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“Send me the roofing information and I’ll see what I can do,” Lucas promised, without promising anything. He’d transfer money for the roof, but not for his brother’s truck. He can buy his own damn tires.
“Good,” his dad said, sounding like he expected the full amount. But he wouldn’t get it, and Lucas didn’t care. Each interaction with his dad left him caring less and less about pleasing him.
“Good night, Dad.” Lucas didn’t wait for his reply before disconnecting the call. Playing with other teams had been easier. He was away from the area and only came home for brief visits. But now that the family farm, his heritage, was only an hour away, he wanted to be involved. Lucas wanted to be part of what his family had built, and he wanted to contribute to its success. But, because he wasn’t the oldest son, his interest wasn’t treated seriously, and they didn’t view him as a partner. I’m just a blank check to them.
Lucas parked in the driveway and banged his head against the steering wheel, wondering what he needed to do for his father to take him seriously. To let him in and be part of everything again. He felt like an outsider looking in, and he was tired of feeling like an outcast with his own family.
But he didn’t feel like an outcast with his teammates or at Thistlestone. The Buchanans had welcomed him like one of their own. Cal had told him he could stay at Thistlestone, even before they’d come up with the post-season plan of Lucas managing the ranch so Three and Barbara could go to Arizona and Five could study in Scotland.
In the past, Thistlestone had employed several full-time workers who’d each had a small cottage, but Three didn’t need as many hands now. The empty cottages sat untouched for almost a decade until the spring when Cal had claimed the largest and his mom decided to rehab the others as short-term rental units. “You can either stay with me, or in another one. But if you do, Mom will expect you to work on it and she’s a pain in the ass to work for,” Cal had warned him.
Pain in the ass or not, Lucas liked Alison. He liked all the Buchanans, even Elspeth with her crazy bee ideas. And they all seemed to like him. Even Maggie. Finally.
He smiled as he unlocked the front door. The hungry look on her face when she’d stared at his mouth had almost broken him, but he needed to be sure before he made a move. He wasn’t leading her on, not intentionally, but he’d be stupid to risk alienating the people who accepted him more than his own damn family did.
Chapter 16
“I don’t think he likes me,” Maggie said, burrowing into her blanket. The full moon and the endless stars didn’t compensate for the bite in the air. Next month would be even colder and they’d spend as little time as needed before they’d head indoors and gather around the fireplace. Her mom and Nanna would most likely stay inside. They didn’t come for the practice and renewal; they came for the companionship. It was like a family girls’ night out, but in private. It was hard to get your witch on in public.
“Who?” Harper asked.
“Lucas, that’s who,” Nanna said, pulling her marshmallow out of the fire. They weren’t black cauldrons with boiling potions types of witches. They were more red wine and dark chocolate smashed with a sugary bomb between two graham crackers types of witches.
“How do you know?” Maggie asked, afraid that if Nanna knew, Lucas would too, and a possible unrequited crush would make everything awkward.
“I’ve got eyes, and he likes you plenty. Don’t worry.” Nanna patted Maggie’s leg.
“Why don’t you think he likes you, sugar?” her mom asked, and the sisters grinned at the heavy drawl in her voice. Four teased that his Georgia peach always showed up during her second glass of wine.
“Wait a second”—Harper pointed a flaming marshmallow at her—“isn’t that the guy who shattered your life? Stole the contest from you? Who had you in a bigger funk than when Troy Jarvis asked your bestie to homecoming, and not you?”
“I, uh, may have misjudged him.” Penny and Nanna chuckled. “But now I’m worried that I’m reading too much into it. You know I’m a sucker for anyone taller than me,” Maggie said, trying to downplay her crush. It would be easier to survive the heartbreak if no one knew her heart was involved. She didn’t need to add humiliation to the heartbreak.
“He’s also a decent human being,” Nanna said, before biting into her s’more.
“He’s gay,” Alison pronounced.
“Mom, just because he hasn’t made a move on me, that doesn’t mean he’s gay.” Maggie loved her mom’s bias, thinking that any man not interested in her must be gay. As if Maggie was the golden ticket, when in reality she was a cracker-jack prize. He can have any woman he wants.
“He’s not gay, and he’s interested. Trust me. Just be patient. That’s the problem with your generation. You want everything fast and easy,” Nanna said.
“Says the woman who can’t even wait to toast her marshmallow, but sticks it right in the fire,” Alison said. “Can’t you hex him?”
“That’s not how this works, Mom, you know that. We can’t make someone do something that isn’t in their best interests.” Harper said, and Maggie didn’t appreciate her mom’s lack of faith. He’d admitted he liked her, but maybe he’d changed his mind? Maggie’s heart sank.
“True, but we could nudge him along,” Elspeth said. “If he’s not interested, then the spell wouldn’t stick.”
“No, absolutely not,” Maggie said, struggling to spring to her feet, but the camping chair and the blanket she’d tucked around herself sucked her back. I can’t even stand up for myself, she thought, giving up and reaching for her glass. “I want him to come to me on his own, not under the influence.”
“Maybe that’s the problem, baby girl. With all the grief you’ve given him, maybe he’s waiting for you to make the first move. Give him the signs. Look into his eyes, glance at his lips while you lick yours, lean into his space. Let him know you’re interested,” Alison said with a dreamy look on her face.
“Is that how you caught Dad?” Penny asked, tossing a log on the fire.
Nanna snorted. “There was no catching needed. He was like white on rice the minute he saw your mom. If I didn’t know better, I’d think she was a witch. He was that far gone that fast.”
“Still is.” Her mom stood and gave Maggie a kiss on top of her head. “And on that note”—Alison hugged the other women—“I’m going home to my husband. See if I can work my version of magic on him.”
Harper, Penny, and Maggie made disgusted noises while Elspeth and Nanna chuckled. “If everyone’s done, I’ll clean up and head on up to the house. Leave you to your ritual,” Nanna said, and Maggie stood to help her.
