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Dani didn’t want to turn around because she didn’t know what she would face this time. If anything, she wanted to get back under her duvet and stay there. “I didn’t mean to bang the doors; one got stuck…” She turned to find a half-dressed shifter sitting in a half-moon chair with a guitar on his porch, staring back at her.
“Don’t worry about it,” Parker said. “He works at the petrol station –tourists,” he whispered as if it was a state secret.
Dani chuckled. She hadn’t dealt face-to-face with the tourist yet, but Amy had a few choice words for some of them. “I heard you playing.”
“Sounds like a damned strangled cat,” someone shouted, and Dani guessed it was the petrol station guy.
“It sounded great,” she whispered. “Gotta go.” She pointed the way and then walked it, telling herself that she wasn’t going to let the grumpy shifter get to her and ruin her day. She was a witch and had friends; right now, that was what she was clinging to.
~
“I’ve had two tour companies contact me today about the upcoming eclipse asking if we’re open,” Hope said, carrying an entire crate of beer to restock the bar. It wasn’t enough, but she wasn’t strangling her wotsits, bringing more than one at a time; she liked her uterus just where it was.
True’s head and shoulders popped into sight over the bar top. “Eclipse?” She raised her eyebrows expectantly.
“I’d say you’ve lost me, but I’m that tired; I think calling my name would lose me,” Hope replied, leaning her arms on the crate and resting her chin on them. “I could sleep like this.”
“Yeah, right up until your legs give way and you go splat,” True said, chuckling. “Give it a go, and we’ll see what happens.”
“Ouch, mean witch,” Hope said and groaned. It was exaggerated, but it made her feel better. “No rest for the wicked.” She walked the length of the bar and stepped up behind the counter.
“Are we ignoring the elephant in the room?” True asked.
“Granny’s here already?” Hope asked, grinning.
“Ugh! Don’t remind me; that does not put me in my happy place,” she said, grabbing a couple of bottles and stashing them under the counter.
“I know you’re you, but you don’t need to line everything up with the front labels perfectly placed,” Hope said.
“It’s called doing the job properly,” True replied. “And makes life easier in a rush for whoever is serving,” True said.
“So, if I just throw these bottles in any old-how, are you going to straighten them?” Hope asked, chuckling as she dragged the crate down the counter towards her.
True considered it for a moment. “Yes, probably,” she said, shrugging.
“Perfectionist,” Hope said.
“I can also squeeze out a diamond once a month; it hits the pan with a nice ting sound,” True said. “About that elephant.”
“Grandma?”
“Ghost, eclipse, coming soon to a sun near you?” True said.
Hope stopped and rested her arm over the crate. “I’d kind of forgotten about that little shopping list of ghostly goodness, considering everything that’s happened over the last few days,” she admitted.
“Really?” True said, screwing up her face.
“Really,” Hope said, restocking again. “You mated, us moving, Jennifer starting school after the weekend, the bar, orders…”
“Okay,” True said. “You forgot, but there is a bloody big shipwreck on our shore that is sort of a reminder every time we look out the windows.”
“Meh,” Hope said, shrugging. “My head’s on the swivel for too many other things. Can you remind me what the eclipse thing was?”
True tilted her head back and tried to recall. “No.”
“Ha, not that important to you then,” Hope said.
“Considering I was told by the big, bad, ship ghosty that I’d accepted his challenge, a challenge I didn’t know I’d signed up for, I think it’s a little bit more important than some things on your list.” True looked up at Hope expectantly.
