Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67614 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 270(@250wpm)___ 225(@300wpm)
Spring is here. We should be well out of the time frame of anything sinister happening in Salem. This is the time we should be preparing for the next Samhain so we can defeat it once and for all.
Maybe I just have severe PTSD and need some intense therapy.
But what do I tell them? “Hey, an evil entity of some sort held me prisoner in my bedroom, kept my family and friends away from me, and hung me to death. The ward on the back of my neck brought me back to life.”
Yeah, that would go over well.
“You know, I don’t want to sound like a broken record here, but you really should consider moving in with Giles,” Lorelei says as she continues to survey my space.
“We already covered this.”
“Not really. You changed the subject,” Lucy replies. “And I agree with her. He has a big place, all to himself, and if he offered…”
I shake my head, but when I turn to walk to the kitchen, another stack of boxes falls.
Truthfully, they’re right. I don’t thrive in chaos. Every square inch of this tiny one-bedroom apartment is covered in stuff. I don’t have a living room because I need the space for work. I barely have space in the bedroom for the bed to sleep on.
It’s a pain in the ass and makes me feel claustrophobic.
But I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.
Ignoring the fallen boxes for now, I continue into the kitchen to fill a pot with water for the stove. However, when I turn the nozzle, nothing comes out.
Spinning, I pin my cousins with a glare.
“I know you’re doing this.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Lorelei’s eyes are wide with feigned innocence.
“Turn my water back on.”
“I don’t even have a wrench on me,” Lucy says, patting down her pockets and handbag as if looking for one. “It’s not us.”
“Right.” Not giving them the satisfaction of thwarting me, I march over to the fridge and take out a bottle of distilled water. I pour it into the pot and set it on the stove, but nothing happens when I turn on the burner. “Come on, you guys.”
“It looks like this place is falling apart.” Lorelei turns to Lucy. “I guess she’ll just have to move out. But wherever will she go?”
“Hmm.” Lucy taps her lips in contemplation, and I cross my arms over my chest, watching them. “I suppose she could move in with Giles. I mean, his house is pretty big for all of her stuff and everything.”
“You know, I heard through the grapevine that Giles mentioned that Breena should move in with him. That’s so convenient.”
“Super convenient,” Lucy agrees with a vigorous nod. “Problem solved.”
“Ha ha.” I narrow my eyes, glaring at them both. “You’re hilarious. You should start your own show or something.”
“There is a lot of talent here,” Lorelei agrees. “But, alas, the world will just have to miss out on the clever antics of Lora and Lucy. Seriously, though, think about it. Now, enough procrastinating for me. I have to write today, and I’ve been putting it off all morning.”
“How’s the book coming along?” I ask. Lorelei spent several years in California teaching folklore at a university, but she came home for good last year, right before all the craziness started.
“It’s coming. My publisher wanted to publish it this fall, in time for Halloween, but that’s not going to happen. There’s too much research involved, and I want to make sure I get it right. So, they pushed it out to next year, which gives me some breathing room. However, that doesn’t mean I can pretend like I don’t have to do it. So, I’d better get to my desk.”
“Thanks for the coffee,” I say as I walk them out. Just as we reach the door, the faucet in the kitchen comes on. “And thanks for fixing my sink.”
“No idea what you’re talking about.” Lucy winks.
“I baked cinnamon rolls,” I announce as I hold the pan high and walk into Giles’s house several hours later. I’m the last to arrive, which is unusual for me. But, well, I didn’t want to come.
Which is also not like me.
I’ve been in love with Giles Corey since I was a little girl. For a long time, I kept it a secret, and then in a moment of weakness when I was nineteen, I confided in Lucy and Lorelei.
But Lorelei spilled the beans last fall. Now, he knows, and I’m still absolutely horrified.
Giles is the kindest man I know, so of course, he tried to offer me help. And he’s my friend, so he’s protective.
But I hate that he feels obligated now because he knows about my crush. I hate it. I just wish we could go back to the way things were before.
Not to mention, I absolutely love the home Giles moved into about five years ago. It’s a big, old house on the edge of town, with a water view, and within walking distance of all my favorite shops and restaurants. So, not only is it in the perfect location, but the house itself is also just dreamy. An old, Puritan-style, two-story home with a white picket fence and a tiny garden in the side yard. It’s adorable.