He shrugged, grabbed a sandwich out of the bag, and started unwrapping it. "It’s not like we can guarantee when the local wildlife will feel like making an appearance."
"I’m surprised they’re not asking for their money back."
He grimaced. "Some of them are. But we have a big ‘no refund’ sign right next to the ‘we don’t guarantee gator sightings’ sign."
I nodded, my mind moving past disgruntled tourists to a missing granddaughter, and unloaded the lunch stuff. "Sorry, man. So, are Dallas and Austin around? I need to ask them to do some computer stuff for me. I have a client who?—"
"Uh, Jack?"
I kept setting out sandwiches and chips. "Yeah?"
"I think we may be in trouble."
I looked up to see his eyes widening and his mouth falling open as he stared at something over my shoulder, and every nerve in my body shot into overdrive.
Shelley.
When I whirled around, I had to blink—hard—before I could believe my eyes.
The tourists had bunched up into a tightly packed group, all of them holding their phones and cameras in shaking hands, taking pictures and video and who the heck even knew what of the gators they’d wanted so desperately to see.
Thesevengators.
The sevenhugegators.
All of whom were clambering up out of the water and onto the dock toward one small, pink-cheeked, ten-year-old witch.
8
Tess
A little while earlier, just after the phone call from Jack
"That was weird." I hung up from the call with Jack, puzzled.
"What?" Uncle Mike pushed the cookie jar toward me across the big farm table.
I took two, thought about it, and then took another. I hadn’t had lunch yet.
"I don’t know. Something about a cow."
Aunt Ruby wandered into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes. She looked tired, and I felt horribly guilty.
"I’m so sorry, Aunt Ruby. I should have been more careful with that brooch." I’d shoved the thing beneath the seat of my car on the way over, but I wanted to put it into my vault as soon as possible.
"It’s okay, honey. I feel better now. Still hungover."
Uncle Mike jumped up and put his arms around her, pulling her close. "Are you sure you shouldn’t stay in bed? I can bring lunch to you."
She leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Their love was as strong now as it had been when they took in four-year-old me after my mom died and my dad left. I could only hope my marriage would be as strong.
"No, honey, I’m fine. I could use a glass of that tea, though." She sat down and took a deep breath, and Uncle Mike poured her a glass of tea.
I’d already filled him in on the brooch, so he knew what was happening. I’d avoided any mention of my aunt dancing in her underwear, though.
For all our sakes.
"On a different topic, why in the world would you give Cletus McKee the contract for the fireworks, Aunt Ruby? Isn’t that going to cause all sorts of trouble?"
