Page 50 of Witch Please

“Go ahead, I know she’d love that. Wear the reflector strips!” he called after her, as she got Doris’s leash and the dog practically fell over wagging her tail.

It was a double-edged sword, living here. All their happy memories as a family were tied to this place, but this was where everything fell apart too. Usually he got comfort from being here, but tonight, it was all melancholy. With a sigh, he went up to his room and wished he didn’t want to call Danica so much. Texting was more casual, but maybe they were in a place where that didn’t matter?

Throwing himself on his bed like a teenager, he stared at his phone. And he did try to resist for a while, opening a book that failed to distract him, even though he had been enjoying this romance before Danica blew his life to smithereens. In a good way.

Just past nine, he gave up. Dialed her number.I’ll only let it ring three times. If she doesn’t answer—

She picked up on the second beep. “Hey, you.”

That greeting sent pleasurable shivers through him. Most likely it was her husky tone more than the words. But somehow, she made those two words sound so intimate, like there was nobody else she’d rather hear from.

“Am I bothering you? I know you have book club tonight, and I’m not sure how long it runs. I can—”

“It’s fine. Meeting’s over.” He heard sounds like she might be settling in. “What’s up?”

Should I say this? Why not?It was the truth, and he wasn’t the kind of person who could play games or pretend not to need people.

“To be honest, after you left, the day took a crappy turn again, and I wanted to hear your voice.”

Chapter 15

“Oh yeah?” Danica’s response invited Titus to elaborate. Probably she shouldn’t be so pleased to hear from him.

Not after she’d just impulsively ravished him after two different spells failed to quell her unquenchable thirst. But as Leanne had put it just before the coven meeting ended, “Look, you’ve got it bad for this guy. Maybe the universe is telling you to indulge, get him out of your system. These intense sexual obsessions usually burn fast and hot.”

Her eyes had widened. “You’re saying I should satiate myself? Stop resisting.”

Leanne waggled her brows. “Honey, I’ve seen the CinnaMan. The only thing I don’t understand is why you were trying to resist in the first place.”

Everyone but Clem seemed to agree with this statement, and the meeting broke up after they’d confirmed that they did indeed have a genuine witch hunter on their hands.

On the way to the car, Ethel had worn a serious expression as she took Clem’s hands in hers. “Be careful. He’s grim and determined.”

Her cousin had nodded. “I’ll be careful. Did you get a sense of where he is?”

“Oh, he’s holed up at the motel off Route 30, but he’ll probably return to the bakery if he gets a whiff of Danica’s magic.” The old witch turned a somber gaze on both cousins. “Be watchful, both of you. I wasn’t around when my mother dealt with the hunter back in the day, but from her stories, it wasn’t pretty.”

Clem didn’t waver in her resolve. “Understood. I’ll call if I need help.”

The rest of the witches had given hugs all around, then Kerry and Priya had gone inside while the others headed home. Her cousin had barely said ten words to Danica after they got back, and she’d dashed off to her room as soon as possible, presumably to make plans to ensnare the witch hunter. Danica had no doubt there was a big quarrel brewing, which was why she was hiding in her bedroom when Titus called.

Belatedly, she realized she was only half-attending to his response. Fortunately she tuned in soon enough to get the gist. It seemed like his dad had bought plane tickets for Titus and his sister without confirming that the visit was possible on their end, and now he was demanding that they shut down the bakery to attend a baby shower.Damn. That’s messed up. I’m not the only one with family issues.

When he finally paused, she said, “If you want my take—and I’m guessing you do since you shared that with me—the whole situation is unfair. He forced this on you, and he’s using guilt as a wedge, like you’re a bad son if you don’t do exactly what he wants. You’re an adult, and you can buy your own plane tickets. When it’s convenient foryou, not him.”

“Wow,” Titus said.

“Did I overstep?”

“No. But that’s precisely how I feel. Sometimes you wonder if it’s in your head because you’re too close to a situation to be impartial.”

Danica shook her head then realized he couldn’t see her. “Your dad is being selfish. I don’t presume to know about his relationship with your mom, but him expecting you to act like she never existed? That’s bullshit. I’m not saying he shouldn’t live his life, but he can’t demand that you stop grieving and treat his current wife like she’s always been your mother, you know? He needs to back off and give you time. Instead, he hurts you every time you talk because he wants to retcon your family history.”

“Exactly. And Susan is only ten years older than me. Even if I accept their relationship, I’mneverseeing her as a maternal figure.”

“I get it,” she said, snuggling deeper into bed and pulling up the covers. She’d already brushed her teeth and put on pajamas, planning to read a little before falling asleep. “From what you’ve told me about your dad, he’s not the type to admit fault. So he’ll transfer the blame to you and leave you questioning whether he’s right.”

“Thanks.”

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