Page 96 of The Witch is Back

“Crap.” Bastian hurriedly ticked the last few without even looking.

Emma stared at him. “Are you scared of her?”

“Duh. Aren’t you?”

“I don’t like talking to anyone I don’t know,” she pointed out sotto voce. Especially not witches that were gifted with powerful magic, beauty and efficiency. Her mother would have loved her. Emma just found her intimidating.

“We got this.” Bastian gave her a nod. “Just keep saying yes.”

“Of course that would be your advice.”

He grinned. He kept doing that. The no-holds-barred grin he used to wear around her. It was a jolt to her system every time.

Tamsin held out a hand and their clipboards jumped to her. She ran her eyes down both pages, looked up with a stern expression.

Emma tensed. Had they done it wrong?

“Well,” Tamsin said. “Your choices are a little...out there for a Higher match, but I love a challenge. You’ll be an experiment.”

Bastian’s gaze flickered. “Thank you?” he tried.

Tamsin nodded, gifted him a smile. It looked genuine and actually made her seem more normal. Friendly, even. “I’m sorry if that came out wrong. To tell you the truth, you get sick of precious stone-studded floral arrangements and five-piece orchestras. From these—” she waggled the clipboards “—I can see you’re both hoping for something more casual?”

“We just want it to be something fun. Emma is particularly into being wild. Right, honeybear?”

Emma shot him a die look.

Tamsin blinked, taken aback, but rebounded quick enough. “Okay, I can try and work in something...wild.”

Emma sighed. “He was kidding. I’m not... I mean, I’d like to—Not that that’s...” She trailed off and her shoulders reared up as if in defense.

The wedding planner’s expression softened. “Shy, right? I get it. My baby sister is this mad blast of sass and energy, but park her with someone she doesn’t know and she can’t get a word out. It frustrates her to no end.”

Emma’s head came up. “Yes. That’s it.”

“Bet this whole hoopla is your worst nightmare.” Tamsin tapped her nails on the clipboard. “If it helps, brides don’t have to speak much and if you plan it right, a lot of attention can be on the pair of you, instead of just the bride. Would that make you more comfortable?”

Suddenly she was really warming to Tamsin. She should have known Diana Truenote wouldn’t send them to a carbon copy planner.

“Hey, it can be all about me, if you want.” Bastian smiled with innocence as both women eyed him. “Big photos of me everywhere, on the cake, a choir as I walk down the aisle to Emma and a special dance celebrating the wonder that is Bastian.”

“You can ignore him,” Emma informed Tamsin.

Who eyed both of them with interest. “I think I’m going to enjoy this.” She clapped her hands together, disappearing the clipboards. “Right. Let’s get to it.”

CHAPTER 20

Emma walked out from the shower to find two males on her bed. It was a different experience.

Bastian eyed her towel with interest as he stroked Chester’s ears. “Hey good-looking, come here often?”

“I did last night.”

He turned his attention to the dog. “I’ve created a monster,” he told Chester. “Scram. Mommy and I have some business.”

“No, we don’t,” Emma corrected as she turned to her dresser. She hesitated, looking back over her shoulder. She felt a little awkward getting dressed in front of him. But then, he’d seen everything she had and didn’t seem to have complaints. “How’s your mom?”

Diana had called just as they’d arrived home from wedding planning.

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