No, Hannah decided. She definitely didn’t want to be there for the end.
COOPER AND BECKY MET THEM AT the mouth of the cave. Cooper swooped in so fast Hannah thought she might fall over when he pulled her in for a hug. Astra rolled her eyes and made a series of groaning noises, which only got worse when Cooper helped her to the ground.
“Abigail found us by the creek,” he explained. “She told us where to go.”
“That’s good.” Hannah was relieved her grandmother hadn’t merely run when the going got tough. Still, there were other things to worry about. “Logan is in the cave. He’s been bitten by at least one rattlesnake. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more at this point. We could still get him to the hospital.”
Cooper studied her for a long beat. Her discomfort was obvious. He understood what she was thinking. On one hand, he was a child. It seemed wrong to let him die in a cave. On the other, he was responsible for multiple deaths and would always be a threat – to them and others – if they saved him.
“I’ll check on him,” he said finally. “Maybe we’ll get lucky and the decision will be taken from us.”
“Wait.” Hannah grabbed his arm, stilling him. “There are snakes everywhere. You probably shouldn’t go in.”
He held her gaze, uncertain. “Are you sure you want to make that call?”
“Yeah,” she nodded. “I’m going to run back to Casper Creek. There’s a tonic I need for the demon.”
Cooper’s eyebrows winged up. “So … now we’re saving demons?”
“He’s not so bad. He rescues ferrets in his free time.”
Cooper exhaled heavily. “Do what you gotta do.”
That was exactly what Hannah intended all along.
LATER THAT NIGHT, COOPER let himself into Hannah’s apartment. He had a bag full of takeout Mexican in one hand and a six-pack of Corona in the other. Hannah was expecting him so she wasn’t surprised when she exited the bathroom in her fuzzy robe and found him doling out the food.
“That didn’t take you long.” She greeted him with a shy smile. Her hair was soaking wet and her face devoid of makeup. She felt exposed. The way Cooper looked at her, however, told her he didn’t care about either of those things.
“Boone met me at the Mexican place,” Cooper explained, pulling out a chair so Hannah could sit at the table. “Just for the record, the official story should the state police come snooping around is that we never saw Logan.”
Hannah’s stomach constricted. “We’re going to lie?”
“Do you think telling the truth is somehow better?”
“Actually, I do,” she confirmed, taking him by surprise. “I don’t think we should do it right away. I think we should wait a few weeks and then someone should accidentally stumble across his body in the cave.”
“Why do you think that’s better? I’m not saying it’s not, but I’m curious why you want to handle things that way.”
“A few reasons. For one, once Logan is found, the state police will have no reason to hang out up here. For another, once he’s laid to rest, Patrick won’t have reason to be afraid that his little brother is going to show up one day and kill him.”
“Ah.” Cooper bobbed his head. He’d filled Hannah in on what Patrick told them while waiting for Boone to show up at the cave. It made sense she would worry about the boy left behind. “I guess that makes sense. This way, Lindsey won’t always wonder what happened to her son either. She’ll know.”
“She probably won’t care,” Hannah said. “She’ll know, though.”
“We’ll arrange for his body to be discovered in a week or two,” Cooper promised. “Your demon friend should be on the mend and gone by then. He promised not to hang around and he’s heading for some hot springs one state over as soon as he’s strong enough to travel.”
“He has ferrets to take care of.”
“No matter how many times you say that, it’s not going to make me like him any better. I would’ve been fine with him dying, too.”
“I wouldn’t have been okay with that.”
“Which is why you helped him and I’m not going to give you too much grief over it.” Cooper flashed a charming smile as he handed her a takeout container. “I had them withhold the onions, just FYI.”
“Why? I love onions.”
“Because I have plans for you that onions are going to infringe upon.”
Hannah’s cheeks flooded with color. “Oh, well … .”
He chuckled at her shy smile. “Not those sort of plans. At least not yet. I just want to kiss you senseless … all night.”
“All night, huh?” A wicked grin lit Hannah’s face. “I guess I can live with that. What happens tomorrow, though?”
“Tomorrow is another day. The town will open again. We’ll go back to work. In twenty-four hours, the worst thing we’ll have to worry about is the other workers giving us grief for dating.”
“Are you worried about that?”
“Nope. Are you?”
“I’m right there with you.” He leaned close and briefly pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m looking forward to the adventure.”
“Me, too.”
He gave her a soft kiss and then pulled back. “Now you know why I held off on the onions. You can thank me later.”
“I just might do that.”
“Oh, you’re definitely going to thank me. Trust me. I’ve thought ahead.”
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see.”
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Acknowledgments
I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending, so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
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Grave Discovery
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Grave Haunting
Grave Paths
Grave Danger
Grave Missteps
Grave Demands
Grave Wedding
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Wicked Times
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Wicked Fog
Wicked Season
Wicked Winter
Wicked Hearts
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Wicked Delight
Wicked Respite
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Ghostly Deceits
Ghostly Worries
Ghostly Images
Ghostly Wrecks
Ghostly Asylum
Ghostly Tricks
Ghostly Distress
Ghostly Despair
Ghostly Holiday
Ghostly Ordeal
Ghostly Fears
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Welcoming Seas
Murky Seas
Stormy Seas
Sunken Seas
Choppy Seas
Churning Seas
Dangerous Seas
Perilous Seas
Raging Seas
A Hannah Hickock Witchy Cozy Mystery
The Dirty Coven
Crossovers
Wicked Ghosts
Wicked Seas
Ghostly Seas
Hardy Brothers Security
Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
Deadly Ever After
Deadly Honeymoon
Deadly Questions
Deadly Addition
Deadly Vacation
Deadly Secrets
Deadly Storm
Deadly Dealings
Deadly Christmas
Deadly Desperados
Deadly Arrival
Deadly Rivalry
Deadly Memories
Deadly Adventure
Deadly Reunion
Deadly Conflicts
Deadly Payback
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