Life's a Witch by Amanda M. Lee Read Free Book Online Page A

started without me!”
    “Welcome to the group,” Landon said. “The good news is that we also negotiated a day for Aunt Tillie to curse the girls so they smell like bacon when this is all over.”
    Sam brightened considerably. “Well, then I guess it was worth it.”
    Landon winked at me. “It will be totally worth it. Now, if I could only find a way to add tomato and bread to the spell, things would be perfect.”
    I shook my head. “You’re sick.”
    “Oh, you haven’t seen anything yet.”
     

Five
    “Do you see them?”
    “No, do you?”
    “Would I have asked if you saw them if I saw them?”
    Thistle rolled her eyes as we stood in the doorway between the library and main foyer. Mom, Marnie and Twila fluttered about, exchanging nervous whispers and pacing grooves into the hardwood floors. Everyone was on edge waiting for Aunt Willa and Rosemary’s big arrival. I had no idea where Aunt Tillie was. Wherever she was dealing with her edginess, she was not inside the inn. We checked – eight times – and could not find her. She was probably out taking the edge off in her pot field, which was going to be a whole other issue when she finally did make her presence known.
    “Stop hovering in the doorway,” Landon ordered, reclining on the couch as he flipped through this week’s edition of The Whistler. “Haven’t you heard that expression about a watched pot never boiling?”
    “Have you ever watched Aunt Tillie boil something?” Thistle challenged. “She can make a pot boil with the power of her mind.”
    Landon glanced at me. “Is that true?”
    I shrugged. “She can also control the weather and make pigeons poop on the cars of her enemies.”
    Landon snorted. “That’s probably more information than I needed.” He patted the spot next to him on the couch. “Come on, Bay. Have a drink and relax.”
    “You, too, Thistle,” Marcus instructed, pouring two glasses of wine and handing one to each of us.
    I reluctantly joined Landon on the couch while Thistle perched on the arm of Marcus’s chair. Nobody wanted to talk about Aunt Willa’s arrival, yet it was all we could think about.
    “Where is Clove?” Thistle asked, shifting her eyes so she could scan the hallway. “She was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago.”
    “She was waiting for Sam at the guesthouse,” I replied. “I think his nose was out of joint about lunch and plotting without him.”
    “That’s not why she’s waiting for him,” Landon countered. “Sure, he was ticked about lunch, but she wants a few minutes alone so they can cuddle without you two making fun of her.”
    “Cuddle?”
    Landon tweaked my nose. “What would you call it? Would you prefer I said they were down there getting to third base?”
    Mom poked her head in the library. “No sex talk tonight, mister!”
    Sometimes she has supersonic hearing, I swear. “Are you eavesdropping on us?”
    Mom ignored the question and backed out of the library to resume her pacing.
    “I don’t think she trusts me sometimes,” Landon said.
    “And you have such a trustworthy face,” I teased, tugging on his cheek. “I just want to kiss it.”
    “I guess I can tolerate that,” Landon said, leaning in and planting a big smack on my lips. I was surprised when he jerked his head away a moment later. When I looked up, I realized why. Mom had a hunk of his hair in her hand.
    “There will be none of that,” Mom warned. “Aunt Willa doesn’t like it when people show affection.”
    Landon pulled his head back so that Mom lost her grip. “Can someone explain to me again exactly why we care what this woman thinks?”
    Mom crossed her arms over her chest. “Because she’s family.”
    “Aunt Tillie is family and we don’t care what she thinks,” Thistle said.
    “Speaking of Aunt Tillie … .” Mom narrowed her eyes, her mind clearly busy. “Has anyone seen Aunt Tillie since breakfast?”
    Uh-oh. That was a loaded question.
    “No,” Thistle lied, taking a hard