Hannah’s head was alive with a web of questions as she left the two witches to battle it out. As much as she wanted answers, she wanted safety more. The questions would have to wait for another day.
15
Fifteen
“You’re in big trouble for scaring Mommy,” Hannah groused as she hiked back to Casper Creek with Jinx in tow. For his part, the dog seemed none the worse for wear. His tongue lolled out as he scampered in the rain, making sure not to wander too far away from his favorite person in the world. “I mean big trouble.”
The look Jinx gave her was goofy.
“I mean it.” Hannah was determined to give the dog a good talking to when they got home ... just as soon as she dried him off and warmed him up. “You should never run away from me. You almost broke my heart.”
Jinx padded next to her, his expression suddenly grave. To Hannah, it almost looked as if he was absorbing every word. Watching him, she tried to smile ... and then burst into tears instead. “Don’t scare me like that again,” she insisted, her voice cracking. “I just ... can’t deal with it.”
At the top of the hill, she pulled up short when she found Cooper heading in their direction. Relief momentarily overwhelmed her as she picked up her pace.
“Are you trying to kill me?” Cooper barked when he saw her, stopping still in the middle of the storm to rest his hands on his knees. He had no idea what direction she’d gone in and played a hunch when he left Casper Creek. He’d never been so thankful in his entire life that his hunch turned out to be correct.
“I found Jinx,” Hannah volunteered through her tears, stopping directly in front of Cooper.
He stared at her, internally debating whether he wanted to yell or cry. Ultimately, he gave into his urges and pulled her in for a tight hug. “You scared ten years off my life.”
Because it mimicked what she said to Jinx so closely, Hannah managed a laugh as she rubbed her cheek against his shoulder. “I’m sorry. I just had to find him.”
“I know.” He couldn’t hold out in the face of her misery, no matter how angry he’d been during the jog from Casper Creek. “You shouldn’t have left.”
“I told you I had to find him.”
“You should’ve waited for me.”
“No.” She was morose when she pulled back. “I followed my heart. You can’t ask me to go against my heart.”
And, because he knew she was right, he shook his head and let go of his frustration. “You’re okay. That’s all that matters.” He flicked his eyes to Jinx, who continued panting and playing in the mud. “He seems okay.”
“Astra found him in the creek.”
Cooper froze. “Astra found Jinx in the creek?”
“That’s what she said.”
“Why was she down at the creek? I mean ... did you find her just sitting there when you managed to track down Jinx?”
“No. I never made it that far. I ran into Stormy at the bottom of the hill instead. We were talking — well, arguing really — and that’s when Astra showed up. She had Jinx with her.”
Cooper was stupefied. “I don’t understand.”
“I honestly don’t either.”
He glanced back in the direction she’d come from, torn.
“Don’t go back,” Hannah pleaded, as if reading his mind. “It’s a mistake. They looked as if they were going to fight.”
“I don’t understand how they managed to get on the property. I thought there were wards keeping them out.”
“I thought that, too. Either the wards have failed or they found a way around them.” Something occurred to Hannah. “Or maybe that barrier is messing with the wards. Magic that strong can’t be wielded without consequences.”
“Maybe,” Cooper agreed. He slid his arm around her shoulders and tugged her toward Casper Creek. “Either way, they’re not going to answer our questions and I’m not keen on being stuck in this storm a minute longer. We’ll talk about things back in town.”
“Don’t you mean yell?”
“No.”
“You look like you want to yell.”
“Well, that shows what you know.” He playfully poked her stomach. “I’m so glad that you and your furry friend are safe that I think I’m going to forego a lecture this evening.”
“Wow. It’s like Christmas.”
He snickered. “I wouldn’t go that far. I just want to get out of this.”
“Astra said it was going to keep storming for a few hours.”
“Is she suddenly a weather person?”
Hannah shrugged. “I don’t know. She didn’t waste a lot of time on me. She seemed much more interested in what was going on with Stormy.”
“That’s both interesting and frightening.”
“That was my thought on the subject.”
“Come on, Jinx,” Cooper prodded as they walked toward town. “I think you’ve scared your mother enough for one night. If you play your cards right, I bet she’ll spoil you rotten for the rest of the evening.”
Jinx seemed perfectly happy with that notion because he happily yipped and took off in front of them.
She was safe, Cooper reminded himself as they walked. She was safe and soon she would be warm. It was the outcome he’d hoped for ... and yet he remained leery. What had Astra and Stormy been doing on the property? Had they really been fighting? Was it all for show? He didn’t know, but he was determined to find out.
TYLER, BOONE, AND LINDSEY WERE eating dinner when Hannah and Cooper straggled into the saloon.
“You guys look a little rough around the edges,” Boone noted as he took them in. “How far did you have to go?”
“Almost out to the creek,” Cooper replied, moving directly toward the bar. “Tyler, can you do
