Page 3 of All My Witches
“Which means you’re staying here for the night,” I mused. It was early in the week, so The Overlook wasn’t teeming withguests.
“I would’ve suggested staying with you at the guesthouse, but you’ve already turned my old room into your office,” Thistle said dryly. “I don’t want to return to the place where I’ve been so callouslyreplaced.”
There was no way I was rising to that bait. “Youleft.”
“And you took over in five minutesflat.”
“I created an office for myself,” I clarified. “Landon took Clove’s old room as his office and I took yours as mine. You knew it was going tohappen.”
“I did know it was going to happen. I just didn’t know it was going to happen thatquickly.”
“We didn’t really have a choice. With Brian walking around the newspaper office sighing and glaring all the time, I needed a place to work that wasn’t under thatroof.”
“I get it.” Thistle held up her hands. “I was just messing with you. What’s Brian’s deal, though? Why can’t he just get out and leave you to it? It’s as if he’s dragging hisfeet.”
“I think he’s had second thoughts about the sale, but he knows better than to try to back out because he’s afraid of Landon and Chief Terry,” I explained. “Chief Terry kind of arranged for the sale to happen in the first place by rallying the shop owners when Brian tried to fire me. He’s the reason I can buy the newspaper in the firstplace.”
“He’s a good guy.” Thistle smiled. “I would’ve paid big money to see Brian’s face when Chief Terry took him on. I bet he didn’t even see itcoming.”
“I don’t think Chief Terry was happy thatday.”
“Oh, I bet he was ticked.” Thistle smiled at the thought. “I bet he made Brian’s knees shake and there was probably a little bit of pee that shook loose. Chief Terry is a big guy, and Brian is acoward.”
I made a face. “Yeah, let’s not focus on the pee, shallwe?”
Thistle chuckled. “It was just a thought.” She leaned back in her chair and fixed me with a serious look. “Why do you look as if you’re about to declarewar?”
The question caught me off guard. “I’m perfectlycalm.”
“No, you’re agitated. What were you doing when I gothere?”
“Nothing.”
“Bull. You were doingsomething.”
“I don’t know why I even bother to answer your questions when I know you’re simply going to call me a liar,” I grumbled. “You only believe what you want tobelieve.”
“I also happen to know you,” Thistle pointed out. “You’re ticked off about something.” She chewed her bottom lip as she debated. “You’re angry with Aunt Tillie. I know that much. I caught that part of the conversation when I was coming in. What did she do toyou?”
Now that was a loaded question. Aunt Tillie had done so many things to me over the course of my life that I’d lost count. “She’s evil.” I returned to my sulking with a glower on my face. “That woman is completely and totallyevil.”
Thistle chuckled, legitimately amused. “You’re preaching to the choir, sister. I’ve been singing that particular song since I was six months old and learned how tospeak.”
I snorted. “You didn’t learn to speak when you were six monthsold.”
“I didso.”
“You didnot.”
“I did so.” Thistle’s eyes flashed. “I was very advanced for myage.”
“I’m older than you and was there,” I reminded her. “You didn’t start speaking when you were six months old. In fact, if I remember correctly, you didn’t start until you were two, and instead spent an entire year grunting and pointing rather than talking because you werelazy.”
Thistle furrowed her brow. “You take thatback.”
“It’s thetruth.”
“Take it back anyway,” Thistlebarked.
