Page 47 of Home Is Where the Witch Is
As Medea kicked and screamed, protesting her innocence as she was taken out of the room by Chaoxiang and Dracula, Rosie turned to Tya and Alain.
"Welp," she sighed, before the corners of her lips gave her away and she smiled. "Welcome to the Council of Witches."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Granny’s Dinerwas the place to be on a Friday night. It was as though the whole town turned out to celebrate having the whole weekend ahead of themselves. The vintage jukebox over in the corner pumped out slow rock’n'roll, giving a chilled but fun vibe, and the retro-dressed waitresses were full of smiles as they buzzed around the red, black, and white decorated interior.
Normally Rosie, Declan and the kids would get a booth by one of the windows, but tonight there just wouldn’t have been enough room. In time they’d spill into two booths, but for now they had a table where the double baby pram could be parked up close by. Iris and Rowan were sleeping, which was just as well as this evening was dinner doubling as a reunion.
Tammy, Myles, Matthew and Prudence were at the next table over, pulling it close so it was a long table instead. Yet another table had been joined onto the end of that, ready for Ben and his sister, Bunny. It was the first time they had all gotten together in public since the babies had been born, and Rosie was hyped. Her heart fluttered happily as she looked down the table at her gathering loved ones, thrilled to be together and just as thrilled there wouldn’t be any dishes left over after.
Rosie spotted a familiar head of brown-peppered-gray hair bobbing through the crowd and half stood, waving Ben over to where they were all sitting. The crowd was cranking but he managed to make his way over, his sister in tow. Rosie had only met Bunny a handful of times, but she liked the woman immensely. She was no-nonsense and able to mind her own business, both qualities Rosie admired in people.
But they weren’t alone.
A tall man followed along behind Bunny. He looked athletic, like some kind of basketball player, but he moved as though he wasn’t quite sure what to do with his long, lean limbs. Rosie quirked a brow as they got closer, taking in his handsomely chiseled face and impossibly dark eyes. And then she felt a shiver run up her spine.
He definitely wasn’t human. And she had a sneaking suspicion she knew who he was.
“Ben,” Rosie cooed, folding her dear friend into a tight hug. “You’re a sight for sore eyes! How’s it all goin’ down at the Go-Go?”
“Same as usual,” Ben laughed, “hardly a day goes by where somethin’ different happens.”
“Just the way you like it, then,” Rosie teased. She and Ben had often joked about him needing to get out more, so he could meet a local girl and have a family of his own. She’d even tried to suggest a few of Mosswood’s single ladies for his consideration—Elladine and the Sheriff, for starters, but Ben had simply shaken his head gently and graced his friend with a sheepish smile.
“Bunny,” Rosie said with a smile, placing a barely there kiss on the older woman’s cheek. “So great to see you! And you brought a friend!”
Bunny’s gaze was shrewd when she made eye contact with Rosie. Without needing words, she knew Rosie knew who her ‘friend’ was. “This is Fox,” she said, with a pained look on her face. Bunny stepped aside so he could meet Rosie properly.
"FoxMulder," he corrected her, extending a pale hand to Rosie while Bunny executed an epic face-palm. For a split-second Rosie thought she might not take it. But she took a breath, hitched her lips up in a smile, and took Death’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Agent Mulder,” she said on auto-pilot, catching the reference and volleying it back. It wasn’t until the flicker of amusement passed over his face that she realized ‘nice to meet you’ mustn’t be something he heard very often.
“Likewise,” he smiled charmingly. “Thanks for having me.”
“Fox is visiting from out of town,” Bunny explained, glancing at Ben before her brother shuffled around the table to shake hands with Myles and greet Tammy. “Staying until the end of the month.”
“I hope you have a great visit,” Rosie said, looking into his inky black gaze once more. It was a void, like an infinite pool of wisdom and knowledge, sprinkled with a smattering of gently twinkling stars that wanted to draw her in deeper. She blinked and the connection broke.
He grinned, as though well aware of the effect he had. “Thanks. I like donuts!”
“Who doesn’t?” Rosie said, laughing. The way he said it was boyish, even cheeky, and it was totally disarming. “You’re in luck. Granny’s donuts are famous!”
“Great,” he said, perking up further if such a thing were possible. “I’ll take a dozen!”
“You can’t have just donuts for dinner,” Bunny chided him, giving Rosie an apologetic look as they walked away to take a seat. “You have to have proper food first, or you’ll feel sick…”
In the meantime Cillian and Saoirse had arrived and settled themselves near Declan and the babies, already assuming grandparenting duties even though the twins were still sleeping. Gabe and Maggie were discussing their potential meal choices, causing Maggie to glance hopefully at her mom as Rosie sat back down.
“Can I have a triple cheeseburger with extra pickles?”
“You can’t eat all that,” Rosie said, only half-teasing.
“I can!” Maggie sat up straighter in her chair as though it would make her seem more grown-up, and thereby more likely to eat her own weight in ground beef. “Promise.”
Rosie’s gaze cut to Gabe. Next to Declan, he usually helped polish off any leftovers both at home and when they ate out. As though he understood Rosie’s silent question of ‘are you hungry enough to eat the rest if she doesn’t finish it?’, he gave a subtle nod.
“Okay, but if you order it and you don’t eat it all I’ll be mad,” Rosie warned.
