Page 87 of All My Witches
“Finally.” Landon’s smile threatened to swallow his entire face. “Now this is how I want to spend myday.”
LANDON WASIN A POSITIVELYchipper mood when we hit the main floor. I smelled my mother’s famous blueberry pancakes from three rooms away, the heavenly scent causing my stomach to rumble inappreciation.
“I am officially starving,” I announced. “I feel as if I haven’t eaten indays.”
“That’s because we were trapped in the purgatory that is soap land for what felt like weeks.” Landon slung an arm around my shoulders. “I’m back in heavennow.”
I snickered. “I was just thinking that the pancakes smelled heavenly. I guess we’re on the samewavelength.”
“I was talking about spending time withyou.”
My cheeks burned as pleasure shot through me. “You don’t have to lay it on so thick. I have every intention of spending the afternoon withyou.”
“I’m not laying it on thick. I meanit.”
“Well … thankyou.”
“You can thank me later. For now, let’s eat those freaking pancakes. Oh, and there’d better bebacon.”
We were almost to the kitchen, happiness oozing from us, when I heard a loud voice in the dining room. I recognized Thistle’s dulcet tones from the foyer. She didn’t soundhappy.
“Don’t even think about running away from me, oldlady!”
Landon and I exchanged a look before pushing open the swinging door that led to the dining room. If we thought we would get out of The Overlook without running into trouble, we were sadly mistaken. Or stupid. I was leaning towardstupid.
Aunt Tillie sat in her regular chair at the end of the table. She didn’t look particularly perturbed by Thistle’s tone, but her expression was largelyunreadable.
“What’s going on?” I asked, understandably wary. “Is everythingokay?”
Chief Terry sat in a center chair sipping a mug of coffee. He looked a little worse for wear, apparently his hangover raging, but the look he shot me was blasé. I felt sorry for him … but also thankful formyself.
“Thistle just stormed into the room and attacked Tillie,” Chief Terry explained. “She seemsupset.”
“I think she had a bad dream or something,” Twila added, pressing a mug of coffee into my hand. “You don’t look so bad given how much you drank last night. In fact, you look pretty together. I’msurprised.”
“That makes two of us.” I slid a sidelong look to Aunt Tillie and found her watching me with unveiled interest. “I also think we all shared the same baddream.”
Mom, who was walking through the door that separated the kitchen and dining room, pulled up short. She balanced the platter of pancakes and bacon she carried against her chest as she eyed me. “What do you mean bythat?”
“Do you want to tell her, Aunt Tillie, or shouldI?”
Aunt Tillie wasn’t much for threats, and she clearly wasn’t worried about this potential bomb detonating. In fact, she looked eager for it to happen. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” shelied.
“Oh, really, Alexis Kane?” Landon cocked an eyebrow as he sat, opting for the chair next to her so I wouldn’t take it and potentially launch the family into all-out war. “I have trouble believingthat.”
“That’s probably because you’re slow,” Aunt Tillie said. “Oh, and ‘The Man.’ That makes you naturally suspicious and often unpleasant. It’s a shortcoming. I hope you overcome iteventually.”
Mom set the platter on the middle of the table and heaved a sigh only a mother sick of fighting offspring could muster. Since Aunt Tillie was often like a fourth child in the family – one no one wanted to claim – that wasn’t too far out of the realm ofpossibility.
“What did youdo?”
“Yes, Bay, what did you do?” Aunt Tillieteased.
“I was talking to you, Aunt Tillie.” Mom was now idling at low boil. “I can tell by Thistle, Landon and Bay’s reactions that you did something obnoxious. I’m almost afraid to know what itis.”
“Do you want to know what I think?” Aunt Tilliechallenged.
“Not even alittle.”
