Jessica
For lasting love, laugh much, quarrel little, and keep thy heart and mind open.
Goody Fletcher, Book of Useful Household Tips
I threw open the front door. My little brother stood on the front porch, looking rumpled and tired and surrounded by duffel bags. Only he wasn’t so little anymore.
“Ethan!” I threw my arms around him.
He seemed surprised. I guess I couldn’t blame him. We’d never really been huggers.
But when you’re happy, you want to hug everyone.
“You look good,” Ethan said, coming in the door and dragging his bags with him. “God, the ride from the airport was a bitch. Since when did they shut down the coast road?”
“Oh, that.” I laughed and closed the door behind him to keep out the heat. “Yeah, I should have warned you. They’re redoing the high school cafeteria while school is out for summer break. Did you know they found out it was built over the exact place where they used to hang witches, back in the sixteen hundreds? That’s why the Emo Dome was always leaking and growing mold and stuff. Sal’s going bananas, but at least he’s relieved to know it’s not any kind of structural fault.”
Ethan looked shocked—although maybe not so much by my words. His gaze was roving around the house.
“I like what you’ve done to the place.” He let his backpack slide off his shoulder and fall to the ground with a thump. “Are those new windows? They’ve really brightened it up.”
“Thanks,” I said. “So let me show you where I keep Pye’s food. Want a beer or some coffee or something? You must be thirsty after your flight. How many hours was it? Twenty-two?”
“Twenty-four.” Ethan followed me into the kitchen. “Sure, I’ll take a beer. But you don’t have to show me Pye’s food now. There’s plenty of time for that, isn’t there?”
“I’m afraid not.”
Both Ethan and I turned at the sound of a man’s deep voice. It was Derrick, coming downstairs with our bags.
And as always, my heart did a little dance inside my chest when I saw him, even after all these months of living together. He was freshly showered from his morning run, dressed in his ubiquitous black T-shirt, jeans, and motorcycle boots.
He looked absolutely delicious. And he was mine, all mine. And I was his.
And we both had every intention of keeping it that way.
“Hi,” he said, setting down our bags. I’d finally learned to pack light, so it’s not like they weighed much. “I’m Derrick, Jessica’s friend.”
“Hi,” Ethan said, sticking out his right hand. “I’m Ethan, Jessica’s brother.”
“Great to meet you.” Derrick pumped Ethan’s hand. “I’ve heard so much about you. In fact, can I—”
And then Derrick pulled a startled Ethan in to his chest. Because Derrick had turned into a hugger, too.
“Uh—I mean, I guess,” I heard Ethan say, sounding a little strangled from Derrick’s embrace. He was awkwardly holding the beer I’d given him, trying to keep from spilling it. “I’ve heard a lot about you, too, man.”
Then Derrick let Ethan go, but only to hold him by both shoulders and stare deeply into his eyes. “I want you to know that I love your sister,” he said. “And I intend to marry her.”
“Uh,” Ethan said, his gaze darting toward me as he tried to hide a smirk at this overshare. “That’s great. I’m glad to hear it.”
“Okay.” Derrick gave Ethan a friendly slap on the shoulder and then released him. “Got that out of the way. Now your only job is to keep Pye alive while we’re gone. Think you can handle that?”
Ethan looked down at the cat, who was sitting where he could usually be found . . . at Derrick’s feet. “Seems simple enough.”
“It is,” I said. “I’ve left a list of instructions about his care in the kitchen, but since he spends most of his time outside, you probably won’t even see him much. We used to have to keep him locked in because of wolves, but that problem got solved.”
“Wait . . . wolves?” Ethan trailed after me because I’d headed to the front door after Derrick and the bags.
“Yeah,” I said. “No need to worry about those anymore, though. I’m leaving you the key to my car. Just make sure you plug it in every once in a while. Dina and Mark know you’re here, so call them if you need anything and can’t reach me. Dina can’t wait to hear from you, as a matter of fact. Didn’t you used to go to school with Mark’s little sister, Cat? She’s back in town, too. I think Dina wants to have you both over for dinner, or something.”
“Uh, great. Wait,” Ethan said, as I lifted my motorcycle helmet from the hall bench. “You’re not even going to stick around for a few days to hang out? I haven’t seen you in ages. Do you have to leave now? Right now?”
“We do,” Derrick said, soberly. “I’m sorry. But there’s a town that’s in very grave danger, and we have to go help save it.”
Ethan looked at us—at me—like we were crazy. “Danger? What kind of danger? Jessica, you own a clothing shop. What is there, a fashion emergency? What the hell is going on?”
I glanced at Derrick and saw his eyes—eyes that I’d once thought so hard and flinty, like silver, but which I now knew were soft and warm, like goose down—and knew what he was urging me to do. It was so hard, though, after so many years of not telling.
Still, for Derrick—and for Esther, who was growing not only into a powerful witch, but a mature, responsible young woman under my continued mentorship, and for all the other witches who’d hidden their powers for so long because of fear of persecution—I did it.
“Ethan,” I said gravely. “I’m a witch. Derrick and I are both witches. Derrick’s mom, in fact, is the ancestral goddess of all life, Gaia. And when there’s a town that’s in trouble of a supernatural nature, she lets us know, and we go there and see if we can help out. That’s what’s happening now. So I can’t thank you enough for cat sitting while we’re gone. Becca and Zahrah can’t do it because they’re already taking care of the shop, and Esther and Gabby really aren’t old enough to house-sit on their own.”
“Though they’d love to,” Derrick added.
Ethan stared at us without expression. “Witches,” he said, finally. “You two are a couple of witches.”
“Yes,” I said, biting my lower lip. “Does that freak you out?”
This time Ethan didn’t bother to hide his smirk. “No, not at all, actually. It explains a lot of what went on around here while you were in high school.” Then the smirk faded. “You haven’t told Mom, have you?”
“Oh, God no.” I shook my head. “We’re going to drop by and see her and Dad this trip—and Derrick’s parents, too. But I don’t think—I mean, we’re going to tell them we’re getting married. But the witch thing just doesn’t feel like something Mom and Dad would be quite ready to—”
“Yeah.” Ethan shook his head. “I wouldn’t tell Mom if I was a witch, either.”
I smiled at him. Then I reached up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks again for helping.”
He grinned down at me. “Anytime, sis. I’m just glad to see you so happy—finally.”
“Thanks.” I beamed at him and tugged my helmet over my head, while Derrick grabbed our bags.
“See you, Ethan,” he said.
“Yeah, see you, man.” My brother came to the front door with Pye at his heels to see us off. “Take care of my sister.”
Derrick threw Ethan one last, glorious smile. “I will. But she doesn’t need me to. Your sister is magic.”