Page 51 of Sweetwater and the Witch

“Thanks, Jake. I’ll send the photos as soon as we hang up.”

“By the way, your Aunt Zora called with the good news.”

Ravenna froze for the second time. She stared at Ethan, horrified.

Ethan must have sensed her scrutiny, because he shot her an uneasy glance before he turned back to the phone.

“Good news?” he said. He sounded cautious. Very, very cautious.

“Yep.” Jake chuckled. “She said it looks like you finally found a match using one of those Covenant Marriage agencies. Got to admit, I’ve never thought that was the way to go, not for a Sweetwater. As your grandmother likes to say, we usually do things with a lot more drama. But first time for everything, I reckon.”

Ethan tightened his grip on the phone. “Uh, Jake—”

“A fire witch, huh? Good choice. From the sound of it she’ll fit right in with the Sweetwater family.”

I’m doomed,Ravenna thought.My career as a matchmaker is finished.I am totally screwed.

Stunned, she dropped onto the side of the bed. She needed to sit down, and the bed was the only available option, because Ethan was using the room’s one and only chair.

“The situation is a little more complicated than Aunt Zora made it sound,” Ethan said firmly. He spoke to the phone but he was watching Ravenna with a wary expression. “I don’t have time to talk about it right now. I need to send you those photos. This is time-sensitive material. Call as soon as you have any info for me.”

“Will do. This will be interesting. Haven’t done any hunting in a while.”

“Thanks.” Ethan ended the call, took a deep breath, and looked at Ravenna. “Sorry about that. I didn’t think this was the time to try to explain the whole fake-date thing.”

“Probably not,” Ravenna said. She kept her tone neutral.

“Let’s worry about it later,” Ethan said. “Right now we have other priorities.”

“True,” she admitted.

Harriet popped out from under the bed, chortling with excitement. She waved a small glittering object and hopped up onto the windowsill.

“What have you got there?” Ravenna asked.

Harriet graciously offered her find—an amber earring. Ravenna took it, rezzed her senses, and smiled when she felt the vibe.

“It’s tuned,” she announced. “A standard, generic frequency. I can use it.”

Ethan looked at Harriet. “Good job, pal.”

Ravenna remembered the signet ring. She opened her evening bag. The amber-and-gold object gleamed. She took it out, wondering why she was suddenly reluctant to return it. It wasn’t as if she could use it.

“I won’t need this now,” she said.

“Right.” He took the ring and slid it on his finger.

“It’s a very nice ring,” she said.

“My father gave to me.”

“I see. Special.”

“Yes,” he said. He watched her with an expression that sent a flutter of awareness through her. “You’re welcome to borrow it anytime.”

She went blank. “Why would I do that?”

“I dunno. Maybe so that I could find you if you ever got lost?”

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