Laughter was all she got in response ... and it was a sound she recognized.
Her heart rate picked up again. This time she had a reason to be fearful. “Stormy?”
The snotty witch laughed again as she slowly raised her eyes to meet Hannah’s clear blue orbs. “You don’t look happy to see me.”
That was an understatement of epic proportions, but Hannah refused to play the game. “I don’t know that I would say that. I am surprised to see you.” She swallowed hard and glanced around to see if the witch was alone. Then something occurred to her. “What are you doing on this side of the creek?”
“Is that a trick question? Is it like ‘why did the chicken cross the road?’”
“No, it’s actually a straightforward question. There are wards. You’re not supposed to be able to cross the creek.”
“Who told you that?”
“People I trust.”
“Well, you might want to look for another source of information. I had no problem crossing.”
“Is there a reason why you crossed?”
“I was just looking around.”
“In the rain?”
“I happen to love a good storm.” She winked at Hannah, causing her to involuntarily cringe. “That’s why my name is Stormy.”
“Right.” Hannah didn’t trust the witch, but she also didn’t have time to dilly-dally. Jinx was out there somewhere, and he needed her. “Well, I’m just out looking for my dog. You’ll want to be careful climbing the hill in this rain. It’s muddy ... and slippery.” Hannah gave Stormy a wide berth, not looking up again until they were on an even level. The expression on Stormy’s face might’ve been amusing under different circumstances, but it filled Hannah with dread today.
“That’s it?” Stormy queried. “That’s all you have to say to me?”
“Right now.” The last thing Hannah wanted was a fight. “I have other things to do.”
“Like look for your dog.”
“That’s the plan.”
“And what if I told you I could produce the dog right now?”
Hannah’s guts turned to liquid ice. “W-what?”
“Your dog. What if I told you that I knew where he was?”
“Then I would ask you to tell me.” Was it possible she really had Jinx? The thought terrified Hannah. Stormy didn’t seem like the type of woman who believed animals should be loved and protected.
“I’m willing to tell you ... for a price.”
Hannah swallowed hard. “What price?”
“I hear things about this property,” Stormy noted. “I hear there’s magic to be had. I like magic.”
“And you think I can somehow help you tap into the magic here or something?” Hannah was legitimately baffled. “I don’t have time for that. I need to find my dog.”
“I just told you I have your dog.”
Hannah craned her neck. “I don’t see him.”
“That doesn’t mean he’s not close and safe. Er, well, at least he’s safe for now. If you want him, I just want one little thing in return.”
Hannah had no doubt what that one thing was. “Casper Creek.”
“Oh, you really are smarter than you look,” Stormy drawled. “Astra said you wouldn’t be willing to deal, but I knew differently. What do you say? I’ll give you the dog. You can give me this place in return. I’ll even give you a few days to pack up your things and vamoose.”
Hannah was dumbfounded. “You think I’m just going to hand over Casper Creek to you? Just like that?”
“If you want the dog back.”
Hannah was about to tell her where she could stick the offer — she would kill Stormy before she let her hurt Jinx and the property would never come into play — but a distinctive bark caught her attention, and when she shifted to the west, she found Astra closing in with Jinx in tow.
Hannah cried out in relief and hurried in that direction, dropping to her knees when Jinx bounded to her. He greeted her with sloppy kisses, and Hannah didn’t care in the least that he was soaking wet as he rubbed himself against her. “I was so worried.”
Stormy’s glare was dark when she focused on her boss. “What are you doing here?”
“I was just about to ask you the same thing,” Astra replied, her expression blank. “I was down at the creek when the dog appeared. He splashed right in the water and hid next to the bank.”
“The storm frightened him,” Hannah explained. “He took off from the saloon. I’ve been looking for him ever since.”
“Well, he’s here now.” Astra flicked her eyes to Stormy. “What were you two talking about?”
“We were just shooting the breeze,” Stormy replied.
Annoyed, Hannah narrowed her eyes. “She said she had Jinx and wanted to trade him for Casper Creek.”
“Is that a fact?” Astra looked downright furious. “That’s quite the trade, huh?”
“It was a joke,” Stormy offered. “I was just messing around with her.”
“It doesn’t sound like that to me.” Astra held Stormy’s gaze a beat longer and then focused on Hannah. “I would get the dog back to town. This storm won’t let up yet for a few hours. You really shouldn’t be out in it.”
Unsure what to say, Hannah went for sarcastic levity. “I didn’t know you cared.”
“I don’t ... about you at least. I don’t want anything bad to happen to the dog and he seems to love you.”
“He’s a good boy,” Hannah agreed. “I ... really can’t thank you enough for bringing him to me.”
“The dog is innocent in this. Just take him home. I don’t need thanks. I simply want some alone time with Stormy, if that’s all right with you, I mean.”
Hannah could only nod. The cold vibes building between the other witches made her nervous. She didn’t want to hang around a second longer than necessary. “Knock yourselves out. Cooper is probably looking for me anyway.”
“I’m sure he is,” Astra agreed, making a derisive shooing motion with her hand. “You should find him, get out of the rain. I’ll handle this.”
“Okay. Um, thanks again.” Hannah motioned for Jinx to follow her and the dog happily acquiesced. She had so many questions, a million of them really, but now wasn’t
