Karma's Shift (Magical Midlife in Mystic Hollow Book 2) - Lacey Andersen (black female authors .TXT) 📗

wood chips from my boots as I went, and held open the front door. I had a lady come in and clean often enough that it didn’t bother me to have someone drop in. I wasn’t otherwise much of a housekeeper on my own. I’d rather be out in the woods. Bear or human, I didn’t mind, I just liked being in nature.

Part of the reason I lived all the way out here.

“Sit, sit.” I motioned to the kitchen table while I grabbed a couple of mugs and poured out the coffee I always kept at the ready. “Black?”

“Of course,” Samuel said, completely deadpan. “Milk is for sissies.”

We shared a laugh as I sat across from him and sipped my coffee. Good thing I liked it black, too, or I might’ve been offended. Though we had both been on the force at the same time, we’d never really worked together outside of me being his boss while I was sheriff. It wasn’t like he was a good friend stopping by to check on me.

“Been a rough week,” Samuel said, running his hand over his thinning brown hair. “Real shame about Roger.”

I nodded and grunted. “Very true. Ruled natural causes though, right?”

Samuel met my gaze, his dark eyes hard to read. “Well, as to that…”

“What?” I set my mug down and leaned forward. “Spit it out. You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

Samuel sighed and set his mug down, too. “The thing is, Daniel, while Emma isn’t a suspect anymore, I did have to do some digging on her while she was. I called around, spoke to the county PD back in Springfield where she was living, or is, since she hasn’t technically moved to yet. Her ex-husband is missing as well. And so is the guy’s new girlfriend.”

I sat back in my seat and regarded the sheriff. He obviously thought Emma was up to some bad stuff. And in his shoes, I probably would have as well, only I knew Emma, and I knew there was no chance she’d do something like that.

“I’m just saying, Daniel, don’t get distracted by a pretty face. I suspect this is all supernatural, and something you should handle, especially if Emma is an innocent party in it. I know you’ll want to keep her safe. She doesn’t seem like the type, but I can’t deny that there’s been some stranger than normal stuff happening since she turned up.”

I wasn’t sure how much he believed his own words that she could be innocent, but overall, he was right. Things had been a little extra odd since Emma came home, but I knew it wasn’t her fault, the same way I knew I had to keep her safe.

My bear had begun pacing inside me, and I knew I’d have to check in on Emma sooner rather than later, just to make sure she was okay...if I wanted to get any sleep ever again. The idea of her being in danger just made everything I was already feeling more intense. But at the same time, I couldn’t help but think about our last time together. In an ideal world, I’d avoid her until I felt less like a dumbass. But this wasn’t an ideal world.

The sheriff tipped the plain white mug of coffee I’d given him up and drained it in two gulps, letting me know that he had done what he set out to do. With his obligations over with, I knew he wouldn’t be hanging around to chat and catch up. That wasn’t the kind of men we were. “Well, thanks for the coffee,” Samuel said. “I didn’t mean to barge in on you. I just didn’t know how to get the bad news out.”

We both stood and he pulled his belt and pants back up to where he thought they should be, as I said, “It’s all right.” I clapped him on the back and sighed, troubled about the news. “I’m glad you told me.”

The two of us walked out and I went back to my woodpile as though I was going to carry on with what I was doing now that he was leaving. I wasn’t sure I could though. I watched him pull down my driveway as I thought about what I should do next. I wanted to call her local PD and find out what I could about her ex myself. She’d mentioned him, said their relationship had been rough at best. It seemed like an invasion of privacy though so I wasn’t sure that would be the best step forward, not if I wanted to date her, which I did. I had no idea whether things between the two of us could work, but I knew if I didn’t ask, if I didn’t at least try, then I’d regret it.

I couldn’t imagine her doing anything to hurt the man she’d clearly loved at one point in time, and especially not the new girlfriend. Emma might be angry and maybe even bitter, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t think she’d hurt someone like that no matter how angry or hurt she was. Crimes of passion were… well, anyone could commit one, but still. Emma didn’t seem the type to snap. If she was, then she would have snapped when she found out about the supernatural, right?

I couldn’t pinpoint how I felt but confusion summed it up. I’d have to put in more thought about how to proceed. Carefully, that was for sure. I didn’t want Emma or myself to be set up for failure if we decided to try to do this. That meant figuring out what was going on without rocking the boat too much or making Emma doubt my intentions. It might be a bit like walking a tightrope, but it was a line that I’d gladly walk for her.

13

Emma

I’d never been around witches other than my friends, and even then, I hadn’t been around all that much. Not recently, anyway, not since