“Hello? Certainly they’re all fine, yeah. But as the only daughter, it’s not just them.”

  Nichole snickered. “I know. Without you I never would have met Greg so I know you were raised right. It’s not weird because he broke it off before?” Nichole asked.

  “I wondered if it would be but it really isn’t. Maybe if it had been a dramatic breakup or if he’d been awful I’d feel differently. But it sort of felt like that was training wheels for this grown-up thing we started again last night.”

  They laughed some more while Ruby finished her sandwich and then she got back to work, happy to have a sister-in-law who was also a very dear friend.

  * * *

  A few hours later, she came in through her parents’ kitchen door. The dogs headed off to say hello to everyone while Ruby paused to hug her mother, grandmother and two of her cousins.

  “A full house tonight,” Ruby said after hanging her coat and bag up.

  “Rita and Bill drove up here for the Consort meeting tomorrow so we figured we’d make a nice dinner to take advantage of seeing them.”

  Rita was her mom’s youngest sister Erica’s mother. Her husband, Bill, was a chemist and they lived in Knoxville but visited Diablo Lake at least once a month. Their daughter was a part-time receptionist at the clinic and their son Joel was a farrier and took care of the large animals in town so it wasn’t like Rita and Bill didn’t have a place to stay when they did visit. But Ruby’s mom loved her sisters fiercely and there was always laughter and excellent food when they were all together.

  Naturally once everyone was seated and the food began the slow, clockwise turn around the table, her aunt Rita gave Ruby a careful look. “Your grandmother says Scarlett tried it the other day in the middle of the grocery store.”

  Ruby laughed as she scooped herself some potatoes. “It wasn’t about me really. She was poking at Aimee and it made me mad. She only turned it my way because I spoke up. Now she knows and that’s that. She’s not important in my life.” Ruby didn’t want to waste a second in some silly fight with Scarlett. She’d rather move about her life and not give Scarlett another thought unless or until the other woman gave Ruby a reason.

  Ruby’s mom gave her an approving look. She’d raised Ruby to be no one’s fool but not to let her time get wrapped up in someone else’s issues. She was all about Ruby being confident and ambitious. Though she’d also taught Ruby how to take someone down if they came for you.

  Ruby waggled her eyebrows at her mom and they both grinned a moment.

  There was talk of Ruby’s new house and some hilarious stories about a horse that managed to get into Joel’s lunch cooler that he kept in the bed of his truck and had eaten most of it by the time he’d caught it in the act.

  The lightness of it, the deep bonds they all shared never failed to make Ruby happy. It was raucous and silly, affectionate. Definitely passionate! Though they all tended toward magical talents around healing of some type, opinions about things were never scarce and rarely ever boring.

  “I brought over some ice cream. Fudge ripple, Dad,” Greg told their father who was up like a shot to get spoons and bowls.

  “Did they start carrying it again at the market?” her dad asked a few minutes later. “I knew my letters would work.” Mel Barker was pretty much the most easygoing person Ruby had ever known. He was slow to anger and quick to forgive. Confident in his strength as a person, as a man and a father. Married to a woman who was his equal and he’d be the first to correct that and say she was his superior in character and magic. He could make a friend of most anyone. No one was a stranger when Mel was in the room.

  But he had his lines in the sand and things he would not tolerate. Like Lovie, he did not tolerate gum in his classroom. All that easygoing would fade away and leave behind an expression that told any fourteen-year-old to spit that gum into a napkin and throw it away, apologize and never do it again. You didn’t read the newspaper first. He had a paper subscription to several state and national newspapers and magazines that arrived three days a week. There was a process. He had a definite order of sections. He’d eat most anything but liver was not allowed in the house.

  And his favorite ice cream was Yellow Daisy fudge ripple. They were some brand from his youth and over the years, their geographic reach had gotten smaller and smaller. When the local grocery store was out of stock a few months ago, he’d begun a letter writing campaign to get it back in the freezer section.

  “I spoke with the grocery manager and though he was appreciative of your letters, he’s sorry but they buy through some third-party service and that service doesn’t deal with Yellow Daisy anymore. He says they can special order it for you, but it’ll be at about quadruple the price because of whatever process it is. Turns out, Katie Faith has an ice cream connection due to the soda fountain and she was able to order it for me at the wholesale price,” Greg said. “I put in a weekly order for it for you.”

  Their dad beamed at Greg. “Thank you, son. I appreciate your doing all that. Don’t tell anyone I said this, but you always were my favorite.”

  That started a whole bunch of hooting and laughter as teasing insults were tossed back and forth.

  Ruby stayed until nine or so but as she was heading to her car, her aunt Rita ran out to catch her. “Bill and I are taking Lovie and Pops to church tomorrow so you don’t need to.”

  “Oh. Okay. Thanks. I’ll still see you at the Consort meeting though, right?”

  Her aunt rolled her eyes. “All this early-morning stuff. I like to sleep in, but you know your grandmother. She’s excited about that seven a.m. meeting. Thank goodness Miz Rose always has coffee. I’ll need it.” She hugged Ruby. “So good to have you back, baby. See you tomorrow.”

  And yes, she took the long way home so she could drive by and see the lights on up at the building site where Damon was most likely working. She knew his time off was spent on house stuff, which meant that stolen afternoon they had planned for the following day felt like a gift.

  While she wanted to go on up there with a thermos of hot chocolate to maybe get a smooch as thanks, Ruby went home instead, leaving him to his work though he was certainly not far from her thoughts.

  * * *

  The next morning Ruby was up by six. Though she loved to sleep, mornings were often her best time for magical work. Her magic seemed to like it best so that’s why she’d originally started out with early work sessions.

  And by that point, decades later, it was habit.

  She liked the quiet before dawn. The sense of the day inhaling slow and easy. And by mid-October, it was dark for a while yet so she put on a kettle for tea and fed the dogs while she waited for the water to boil.

  There was a Consort meeting at seven but as Miz Rose’s was only a short drive, Ruby watered her plants and let her magic rise and fill her kitchen.

  When she’d been barely old enough to walk, the other witches in her life had begun to let her watch them work magic. Each witch had their own voice. Their own rites and rituals when it came to the practice of magic.

  Over time, Ruby had incorporated bits and pieces she picked up along the way and had tweaked them as she’d grown in age and maturity, and in power. Everything she made she put her magic into in some way or other. As part of that then, she made sure to honor what she was doing and had her own ritual.

  The kitchen was her favorite place to work in the house. Soon enough the morning light would come in, catching the stained glass on her wind chimes and casting blues and yellows across the walls and the smooth wood of the floors.

  While the dogs were outside, Ruby packaged up the lemon ginger tisane she’d created for one of her patients who was suffering with terrible first trimester nausea. Each step of the process she’d imbued with protective and healing magics. Then, as she sealed the little jar, Ruby reached out for her magic as she tied the spell together.

  The heart of Diablo Lake protected her citizens. That magic that coursed through the town was eager to help as she knit together the layers of her own magic to weave one larger working.

  Some hot water in a mug with the mixture with honey, and as she drank, she’d warm up and the ginger—and magic—would alleviate the nausea. Bethany, the patient, was also a witch in town and Ruby would see her at the meeting and give it to her then.

  And since she didn’t need to take her grandparents to church, Ruby had some time now after the Consort meeting and the hike. If she didn’t nap, she’d work on a new formula for a joint pain tincture. Ruby was going to try it on some of her sweeter patients and if it worked, she’d set about figuring out ways to get her most suspicious folks with arthritis and the like to use it as well.

  Working her magic had always felt like a conversation with it. She thought about her needs and wants and then saw ways to weave her skill together, marrying intention with her power, and sealed it together.

  And when it was all done, Ruby blew out her candles and opened her circle. The feel of her magic dissipating back into the earth was a warm, comfortable caress. She thanked the earth and her magic before she cleaned up her workspace.

  With a quick look at the clock, she got moving. If she was late, Lovie would never let her hear the end of it.

  Lovie and Miz Rose Collins were of the same generation. The two were friends and sometimes competitors, but always dedicated to the health and well-being of the witches and the magic of Diablo Lake.

  The Consort—called that because Rose hadn’t liked the term coven nearly as much—met at all the major sabbats as well as twice a month for full moon and dark moon days. That day they were all discussing the upcoming Samhain bonfire and dinner while eating a delightful breakfast and enjoying the garden at Miz Rose’s place.

  Ruby absolutely loved walking into any space filled by witches. All sorts of different flavors of magical talent seemed to float in the air. There was a shared bond, all these people who kept the town’s magic safe and thriving.

  She loved it that when she walked through the doors, all the faces turned her way wore smiles, clearly pleased to see her. That welcome warmed her. Filled her with fierce gratitude.

  They divvied up tasks and Ruby gave her update when it was time. She’d been assigned the dessert table and she’d been busily collecting donations for it. She and a few others would decorate it appropriately, which meant she needed to finish her blueprint. It would be the map to follow with ingredients spelled out from the food to the greenery and table arrangement. She hated last-minute rushes to get things done in a half-assed way and found keeping lists was the best method to keep herself on track and get projects done.

  At her side, Aimee took some notes while both of them gave Katie Faith the space to finish her second cup of coffee before they said hello. Ruby was a morning person. Katie Faith was...not. But after a cup of coffee she was much less murderous and after two, she was actually friendly and nearly a hundred percent less murdery.

  Still, when it was their turn, Aimee spoke on behalf of both witches. “For the first time, the wolf shifter packs will be officially represented at the bonfire and buffet. Katie Faith and I talked and then we brought in Jace and Mac. We wanted to take a step to bridge the gap between the wolves and the rest of town after how fractured everything and everyone was by the end of last year. We’ll coordinate with the food committees on what to bring.”

  Everyone thought this was a good idea and then the next item was heard.

  Humans would be surprised to learn meetings were the same pretty much all over the country. Witches or humans, there were agendas and chairpersons and reports. They did learn new spellwork regularly, but mainly they got together, ate food and told each other stuff about what they did when they weren’t at the meeting.

  Once all the agenda items were finally done and they were about to adjourn, Miz Rose cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. “Before y’all leave, I just wanted to take a moment and tell you how proud I am. There’ve been struggles over the last few years. But there have been so many more blessings. Weddings. Babies on the way.” Miz Rose smiled over at a witch who’d announced her pregnancy in the What’s New portion of the meeting. “We’ve lost dear ones.” Everyone was quiet as they remembered Ruby’s aunt, uncle and cousins who’d died in a car crash. “But here I am looking out over a sea of faces I’ve watched grow up. Faces of generations now that have learned magic here in this very garden. You’re all the beating heart of this town. The reason why magic flourishes here the way it does. Even when things were very dark, we stuck by one another and kept the promise we made and together, we’ve made a difference. I love each and every one of you and I’m truly looking forward to the bonfire this year more than I have in a very long time.”

  There were several audible sniffles and Miz Rose waved a hand to tell them they could leave. Ruby hugged her and then after checking in to be sure Lovie was going with her aunt and uncle, she headed back home to get ready for her hiking date.

  * * *

  Damon knocked on her door promptly at twelve fifteen. It had been a little foggy and drizzly that morning, but by noon, the rain had eased off and the sun played peekaboo through the clouds.

  All his anticipation and impatience to see her again flitted away when the door swung open, revealing her smiling face.

  “Hey there,” she told him. “Come in a second. I need to grab my backpack and their leads.”

  “Wait.” He paused before her and bent to kiss those lips he’d been thinking about since he’d driven away from her door the night prior. A slow, sweet kiss hello. “That’s so much better. Thank you.” Damon grinned her way and she grinned back. “You look real pretty today. The puffs are perfect.” He indicated the two little puffs she’d pulled the loose curls into, one low on each side of her head.

  She looked like a flower in a bright red long-sleeved shirt and jeans that hugged all her curves perfectly. She mimed fluffing her hair, smiling as she did. “One does try.” With a flutter of her lashes, she dashed over to grab her things and they got on their way.

  “I’m saving all the good conversation for the hike,” she told him.

  “Do you only have two hours’ worth of things to talk about with me, Ruby darlin’? ’Cause I’m pretty sure I could listen to you talk about paint drying and love it. Not that I’m encouraging anything of the like,” Damon teased. “There’s lots to catch up on. How was the DLWA meetin’?”

  “The what?”

  “Diablo Lake Witches Association. Like the PTA only with witches.”

  Her laugh filled the car and danced over his skin.

  “It was fine. Lots of agenda items. Lots of reports and updates. More than one tearful speech, which was charming instead of grating. I like belonging. No. I think it’s more like I like feeling like I belong. I like it when I sit around a big table with people I’ve known all my life. Several of them have had a major part in who I am today, you understand?”

  Damon nodded. “I do understand. Wolf shifters are pack creatures much like our wild, one-natured brethren are. Belonging is part of my DNA.”

  Her dogs barked as if to remind him they were pack animals as well. And all of them wanted Ruby’s love and attention.

  “So anyway. It was a good meeting. And my aunt and uncle took Lovie and Pops to church so I came home and baked, worked in the garden some and then began a new batch of tinctures. Made us all lunch. Overall, very productive.”

  He parked not too far from the trailhead and helped her out. Damon admired her ease in the quick way she snapped the leads to each dog’s harness and their excited but disciplined presence at her side.

  “They’re very clever,” Ruby said in reply to his unspoken comment.

  They were, he had to admit.

  “In the warmer weather you’ll need to watch for snakes. Not today though,” he said as they began the lazy curve up and around the northern end of town, leading to a ridge that looked out over one of his favorite vantage points on the planet.

  It was a good walk and one he took at least weekly. Sometimes as a man, sometimes on four legs. Ten minutes through the edge of the forest and around the first corner where it opened up to a wider avenue, the town and paved roads forgotten because all that was replaced by the immensity of life. Birds and wildlife, trees of several types, most in some measure of colored glory.

  There was no one else out but the four of them so they had what felt like the whole world to themselves.

  Though he’d told her he was a pack animal, he most definitely considered her part of that pack and having her all to himself given how busy both their lives were felt like a gift.

  “How goes the build?” she asked him.

  “Not bad. Kitchen and two downstairs bathrooms are plumbed now.”

  “Fast work!”

  “I wish it could go faster. I’m impatient to live in the house now. Each day that trailer seems smaller and smaller,” he said with a half laugh. He could easily sleep in his old apartment, but Ruby was now just right down the way from him. The scent of her magic on the breeze. What was going to compare to that?

  “I have a spare room if you get cold or sick of sleeping in the trailer,” she said over her shoulder.

  If he spent the night at her house, he hoped to hell it was with her, in her bed with her body next to his. But he appreciated the offer nonetheless and said so.

  “Just working to get it to a point where I can move in. I can do all the finishing stuff that helps to have good weather for.”

  She bent to unhook the leads. “Don’t leave my sight,” Ruby told the dogs seriously.

  “I’d hear if something bad was coming for them,” Damon reassured her.