jumped up, threw the covers off, and ran to the window to see, already smiling in anticipation.

It wasn’t Rose. Nope. For sure not Rose.

“Holy…mm mmm.” I stretched my neck out to see better and bumped my head on the windowpane. “Ouch.”

I rubbed at the blossoming sting and then placed my palms on the warm glass. The real life picture also made me smile. A guy, about my age, tanned to a deep bronze, pushed a mower around a beautiful backyard garden with rows and rows of red roses.

He wiped his face using a shirt that was slung over his shoulder. He smiled into the distance and I followed his gaze. My aunt had just come around the side of the house. She pointed at the row next to him. He nodded, his sun-tinted golden brown hair falling into his face like some sort of Roman god.

I tore my gaze from him and watched as Aunt Rose pruned a single red rose from one of the many bushes. She looked less severe this morning. Dark gray curls, with slivers of white mixed in, framed her face. She wore a typical outfit I’d seen on plenty of late night TV Land reruns. A belt cinched together a pair of long blue shorts that hit the knees and a sleeveless white top. The usual mom wear, for TV anyway. Definitely not my mom. If Cici wasn’t wearing tight black spandex and showing some cleavage, it just wasn’t a normal day.

I took a quick shower in my own personal bathroom and then ran downstairs. Stopping just outside the dining room where Aunt Rose and I talked last night, I scrunched my hair and twisted my shirt into place. Inside, steaming stacks of French toast and pancakes replaced the two coffee cups from last night.

Ho-ly crap. That was a lot of food. I hoped she didn’t think I could eat that much.

I turned to go into the kitchen when the door swung open. Lawn mower hottie stood in the doorway, his body propping the door open as Rose squeezed through with a glass pitcher in her hands.

Her eyes lit. “Oh good, you’re awake. Drake, we have a guest this morning.” Her voice oozed honey. A sweeter, richer tone than last night. “This is my niece. Well, great niece, Sarah.”

His lips and blue eyes smiled. His sandy hair was wind-tossed and oh so adorable. He looked even cuter up close and that was saying a lot. I was used to Miami Beach bodies.

“So you’re the annoying one with the noise this morning?” I asked.

He studied me, confused. A tiny smile slipped onto my face and he returned it.

“Isn’t it a little early to be mowing the lawn?”

He smirked. “Early? I started at nine.”

“Exactly my point. Nine is still sleep time, not jump outside in the hot sun and push around a loud mower time.”

“I guess I missed that in etiquette class.”

Rose’s eyes flitted back and forth between us, her skin wrinkling as a small grin spread her lips. “Sarah didn’t get in until late last night, Drake. Now, have a seat. Both of you. I’ve made a big breakfast for the homecoming of my niece.”

Drake glanced at the older woman, his eyes teasing her. “You make the
best
breakfast, Rose.”

She laughed and swatted his arm. “No, you’re not getting out of doing the rest of the lawn.”

“Come on. You owe me. You never said you had such a cute niece.”

He turned toward me now and I matched his smile. He had this whole country thing going for him—white t-shirt over a pair of worn jeans and just the faintest smell of grass…

Rose continued her watchful gaze. “I would’ve if I’d known about her.” Drake gave her a curious look and she shooed him away. “I’m sure Sarah will tell you all about it over breakfast. I’ve already eaten so I'll let you guys have at it.”

She set the pitcher of orange juice down on the table and walked toward the foyer.

“Wait,” I called out, my aunt’s words finally registering. It looked like my visions of long conversations and thumbing through photo albums would have to wait. “You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

She patted Drake on the shoulder on the way out. He barely acknowledged her.

He sat, his full attention on me. I resisted the urge to run after my aunt, not wanting to seem needy or be rude. I’d lived seventeen years without any knowledge of my dad. I guessed I could wait a few more minutes.

The conversation with Drake went fan-freakin-tastic. The best thing? He didn’t act all ‘poor you’ when I told him why I came to Adams. “My dad died when I was a baby. My mom’s um…my mom and I didn’t know anything about his death really. I just found out he died up here when he was visiting his aunt.”

“And you didn’t know about Rose either?”

“Nope.” A little spot tugged in my stomach. Jealousy. He said her name with such familiar warmth. “How do you know her?”

“Neighbors.” He shrugged. “Been neighbors for a long time. I’ve known her my entire life. We’ve become real close since my parents died. She’s been like a grandma…” He laughed a little, then set his finished drink down. “…or something.”

I sipped at my own orange juice, washing down the French toast along with the emotions seeping in through the cracks of my pasted-on armor. I’d never had a grandma either.

“Well, Miss Miami.” Drake leaned back in the chair, holding steady on two legs as he wiped his hands on a napkin. “How long are you here for?”

“Not sure. I don’t know if Rose is going to let me stay.”

“She’ll let you stay.” He locked his hands behind his head and lifted his shoulders. “But if you want, I can have a talk with her. She loves me.”

My phone vibrated in my pocket. “I might have to take you up on that.”

I brought it out and frowned down at the screen.

Mom: Fine. Just ignore me then. Leave me…

And blah, blah, blah, I’m a horrible daughter.

I pushed the Ignore button and set my cell on the table.

“Here, give me your number,” Drake said, taking out his phone. “In case you end up staying in town for a while, I can show you around.”

His blue eyes beamed through me and a little part of me melted. This trip was so not about cute boys, but…“Sure.” I took his phone and handed him mine. “Give me yours too. You know, in case I need you to talk to Rose for me.”

I still punched in my number when the door swung open and Rose stuck her head in. She smiled at Drake. “I was thinking, why don’t you give Sarah a ride around town?”

“I’m one step ahead of you, Rose,” Drake said, motioning to his cell phone as I handed it back to him.

“Ugh,” she sighed, “you kids and your cellular phones.” Her voice traveled back to us as she walked away. “Can’t you just take her now or are you too busy?”

Through the swings of the door, I saw Rose’s shaking head.

Drake laughed. “I thought I had to finish the lawn. Do you
want
to go now?”

I looked between him and the still-swinging door. I kind of did, but kind of didn’t. “Hold on one sec.” I followed after Rose into the other room and found her bent over, watering a big fern plant in the foyer. “Aunt…um, Rose? I thought maybe we could spend some time together. You know…to get to know each other?”

She set down the watering can and straightened up. “Oh, Honey. I want that too. But I’m
really
busy over the next week. I didn’t know you were coming and I have a bunch of commitments I need to stick to.” She gazed at me for a little while and then gave a lopsided smile. “Just go out. Have fun. Drake is a really sweet boy and you two seem to be hitting it off.”

I swallowed the disappointment with my own crooked smile. “He does seem sweet.”

“Oh he is. Cute, too.” She stopped to wink and then continued on, “After this week we can work on us. I’ll tell you everything you want to know. I promise. And if it makes you feel any better, I’ll look for some photo albums before I head into town and leave them out for you if I find any.”

She cupped my head and gave an encouraging smile. I couldn’t help but smile back.

The dining room door squeaked open and Drake appeared.

Aunt Rose clapped her hands together. “Great. I think Sarah’s ready.”

It seemed as if my new aunt was some sort of a matchmaker. I glanced at Drake who waited with his hands in his pockets, his cheeks flush.

She could’ve done worse. A lot worse.

“Don’t forget to give Sarah a town history lesson. Settler’s Days starts tonight and she’ll want to know about the witches.”

 

 

***

I walked through the grassy park in the middle of the unfamiliar town wondering what the hell I’d gotten myself into.

The drive around Adams earlier had not even come close to preparing me for this. Everywhere my eyes traveled, regular, seemingly normal people, dressed in costume. What if someone needed medical attention right now? Could a patient really let their doctor, dressed as a scantily clad witch with a red bra, matching G-string and thigh high boots, attend to their broken leg? Or even worse——deliver a baby?
Eww.

Drake warned me earlier on the tour through town that this would be weird, but this was bad. This was like Mardi Gras night at one of the clubs back home, but worse. Much worse. These people were into it. And it was everybody. The whole freaking town was crazy.

At least not everyone wore a sexy costume. Plenty wore the obvious, overdone witch look—faces painted green, long, thin, wart-covered noses, and pointy hats.

Oh, the hat. Now this was where the townies got clever. Black ones, purple ones, red with black lace ones and the best one yet, lime green and black striped that matched the tights the women wore. Yes, a group of them. A senior citizen group, that, from the look of their arthritic knuckles clutching straw broomsticks, probably made their way over on a bus from the local nursing home.

But hey, at least they weren’t the ones in the corsets and G-strings.

Because I was a baby when my dad passed away, I didn’t remember him at all. But the fact that he grew up here, blew me away. The fact that a town like this actually existed, blew me away.

Compared to everyone else, I kept it low-key for the start of Settler’s Days. As in off the crazy radar low-key. The plain t-shirt and jeans I threw on earlier actually stuck out among the crowd.

BOOK: Bound In Blood (The Adams' Witch Series Book 1)
5.91Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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