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“…but not before hosting a small party here.” He pulled a card from his pocket. “Tomorrow night. I would love it if you could attend.”
His expectant air indicated I ought to throw up my hands and gush,Wow! I’d love that.But with all my inner alarms clanging, I was closer toHell no.Not a party hosted by a warlock.
I pictured witches and vampires mingling with clueless businessmen and Harlon’s groupies. Not that the witches would be sporting pointy black hats. More like designer cocktail dresses, with the only giveaways being hairdos and bustlines that defied gravity. The vampires wouldn’t be flashing their teeth, but sipping Bloody Marys while quietly eyeing the necks of any sweet young thing who wandered by.
“Tomorrow night, huh?” My mind spun for plausible excuses.
“Yes, at six. I would be delighted if you could attend.”
His voice took on that singsong tone he’d used on the guests, and the air around me went as warm and cozy as a blanket. If I hadn’t been aware of Harlon’s powers, I might have fallen into a sleepy, agreeable state.
Oh, I’d love to attend your stupid party. And, sure. Let me sell you the ranch too.
It made me sick to think I might have fallen for his tricks.
The thing was, he would be onto me if I didn’t agree.
“At six?” I asked, stalling.
He nodded, and the blanket trying to blur my mind wrapped around my shoulders too. And, yikes. It was one thing to resist Harlon’s magic when it came through the filter of a radio. Resisting it in person, standing face-to-face…
Deep in my pockets, I clenched my hands, determined not to give in.
“Five o’clock would be even better,” he said. “I would love to tap into your knowledge of the area. Maybe we could even talk business.”
Until then, the alarms in my mind had been the beeping, digital-watch kind. Now, they whooped like firehouse sirens.
“Business?” I echoed stupidly.
His warm smile was engineered to put me at ease, but the effect was the opposite. “I hope to return to Sedona regularly. It’s the perfect place to relax and entertain guests.”
Entertain…as in, on the resort he planned to build on my ranch if he could get his dirty hands on it?
I could picture it now, the third hole of a golf course smothering what had once been the east paddock.
Harlon grinned. “My plans are still in the earliest stages, but I like to think big. Such as keeping a balloon pilot on retainer for my guests to be able to fly whenever they wish.” He chuckled. “Of course, I’d need to buy a balloon too, but I suppose you could advise me on that.”
I blinked. Wow. Did he know how much balloons cost? Not to mention the expense of keeping a pilot around for the rare day guests might hanker for a last-minute, early-morning flight?
Then again, developing the brambles of a remote ranch into a lush resort had to cost millions, so why not throw in a pilot’s salary and a balloon?
Admittedly, my heart skipped a few beats. What a dream job. Lots of downtime. No marketing. Just a handful of guests at a time. I even went as far as wondering if they might tip.
Then I caught myself. No, no, no. That was not a dream job. Not if that land was mine — or any of the other last parcels of unspoiled land in the area. And especially not if my boss was a scheming warlock.
I blinked. “Wow. You really do think big.”
He grinned. “And I’m very persuasive.”
He meant it like a joke, but I caught the threat beneath.
I forced a polite laugh. “I’m sure you are.”
“So, you’ll come, then?”
“I’d love to, but I doubt my closet has anything appropriate.” A weak attempt, but it was all I could think of. And it was absolutely true. For me, dressing up meant decent jeans, a clean shirt, and spit-polished boots.
Harlon threw back his head, laughing. “Miss Sattler, you can come as you are now and still light up the party.”
