“You saved the people at the restaurant, too,” he continued. “You protected us, your family, and now I’m going to protect you. There is no other way out of this. We can’t tell the truth because people will think we’re crazy and we can’t sit back and do nothing because everyone will suspect we were involved. If you have to shut down Casper Creek, you’ll lose everything. Is that what you want?”
“No, but ... I don’t want this either.”
“We know that.” Cooper brushed his fingers over Hannah’s soft skin. “It’s literally the only thing we can do, though. I’m sorry.”
Hannah looked to Jackie for another way, but the coven head merely held out her hands and shrugged.
“I’m the one who helped them plug the holes in the plan,” Jackie offered. “It’s ugly but ... we can’t explain things away if we don’t use Becky. I know you don’t like it because there’s part of you that believes she was a victim in all of this, but she’s all we have.”
Hannah licked her lips, debating. “I don’t think she’s a victim,” she countered finally. “I understand she made a choice. I still can’t shake the idea that none of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t come here.”
“Hannah, she was going to end up in a bad place no matter what,” Jackie argued. “She was an entitled girl who didn’t care about the feelings of others. This isn’t on you. She made her choice and gave up her soul in the process. We have to clean this up the best that we can.”
In her head, Hannah knew that was true. In her heart, though, she struggled with the idea. Her head won this time because, like the others, she understood there was no other way out. “Okay.” She threw up her hands in defeat. “What do you want me to do?”
“You, my dear, are going to bed,” Cooper replied, sliding his arm under her legs and hoisting her up to cradle against his chest. “You’re tired. By the time you wake up tomorrow, all of this is going to be behind us. If all goes as planned, we’ll be able to open again Monday.”
Hannah couldn’t even think that far ahead. “How can you be sure?”
“I can’t, but that’s the likeliest scenario.” Cooper whistled for Jinx to follow as he carried Hannah out of the barn. He would return to help finish cleaning up the mess, but he wanted Hannah settled in bed, where he knew she was safe, first. “You need your rest so you’ll be ready.”
“I guess.” Even though she was feeling morose, Hannah rested her head against his shoulder. “Is it wrong that I’m relieved it’s over? I mean ... all of it. I’m talking about the Becky stuff, too.”
“No. I’m relieved that’s no longer going to be a concern as well.”
“Yeah.” She was silent as he walked the street to the saloon. “I’m tired.”
“You’re going to bed. I’ll be up with you as soon as I can, but I bet you don’t even wake up when I join you.”
“That’s a little disappointing.”
He smiled against her forehead. “You’ll get over it quickly when I serve you breakfast in bed tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
He kept her in his arms as he slid through the swinging doors of the saloon. “Unfortunately for you, you’re going to be stuck in that uniform for a bit longer. We’re going to have to start the process of looking for bartenders all over again.”
“I think the position might be cursed.”
He laughed. “I think you’re tired. Tomorrow is a new day. We’ll look at the résumés again then.”
“Okay.” She closed her eyes. “Cooper?”
“Hmm.”
“I was a badass today, huh?”
That nudged a legitimate smile out of him. “The baddest of the bad.”
“I guess that means I’m an official member of the coven after all. I’m going to have to start having lessons and everything.”
“Hannah Hickok, the fastest witch in the west.”
“It has a nice ring to it.”
“It does indeed.”
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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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Wicked Seas
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Grave Seas
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Deadly Intentions
Deadly Intuition
Deadly Illusions
Deadly Proposal
Deadly Prospects
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