Page 18

Chapter Sixteen

ASHER

S omething inside of Asher had shifted when he was on that picnic blanket. He was done fighting this, and he wished he’d given over to it soon. Nothing felt as good as Sunshine Palmer. Nothing.

While in the meadow, Asher had a feeling he couldn’t shake, like someone was on the mountain who shouldn’t have been.

While it wasn’t unheard of for the trees to move on their own accord, it certainly wasn’t common.

That was why he had shifted, but even during, it was no more than a sense of intrusion.

He would check in with Abe later and see what he thought, but as they walked up to Sunny’s house, there was a note shoved into the crack of the door.

“What’s that?” Sunny asked.

Asher was one step ahead of her, climbing the stairs.

This better not be a note from the coal company again.

Asher pulled the note from the door and let out a breath. “It’s a note inviting up to dinner at Abe’s.”

“Oh, that would be nice. Just let me run this in, and we can head up.”

Before he knew it, they were on their way up to the cabin. Violent Femmes was in his CD player, but Sunny picked up his book of discs and flipped through them. Just like he thought, she swapped the album for Joni Mitchell.

“I love Joni.”

The soft soprano of Joni Mitchell filled the air as Sunny let her hand hang out the window, letting the wind curve her wave.

The subtle perfection of moments like this were what made life worth living, he’d always thought.

He’d always been a simple guy, finding beauty in the world around him. Some of that left when Sunny did, but it was back, and so was she. He took one hand off the steering wheel and put it on her thigh, pulling her closer along the bench seat.

They turned up the little gravel road that led up to Abe’s cabin. When they pulled in, they spotted Bridget’s purple VW bus.

“Is that Bridget?”

“Yeah,” Asher said as he put the truck into park. “Are you ready?”

“Let’s do this,” she said before hopping out.

He walked around the truck, and the sight of the big smile stretched across her face squeezed his heart. They climbed the stairs hand in hand before he opened the door.

Julie and Bridget sat at the table looking at a book, with Ruby doing her homework next to them, while Abe was cooking in the kitchen. This scene before him, with Sunny by his side, was like a dream come true.

This is how it always should have been. Only, one person was missing. Esther. But that was a problem for later. She’d been acting strange ever since she showed up on the mountain last fall. No matter what Abe or Asher said, she would not talk about what had happened in Tennessee.

He figured Abe would drag it out of her sooner or later.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Julie said, greeting them with a smile.

“Thank you for inviting me for dinner,” Sunny said.

“Nonsense. You’re family. You’re welcome anytime.”

“Ruby, will you set the table?” Abe asked.

“Sure thing,” she said as she popped up and cleared her homework.

Abe brought a platter to the table filled with burgers before bringing over a cast-iron skillet full of fried potatoes. Before long, they were all sharing a meal.

He watched as Sunny, Bridget, and Julie all caught up. It made him happy. These women were at the center of his world. Being a protector was in his blood, and the magic in each one at this table, Ruby included, called to him.

Abe caught his eye and gave him a knowing nod.

The phone rang, pulling him out of the moment.

“I bet that’s your mom,” Julie said to Ruby.

“Why don’t you take it upstairs?” Abe said.

“Okay,” Ruby said as she stood and scurried away.

As Ruby left, Julie got up and cleared the table.

“Here, let me help,” Sunny said, joining her.

“Since we’re all here, I was wondering if we could have a little chat?” Bridget said.

Asher looked over at Abe with a cocked eyebrow.

“So, I wanted to check back in after what happened here last fall. Do you know where Esther is?”

Abe shook his head. “I know she’s back in Tennessee taking care of some business, but that’s all I know.”

“Hmmm,” hummed Bridget. “Well, that seems a bit suspicious, don’t you think?”

Abe nodded.

“And, Sunny, what is it that brought you back?”

“I learned that the house was going to be deemed abandoned if I left it any longer.”

Bridget nodded. “Is that what the man in the suit was talking to you about?”

“Man in the suit?” said Abe.

His voice was laced with suspicion.

“Yeah, he offered to buy it.”

“But she’s not selling,” Asher answered back quickly.

“Of course I’m not selling,” Sunny said calmly as her hand found his knee under the table.

He gave her hand a squeeze.

“Is it the coal company?” Bridget asked.

“Yeah,” Sunny responded.

“They were trying to buy it at the time of the accident,” Bridget said.

Sunny perked up and looked at her. “How do you know that?”

“I remember talking to Ruth about it. They had been trying all kinds of ways to get to the mountain. After the accident, they backed off... but it would seem like they are at it again.”

Sunny bit her lip and turned her gaze down to the table.

That night had changed everything. It made orphans out of the Blacks, and while Sunny had her dad, he was never the same.

Asher rubbed her hand with his thumb. Her gaze flicked up to him, and the corner of her lip turned up in a weak smile.

“What do you think it means?” asked Abe.

If anyone here would have answers, it would be Bridget.

“I’m not yet sure, but I do remember the ramblings of that awful warlock before he died. I can’t say if they are involved yet. It very well could just be the coal company come a-knocking again. Protecting this mountain is a full-time job. Both the forces of magic and man have always been after it.”

Asher let out a long breath. Generations of his family had lived right here, protecting it. But one thing he never understood was: “What exactly are we protecting?”

Abe’s head snapped over to him. “We protect the mountain,” he said in a deep rumble.

“I know we protect the mountain, but why? Haven’t you ever wondered what we are protecting?”

Abe narrowed his eyes. “No.”

“Well, good for you, but I have.... I’m not saying I won’t. I’m not even saying I don’t want to. I’m just asking why?”

Bridget cocked her head, taking him in. “I don’t actually know. Yer mother never told me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Abe said, like he had the authority to stop Asher’s questions.

“Why? Don’t you want to know?”

“It won’t change anything.”

“I’m not saying it will. I just think that, maybe if we understood it more, we could better protect it and the magic it holds.”

Bridget took a deep breath, and a calm seemed to come over them.

Damn, Bridget is good.

“Well, it looks like we have a few things to figure out. No good can come from the old coal company sniffing around again, so we need to put a stop to that. And while both of ye do a good job protecting this mountain, there’s no harm in learning what exactly it is ye’re protecting.”

“How long are you staying?” Julie asked.

“Oh... I think I’ll be around for a while. There are a few fairs I’ll want to make stops in, but if no one minds, I’ll make Hecate’s Hollow my home for a while. Do ye know of Hecate?”

Julie shook her head.

“Hecate, the maiden, mother and crone and the goddess of the crossroads. She protects boundaries. Her magic calls to witches everywhere. There is a reason this town was named Hecate’s Hollow. I think if we find that out, we might be able to find out more of what kind of magic this mountain holds.”

“Abe, my mom wants to talk to you,” Ruby called down the stairs.

The chair scraped against the floor as Abe stood and walked over to the phone.

Sunny looked over at Asher and smiled.

That did settle his soul, but he couldn’t help but feel like they were on a precipice of something. He wasn’t sure what yet, but the return of Sunny and the suit was unsettling.

Ruby came down the stairs with her dark curls and a grin. “Julie, can we have ice cream?”

“Is your homework done?”

“Yeah, I just have to practice piano.”

“Okay, I just bought some mint chocolate chip. How does that sound?”

“Perfect!”

“Anyone else?”

Sunny looked up at Asher, and just like he’d always been able to, he could feel her. She was drained from the conversation.

“Do you want to head home?” he asked.

“Is that okay?”

“Of course,” he said as he reached out and cupped her cheek. “I’m taking Sunny home.”

* * *

“You okay?” he asked before putting the truck into drive.

“Yeah, I’m fine. The endless search for answers can be a little tiring.”

By the time they made it back to her house, the moon was high and nearly full. Something out there was making the magic buzz. Even though they weren’t on the mountain anymore, he could still feel it.

“Can I get you a beer?”

“Yeah, that’d be nice,” he said as he climbed the porch and sat on the swing.