Any Witch Way She Can by Christine Warren Read Free Book Online Page B

granddaughter has talent.”
    Randy blinked. “I do?”
    â€œAnd you,” Michael continued, turning that finger on Randy, “you’ve erected a wall against your grandmother that’s so high, just looking at it would give a Tibetan Sherpa altitude sickness! You refuse to even give her a chance to approve of you. You’re so busy being rebellious and demonstrating that you don’t need your grandmother’s approval that you make it impossible for her to give it even if she wanted to. I don’t know how you two got to this point, but I think it’s time to declare a cease-fire. Even an idiot could see that the main reason you keep sniping at each other is that you’re each too stubborn to be the first one to try something different!”
    Adele shifted. “It is?”
    Michael glared at her. “Don’t start with me.”
    Unsure whether to offer him a cigarette or throw him out the nearest window, Randy settled for a short laugh. “Okay, then. Feel good to get that off your chest, tiger?”
    His expression told her he was not amused. “Peachy.”
    â€œMuch as I appreciate your attempt to break up this cat-fight,” she said, ignoring the roaring in her ears and pushing to her feet, “I think this situation is a little more complex than you’re giving it credit for.”
    â€œWhat’s complicating it?” he demanded, standing with her so he could maintain his advantage of height. “Your godawful stubbornness? Your inability to give up so much as an inch of your wounded pride and offer your family an olive branch?”
    Shaking with fury, she stood toe to toe with him and shouted right back into his face. “How about the fact that my family seems to be allergic to olive branches and it’s none of your goddamned business that my grandmother wouldn’t even ask for my help washing the dishes, let alone give me credit for actually being capable of making a valuable contribution to anything! If Adele wanted my help, she’d ask for it, but since I’m human, and therefore worthless, your little kiss-and-make-up scene isn’t going to change anything! So BACK the HELL OFF !”
    â€œMiranda!” Adele’s cane thumped against the carpet. “Michael is merely trying to help. There’s no reason to act so abusively toward him. I expect better of you.”
    â€œYeah?” Randy had more than enough fury to go around by this point. “Since when?”
    The old woman’s lips tightened, but she remained silent.
    Randy just shook her head. “Perfect. Everything is so much better now, Michael. How can I ever thank you?”
    â€œBy parking your ass back on the love seat and hearing me out.”
    That wasn’t so hard to do, especially now that Randy seemed to have yelled herself out. She didn’t so much park as collapse and bury her face in her hands. “Fine. Whatever. Just get it over with so I can go home, okay?”
    Michael settled back down beside her, but he didn’t try to make her look at him, which was a relief. She’d probably have bitten his hand off if he tried.
    â€œI’m not going to defend your grandmother’s decision not to involve her whole family in the current situation, but I will admit that these events are somewhat sensitive.”
    Randy snorted into her hands. “Is that why I saw at least thirty people coming out of the dining room? You guys certainly have a different idea of confidentiality than I do.”
    â€œI had sixteen guests,” Adele said, sounding almost sulky, which Randy supposed represented a slight improvement over disdainful. “Not thirty. Four witches, four shifters, four vampires, and four of the minor Others. And all of them have a vested interest in what’s going on.”
    At that, Randy raised her head and looked across the short space at Adele. “And what is the situation? A thousand-ton asteroid is