Wicked Brew Read Online Free PDF

asked.
    “Because it doesn’t seem right,” I said. “We found Annie walking down the middle of the road. She was dehydrated, and she had a bump on her head. We don’t know if someone hit her. We don’t know if she was in a car accident. We have no idea what happened to her mother.”
    “Maybe her mother is the one who hurt her,” Clove suggested. “Maybe she ran away from her mother and is scared she’ll find her.”
    “Maybe,” I said, accepting the mug of coffee my mom slid across the table in my direction. “Or maybe something happened to her mother, and that’s why she’s traumatized.”
    Clove stilled. “Do you think someone killed her mother and she saw it happen?”
    “I have no idea,” Thistle said. “I just know I don’t feel good about letting her go until we know what happened to her.”
    Mom patted my hand. “You’re much more sensitive than we give you credit for.”
    “I’m not sensitive,” I countered. “I’m just as … insensitive as I ever was. I just don’t like thinking of a little kid being hurt if we can help it.”
    “Don’t worry,” Clove said, tucking her long hair behind her ear and grinning. “We’ll keep telling everyone you’re ornery if you want. It will be our little secret that you’re really just a pussy cat in lion’s clothing.”
    I shot her a withering look. I wasn’t going to let her bait me. It wouldn’t do Annie any good if she saw us fighting. Once she was gone, though? Oh, yeah, the gloves were off – and Clove was eating a whole garden of dirt. “Where is Annie, by the way?”
    “Aunt Tillie took her out to the greenhouse to look around,” Mom said. “She seemed excited to pick out plants. Aunt Tillie is even letting her do some potting.”
    I narrowed my eyes. “Are they really in the greenhouse? Or does Aunt Tillie have Annie out dancing by the road again?”
    “They’re really out in the greenhouse,” Mom said. “Landon hid Aunt Tillie’s wine stash. She’s threatening him with great bodily harm, by the way, if he doesn’t return it. He doesn’t appear to be too worried.”
    “That’s because she’s never cursed him,” I said. “Still, that was a gutsy move on his part.”
    “Bay is beside herself,” Mom said. “She’s convinced Aunt Tillie is going to curse her instead.”
    “Aunt Tillie probably will do just that,” I said. “She loves making Bay suffer.”
    “She loves making all of us suffer,” Clove said.
    “Landon says he doesn’t care,” Mom said. “He’s openly campaigning for the bacon curse.”
    I couldn’t help but smirk. What is it with men and the smell of bacon? “I’m sure it will be okay,” I said. “Aunt Tillie isn’t going to do anything while Annie is here. She wouldn’t dare. She seems to really like her.
    “I think I’m going to go down to the greenhouse and collect her, though,” I continued. “We have some stuff to do at the shop today, and a few hours away from this place might do her some good.”
    “You don’t have to come to the shop if you don’t want to,” Clove said. “I can do everything.”
    “There’s a big tour hitting town on Wednesday,” I reminded her. “The summer season is officially set to begin. We’re not ready yet.”
    “I can do the work,” Clove said. “Annie should be your priority.”
    “She’s really taken a shine to you, too,” Mom said, her eyes sparkling. “Since children are usually terrified of you, I’m taking it as a good sign that I’ll get grandchildren one day.”
    I finished the rest of my coffee and got up from the table. “Don’t get your hopes up. Annie is only attached to me because she latched on to my hair. Once she gets over being traumatized, she won’t even remember I exist.”
     
    “THIS is a magic shop,” I said as I ushered Annie into Hypnotic. Clove and I had opened the store a few years ago, figuring it was a great way to embrace Hemlock Cove’s magical rebranding and make a living at the same time. It