Lindsey accepted the container her father handed her with a grunt of acknowledgement, her attention fixed on Hannah. “Who is Abigail? I didn’t know there was another Abigail out here.”
Hannah froze. She’d forgotten that Lindsey wasn’t a member of the inner circle. Exactly how much the girl knew about the paranormal world was a mystery to her. “Oh, well ....”
“It’s the same Abigail,” Boone volunteered. “We’ve talked about this. Her ghost is still hanging around.”
Lindsey made a face. “I thought you were exaggerating when you told me that.”
“No.”
“But ... ghosts are real?” Suddenly, the petulant teenager had disappeared and was replaced by a curious young adult who had a lot of questions.
“They are,” Boone confirmed.
“Are other things real?”
“Yes.”
“Does that mean those stories you told me when I was a kid — the ones about werewolves and vampires and witches — were true?”
Boone hesitated and then shook his head. “I think most of the books I read when you were younger were all fiction. Those Twilight books are definitely fiction. Don’t go falling for some sparkly vampire. It will end badly.”
That had a ghost of a smile hovering around Lindsey’s lips. “How come you didn’t tell me it was real?”
Boone shrugged. “I didn’t want the other parents to think you were a nut. I knew you would tell your friends — and especially the kids you didn’t like — so I thought it was best to wait. Then, as you got older, I worried that you would melt down because I didn’t tell you and ... well ... here we are.”
Lindsey worked her jaw, puzzling things out. “I guess that makes sense. I have a lot of questions, though.”
“Oh, good. There’s nothing I love more than questions.” Boone heaved out a sigh as he settled next to his daughter. “Do you remember when you were little and just took my word for everything?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
That warranted a smile, no matter how she tried to fight it. “I’m not kidding.”
“I know you’re not. I guess I can answer some questions over dinner. I would prefer if they weren’t really weird questions, though. Save those for a time when I’m not looking for a missing girl.”
“Wait ....” Realization dawned on Lindsey’s face. “Do you think a monster took Angel?”
Caught, Boone shifted his eyes to Cooper. “I would appreciate if you would at least try to help.”
“I didn’t realize you wanted me to be involved in this conversation.” Cooper tugged on his bottom lip as he regarded the feisty teenager. “I was under the impression you knew a lot of this stuff.”
“I’ve heard my dad say stuff, but I never thought it was real.”
“Did you think it was some elaborate hoax or something?” Hannah queried, curious.
“I don’t know. I guess I just thought it was our thing. He would tell me stories occasionally, treat the supernatural as normal, and I would laugh because I thought it was a joke.” Lindsey turned a set of accusatory eyes on her father. “I’m pretty sure it’s your fault I’m not better prepared for this.”
Boone let out a dry chuckle. “I’m not surprised you feel that way. If you have questions, I’m more than willing to answer them ... within reason. I don’t want to hear some weird ‘are were-ferrets real’ question. Only serious questions are allowed.”
“Okay.” Lindsey bobbed her head. “I’m going to have a bunch of them. I’m warning you.”
“I would expect nothing less. You need to eat your dinner while you’re asking, though.”
“Fine.” Lindsey’s forehead was creased in concentration as she opened her container and absently reached for the ketchup, which she proceeded to dump all over her fries. “If Miss Abigail is a ghost, does that mean we all turn into ghosts when we die?”
Boone was taken aback. Of all the questions he expected her to ask, that wasn’t one of them. “Oh, well ....” He looked to Hannah for help. He knew what his daughter was asking, but he honestly didn’t know how to answer it.
“I don’t think it works that way,” Hannah volunteered as she settled between Boone and Cooper. “I haven’t been at this all that long, but I think if everybody who died came back as a ghost, it would be a very crowded afterlife.”
“Then who decides who comes back as a ghost?” Lindsey pressed. “Is God real?”
That question was way above Hannah’s paygrade. “Um ... I don’t know.”
“How can you not know? Aren’t you one of them?”
“One of whom?”
“The magical people.”
“Oh.” Hannah rubbed her forehead, her dinner all but forgotten. “I guess. I didn’t know I was a witch until I moved to Casper Creek, though. I’m still learning about all of this.”
“You’re a witch?” Lindsey’s eyes were so wide Hannah thought they might pop out of her head. “Doesn’t that mean you’re evil?”
“Only when I have PMS,” Hannah quipped lamely.
Lindsey shifted her gaze to her father. “Is she evil?”
Boone chuckled. “No. Witches, just like people, can be good or bad. Hannah is a good witch. That’s not to say there aren’t evil witches out there, though. You need to be careful.”
“Right.” Lindsey bobbed her head, an air of thoughtfulness weighing her down like an anchor. “Was Astra a bad witch?”
Boone cleared his throat and pinned Cooper with a look. “This one is all you.”
Cooper groaned. “Thanks for that.” He blew out a sigh. “Astra is ... complicated. Everybody has good and bad qualities.”
“Oh, really?” Hannah made a face. “That’s the opposite of what you told me when I moved here. I believe your opening line to me was ‘she’s the devil and you need to stay away from her.’ Maybe your feelings toward her have softened.”
“Oh, don’t even.” Cooper made a tortured face. “You know that’s not true. I just don’t want Lindsey to scream and point if she sees Astra. That will be
