Page 7 of Rise of the Witch (Witches of Keating Hollow #17)

The rain beat down inside Mystyk Pizza, drenching them all as if a hurricane had suddenly arrived. With her hair plastered to her face, Melissa grasped both of Briggs’s hands and said, “Look at me!”

Instantly the rain stopped, and she let out a small sigh of relief. But then she glanced around and noted that the damage had already been done. Water dripped down the walls and from the ceiling as if the sprinkler system had been set off.

“Briggs! Look what you did to my outfit!” Kassie cried as she jumped out of her chair and then hurried toward the restroom.

“I don’t…” Briggs shook his head. “I haven’t lost control like that in years. That’s twice in one day.”

Melissa stared at Kassie’s empty chair. The woman was toxic for Briggs. If they couldn’t find a way to get along, it was possible that Keating Hollow would never be the same again.

“You’re responsible for this?” a woman dressed in all black asked, her voice stern. She had her black curly hair tied back into a low ponytail and was wearing a pentacle necklace.

Briggs stood to talk to her. “Yes. I can’t tell you how sorry I am. I can assure you that it was an accident. I would never do something like this on purpose.”

“That doesn’t change the fact that you just ruined everyone’s lunch or the fact that we won’t be able to open again until this mess is cleaned up,” she said, barely able to contain her frustration.

“Everything needs to be washed down, the linens laundered, and likely the ceiling will need to be replaced. And that’s just to start. ”

Briggs ran a frustrated hand through his wet hair. “I’ll pay for all the repairs. Like I said?—”

“It’s not just the cost, sir. Where are we going to find workers?

There’s been a shortage for years around here.

It will take weeks!” There were tears in the woman’s eyes as she gestured around her restaurant.

“What are we supposed to do? Close everything down? It’s already the offseason. We can’t afford to be closed for long.”

Melissa wanted so badly to do something—anything—to make the situation better for both Briggs and the owner of Mystyk Pizza, but there wasn’t anything she could do. Not right then.

“I’ll come after work and get started on the repairs myself,” Briggs said. “I used to work in construction while I was in school.”

“I’ll help,” Melissa said automatically. She wasn’t sure what skills she could bring to the table, but surely she could do something, even if it was just washing down tables and laundering the linens.

“Me, too,” Sadie added. “I’ll bring King.”

“Me, three,” Imogen said.

Then everyone turned to look at Kassie, who’d returned from the restroom. She had mascara smudged under her eyes, and her hair had been wrung out and placed in a sloppy bun on top of her head.

“Not me,” Kassie said. “I’ll have to get home to rest my voice so I’ll be fresh to sing the next morning.”

Melissa rolled her eyes and swallowed a snarky remark.

Briggs just glared at Kassie.

“I appreciate that,” the owner said. “We’ll be here.” Then she held her hand out to Briggs. “I’m Bronwyn Woods. I wish we’d met under better circumstances, but I appreciate your willingness to help us get opened back up.”

Briggs took her hand and shook it. “Briggs Williams. I really do feel terrible about this, and I promise we’ll make sure you’re up and running in no time.”

“Thank you.” She nodded at everyone else and then pulled out her phone and started making calls.

Briggs pulled his wallet out and placed a small stack of bills on the table despite the fact they hadn’t eaten anything.

“Now what?” Kassie asked. “I can’t go back to the studio without any food in my stomach. I won’t have the energy to make it through the afternoon.”

“Oh, for the goddess’s sake!” Melissa snapped. “There are other places to eat on Main Street. Go find one.”

Kassie let out a grunt of irritation and then stalked out of the flooded restaurant.

Melissa slipped her arm through Briggs’s and walked with him as they followed Kassie. “You’re going to need a change of clothes. Why don’t I run you both back to your place? That way the princess won’t be complaining all afternoon, and you can grab something to eat.”

He nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like a plan.”

She waved at her friends, told them she’d see them later back at Mystyk Pizza, and then whistled to get Kassie’s attention. She was once again videoing herself on her phone. “If you want to get changed, hustle it up. We’re headed back to Briggs’s house before you both have to go back to work.”

“At least someone has some sense,” Kassie muttered.

The three of them walked back to Melissa’s SUV with Kassie grumbling all the way.

Briggs was silent, and Melissa decided it was best to just let him process.

She had no doubt that he was freaked out by what had happened.

Who wouldn’t be? She didn’t have any personal knowledge, considering she didn’t have magic, but she certainly knew what it felt like to be out of control.

When they got back to the house, all three of them disappeared to change. Melissa grabbed her overnight bag and changed in the spare bathroom. Five minutes later, she met Briggs in the hallway.

“Are you hungry?” he asked.

“Don’t worry about me. I’ll make myself something once I get home.”

“Home?” he asked. “You mean your home?”

“Well, yeah,” Melissa said, feeling slightly disappointed. Somehow, after spending just one night with Briggs, his place had become comfortable. Or maybe it wasn’t the house and it was just Briggs. “That was the plan, right?”

He took a deep breath and said, “Yeah, that was the plan. I was supposed to pick you up for our date, and I was kinda hoping you’d end up back here. Especially now that it looks like Kassie will still be here.”

“Don’t worry about the date. We’ll reschedule. As for Kassie, with all the commotion I actually forgot you didn’t get a chance to find her some other place to stay.” Melissa wrinkled her nose, hating the idea that he might be stuck with her for another night.

“That’s right, and I don’t know when I’m going to look for one either.

We have to get back to the studio, and then I’ll be at Mystyk Pizza.

” He walked into the living room and sank onto his couch, looking like he hadn’t slept for days.

Though to be fair, he hadn’t exactly gotten that much sleep the night before.

“Leave it to me. I’ll find her somewhere to stay this afternoon,” Melissa said.

“You don’t have to do that.” Briggs hung his head, looking as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

Melissa went to sit next to him. She placed her hand on his knee and said, “I know I don’t have to. But you’re having a rough day, and it’s obvious you could use a little support. I have time. Let me help.”

“You’re something else, you know that?” he asked, looking at her with quiet awe.

“I’m just being a friend. You’d do the same for me.” There wasn’t a doubt in her entire body that what she’d said was true. Briggs was just that kind of guy.

“Thanks,” he said.

“Just give me a budget and any parameters, as well as how long you think she’ll need the rental, and I’ll get it taken care of.”

“If you’re sure.”

Melissa leaned into him, nudging him gently. “I’m sure.”

Briggs got out a small notepad and jotted the information down for her. Just as he finished, Kassie appeared from the hallway.

“Did you find something for lunch?” she asked.

“The kitchen is that way.” Briggs pointed across the room, clearly done with trying to make peace with the woman.

Kassie stomped away, and Melissa watched her go, wondering what it was like to go through life acting like everyone else was supposed to take care of you. She’d grown up with just her mom and no siblings. She was well accustomed to taking care of herself and wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Briggs stared after her for a long moment before he turned back to Melissa. “You wouldn’t happen to have a calming potion in that bag of yours, would you?”

She glanced at her handbag beside her and then shook her head. “The best I can offer you is an anti-inflammatory.”

“Oh, it’s not for me. It’s for her.” He jerked his head toward the kitchen.

Melissa laughed and then said, “If we hurry, we can drop by Charming Herbals. I’m sure Bree has something that would work.”

He glanced at the clock. “If only.” He rose and disappeared into the kitchen. A few moments later, he emerged with a granola bar and Kassie in tow. She had a hunk of cheese in one hand and a chunk of sourdough bread in the other.

“I thought dairy was off limits?” Melissa said.

Kassie gave her a flat stare. “I have to eat something. The only other things I could find in Briggs’s kitchen were processed meat and fruit leather. That’s barely food. Hopefully my tea and honey will be enough to not ruin me for the rest of the day.”

“There are other things, but they all require prep and cooking,” Briggs said. “Although there are apples and bananas, but Kassie here says those give her gas.”

Melissa’s lips twitched as she imagined the singer running to the bathroom every two minutes so she wasn’t tooting in front of Briggs and Austin.

“I said they weren’t great for my digestion!” Kassie let out an exaggerated huff and then stomped out of the house.

Briggs snickered. “Ready?”

“Ready.” Melissa quickly grabbed her overnight bag she’d placed by the couch and then walked outside to the SUV. Kassie took her rental car, but warned them she had to turn it in later that afternoon because she couldn’t afford to keep it. There wasn’t enough room on her credit card.

“I guess I’ll be her chauffeur for her stay, too,” Briggs had muttered after Kassie took off. Melissa gave him a sympathetic look as they climbed into her vehicle. Once they were back in town and Briggs was exiting the SUV, she told him, “I’ll let you know when I find something.”

He nodded and then reached out and squeezed her hand. He lingered for just a moment before letting go and disappearing into the studio.

When Melissa got home, she jumped in the shower to take off the chill from getting soaked at lunch.

She let the water run over her, luxuriating in the heat.

Finally, when she’d started to prune, she climbed out and dressed in her favorite lavender sweatsuit.

It was made with the softest material she’d ever encountered and always made her feel extra cozy.

After making a cup of coffee and some toast, she walked into her living room and curled up on her favorite overstuffed arm chair.

It was right next to the hearth, and on cold winter days it was the warmest place in the room.

As she sipped her coffee, she considered lighting the fire but didn’t want to risk abandoning the hot coals when she left to go help Briggs at Mystyk Pizza in a few hours.

Instead, she pulled a throw blanket over her legs and opened her laptop, determined to find somewhere for Kassie Kinny to stay while she was in town. Ten minutes into her search, she broke out the chocolate caramels. Twenty minutes later, she added Irish cream to her coffee.

There wasn’t anything in Briggs’s budget available within thirty miles of Keating Hollow.

Not starting right away anyway. There was a place that was opening up in a week, but it was all the way over in Eureka.

She clicked off the short-term rental sites and called both the Keating Hollow Inn and the Book and Stone, the local B and B that was in a lovely refurbished Victorian home just outside of town.

No dice.

In desperation, she called Wanda Danvers, the town’s best realtor.

After explaining the situation, Wanda said, “I’m sorry, hun.

But with Valentine’s Day coming up next month, the town is going to be overflowing with visitors.

We might be able to hodgepodge multiple places together, but it’s gonna cost a premium since there won’t be any monthly rates. ”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Melissa said. “Thanks for checking for me.”

“I’ll keep an ear out. If anything opens up, I’ll give you a call,” Wanda said.

Melissa ended the call and leaned her head back against the chair. She dreaded telling Briggs the news.