Dammit, I’m losing them.
Since they got together to drink, eat, perform group spells, and act up, talking about books was usually the last thing on the agenda. Eventually, they did get there, but they vented about personal stuff, shared good news, and complained about work crap first. Then anyone who needed help with spellcraft spoke up. And then they got around to chatting about what they had been reading, and sometimes they let online friends Skype in, as she’d mentioned to Titus.
Danica cleared her throat. “So Gram’s in town, and she just called me to harp about finding my perfect witchy match.”
“Again?” Vanessa laughed, doubtless thinking that only popcorn would make this family drama better.
“Yeah. I’m so tired of hearing about our bloodline,” Danica muttered.
Clem said softly, “Gram can be…a lot. She pushed me into dating Spencer and pestered you until you went out with Darryl.”
For our own good. Somehow, Danica swallowed the instinctive defense. She didn’t need to shield Gram, not here, not with her coven. They all understood, even if they teased.
“Such a jackass,” Leanne said.
Ethel nodded. “I never liked him. At least you didn’t marry the lummox. Your grandmother would never approve of you divorcing a ‘pure witch,’ and now you’re not stuck with a partner you’d prefer to poison.”
Priya grinned as she popped a mini quiche in her mouth. “Are you trying to tell us something, Ethel?”
“I’ll never talk,” the old woman answered. “Even if the statute of limitations is up.”
“You know it’s easier to get a divorce these days, right?” Leanne ate a pimento cheese triangle. “I should know, I’ve done it twice.”
Clem settled onto the couch next to Danica, eyeing her with concern. “I’m worried about where you’re going with this.”
“Don’t worry, I’m not getting married or anything.” Danica touched her cousin’s arm in reassurance.
“Oh shit!” Suddenly, Clem sat forward and clutched her hands. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you? You got drunk and made a bad decision at Raquel’s bachelorette party. It’s not Darryl, right? Tell me the father isn’t Darryl.”
Kerry had been on her phone, and she snapped to attention. “Are you serious?”
“Think about what you’re saying right now. It’s only been a week. How would I even know?” Danica sighed because her actual news would seem small in comparison.
“Oh. Right.” Embarrassed, Clem ate a bite of the Greek salad. “Sorry, go ahead. I didn’t mean to steal your spotlight.”
“Anyway. I’m just excited because I’ve found the perfect rebound—the ideal guy for a fling and…he’s a mundane. Nobody tell my grandmother,” she added, though that was probably unnecessary.
Everyone started talking at once, asking questions about her rebound plans, and Danica ignored her friends for a bit. Satisfied with their reactions, she nibbled a chunk of pineapple and remembered how the blender had frothed all over her the first time Titus set foot in their shop. She followed that with a crustless sandwich and some salad.
Finally, Leanne won the floor by talking the loudest. “Hey, I fully support rebound sex, but after a few dates, talk to him to make sure you’re on the same page. If he thinks you’re dating seriously and you’re just in it for some thrills, it could—”
“Break his heart,” Vanessa supplied.
“Who cares?” Clem muttered. “They do it to us all the time.”
Priya nodded. “Your grandmother doesn’t hold mundanes in high regard, but they have feelings, just like we do.”
“And they’re not soulless either,” Ethel said cheerfully. “Though they used to be prone to accusing us of all sort of things back in the day.”
True. And that history of persecution was part of why Gram loathed mundanes, wanted nothing to do with them. If a cow got sick, it must be a witch. Trouble with wireworms devouring a farmer’s corn? Witchcraft. The husband was cheating? Definitely witches. Because Aradia knew, none of that could happen on its own.
“Relax, if we have a fling, it will be because he’s into it,” Danica assured them. “I’ll make sure he knows I’m not looking for anything deep or meaningful.” Then the impact of that hit her. “Oh crap, I sound like Darryl. Should I…not?”
“Yes, you do sound like him,” Clem said. “And maybe keep an eye on that. Just…be careful, okay?”
Clem hated seeing people she cared about get hurt. And she’d watched her mother suffer through a bad marriage, seen what Darryl put Danica through, then she’d witnessed how Margie had been thoroughly screwed by her ex. Her cousin nursed a lot of bitterness from seeing those she loved get stepped on.
“Sometimes relationships don’t work out,” Vanessa said thoughtfully. “But that’s no reason to stop trying.”
Leanne finished her drink. “I didn’t mean to discourage you. You deserve some fun, and none of us will say a word to Madam Waterhouse.”
The rest of the coven offered solemn nods, promising to keep Danica’s walk on the mundane side a secret. There had been kisses, sure, but this was the first time she’d ever been tempted to go all the way with a mundie, and maybe Titus was so appealing because of the lure of the forbidden? There was just something irresistibly adorkable about him.
But Kerry had questions. “Who is this guy? Tell us what makes him so perfect!”
“He’s local.” But if she told them all about Titus, they would descend on the bakery to scope him out.
“Just don’t fall for him,” Clem warned. “Remember our promise.”
Somberly, Danica nodded. After their breakups, the cousins got drunk on too many margaritas and swore to stay single. When they sobered up, it still seemed like the best plan, the path least likely to offer unnecessary conflict and heartbreak.
Vanessa sighed, visibly bored with the current topic. “Maybe we’re overthinking this. Having a fling with a mundane just isn’t a big deal, no matter how Mrs. Waterhouse feels. That’s unnecessary family drama.”
Margie nodded. “If we can all agree that Vanessa’s right, I’d like to move on. Because I have some news as well.”
Ethel leaned forward in her chair. “Well? Spit it out!”
“My ex finally paid the child support he owes. I was able to catch up on my mortgage payments, and in August, I can send Chris to the iD Tech camp robotics session he’s been begging for!” Margie had been trying to get that money for years, and none of the spells they had tried as a coven had done the trick. Unlike in the movies, magic didn’t solve every problem with a snap of the fingers.