Page 52 of All My Witches
“He’s close,” Lila replied. “He’s waiting for me in there.” She gestured toward the cabin. “We’re going to run away together and start a newlife.”
“But you’re pregnant with my baby,” Hutchchallenged.
Lila balked. “How do you knowthat?”
“Because I replaced your birth control pills with sugar tablets.” Hutch turned aggressive. He was no longer the amiable tool hanging around a therapeutic mud pit with a woman he barely knew. He wasn’t even the annoying sniffle monster who followed us to the waterfall while moaning about his probably dead wife. Now he was something else entirely. “I knew you were running around on me. I knew you were cheating. I had to stopyou.”
“And getting me pregnant when it was the exact opposite of what I wanted was your plan?” Lila was beside herself. “You’re afiend!”
“Oh, geez.” Thistle pinched the bridge of hernose.
“I may be a fiend,” Hutch shot back. “But I’m a fiend who gets what he wants, and I wantyou.”
“Since when?” Thistle’s irritation was on full display. “You had your tongue down some other woman’s throat an hourago.”
“That is a lie!” Hutch roared. “I love only mywife.”
I rolled my eyes. “I so don’t want to be part of this conversation. Lila, where isLandon?”
Lila was confused. “Who isLandon?”
“Who is Lila?” Hutchasked.
I sucked in a breath and regrouped. “Queenie, where isJericho?”
“I told you, he’s in the cabin,” Lila replied. “He’s waiting forme.”
I had doubts Landon would ever wait for Lila, but I was eager to be reunited with him so I moved past Lila and left her to argue to her heart’s content with Hutch. Their issues were not my issues. At least I hoped they weren’t myissues.
“Landon?” I waited for him to answer, but when nothing happened I tried again. “Landon?”
“Bay?”
The voice didn’t come from the cabin. It came from the woods to our right. I turned in that direction, my eyes going wide when I saw Landon push his way through the trees. He was shirtless – again – but his eyes were wide and his relief, even from a hundred feet away, waspalpable.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Landon said. “Where wereyou?”
“Looking for you.” I tilted my head to the side. “What happened to yourshirt?”
Landon gestured toward Lila. “That … beast …happened.”
“Where are Sam and Marcus?” Cloveasked.
“They’re right behind me. Don’t worry.” Landon’s eyes locked with mine and his expression softened. “I wasworried.”
“Even shirtless again, I’m still glad to seeyou.”
“Yeah, me too.” Landon opened his arms. “Comehere.”
I took several steps quickly, excited to see him even though we’d been together a mere hour before. It somehow felt longer. I was only halfway to him, doing my best to ignore Lila’s outraged screech, when I heard a roar and turned to theright.
I don’t know what I expected. I knew it wouldn’t be an easy reunion. Aunt Tillie wouldn’t allow it, after all, and neither would the laws of soap operas. The thing rushing out of the woods in my direction totally flummoxed me,though.
“Bear!” Clove screeched. “Holy crap! It’s abear!”
I could see that for myself, but I had no idea what to do about it. I opened my mouth to scream, but the charging animal – its pelt white rather than black, which didn’t make a lot of sense given the mountain setting – turned in my direction, lashing out with a paw and causing me to tilt to the side to avoid being swiped. I hit the ground hard, the air forced from my lungs, and I gasped when the bear turned to faceme.
“Bay!” Landon panicked, and I knew he wouldn’t get to me in time. Even if he did, what could hedo?
