Page 3 of Petty Deadly Gorgeous

I watched mom walk out of the room, and I walked over to my dad. My hand twitched as I touched his cheek. When he didn’t move, I waved my hand in front of my father’s face. He didn’t blink. The awe I felt grew as my dad stood still, not breathing or moving. I looked over at Gran. “Can I learn to do this?”

Her laugh filled the room. “My dear, you will learn that and so much more.”

I always felt like a misfit, but now? Now I think I knew where I belonged. Tonight should be epic!

“I’m ready.” Mom came back into the room, putting her jacket on. “I’m sorry, Anna, Gran is right. This is your night and we shouldn’t have been fighting.”

I shrugged, slipping into my jacket. “No offense, mom, I’m kinda used to it.”

“Hmph.” Gran snatched up her jacket and walked out the door, letting it slam behind her.

“We should go.” I sighed and went out after her getting into the car. Mom joined us a few minutes later, her eyes swollen from crying. She started the car and pulled out of the driveway, heading for the community center.

We could cut the tension in the car with a knife. This wasn’t how I wanted my birthday to go. I thought as a family we’d all do something fun.

“Mom?” I sat forward between the seats to be closer to them. “Why does dad hate witchcraft so much?”

“Anna, witchcraft is nothing to play with. People can get hurt. There’s always a price for magic.”

Gran chuffed. “That didn’t stop you your freshman year when you cast the spell for Henry to ask you to prom.”

“Mother.”

Laughter bubbled up from me. “Mom, you really cast a spell?”

“Oh, not just one. Back before your father, she was quite the caster.”

Mom’s shoulders relaxed, and a small smile graced her face. “Jamie doesn’t understand, and sometimes people are afraid of what they don’t understand.” She pulled into the parking lot. “He said he needed to know that he loved me without interference and, for that to happen, I chose to put magic aside.”

Gran’s eyebrow raised. “Your father never worried about that.”

As mom pulled into a parking spot and shut the car off, she tilted her head and gave gran a glare. With a shake of her head, Gran raised her arms in defeat and together we all got out of the car and went inside the community center.

We walked into the main room, finding all the people attending in small groups chatting away. I took time to look around at everything. Someone stacked all the tables to one side of the room and there were soft mismatched couches placed around. Against the back wall, you could find drinks and snacks and a large sign pointing the way to the restrooms.

I knew almost everyone here. They were from all walks of life, and we were all here for one reason. We all wanted to know what lives we lived before. There were no other children here, only me. That made me puff my chest out with pride.

As I strolled through the room, I said hi and thanked people for the birthday wishes and compliments. I loved living in Castle Hollow and the people here. Diversity made our town special and the acceptance of that made it better than any other place I’ve visited.

I rubbed my toe at a stain on the carpet, wondering what could’ve caused such a spot. Mister Graves lifted his water glass at me as I looked up and I smiled at him. His restaurant had the best barbeque in town.

Gran and mom were deep into a whispered conversation. I’d never seen them at odds like this before. As I walked closer to them, brief phrases caught my ears like he is forbidding Anna to learn and he’s still pissed that you taught her how to read tarot and tend a witch’s garden.

Anger welled inside my chest.

What right does he have to be angry at Gran? Even if I don’t learn now, I’ll just learn it later.

A vision of the magic book Gran gave me flashed in my head.

YES! I’ll find something in there when I get home to change his mind.

A loud, deep, strangely familiar voice filled the room, and I looked over to see the most handsome man I’d ever seen in my thirteen years. “Let’s take a seat and get ready to travel!”

Hoops and hollers followed as everyone found their places. I locked my eyes onto his built body. Jeans clung to his hips and legs, outlining his package, which made my eyes widen. Boys at school never looked like that. His tee shirt hugged his torso, showing off a defined six-pack, and his nipple poked up. His lips were full with a perfect cupid’s bow, the kind all girls dream of having and their color reminded me of fresh meat. A perfect reddish-pink.

Green eyes accentuated with dark lashes sparkled with his own excitement, and I felt a pit in my stomach. Mom told me all about stranger danger, but I wanted to be dangerous. I wanted to sit in his lap and see how he compared to the magazine my friend Julie snagged from her mom’s room with all the naked men in it.

My ears strained to hear every word. Not that he wasn’t talking loud enough. I wanted to hear the little breaths between each word of his low, purring voice.

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