5
Five
“I still don’t understand what this means.”
Hannah smoothed the front of her shirt as she watched Cooper tug on a fresh flannel. He’d taken to keeping clothes in her closet so he didn’t have to run home in the morning to get dressed for work. It was simply more convenient for him to stay at Casper Creek, between work and Jinx, and they were practically living together already because he never spent the night away from her. It was something they were both aware of but didn’t comment on.
“I think you were right from the start,” Cooper replied, checking his reflection in the mirror to make sure he looked professional enough for an FBI agent and then fixing his full attention on Hannah. She’d taken Boone’s instructions to look “capable but approachable” to heart and dressed in comfortable khakis while pulling all of her flaxen hair into a loose bun. “We’re dealing with something magical.”
“But ... how are we supposed to help an investigator if we can’t talk about magic?”
He smirked. “Very carefully. It’s going to be okay.” He rubbed his hands over her tense shoulders and frowned. “Breathe, Hannah,” he instructed. “If you go out there and show him you’re a ball of nerves, he’s going to think you have a reason for it.”
“I know but ... I am a ball of nerves.” She shifted from one foot to the other, uncomfortable. “I just ... don’t know what I’m supposed to do. He’s going to ask what I saw. Do I tell him about the man?”
“No.” Cooper shook his head, firm. “Whatever you do, do not mention the man. Don’t mention magic ... or how your grandmother is running around as a ghost. For the love of all that’s holy, don’t utter the word ‘witch.’”
Hannah frowned, unhappiness on full display. “You’re not upset I’m a witch, are you?”
Exasperation came out to play on Cooper’s face. Now was not the time for her to turn insecure. “Hannah, I happen to love everything about you ... even the annoying things. Being a witch is one of those things. Not annoying, but lovable. You’re strong and I happen to like that. You still can’t mention it in front of this guy. He’s liable to not take it well.”
“Because he thinks witches are evil?”
Cooper hesitated, unsure what he was supposed to say. “That’s a distinct possibility,” he said finally. “You can’t take it personally. Like ... think about when you first got here. If someone had immediately started talking about magic, what would you have thought?”
“That you were all crazy,” Hannah answered without hesitation. “Heck, it was happening to me and I thought I was crazy.” She took a moment to run her hands over her hair, making the sides smooth. “I get it. I won’t say anything stupid.”
Cooper adored everything about her, and he wasn’t lying when he said he found her virtually perfect. That didn’t mean she was good when it came to lying. In fact, she was downright terrible. “Maybe you should refrain from speaking unless spoken to.”
She frowned. “You think I’m going to screw up.”
“No.”
“Yes, you do.” Her voice turned screechy. “You think I’m going to totally flub this. Oh, why did you tell me that right before the FBI agent is due to arrive? Now I’m totally going to screw up. You jinxed me.”
Despite the very serious conversation, Cooper couldn’t stop himself from smiling. “Is it any wonder I fell for you from pretty much the first moment we met?”
The conversational shift caught Hannah off guard. “I think it took longer than that,” she said finally.
“No. Not really. I tried to tell myself not to fall for you, but it was already too late.”
“Ugh.” She made a low growling sound deep in her throat. “How am I supposed to freak out when you say the exact right thing to calm me down?”
He grinned at her response. “It’s going to be okay. Just remember, when he asks you a question, take a beat to think about your answer. It will look like you’re really trying to be helpful, thinking hard, and it will also protect you.”
“I’ve got it.”
“Good.” He grabbed both sides of her face and gave her a loud kiss. “Also, if you could stick close to me, that would be great. The agent will probably think you’re still shaken from what happened yesterday and be more likely to pepper me with questions because I’m head of security. That will benefit us.”
“Okay. Stick close to you.” She bobbed her head. “I’m pretty sure I can do that. I mean ... I’m going to want to be close to you anyway. This is good for both of us.”
“It definitely is,” he agreed.
JACOB HOFFMAN WAS IN HIS EARLY forties but looked younger. He wore a bit of scruff — not Duck Dynasty-level or anything, but enough to appear rugged — and Cooper was convinced it was because he didn’t feel like he got the proper amount of respect from those he often questioned because they assumed he was a newbie. He vowed not to make that mistake.
“Thank you so much for coming.” His tone was grave, indicating respect. “We are ... having a bit of a rough time here given what happened. We really need someone who can help us sort this out.”
Behind Jacob, Boone nodded approvingly. He rarely worried about Cooper not respecting law enforcement — or reading a situation incorrectly — but his approach of Jacob was masterful. “We really are grateful to have you here,” he enthused. “I mean ... this entire thing is bonkers.”
Hannah frowned at Boone’s word choice. Bonkers? Who used that word? When she shifted her eyes to him, she found the older man cringing and realized he was nervous, too, and that wasn’t a word he would use a second time. The realization caused her to relax, if only marginally.
“And you must be
