Page 31 of Pints & Potions

“Spring!” All her ire dissolved in the face of her cousin’s sweet disposition. No one could be irritated in her presence. A more naturally stunning woman didn’t exist, and Spring always maintained a serene expression, unless it came to the epic clashes with her husband Knox.

Piper hid a jaw-cracking yawn behind her hand. “I wasn’t expecting you at the butt-crack of dawn. Isn’t it still the middle of the night by you?”

“I couldn’t sleep. My excitement got the better of me.” With a toss of her tawny curls, Spring swept through the doorway and dropped a canvas bag on the foot of the bed. “I found everything we need for the potion but one item, and I can’t wait to get started.”

“What about that extra item?”

“I saw Bridget on the way up and she said we could find it at a nearby waterfall.” Spring cast a curious glance around the large room. “Cute. Knox and I might have to take a vacation soon.” With an impatient wave of her hand, she said, “Hurry and get dressed. Time’s a’wastin’.”

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but I don’t like you very much.”

Her cousin’s musical laughter rang out, and the melodic sound was soothing to Piper’s raw nerves. She grinned and bussed a kiss on Spring’s petal-soft cheek.

“Where’s your husband? He’s never far behind.”

“Actually, he is this time. I managed to convince him to back off because I’m seriously sick of his overprotectiveness.”

Piper paused in pulling on her jeans and stared in open-mouthed wonder. It was well known in their family—hell, throughout the entire witch community—Knox Carlyleneverleft his wife’s side if she was going farther than her family home. He’d failed to protect her once with tragic consequences, and—unlike Piper at the moment—he refused to be caught with his pants down again.

“You’re joking?”

Her cousin avoided her eye.

“Whereexactly does he think you are, Spring?”

“Visiting with my sisters.”

“He’s going to murder us both!”

“He is not.”

“He is, too,” interrupted an anger-infused voice from over by the doorway.

Piper yelped and scrambled to pull up her pants as Spring sputtered her husband’s name. Of course, Piper needn’t have worried about her unmentionables since Knox had locked his furious eyes on his guilty-as-sin mate.

“You lied to me.” His voice was silky soft with an underlying hurt.

Staring at him now, all six feet two of panty-melting eye candy, Piper wondered why Spring didn’t chain herself to the guy. He absolutely adored her cousin and would die for her without a moment’s hesitation. How many women were lucky to have a guy like him in her life?

Not many.

Spring opened her mouth but no words came out.

With purposeful strides, he approached his wife, gently tipped her chin up, and gazed down at her with a tenderness so disarming and sincere, it brought Piper’s tears to the forefront. She suppressed a girly sigh at how romantic he appeared, struggling between chastising Spring or hugging the ever-loving hell out of her.

He gave a rueful shake of his head and dropped a light, lingering kiss on her pouty mouth. “Please stop taking years off my life.”

“It’s Ireland, babe. Nothing terrible happens here,” Spring countered.

Piper held up a hand. “Not true. Cian threw a big burly Russian off the cliff yesterday.”

Both Knox and Spring were nonplussed.

Spring recovered first. “How do you know he was Russian?”

“That’syour question?” Knox asked dryly. With a shake of his head, he looked back at Piper. “Okay, I’ll bite. How do you know he was Russian? Also, who is Cian and why is he throwing big burly men off cliffs?”

After conjuring tea and scones, Piper recounted the entire incident.

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