Page 41 of Love’s a Witch (The Scottish Charms #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Sloane

It was a weekend for the books, as they say. Briarhaven showed up and showed off.

The whole town turned out, determined to give the best Pinecones & Peppermint Fest they could, and I have to say, they did a fabulous job of it.

They managed to take a catastrophe—almost blizzard-like conditions—and turn it into something magickal for everyone to enjoy. I could only imagine the amount of concentrated magick it took for them to do so, but according to Broca, it was significant.

Our arrival at the bonfire Friday night was met with mixed reactions, but we’d expected that. The MacGregors had planned ahead. We were going to kill everyone with kindness, even if it went against my ingrained response, particularly to assholes, and show our town that we should be allowed to stay.

The Rune & Rose was hosting the opening party with a massive bonfire in their car park, along with spiked hot chocolate, and marshmallows for all.

Twinkle lights had been strung up, wind shelters built, and speakers bumped out party tunes.

The place was packed, with both magickals and tourists alike, and Liam was doing a brisk business at his hot chocolate hut.

The collection of snow sculptures in front of the pub had expanded into the festival, and two large peppermint striped candy canes made of snow were crisscrossed at the entrance.

“One mystic mocha, please,” I said, ordering at the hut.

Liam gave me a smile, but when his eyes danced over my shoulder, caught on someone else, I glanced behind me to see Raven laughing with someone by the fire.

I wanted so badly to say something to him about her, and yet I forced myself to ignore the quiet yearning in his eyes.

One way to start endearing myself to others would be to not bring up their vulnerabilities.

“This is really great, Liam.” I gestured around at the bonfire, and the well-lit pub behind it.

“Your pub is fantastic. You’ve created a really warm and welcoming spot.

For me, and my family as well.” He’d been the first to allow us to have a party at his place, even when a huge chunk of the town had ignored the invitation to my birthday cèilidh.

“And you’ll always be welcomed here, Sloane MacGregor. So long as you stick by my rules, you’ll have a seat at my bar.” Liam winked at me, and my heart sighed a bit for Raven. Why was she not dating this cutie?

“What are your rules?” I asked, accepting the takeaway cup of hot chocolate, piled high with pink marshmallows and a candy-cane-striped spoon.

“Dannae be an arsehole.” Liam leaned into his Scots, and I laughed, charmed by him. As I’m sure many women were, judging by the growing line behind me. I took a sip. Refreshing peppermint mixed with rich mocha with just a smidge of Baileys for an edge.

“Delicious,” I said, tipping my cup to him.

“Cannae have a wee peppermint festival with nae peppermint, eh, lass?”

“Truth.” Tipping my cup to him, I wandered toward where Raven stood by the fire, instructing some children on the best way to toast marshmallows. When a few of the mothers saw me approaching, they tried to draw their children away.

“Sloane is the best at roasting marshmallows. Isn’t that right, Sloane?”

Was I? Doubtful. But I was about to become an expert marshmallow maker if that was what it took to win over this town.

Bending over, I whispered in one girl’s ear that she needed to ask for sprinkles with hers, and her eyes widened with the excitement.

Straightening, I bumped shoulders with Raven as we looked over the festival.

“This is pretty incredible,” Raven said, turning to smile at me. She looked adorable in a maroon coat with a faux-fur-edged cap on her head. “I know the snow sucks, and I know it brings your family a lot of stress. But just look… We’ve really turned it around.”

I paused and looked out over the festival with fresh eyes.

Briarhaven could have whiplash from the shift of focus from Halloween to Christmas and Hannukah decorations.

In fact, there were still skeleton decorations with Santa hats hastily thrown on their heads at the hardware store.

But here, it was as festive as could be.

Elaborate strands of lights wound around the ancient yew tree in the middle of the square, and hundreds of strands of twinkle lights strung out from it, connecting to poles around the square, created a canopy of sparkling lights above us.

Booths lined the square selling everything from ornaments to crafts to jewelry.

Chopped logs had been rolled close to the bonfire, with wool blankets tossed over them to make for comfortable sitting.

Carolers warmed up by a bandstand, ready to take the stage, and children screamed and chased one another with snowballs.

My breath caught as I spied Knox, talking to a woman in front of a mulled wine stand, a child laughing on his shoulders.

Oh, my ovaries.

Honestly, I’d never been one to think much of having children, nor did I particularly want them. But there was something about seeing a big strapping man with a small child in his arms that did funny things to my insides.

“How’s that getting on, then?” Raven asked, following my line of sight. Knox swooped the child off his shoulders and hung him upside down, and the child’s squeals echoed across the square.

“It’s… getting on.” I wasn’t sure what to say, really, or what to think.

The man had ravished me six ways to Sunday, and I should feel embarrassed by how much I loved how he dominated my body, and yet I couldn’t quite work up any shame about it.

Frankly, that was antiquated thinking. So what if I liked a man to dominate me in the bedroom?

It was hardly uncommon. Maybe it was time for me to learn to give up a bit of the control I so favored.

But only just there. In the bedroom.

And to him.

Surprised at the thought, I realized that I trusted him. Completely.

And wasn’t that the scariest thing of all?

“I truly cannot decipher the emotions running across your face. You’re either going to eat that man alive or run like hell from him,” Raven decided, watching me.

“That’s about right,” I admitted.

“Well, if I had any vote—I’d say eat him alive. Bloody hell, Sloane, he’s gorgeous.”

“Goddess, he really is, isn’t he? I’d be annoyed by it if I weren’t too busy craving his hands on me.” Shocked at my words, I slapped a gloved hand over my face and Raven laughed outright.

“Girl, I do not blame you. He’s a mighty fine snack.”

“Who is a snack?” I jumped at Knox’s voice in my ear.

“Oh, Liam is,” I said, neatly throwing Raven under the bus, and her mouth rounded in a perfect O shape.

“Och, all the ladies like Liam. Do you fancy him more than me, Sloane?” Knox pulled a sad face.

“Of course not.”

“That’s what I thought.” Knox shocked me by pulling me close for a searing kiss, and then tucking me under his arm. He grinned at Raven’s raised eyebrows. “We’re dating now.”

“So it’s official?” Raven gave me a look.

I squirmed under his arm, nervous at the term. “It’s a trial period.”

“That’s what dating is, isn’t it?” Raven looked confused now. “Did you, like, set an end date or something?”

“Nope. Sloane’s just not ready to admit she likes me publicly. Thank goddess, my ego is strong enough to hold up under such disdain and neglect.”

“You probably enjoy being her dirty little secret,” Raven said, and Knox threw his head back and laughed.

“That is fun—maybe we can role-play that later.”

“And that’s me out…” Raven laughed and waved. “Bye, lovebirds.”

“?‘Love’?” The word sent a shiver down my spine.

“Nope, don’t start panicking. Not yet, at least. We have to go to the photo booth.”

“There’s a photo booth?”

“Aye, look.” Knox turned me, and to my surprise, I found Broca, dressed as Mrs. Claus, handing out bags of treats to kids who sat with Santa by a sleigh. A sleigh that looked remarkably familiar.

“Is that my sleigh?” I hissed, leaning into Knox.

“The one and only. Come on, let’s get a picture with Santa.”

“He’s not the real Santa, is he?” I asked as we drew closer. If he wasn’t, he did a damn good impression of him. Rosy cheeks, a rotund belly, and a beard that reached to his waist completed his look.

“Awww, that’s cute. Do you still believe in Santa, Sloane?” Knox dropped another kiss on my forehead before I could dissuade him, and I bristled at his words.

“Listen, buddy. This town is so damn magickal, it wouldn’t surprise me, okay?”

“That’s fair. But no, this is Jan, Henry’s cousin.”

I squinted at the Santa, and just for a moment his countenance blurred and I could see the ogre he was masking.

“Ah, right, okay. I can see it now.”

“Are you getting better at that now? Knowing who is magickal and not?” Knox kept his voice low, as there were tourists in line with us. We inched slowly toward the front.

“I am. I think it happened…” I looked around and changed what I was going to say. “On my birthday.”

“Aye, that makes sense. You’re much more plugged in… after.” Knox gripped my hand and pulled me forward when our turn came, and Broca beamed at the both of us.

“Here’s your sweeties, dears.” Broca held out two treat bags tied with mini candy canes that we’d compiled on our dining room table. I waved them away.

“Save them for the kids.”

“Speak for yourself. I love sweeties.” Knox plucked a bag from Broca’s hand, and she chuckled.

“A man after my own heart.”

I raised an eyebrow. Was my grandmother flirting with Knox?

“Don’t give me that look.” Broca shook a finger at me, and I turned, concealing my smile, only to find Knox sitting cheerfully on the older man’s knee.

“You’re sitting on him?” I asked.

“Trust me, lass. I’m strong,” Santa promised me and patted his other knee.

Knox’s grin only widened, so I shook my head and went with it.

The picture was as ridiculous as I expected, but I won’t lie when I say it made my heart warm when Knox immediately tucked it in his wallet.

Damn it, but maybe I did want the cutesy dating stuff that other women raved about when it came to their relationships.

Something I’d have to think about more later.

“Come on, we have to go decorate our pinecones.”

“We do?” Distracted, I allowed Knox to drag me to where several picnic tables were sheltered beneath a canopy.

There, baskets of pinecones were arranged, along with a myriad of craft supplies.

I gave the pinecones a suspicious glance, still shaken from when they’d all turned into hedgies that one day at our house, but these all seemed fairly benign.

The woman from the bookshop, the cat sith, beamed at her cat-shaped pinecones, while a man across from her built a Christmas tree out of his pinecones.

“What, exactly, am I making here?”

“An ornament.” A woman in a sparkly knit cap with kind eyes sat across from us at the table and held up her bedazzled pinecone. I recognized her as Dorothy, the owner of the Dragon’s Hoard. Leaning forward, she lowered her voice. “Say, is it true you summoned a dragon?”

“I did.” There was no point lying about it. Half the town had seen me screaming through the air.

“We haven’t seen one in ages. They keep to themselves, tucked away in the hills, but I do try to convene with them when I can. They accept me, you know.” Dorothy’s golden eyes, much like a cat’s, regarded me seriously. “The fact you brought one here means they accept you as well.”

“Is that right? Tell me, how do you convene with them?” I asked, fascinated. Picking up some glue, I began to coat my pinecone.

“See, the dragons are tricky. Not like the fae, but still tricky nonetheless.” As Dorothy shook her head at me, I counted five different sparkling earrings in one ear. “Obviously, you can’t go to them empty-handed.”

“Naturally,” I agreed with her, gently teasing. But also, where did the dragons live exactly? I had so many questions.

“The more sparkles, the better. They also like anything unique or amusing. The last time I was granted a visit, I brought a mother-of-pearl secret chest. It was a puzzle of sorts, you see? They had to unlock several mechanisms to open each secret drawer or panel. And then inside that, I’d added a glorious bunch of Sri Lankan sapphires—pink ones, mind you—and they’d been delighted.

I took my tea there that day, and it’s still one of the best afternoons of my life. ”

“Are there many of them? Or are they solitary creatures?” I realized my knowledge of dragon communities was sorely lacking.

“Och, there’s a good bunch tucked away up there. They have families and live together as a community. Quite a peaceful bunch, really. They fancy themselves protectors of Briarhaven, as I’m sure you know better than anyone.”

“Me? I don’t really know, actually.” Imagine that, dragons protecting our wee town. I wondered why she thought I would know. “Are they related to emberwolves?”

“They are. And I heard you’ve been lucky enough to gain one as your familiar. Is that right? Will you bring him to me?” Her eyes lit up, and I took a step back, imagining her on a throne, screeching, Bring me your emberwolves!

“I’m sure he’d be happy to meet you.”

“Och, that would be the best.” Dorothy clapped her hands, and then her face fell into worried lines. “Oh no, I’m going to have to research the best gift for an emberwolf. I wouldn’t want to offend him.”

“Cheese,” I said, and laughed when she looked at me like I was putting her on. “I promise you it’s cheese. He’ll be your best friend for life if you feed him cheese.”

“Cheese it is, then. You’ll bring him next week?” Dorothy flicked a hand on the Apple Watch at her wrist and brought up her calendar. “Thursday suits.”

“Um, right. Sure. I’ll bring him Thursday. He’ll enjoy getting out.”

I wasn’t sure how much Blue would care one way or the other, but when Dorothy rounded the table and threw her arms around me in excitement, I realized I’d made the right decision.

I may be making a lot of people in Briarhaven angry with the incessant snow, but I might have other tools in my wheelhouse to start winning more people over.

And my sweet boy, Blue, looked to be one of them.

After she walked away, I smiled up at Knox.

“There you go, Sloane. Winning the town over, one dragon lover at a time.”

“You think they’ll come to accept us?” I leaned in as the carolers took to the stage and began to sing.

“I think they already have.” Knox kissed my forehead, and I snuggled close as the carolers sang about their wish for a white Christmas.

At this rate, they’d have it and more.