Page 25 of Bewitched By the Wicked Witch
"Show yourself," I called out, my voice ringing with authority and more than a hint of irritation. "I don't have time for games, andCosmo hasn't had breakfast yet. He gets cranky when he's hungry."
A beat of silence stretched between us, filled only bythe distant sound of morning traffic and a dog barking somewhere down the street. Then a figure I knew well stepped out from behind a gnarled oak tree, moving with that easy confidence I remembered all too well. Callum Renshaw, looking far too handsome for his own good in a fitted leather jacket and dark jeans that hugged his lean frame. I cursed my traitorous heart for skipping a beat at the sight of him, even as my brain reminded me of all the reasons I should walk away right now.
"Sage." He inclined his head, a tentative smile on his lips that didn't quite reach those damn beautiful green eyes. They glittered at me with a hope I knew I had to squash before it grew into something more dangerous.
"Well, if it isn't my new investigative partner," I muttered with a frown, one hand tightening around my coffee cup as I watched him approach. "You're early. I thought we agreed to meet at ten, not ambush me during my morning coffee ritual."
The sight of him stirred up all the complicated feelings from last night when we'd reluctantly agreed to work together. Professional necessity didn't erase eighteen years of hurt, and I wasn't about to pretend otherwise.
I sighed, taking a deliberate sip of my coffee. Cindee had added that good luck charm to the brew, and I suspected I was going to need every drop of fortune I could get to survive working with Callum Renshaw.
"I suppose you want to get started then?" I asked, my tone resigned but not openly hostile. "The families won't interview themselves."
Callum's lips twitched with what might have been amusement, though he was smart enough to try hiding it. "I wasn't stalking, exactly. I was hoping to catch you at the coffee shop, but you'd already left by the time I got there. Cindee mentioned you might be heading to see your grandmother."
That made sense. Cindee had probably assumed we'd be working together today, especially after I'd agreed to help with the investigation. The woman had always been too perceptive for her own good, reading between the lines of conversations and picking up on things others missed.
He moved closer, his hands sliding into his front pockets as he studied me with that intense focus I remembered from our college days. "Do you mind coming back with me? We could sit and look over the case together, unless you'd prefer to do this at your place?"
I felt my eyebrows climb toward my hairline. Work at my place? Just the two of us, alone in my underground sanctuary? The suggestion brought back vivid memories of our college days, hunched over dusty tomes in the university library until the early hours of morning. I remembered how we'd claimed our favorite corner table, spreading research materials across every available surface while debating theories and chasing down obscure references. The way Callum would absently run his fingers through his hair when he was thinking, how his eyes would light up when he found a crucial piece of information, and how those long study sessions always seemed to end with us tangled together on the worn library couch.
Just the two of us, with nothing but Cosmo as a chaperone? That sounded like a recipe for disaster, especially when Cosmo was currently eyeing Callum with whatlooked suspiciously like calculation rather than outright hostility. Those college research sessions had been some of our most intimate moments, our minds working in perfect harmony even when our hearts were still learning to trust each other.
It occurred to me then that Cindee knew I'd agreed to work on the case. She'd said so at the shop, acting like my involvement was a foregone conclusion, though she hadn't specifically mentioned Callum and me collaborating. He must have told her to expect us both there today, working together like some kind of supernatural detective duo. The thought made my stomach twist with a mixture of anticipation and dread.
I groaned internally, thinking of having to see Cate again so soon after our earlier encounter. The woman had made it clear she blamed me for everything wrong in Old Hollows, from the missing girls to probably the weather. But the alternative would be to take Callum back to my house, where it would just be us and Cosmo, who was exactly one sticky bun away from caving and welcoming the bastard back into our good graces.
Or worse, Cosmo might decide to share embarrassing details about my current reading habits and the mechanical companion that had taken up residence on my nightstand. I cringed at the thought, only just realizing we were standing there in awkward silence as I worked through each scenario in my head like some kind of paranoid chess master.
The silence stretched between us, filled with unspoken words and the weight of our shared history. A cool breeze rustled the autumn leaves around us, sending a shower ofgold and crimson spiraling to the ground. Somewhere in the distance, a church bell chimed the hour, reminding me that time was passing and girls were still missing.
With a long exhale that created a small cloud in the crisp air, I turned back toward town. "Lead the way, elephant boy."
Callum's step faltered, and I caught the flush that crept up his neck. "About that, do you think maybe you could..."
"No," I growled, taking a deliberate sip of my coffee to hide the smirk threatening to break free. I was being childish, perhaps even cruel, but some part of me wasn't ready to let him off the hook that easily. The hex had been my parting gift when he'd shattered my heart, and it felt like giving up the last bit of power I held over him.
But then I remembered why we were here, what was at stake. Five girls were missing, possibly dead, and I was wasting time on petty revenge. The weight of that responsibility settled on my shoulders like a heavy cloak, reminding me that bigger things mattered than my wounded pride.
With a slight grimace, I muttered the incantation to break the curse, feeling the magic flow out of me in a rush of shadows and starlight. The power hit Callum from behind, and a deep-toned squeak escaped his lips before he stopped mid-step and peered down into his pants with the expression of a man checking to make sure everything was back to normal proportions.
After a moment, he looked up at me with a mixture of relief and something that might have been disappointment. "Thank you," he said carefully. "Though we could always revisit that later if you ever feel like?—"
"No," I snapped, feeling heat rise in my cheeks for reasons I didn't want to examine too closely. I turned and hurried back toward the coffee shop, my footsteps clicking against the cobblestones with perhaps more force than necessary. "Absolutely not. We are not revisiting anything except this case."
Callum stepped quickly to catch up to me, his longer stride easily matching my pace. "Right. The case. Professional partnership only. I understand."
I shot him a sideways glance, noting the way his jaw was set and the careful neutrality of his expression. Good. As long as he understood where we stood, maybe we could get through this without any more awkward moments or trips down memory lane.
Cosmo trotted along beside us, his tail swishing with what I was beginning to recognize as amusement. He had always enjoyed chaos and drama, and this situation probably provided more entertainment than he'd had in years. I made a mental note to have a serious conversation with him about loyalty and whose side he was supposed to be on.
When we reached Hexes and Brews, I paused outside the door, gathering my resolve like armor. Time to face Cate's judgment again and pretend I didn't care what the rest of this town thought of me. I was the town's boogeyman, after all. Cosmo and I followed Callum back into the coffee shop, my stomach twisting with dread at the thought of facing Cate's judgmental glares again so soon. The morning rush had died down, leaving only a fewscattered customers nursing their drinks and reading newspapers. The scent of coffee and pastries wrapped around me like a comforting blanket, even as I lifted my chin defiantly, refusing to let anyone in this town see me cowed.
Cindee looked up in surprise as we entered, her warm brown eyes darting between me and Callum with thinly veiled curiosity and what might have been approval. "Back so soon? And with company, no less." She set down the dishrag she'd been using to clean the espresso machine and gave us her full attention. "I wasn't expecting to see you two together so early in the day."
I shrugged, aiming for nonchalance while my heart hammered against my ribs. "What can I say? I'm just full of surprises today. Apparently, I'm now in the business of helping handsome investigators solve mysterious disappearances."
The words slipped out before I could stop them, and I felt my face heat with embarrassment. Had I really just called Callum handsome? Out loud? In front of witnesses? I took a large gulp of coffee to cover my mortification, nearly burning my tongue in the process.
