Page 16 of Boss Witch

Normally, she’d ask Danica for help with a job like this, but her cousin was a fritzing stress ball, and Clem couldn’t bring herself to add to Danica’s problems. They’d talked about the situation a bit, but from Clem’s perspective, nothing had been resolved. With a sigh, she put aside the journal and went to sleep. Things should be brighter in the morning.

The next day at work, Clem jumped at shadows, afraid Gavin would somehow sense her magical repair work and storm in to confront her—­when she still didn’t have even the flicker of a plan.The wards will hold. He won’t be able to tell.That was from the outside, though. If he came in, he might detect residual magic, and if he took a close look at the back room, he’d have no doubt they didn’t repair things through physical effort.

Sometimes it felt like she was learning acrobatics on a tightrope and some joker had stashed away the safety net. After taking a deep breath, Clem didn’t say much when Danica relieved her. They usually joked around, and often her cousin brought her some iced coffee or another treat, but lately, things had been fraught between them.

When they fought, Danica always got teary and quiet, making Clem feel like shit for speaking her truth. They’d snapped at each other a fair bit this summer, and more than anything, Clem wanted to get back to their supportive sisterhood.

She sighed. Tonight her cousin had a date with the baker, and Clem had a choice between digging through those journals and hanging out with the rest of the coven. Yeah, that wasn’t a tough decision; she deserved a fun night before she got back to research and derailing Gavin. First, though, she needed to bait the hook and reel him again. It worried her how much she enjoyed weighing her word choices to create the perfect, irresistible text.

Finally, she thought she had it right—­flirty, fun, and a touch challenging.Miss me yet? If you’re ready for round two, meet me at Java House day after tomorrow at 7 AM. If you dare.

Clem didn’t wait for a response. She offered Danica a halfhearted wave, silently dispirited by the distance growing between them.Do I have to apologize? She’s probably still upset, but really, did I say anything wrong?

After she’d hung out with Kerry and Priya for their impromptu housewarming, Clem had a standing invite to chill with them whenever she wanted. They lived in one of the newer developments, uniform rows of houses with similar landscaping. When she arrived, Leanne and Vanessa were already there—­no Ethel or Margie, though. Just being around her coven sisters eased her tension a fraction. Clem skimmed their faces one by one and took satisfaction in knowing she was keeping them safe. It no longer mattered that she was stressed.

“Looking fantastic,” she told Vanessa, who was sporting a new hairstyle.

Vanessa had gotten an angled bob with a touch of purple ombré that deepened into violet tips, and she tossed her head with a brilliant smile. “I’m looking good, but it’s nice to get acknowledged. Everything okay with you?”

Clem lifted a shoulder in a halfhearted shrug. “Things are tense at home. I think I pissed Danica off with my frankness.”

“You have a tendency to be tough on her,” Priya said.

“Whatever. I didn’t come to talk about my problems.” Clem passed the bottle of wine she’d grabbed on the way over to Kerry. “What are we watching tonight?”

“It’s a Mexican show—­kind of a murder mystery wrapped around a telenovela,” Priya called across the kitchen island. From the sound of it, she was making popcorn on the stove.

Vanessa settled onto the couch with a happy wiggle. “That sounds excellent. Are we doing drinks when somebody gets slapped?”

Kerry brought out bowls spilling over with buttery popcorn, and everyone settled in for the first episode. The actors were all ridiculously gorgeous, and they all had perfect houses and shiny cars. It was even more fun doing this with her coven sisters because Vanessa and Leanne kept everyone giggling constantly with their running commentary. They binged several full episodes while devouring an entire kettle of popcorn, and by the time they decided to call it a night, Clem was feeling much better. She hugged everyone in turn then said, “Thanks for having me over. This was exactly what I needed.”

“We’re always here for you,” Priya said.

The rest of her coven sisters echoed it, and Leanne even gave her a second hug, unusual because she wasn’t the most demonstrative of Clem’s friends. As she headed out, her phone rang. She hadn’t heard from Gavin, but she needed to know if their second date was happening the day after tomorrow. Surprisingly, despite the late hour, he was calling—­so retro.

“Hey,” she said softly, hurrying to her car so the others couldn’t eavesdrop.

And they totally would.

“You’re a little out of breath. Did I catch you at a bad time?”

“I’m about to drive home, but it’s fine. What’s up?”

“Sorry I didn’t respond earlier. I’d set down my phone, and I’ve been getting settled in at my new place.”

“You’re staying?” That was… Hell, she didn’t know how to feel. Gladness had terror in a headlock, and the two responses were throwing down in her brain stem.

“I’ve let the flat for a month. Even a rolling stone yields to inertia now and again.”

“Is that a fancy way to say you’re sick of traveling?”

“You’ve no idea,” he said quietly.

“So tell me.”

“Perhaps when we know each other a bit better. I don’t want to put you off by dumping my complaints on you straightaway.”

“That’s fair. I figure you’re not only calling to apologize for ignoring my text, though…”

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