Page 27 of All My Witches
“I was including you in thegroup.”
“Ha, ha.” Landon poked my side. “You haven’t said much about what just happened. Are you still …upset?”
“Upset?” I cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t know if ‘upset’ is the word. I was surprised more than anythingelse.”
Landon snorted. “Bay, if you were a cat you would’ve started hissing when you saw her. Your back would’ve arched and you would’ve made that snarling sound cats make while preparing themselves to claw their enemies todeath.”
“I think you’reexaggerating.”
“And I think it was kind offunny.”
“You didn’t think it was funny when Michael pinched mybutt.”
“Because that wasweird.”
“And that woman rolling around on the dock and rubbing her face against your shirt as if she’s a dog and memorizing your scent, that’snormal?”
“Well, when you phrase it like that … .” Landon’s smile was sheepish when he spared me a look. “Bay, you can’t let this stuff get to you. I know it’s hypocritical for me to say given how I reacted with the happy butt pincher, but it’s true. Aunt Tillie wants us to overreact. We need to remaincalm.”
“That’s easier said than done.” I glanced over my shoulder and found Clove and Sam trailing us, Clove’s hand on her boyfriend’s arm as she attempted to soothe him. I adjusted my tone. “We’d better hope he’s not really expected to performsurgery.”
“I was just thinking the samething.”
“NO!”
Sam was beside himself when the hospital’s chief of staff, who just happened to look a lot like Clove’s father Warren, met us at the front door of thefacility.
“We don’t have much time.” Warren grabbed Sam’s arm and tugged him forward. “We need you. We need yourgift.”
“Absolutely not!” Sam’s eyes were wild with fear. “Irefuse.”
“You must.” Warren didn’t back down. “The man’s life is in danger. He won’t last long. He’s already overcome somuch.”
“I don’t really care if he’s overcome a pack of zombies,” Sam fired back. “I’m not doingit.”
“You don’t understand,” Warren pressed. “It’s Flynn Warfield. He’s a celebrity in the field of metaphysical beliefsystems.”
Landon and I exchanged a weighted look. Landon cleared his throat to get Warren’s attention. “FlynnWarfield?”
Warren nodded. “Then you’ve heard ofhim?”
“A little something here and there,” Landon replied. “I have no idea what a metaphysical belief system is, but I’ve heard of Flynn.” He shifted his eyes to Sam. “I believe you have to do thesurgery.”
Sam’s expression was murderous. “No meansno!”
“Oh, you’re such a kidder.” Warren gave Sam’s shoulder a good squeeze. “You’re the best weekend brain surgeon that we have. This man will die withoutyou.”
“That’s kind of exciting.” Clove’s eyes sparkled. “I always wondered what it would be like to date adoctor.”
If looks could kill, Sam would’ve struck his beloved dead with a single glare. “You’re on my list, Clove,” he announced. “You’re right at the top. You’re even beating out Aunt Tillie rightnow.”
“That’s a little sad,” Thistle noted. “I guess you’re even more of a kvetch than we realized,huh?”
“I’ll make you eat soap opera dirt if you’re not careful,” Clove shot back. “I bet it’s even grosser than real dirt. That’s how Aunt Tillie doesthings.”
Thistle apparently thought the threat had weight, because she wisely shut her mouth. That didn’t mean Icould.
“I think you have to do the surgery, Sam,” I prodded. “We need that diamond, and if Flynn is insurgery… .”
