Wicked Brew by Amanda M. Lee Read Free Book Online

sitting on the stool licking a beater. She was happy. We just had to go to the basement to get a box of canned tomatoes. We were only gone for a minute.”
    “When we got back, she was gone,” Marnie said.
    “Did you search the inn?” Bay asked, moving to my side. “Maybe she’s taking a nap up in her room?”
    “She’s not in the inn,” Mom said. “We’ve checked everywhere.”
    “Winnie called Chief Terry, and we came up to get you.”
    “You called Chief Terry?” Bay made a face. “That means he and Landon will be up here any minute.”
    “We needed help,” Marnie said. “What if someone took her?”
    “It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t left her alone,” I snapped. “Did it really take three of you to carry a box of canned tomatoes upstairs?”
    “It takes two of us to carry it,” Mom sniffed.
    “And they needed me to supervise,” Marnie said.
    I scowled. “Well, where would she go? She still has to be on the property.” Something occurred to me. “Where is Aunt Tillie? Has anyone checked out by the road?”
    “She has nothing to sell,” Marnie said. “Landon hid all of her wine.”
    Bay sucked in a breath. “What about the pot field?”
    I rolled my neck, cracking it loudly. “I’m going to kill her!”
    “We have to find her first,” Bay said, already moving down the hill.
    Everyone followed her, Marnie and Mom struggling to keep up as Clove purposely loitered behind. She knew I was angry. She also knew I was probably going to pick a fight with Aunt Tillie. She didn’t want to be lumped in with me in case Aunt Tillie decided to unleash vengeance. She’s a total pain sometimes.
    Bay and I raced to the far end of the property. We knew every rock and crevice well enough to avoid tripping as we moved. We’d played here for years. We’d hidden from our mothers as teenagers as we snuck back into the house after our curfew expired. We were sure-footed – and determined.
    We hit the field at a dead run, only stopping when three figures came into view. I inhaled shakily as the small one jumped between plant rows and pointed excitedly. “Annie.”
    Aunt Tillie glanced up when she saw us. “What are you all doing out here?”
    “Looking for Annie,” I said, striding forward. “Why did you take her from the inn and not tell anyone?”
    Aunt Tillie, her garden hat riding low on her brow, placed her hands on her hips obstinately. “Since when do I have to tell someone when I do something in my own house?”
    “Since we’ve been looking for Annie everywhere,” Marnie said. “We were terrified. We thought someone took her.”
    “No one can go into that house and take her,” Aunt Tillie said. “I made sure of that.”
    I had no idea what she was talking about, but I had a feeling it wasn’t good. She’d obviously done a spell, but that was the least of my worries right now.
    “You still should have told us,” Marnie said. “You could have given us heart attacks.”
    Aunt Tillie rolled her eyes. “You left Basil in the kitchen by herself. You weren’t being very good babysitters. She wanted to come with me.”
    I glanced to the middle of the field where Annie was listening raptly as my boyfriend Marcus explained something to her. I still had no idea how Aunt Tillie had managed to con Marcus into helping her, but he was her right-hand man in her little pot business these days. He did it without complaint – like he did most things – and without compromise. I’d tried to talk him out of helping, but he steadfastly refused to acquiesce. “Her name is Annie.”
    Annie giggled so loudly I could hear it from fifty feet away. Marcus swooped her up in his arms and twirled her around like she was an airplane, causing Annie to laugh even harder. It was a cute scene.
    “I’ve decided I like Basil better,” Aunt Tillie said. “I’m going to keep calling her Basil.”
    “That’s not her name,” I said.
    “And when she decides she doesn’t like it, she’ll tell me,”