Love of the Witch

  Love of the Witch

  Witches of Keating Hollow Series, Book 6

  Deanna Chase

  Bayou Moon Press, LLC

  Copyright © 2019 by Deanna Chase

  Editing: Angie Ramey

  Cover image: © Ravven

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the publisher of this book.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, business establishments, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

  Bayou Moon Press, LLC

  www.deannachase.com

  Printed in the United States of America

  Contents

  About This Book

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Deanna’s Book List

  About the Author

  About This Book

  Welcome to Keating Hollow, the enchanted village full of love, magic, and second chances.

  * * *

  Hope “Luna” Scott just wants a new life. After growing up in a round robin of foster homes, she has no family or ties to anyone… until she moves to Keating Hollow and starts to get close to the Townsend sisters. But Luna has secrets that could ruin everything, and when the man who broke her heart three years ago shows up, there’s a whole lot more than just her heart that’s on the line.

  * * *

  Chad Garber has lost everything that was ever important to him. Now he’s back in Keating Hollow, trying to start over. But when he finds the girl he couldn’t save three years ago, he needs to confront his past and make a few things right… if she’ll let him.

  Chapter One

  Luna Scott sat at a table in the back of Incantation Café, her eyes watering from exhaustion while she sipped on her latte. It had been three days since she’d gotten any sleep, and she was subsisting on sugar and caffeine.

  “Need a refill?” Hanna Pelsh asked.

  Luna glanced up at the gorgeous woman and gave her a sharp nod. “Make this one a double, and can you bring another cinnamon cream cheese scone?”

  “Of course.” The co-owner of the café gave her a worried glance. “Are you all right? You look kind of pale.”

  “I’m fine.” Luna waved a hand. “Just a little sleep deprived. Gotta get it together before my first appointment.” Luna was a massage therapist at A Touch of Magic, Keating Hollow’s luxury day spa.

  “You look like you could use one yourself.” Hanna sat down across from her. “What’s up? Working too hard? I’m sure Faith would understand if you need a day off to recharge.” Hanna was best friends with Luna’s boss, Faith Townsend, the owner of A Touch of Magic. She gave Luna a conspiratorial smile. “I could tell her I need you for a girls’ day. I have been meaning to take you out to lunch, like a thank you of sorts.”

  Luna’s face heated, and she silently chastised herself for her embarrassment. She knew she had nothing to be uncomfortable about, but it still felt strange for anyone to look at her and see anything other than a major screwup. “You don’t need to thank me, Hanna. You know that. I just did what any decent person with my abilities would do.”

  “Well, you’re also renting my house. That in and of itself is huge.” She winked. “My insurance company was getting antsy with it empty, and my only other applicant was that guy from Eureka who smells like fish.”

  Luna chuckled. “Wasn’t he a fisherman?”

  “Yeah, but he made my eyes water. All I could think about was that stench seeping into the walls.” She made a face and shuddered, but then she smiled. “Meanwhile, you’ll probably make the place smell like vanilla and lavender.”

  “That’s the truth,” Luna said, as a yawn overtook her again. She was a massage therapist who wasn’t shy with the scented oils.

  “Let me get you that double latte you asked for.” Hanna popped up and strode back to the café’s counter.

  “Don’t forget the scone,” Luna called after her.

  “Rough day?” a woman with a rich voice asked.

  Luna glanced up and spotted the red-headed beauty that managed the town’s chocolate shop. She was dressed in a form-fitting red top, a black pencil skirt, and red suede boots. Everything about her screamed sophistication. Meanwhile, Luna wore threadbare jeans and a stained T-shirt that had the words Sassy Unicorn scrolled across the chest. Luna gave her a ghost of a smile. “Hey, Shannon.”

  The gorgeous woman sat across from her, a paper coffee cup in her hand. “You look like hell.”

  “Thanks.” Luna gave her new friend a half-hearted grimace. Shannon was the one person in town that Luna had really connected with. She liked Faith and Hanna. Both were sweet women, but Shannon had a cynical side that matched Luna’s.

  “You need a day off,” Shannon said.

  “I need to find time to move into Hanna’s house.”

  Hanna chose that moment to arrive with the double latte and scone. After placing them in front of Luna, she dropped her hands to her hips and frowned. “Need an extra pair of hands? I could help you pack after I get off work.”

  “Nah. Most of my stuff is already packed. I just need to find a day to move it. Thanks, though.” The truth was, Luna didn’t actually have very much stuff. Just a couple of duffle bags full of clothes and a few pieces of furniture. “What I really need is a truck. And some muscle.”

  “Well, I know someone who fits that bill,” Hanna said. And then, as if on cue, both Hanna and Shannon turned and looked across the café.

  Luna followed their gaze and went cold all over when she spotted the object of their attention. “No. Absolutely not. I can’t—”

  “You can,” Shannon said, cutting her off. “He’s the helpful, do-gooder type.”

  “And he has a truck,” Hanna said.

  But Luna shook her head. “Chad Garber isn’t interested in moving my furniture.”

  The man in question chose that moment to lift his head and meet Luna’s gaze. A slow smile claimed his lips, and his eyes seemed to sparkle.

  Dammit. Luna gritted her teeth. It was the same warm look that had made her fall in love with him three years ago. The one that had broken her heart because she knew he’d never feel the same way about her. Not when he was an accomplished twenty-something professional pianist who was just being nice to the messed up seventeen-year-old foster kid that lived a few houses down. Still, she’d gotten over the broken heart, but what she couldn’t handle was the fact that he knew her past—a past she’d left behind three years ago and had no intention of revisiting.

  “Looks like he’s interested in something,” Shannon said, still eyeing Chad. “That look he’s giving you is speaking volumes, Luna girl.”

  Hanna chuc
kled. “It sure is… and oh, here he comes.”

  Luna grabbed her latte and scone as she stood. “I should probably get to work. I don’t want to be late.”

  “You still have plenty of time,” Hanna said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

  She was right, and since Luna was in the café almost every morning before she went to work, Hanna would certainly be aware of Luna’s schedule. She opened her mouth to make an excuse about needing to get in for an early appointment, but before she had a chance, Chad arrived.

  “Good morning, ladies,” Chad said, his gaze lingering on Luna. “Did I hear something about someone needing a truck?”

  “No. We were just—” Luna started.

  “Yes,” Shannon said, giving him one of her slow, seductive smiles. It was the kind designed to get men to do whatever she wanted them to do. Luna was torn between jealousy and amusement. The fact was Luna thought of Chad as hers, even if all he’d ever been was a concerned neighbor. Shannon placed a hand on Chad’s arm and continued, “Luna needs someone to help her move her stuff into Hanna’s house. She’s finally moving from her temporary apartment in Eureka to Keating Hollow. That commute is killing her. And since you have a truck, plenty of muscles, and you’re available most days, you seem like the obvious choice.”

  “Is that right?” he asked with a chuckle. “What makes you think I’m free?”

  Shannon gave him a flat stare. “Come on, Chad. We all know you’re still working on convincing Miss Maple to let you rent the store space next to A Spoonful of Magic. You can’t do much with that new store of yours until you secure the space. Besides, you’re here or at the Townsend brewpub almost every day. Maybe it’s time to work off those five pounds you’ve packed on since you rolled into town a few months ago.”

  Chad glanced down at his flat abs for a moment and then raised one eyebrow. “Have you been checking me out, Shannon?”

  She laughed. “Who hasn’t?”

  That was quite enough. Luna held up a hand. “Shannon, stop badgering Chad. I’ve got the move covered. Thanks for the breakfast, Hanna.” She nodded to her friend and then waved at Shannon. “I’ll see you later.” Her eyes met Chad’s troubled ones, and she nearly grimaced. She knew she was acting like a freak around him, but she just couldn’t seem to get herself together. He brought back way too many memories she’d buried long ago. She forced herself to meet his blue gaze and gave him a fake smile as she said, “It was nice to see you again, Chad.”

  “You, too, Luna,” he said quietly.

  She paused for just a moment, staring at him. Then before anyone could say anything else, she mouthed, Thank you. He gave her a slight nod, and she took off, rushing out of the café. Her head swam, and her pulse rate was so fast she wondered if she’d pass out.

  “Snap out of it, Luna,” she whispered to herself once she was standing out on the sidewalk of the storybook town. Behind her, the window display had been spelled with a scene of floating heart-shaped cookies that spelled out Welcome to Keating Hollow. A latte sat below the hearts, and the espresso art in the cup kept morphing into different shapes.

  It was late May in Keating Hollow, and everything was blooming. Flowers filled planter boxes up and down both sides of the streets while the sun warmed Luna’s chilled skin. She should have been ecstatic. She had a great job, new friends, a nice house to move into, and life was better than ever. Or at least it had been before Chad walked back into it.

  She let out a huge sigh.

  “What’s wrong, Hope—er, I mean Luna?” the familiar, gruff voice was low and right behind her.

  “You know what’s wrong, Chad,” she said, not even bothering to turn around. His presence had come as no surprise. In fact, she’d expected him to follow her out of Hanna and Rhys’s engagement party the week before, and when he hadn’t, even though she’d been thoroughly shaken, she had to admit she’d been disappointed.

  He gently wrapped his left hand around hers and pulled her so that she was facing him. His brows were drawn together in confusion as his eyes searched hers. “No. I don’t. You’re obviously stressed about seeing me, but I don’t know why. What did I do?”

  “Nothing,” she said quickly and stared down at their linked hands. Luna knew she should tug her hand out of his. It felt too good, and her heart had sped up while butterflies took over her stomach. What was wrong with her? She hadn’t seen him in three years and even back then, they hadn’t been an item. Chad was at least ten years her senior and far too honorable to consider hooking up with the messed-up foster kid that lived down the street.

  “Well, that’s good to know.” Chad squeezed her hand and let go. His lips curled up into a small smile as he added, “Then there’s no reason for me to not help you move your stuff into your new place. Just tell me where and when.”

  She couldn’t help but chuckle. “You always were a sucker for playing the hero.”

  He let out a snort. “Maybe. But one thing’s for sure, Luna Scott. The girl I knew back then was never helpless.”

  His words took her by surprise, and she couldn’t help but grin. “That’s the god’s honest truth.”

  “But that doesn’t mean she couldn’t use the truck and muscle of an out-of-work musician to help her move a few things. How about tomorrow?”

  She just stared at him, unsure of what to say. She couldn’t avoid him forever in the small magical town, but that didn’t mean it was smart to befriend him again. Her insides were already doing the jig. Bad idea. “I don’t think—”

  Chad shook his head. “Stop thinking, Luna. How about you just let an old acquaintance help you out? Think of it as the start of an apology for what went down back in Berkeley that last night we saw each other.”

  She scoffed. “What do you have to apologize for? I’m the one who ended up in juvy.”

  He winced. “I know, and it’s all my fault.”

  Chapter Two

  Hope… err, Luna blinked at him. Damn. Was he ever going to get used to calling her by her new name? He’d known her all these years as Hope, his Hope, and making that shift in his mind was proving to be all but impossible.

  Her expression changed to pure skepticism as she scoffed, sounding just like the defiant, proud seventeen-year-old he’d known three years ago. “Please, Chad. Lose the guilty conscience. I don’t need that on top of everything else. You had nothing to do with my arrest.”

  Before he could even respond, she turned on her heel and strode down the sidewalk with her head bent and shoulders hunched.

  “Luna, wait!” he called and ran after her.

  She let out a small sigh but didn’t say anything as he fell into step beside her.

  “I don’t think you understand,” he started.

  “What’s to understand? You feel guilty because you couldn’t save me. I get it.” She paused and stared him right in the eye, hers blazing with a fierceness he’d seen more times than he could count. “But I don’t need your pity. I never did.”

  “I don’t pity you,” he said automatically, and no truer words had ever been spoken. He’d hated her lot in life, the cards she’d been dealt. And all he’d ever wanted to do was lend her a hand up. Instead, he’d made a critical error, and as a direct result, she’d ended up spending time behind bars. “I admire the hell out of you, Luna. The strength you have… gods above. You have it in spades and always have. It’s no surprise you made it through hell and came out the other side without any visible scars.”

  “I have scars, Chad,” she said, looking past him, her eyes unfocused as if she were lost in her memories.

  “I’m sure that’s true. It doesn’t change the fact that I think you’re quite possibly the strongest person I’ve ever known.”

  She barked out a humorless laugh and crossed her arms over her chest, holding on tight as if staving off a chill. “Me? Strong? I just did what I had to do.”

  “I know,” he said quietly, hating the haunted look on her face. He reached out and took her hand again, closing his fingers
around hers. “Do you have a minute? There are a few things I’d like to clear up.”

  Luna closed her eyes and shook her head. “I have to get to work, and besides, I put my past behind me a long time ago, Chad. I don’t want to talk about it. I’d appreciate it if you’d just let it go, too. Please.”

  What could he say to that? Nothing. She was practically pleading with him to let her move on. If that was what she needed in the moment, he’d keep his mouth shut. What other choice did he have, especially when she was on her way to work? “Of course, Luna. Anything you want.”

  She let out a breath she must’ve been holding, and her big green eyes bored into his as she said, “Thank you. I appreciate that.”

  “No need to thank me,” he said, still not letting go of her hand. For some reason, he wanted to tug her into his arms and hold on for as long as she’d let him. Whoa. He took a half step back. Where had that come from?

  She closed the distance and leaned in, her voice hushed as she asked, “Chad, can you do something for me?”

  It was his turn to cross his arms over his chest, making sure he kept his hands to himself. Touching her was off limits. Wasn’t it? A voice in the back of his head whispered she was a grown woman now. Why couldn’t he hug her? He gave himself a mental shake, trying to dislodge the thoughts. He dug his fingers into his arms and said, “Sure. Anything.”