Charmed & Ready (9 page)

I can't wait to go home. And I'm especially curious to find out why Sam, who was my boyfriend up until a few days ago, hasn't even bothered to call. Kira said he was out of town, and may not have heard about it. But still.

I wanted to call him and leave a message. "Hey, I almost died. Thought you'd like to know." But thought better of it.

When I get home I'm determined to at least talk to him. I want him to know what a jerk he's been.

Saturday, 3 P. M.

Spells: 0

Boyfriends: 0

Skinny witches: 1 (I've lost twelve pounds, almost had to die to do it, but hey)

Damn, I'm glad to be home.

I've said it a million times but as soon as my feet hit the ground in Sweet, I feel better. On the way to the house from the hangar, we stopped at Lulu's to pick up some takeout. Ms. Johnnie and Ms. Helen, who own the cafe, hugged me so hard I couldn't breathe.

"Girl, Kira told us how sick you've been and we've just been prayin' and prayin'." Ms. Helen held my hand. She was dressed in lime green Capris and a T-shirt that said Come on and Get It.

"We even fixed you two kinds of pie, chocolate and raspberry, and Helen's got a box of fried chicken and mashed potatoes ready for you. Oh, and we threw in some green beans with bacon. A girl can't have too much fiber."

I smiled. The bacon fat in those green beans far outweighed any health benefits from the vegetable.

"Oh, I missed you two." I patted both of their arms. Ms. Johnnie had on a red outfit that looked vaguely like hot pants from the 1960s. A thick white belt, and white cowboy boots finished off the outfit. The scary thing is that she's almost seventy, and they didn't look that bad.

Both of them were trying a new hair color. I think it might have been red, but under the lights in the cafe it looked purple.

The smell of the fried chicken made my stomach grumble. It'd been more than a week since I had a decent meal. The New York contingent were of the starve a fever variety. All I'd had to eat was broth, bread and herbal teas Garnout made. Of course I'd lost a lot of weight, so it wasn't so bad.

Caleb picked up the bags of food and kissed both women on the cheek. "Thank you for taking care of the food tonight. Kira and I appreciate it."

"Oh you handsome boy, you know we'd do anything for our girl Bronwyn," Ms. Helen chided.

She turned to me. "Now you get on home and curl up with some of those fashion magazines. Nothing like staring at sexy shoes from them designers. Just the other day Johnnie and I ordered some of those delicious Jimmy Choos right off of eBay. Can't wait for them to get here."

You know that's why I love this place. The idea of those two old broads running around in last year's Jimmy Choos made me smile the rest of the day.

I still haven't heard from Sam. Word is he's at some medical conference in Utah. Whatever. I can't believe he hasn't even tried to call me. He has to know what happened in London.

Part of me wants to fight for him and make him understand that what he saw on television and in the papers wasn't true. Then there's another part that's disappointed he didn't trust me.

I'm home now, curled up on the couch watching television. Thank God for TiVo. I'm catching up on all of my favorite shows. I have chicken and pie. A girl really doesn't need much more.

Men are so stupid.

Sunday, noon

The world is a crazy place. Okay, everyone knows that but I swear mine is tilted just a bit to the left.

Kira stopped by this morning. She made tea, brought pastries. Man, I love chocolate-filled croissants.

We talked about everything that happened in Sweet over the last few weeks. It wasn't much. Sweet's a small town.

"Let's see. Well, Ms. Johnnie checked out
The Joy of Sex
for the thirty-sixth time," laughed Kira. "I want to buy her a copy and just leave it at the diner but I don't want to embarass her."

I snorted. "I don't know what that book is going to teach her. Between the men she and Ms. Helen have either dated or married she's got to know all there is."

Kira laughed so hard her tea came through her nose. "No joke. Ouch, that hurt," she said wiping her nose with a tissue.

"Billy Carlton's been trying to get Margie to go out with him. He asked her out in the produce section of the Piggly Wiggly. She's been sweet on him forever, but she told him no. Then he asked her out after church last Sunday. She said she'd think about it.

"She's trying to play hard to get, and it must be working. Friday he showed up at the nursing home with three dozen roses. She finally said yes. They're coming to the party tomorrow night."

"What party?" I put down my croissant. "You're having a party without me?"

"Of course not. It's kind of a party for you. Just a few people. All you have to do is show up. You sit on the couch and let us all adore you and then we make an early night of it. It is a week-night.

"Everyone misses you and I thought we could do enchiladas, beans and rice if you are up to it. I got instructions from your mom that there is no drinking allowed for a few weeks, so—"

I sat up on the couch. "My mom called you?"

"No, I called her every day to check on you and to make sure you had everything you needed when you came back to Sweet. Sometimes at first, we called a couple of times a day. We were all really worried about you." Her eyes became shiny.

I reached out and touched her arm.

"Kira, I'm okay."

She waved her hand in front of her face to stop from crying. "I know, I'm being silly, but we were so worried about you, Bron. Caleb and I both wanted to come to New York, but your mom told us to stay put. That first night it was all I could do to just sit by the phone and wait for your parents to call." A tiny sob snuck out.

Her sincerity brought tears to my eyes.

"You guys—"

She got up and hugged me. "We love you so much, and we just couldn't imagine this place without you."

It must have been because I've been so sick, but I broke down.

I couldn't stop crying. Everything came out. My anger with Sam, the demons and just the emotion of realizing I'm not indestructible. I forget sometimes.

She cried too for a few minutes, and then we suddenly stopped and giggled.

"Hmmm, well." I tried to catch my breath. "Let's hope that's the end of that."

"Hey, crying is good for you. Or so I've read. It gets some kind of healing endorphins going. So you obviously needed it." She smiled. "Hell, so did I. I've been tied up in knots since you left."

I crossed my legs underneath me and grabbed my tea. The chamomile filled my senses.

"Bron, I've wanted to tell you something for some time, but I can't. I haven't been able to tell anyone. It's so weird." She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Her tone worried me. She was upset. "What? You know you can tell me anything, Kira. Whatever it is, I'll help you."

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again she stared right at me.

"I see dead people." She said it so deadpan I couldn't tell if she was joking.

I smiled.

"No, I mean I see dead people for real, Bron. It began when I took over at the library. I'd feel things in that old building. A cold rush of air in certain spots. Something touching the back of my neck." She shivered.

"I thought at first it was just a drafty old place. Then I saw a wisp of something out of the corner of my eye one afternoon. When I turned to look it disappeared. It happened so fast, I wrote it off."

I wanted to interrupt her. I'd known for months that she might be sensitive to the spirit world. Though she hadn't said anything, I'd noticed she felt something in my house during a girl's night in. In fact, there are always ghosts hanging out where I live. They don't bother me and I don't mess with them.

But like I said, she had to tell me in her own way.

She stood up and walked over to the fireplace. She put her hand against the rough Texas limestone. "Now I see them everywhere, Bron, as well as I see you right now. I think I'm losing my mind."

"Kira, don't be silly. You've probably been sensitive for a long time but have unconsciously blocked it. Do you ever remember being frightened as a child by people you couldn't explain?"

She paced back and forth in front of the coffee table. "I grew up in a house of strange people." Her mom and dad are hippies. Kira tried to leave that life behind as a high-powered corporate lawyer before she came home to take over the library.

"But I do remember having so many imaginary friends that even my parents looked at me funny. You know how they are; you have to be pretty whacked to even get on their radar."

Couldn't keep from laughing. I reached a hand out to her. "Come sit down. It's okay. You can learn to control this, I promise. I'll help you any way I can."

"I've been researching." She rolled her eyes. "I'm a librarian; it's what we do. There are lots of psychics who say they can talk to the dead. Of course, until a few months ago I thought they were insane too." She finally sat back down. "I'm not crazy am I?"

She asked so earnestly, I felt sorry for her.

"Of course not. Well, you're dating Caleb, but other than that I find you perfectly sane."

That made her smile. Caleb has sort of set himself up as my surrogate bro, while mine is in Africa saving the poor and downtrodden. I pretend very hard that I despise him as much as I do my real brother, but I don't.

She sighed. "I can't tell Caleb. I don't think he'd like the fact that his girlfriend is some kind of freak."

"Now you're being crazy. My God, Kira, that man loves you beyond—beyond. So you're a little psychic. Could be worse. You could be a witch." I smiled and squeezed her hand.

"Don't make fun. You're so powerful and wonderful. But I don't want to tell him. I keep hoping that maybe it will go away." She frowned when I started to say something. "I know, but for now let me hope."

There was no way I'd tell her she would only grow more powerful.

"So, if you need me I'm here. I can help you learn to control it. Even how to send the dead people on their way if they get too obtrusive."

"Really? Oh that's good news. I don't mind so much except when they follow me into the bathroom. I couldn't pee the other night because they were all staring at me."

We both giggled.

"So, what about this party tomorrow night?" I stretched my arms over my head. I didn't feel as achy as I did last week, but my muscles were still tight.

"Do you feel like you're up to it? It's just Margie and her new guy, Billy, Caleb, me and—" She looked down at her fingers.

"And who?"

"Sorry, lost my train of thought. That's it. I thought maybe we could do it at my house, but you still look pale. Would you rather have it here? You don't have to do anything, I'll take care of the house, the food," she smiled, "and of course the decorations."

I didn't really want to leave home, but it would be good to be with the gang again. Sans Sam of course. Stupid, stinky jerk.

I must have frowned.

"Bron, seriously, we don't have to do anything." Kira interrupted my musings.

"No, it's fine. I'm looking forward to it, but let's do it here. I don't think I'm up to going much of anywhere right now."

"No worries." She laughed. "I stole that from you. I'll come by in the morning to get things ready. Oh hey, I was going to put a load of clothes in the wash for you but couldn't find your laundry basket."

"Don't worry about it, Mom did all my laundry before I left. The only thing I'm concerned about is Casper. I haven't seen her since I got back."

My cat doesn't particularly care for me, and the feeling is mutual—still, I worry.

"Oh, I'm sure Casper's fine. She was here day before yesterday. Caleb fixed the pet door."

She picked up the dishes and made sure I had something easy to eat for lunch.

I think it's time for a
Mary Poppins
break. When I'm feeling icky about life, I just pop in the DVD and Julie Andrews sings about spoons full of sugar, and life doesn't seem so bad.

I know, I know. Big bad witch watching
Mary Poppins
. Fuck it, it makes me feel good.

Monday, 11 A. M.

I worked out in the garden for about a half an hour. It's so hot, even with the coolers in the conservatory. My roses were in sad neglect and all the herbs needed an extra dose of water. Caleb's putting a timer on the new misters so when I'm gone I don't have to worry about getting someone to come over and water them.

I finally gave in and called Sam at home. Then I called his cell.

Tried to sound cheery. "Hi Sam, just got back into town. Almost died in London. Thought you'd like to know. And I know it's stupid, but I miss you."

It wouldn't be so bad, but I left the same lame message twice. Desperate. I know.

I've got to get him out of my head. I wish I didn't love him so much.

On the plus side, Kira has cleaned my house and it looks better than it has in weeks. I keep things neat, but she was a wild woman. She even dusted the top of the books, and scrubbed the tubs in all three bathrooms. I don't know why, no one is going to take a bath except me. Anyway, the house smells great. She set candles everywhere and even put our favorite party twinkle lights up.