Page 98 of Extra Witchy

“It doesn’t count when they’re oven buns?” he asked.

Dante shook his head. “It does not.”

“Bummer.”

“Quick question,” Dante said.

“What is it?”

“I happened to read this article…”

Trev thought he knew where this was going. “You’re wondering if Margie’s a witch?”

It made him sad that Margie hadn’t confided in Dante on her own. His friend liked her, but she was so closed off and skittish that it seemed improbable she’d ever let anyone in again all the way.What the hell did her ex do to her anyway?

“I mean, yeah.” Dante punctuated his words with a sheepish look.

“She is. The way I understand it,everyonein book club is. Except for Hazel Jeffords. She’s just lonely.”

“Holy shit,” his friend whispered.

Welcome to my world.

Trev got up to check the snacks and set them on the kitchen counter for easy access. There was a selection of fruit, nuts, cheese, and chips—all easily snatched up by grabby hands. Soon, there was a knock at the door, revealing Miguel and his four kids, ranging in age from twelve to four. He and his wife, Juanita, were prolific.

After seeing Leanne scream her head off once, Trev had no idea if he could face her doing that again. He adored Melanie, and he was delighted they had her, but watching his wife suffer hurt his heart, especially when there was nothing he could do. Belatedly, he greeted Miguel with a casual hug and listened carefully as his friend introduced the kids.

“Marco is twelve. Teresa is ten. Manuel is seven. Tatiana is four. Are you sure there’s space for everyone here?”

“The younger kids can play in the nursery. I hooked up a console in the living room for the older ones, and I have multiple games that allow up to four players.”

Miguel grinned. “I can see you’ve thought this out. I stand corrected.”

“It’s only for a few hours anyway to give your wife—and you—a break.”

“I really appreciate it, man. She’s waiting in the car, so I’m taking off. We’ll be back after the movie.”

“Not a problem.”

Miguel headed out, leaving Trev and Dante to entertain a bunch of children. About an hour in, things settled into a reasonable groove, with Evonnie schooling Marco and Manuel in a racing game. Tatiana wandered into the nursery to check out the toys, and Teresa preferred reading quietly, keeping to herself.

Dante drew Trev aside to whisper, “If my sisters find out I’m babysitting for Miguel, I’ll never hear the end of it. They’llkeeptheir kids at my house.”

Trev laughed quietly. “I won’t tell, but Evonnie might.”

Without looking up, the girl said, “Oh, I’mtotallytelling my aunties on you.”

“Damn it,” said Dante.

A few hours later, everyone finally exited, leaving the apartment a mess. Trev was tidying up when Leanne finally got home, and he dropped the dish towel to head straight for her. He’d never get tired of this, never get tired of seeing her smile brightly, never weary of holding her in his arms and breathing her in.

My butterfly. My love. My life. My wife.

“Looks like you had a productive evening,” she observed.

“So. Many. Children.”

In fits and starts, he filled her in on how the night had gone, and she told him about Hazel Jeffords. This…he freakinglovedthis—the debrief at end of day. No matter how busy they got in life, he adored taking these moments to share everything with each other. When she got to the part about Hazel’s new bumper sticker, he cracked up laughing.

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