Midnight Surrender: A Paranormal Romance Anthology Read Online Free PDF

disinfectant.” Channie knew she was acting like a child, but she hated pain and Aunt Wisdom was taking forever.
    When she finished, Aunt Wisdom patted Channie’s knee. “That wasn’t so bad now, was it?”
    Actually, it was, but Channie didn’t ride her bike all the way over here just to have her cut disinfected. She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “Finish it.”
    “ Are you sure? It’ll heal just fine if you keep it clean.”
    Channie gritted her teeth and nodded. “I don’t want any hint of a scar.”
    Aunt Wisdom didn’t waste any time. She held her hand over the lump on Channie’s head and closed her eyes. “On the count of three. One … two … three.”
    White-hot pain flashed across Channie’s forehead. It was quicker than a heart-beat, but hurt worse than ten of Momma’s stinging-spells combined. Channie blinked away tears.
    “ That bump on your noggin was more severe than usual. You must have smacked that beam pretty hard. Did something startle you awake?”
    Channie gasped. There was no way Aunt Wisdom knew about Hunter’s visit last night. She winced, hoping Aunt Wisdom would think her gasp was one of pain instead of guilt. “It wouldn’t have been so bad if I hadn’t hit my head on a knot.”
    “ It’s been four years since your daddy built that loft. There’s no excuse for him not finishing it.”
    “ I’m gonna whittle it off myself when I get home.”
    Aunt Wisdom smiled and winked at Channie. “Just carve a heart and a couple of random initials into the knot. I guarantee your daddy will have it ground down to nothing before sunset.”
    “ Nobody’s gonna believe I have a boyfriend.”
    Aunt Wisdom’s smile disappeared. She sighed and shook her head. “We’ve already talked about this.”
    “ Please, I’ll do anything you ask. I’ll clean out your chicken coop every day for a year. Just boost my hormone levels a little. I’m sick and tired of being flatter’n a pancake.”
    “ You’re just a late bloomer, that’s all. Be patient. Your time will come.”
    “ But Spring Gathering is only two weeks away.” 
    Aunt Wisdom put her hand on Channie’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “There are consequences for tampering with nature.”
    Channie dropped her chin and let her shoulders slump, rounding her back. “There’s consequences for looking like a bean pole, too.”
    “ Listen to me.” Aunt Wisdom cupped Channie’s face in her palms and tilted her head up. “You are a beautiful young woman with your whole life ahead of you.”
    Channie twisted her head out of Aunt Wisdom’s hands. “All the best boys will be spoken for before I ever get a chance.” 
    “ I won’t risk your health just so you can fill out a new dress.”
    “ I ain’t getting no new dress. Momma’s taking one of Abby’s in for me so it won’t fall off.” Channie dropped her gaze to the crushed gravel floor of the greenhouse. “Not that anyone would notice.”
    “ What’s it going to take to get you to stop using double negatives and saying ‘ain’t?’” Aunt Wisdom took the mortar and pestle from Channie then nodded towards the house. “Go grab some shoes out of my closet.”
    “ What for?”
    “ We’re going to town.”
    ~***~
    Channie ran her hands over the front of her new dress as she examined herself in the mirror. She still wished Aunt Wisdom would have cast a growth spell on her, but the new padded bra helped. She wasn’t nearly as curvy as Lovie Schmidt, but it was a definite improvement.
    “ Channie, get down here. We’re all waitin’ on you.”
    “ Yes sir. Be right there.” Channie wrapped a shawl around her shoulders and tied the ends then hiked her skirt up to climb down the ladder out of the loft.
    Abby curled her lip and narrowed her eyes at Channie. “I ain’t never got a new dress and new shoes on the same day.”
    Daddy turned away from his shaving mirror and glared at Abby. “She works for Wisdom. What she chooses to give Channie