“I want to talk to you,” Henry began.
“Not here,” I said.
“No one will overhear us. The kids are making too much noise.” As if to back up his words, two older children did cannonballs into the deep end of the pool. A smattering of applause broke out from the party goers. “Why did you take off this morning?” he wanted to know.
“Me?” I whipped my head around to glare at him. “You were the one who had disappeared after I came out of the restroom.”
“I went upstairs for a second, I’d been waiting for you, but when I came back, you’d high-tailed it out of there.”
“High-tailed?” I tossed my head. “What a charming Southern colloquialism.”
“Don’t play the bitch card with me, Hannah.”
I slowly turned my head to stare at him. “Excuse me?”
“You take that snotty tone every time you hear something you don’t like. What happened today was—”
“Mr. Walker,” I cut him off. “As far as I’m concerned today was a mistake, a huge mistake. One that I have no intention of ever repeating.”
“Mistake?” Henry’s voice lowered to a growl.
“Mama!” Eli shouted as he and Margot began to play sword fight with foam pool noodles. “Watch me. Watch me!”
“I’m watching,” I called back.
“We had fun.” Henry’s voice was pitched low. “So what’s your problem?”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “So you said earlier. I can’t tell you how flattering it is to keep hearing that I amused you.”
“You know what I meant.” He laid his hand on mine where it rested on the arm of the pool chair. “I’m into you Hannah,” Henry said. “Damned if I know why.”
His gesture combined with the soft words made my insides quake. The unexpected tenderness, albeit gruff, simply killed me.
My parents walked up, and I saw my chance for escape. “Mom, Dad,” I called over to them. “Would you keep an eye on Eli and Margot?”
“Sure thing, honey,” my father said.
I walked away from Henry as quickly as possible, but not fast enough that it would seem like I was running. I went straight to the house, and hunted up my sister. I found her, alone in the baby’s room, changing Madison.
“Hi!” I said brightly.
Kayleigh glanced over her shoulder. “What are you doing in here? You should be out there enjoying the party.” She finished snapping the baby’s onesie into place and picked her up.
The baby’s room was painted a soft lavender. I caught an herbal scent and spotted a small vase of garden roses and lavender sprigs that had been placed on a tall dresser. Floral print curtains and coordinating linens decorated the baby’s room, which fit my herbalist sister, right down to the ground.
I went in and took the baby. “I am enjoying myself. I came in here to hang out with two of my favorite Witches.” I kissed Maddie’s soft cheek. “This is such a pretty nursery, Kayleigh.”
“You’re the one that found the fabric for the curtains,” she said, going to the adjoining bathroom. “Is there something going on with you and Henry Walker?” Kayleigh asked while she washed her hands.
“No!” I scoffed, and the sound caused the baby startle. I started to pat and sway, trying to soothe my niece.
“Umm hmm.” Kayleigh came back out, rolling her eyes at me. “He’s been staring at you all evening.”
“He has not.”
“Come on.” She put an arm around me. “Let’s go downstairs and rejoin the party.”
We’d taken no more than a few steps when I stopped dead on her upper landing. A tingling started at the base of my neck and the acrid smell of smoke filled my nose. “Smoke,” I said. “Kayleigh, something’s burning.”
Kayleigh gave me a squeeze. “The smoke detectors aren’t going off. Are you receiving clairolfactory information?”
“Yeah.” I shook my head as the scent grew stronger. “I smell gasoline too.”
“Focus,” Kayleigh said intently. “Hannah, hone in on that information. Find the fire.”
I handed the baby back to my sister, and shut my eyes letting my body act as a compass. I felt a tug to my right and I spun to face the direction I felt pulled in. “It’s deliberate, and being set right now.” I heard myself say. “It’s close. Across the street maybe,” I said, opening my eyes.
Kayleigh nodded and we went down the stairs together. She opened the front door and checked outside. “I don’t see anything,” Kayleigh said.
“Whose house is that?” I pointed to the brick three story across the road.
“The Miller’s,” Kayleigh said. “They’re here right now.”
I focused on the attractive house with the deep blue shutters, and the next scent that hit me had me flinching. “Ozone,” I said. “Kayleigh, call the fire department! Send them across the street to the Miller’s house.”
“I will!” Kayleigh said. “Go! See if you can stop it!”
I jogged across the street, pounded over the pretty manicured lawn and followed my nose. When my instincts told me to go around the left side of the house I didn’t question, I simply ran faster. I saw the gate on the tall white vinyl privacy fence and pushed out with both hands. The gate flung itself wide open and I never broke stride. I rushed around to the back and discovered that the shed door was open. Someone was inside.
The odor of gasoline bloomed in the air, and smoke started to pour out of the shed door. “Hey!” I shouted, and a young man bolted out of the shed and started to run. He jumped up and scrambled over the top of the privacy fence so fast, I could only blink.
As I dashed towards the shed the stench of ozone hit me. Get back! my
