Mountain Charm (10 page)

The bartender grinned and pointed toward the pool tables. “Is that a promise?”

Dylan couldn’t believe his eyes. Standing there, laughing and drinking with his buddies, was Adam McDonald.

They spotted each other at the same time, and Adam smirked. He said something to his friends and dropped his pool stick before heading to the bar.

“You look like you could use another,” Adam said, his voice slurring a little as he waved to the bartender. He slapped Dylan on the shoulder. “Look, man, I’m going to give you a little advice. If you’re waiting to get into Angelina’s pants, don’t bother, because you’ll be waiting a long time.”

Dylan’s entire body bristled at the mention of her name on the bastard’s lips. He wasn’t so drunk that he didn’t take a moment to consider the consequences of his actions.

This was a redneck bar, and it was quite possible he’d get his ass kicked.

Then he thought of Angelina’s sweet face, her pretty eyes, and her cinnamon kiss.

Worth it.

The screen door gently closed as Celia made her way out onto the porch.

“Good morning, Angelina. You’re up early.”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

She patted Cash’s head as he rested near the rocker. They’d already taken their morning walk to the pond. The morning was cool, a sure sign that fall was on the way.

“I made you some tea.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking the mug. “Do I smell peppermint?”

Celia sat down in her rocking chair. “A little. I had a feeling you might need something to relax you this morning. Call it a mother’s intuition.”

“Right. You knew exactly what was going to happen last night, didn’t you?”

“What happened?”

Angelina sighed deeply and drank her tea.

 “You know my visions aren’t synchronized to a clock. I never know
when
something’s going to happen.”

“But you knew we’d kiss, didn’t you?”

Celia’s face transformed into a beautiful smile.

“Yes, but to be fair, I don’t think my psychic powers were needed to make that prediction. Sparks flew from the moment you two met. Surely you aren’t surprised.”

The kiss itself wasn’t surprising. It was her unexpected reaction to it that was throwing Angelina for a loop.

“What if it’s not real?”

“What do you mean?”

“You believe in that stupid curse, right?” Angelina asked, and her mom nodded. “So, what if whatever we think we’re feeling is just the spell weaving its magic on the two of us? What if it’s bogus?”

Celia’s face grew thoughtful. “Do you think my marriage to your father was bogus?”

“Of course not.”

“Our relationship started just like this,” she said, smiling at the memory. “I cast the spell when I was thirteen, just like you. Your father arrived when I was twenty-one. Granted, I didn’t try to shoot him, but still, I’d like to think it was love at first sight for both of us.”

Angelina groaned. “Would you please not joke about this? I’m so confused. How can I trust how he feels? Or how I feel?”

Celia tilted her head in her daughter’s direction. “That must have been some kiss.”

You have no idea.

“I struggled with the same insecurities when I met your father. Did he really care for me, or was it just the spell? Could I trust his emotions? Could I trust mine?”

“Did you come to any conclusions?”

“There’s something you’re forgetting, Angelina, and it’s the same thing I failed to remember until your grandmother pointed it out to me.”

“Which is?”

“No one has cast a spell on
you
.”

Angelina frowned. “What does that mean?”

“My sweet daughter, it means that whatever
you
are feeling has absolutely nothing to do with magic—not in the traditional sense, anyhow.”

“I don’t know what I’m feeling. Everything is so confusing, and now I’m getting all this attention from guys in town that I don’t even want. All because of some ridiculous spell? I’m suddenly a magnet for men just because I turned twenty-one? How nuts is that?”

Her mom smiled. “You’re a beautiful young woman. Why wouldn’t they be attracted?”

“But why
now
?”

Celia laughed. “Sweetheart, I hate to break the news to you, but you’ve always turned heads. You’re just noticing now, that’s all.”

The phone rang, and Celia headed inside. Cash raced behind her, leaving Angelina alone in her confusion.
Closing her eyes, she traced her fingertip along her lips, recalling the heat of Dylan’s kiss and how the memory of it kept her awake all night long.

No one has cast a spell on you.

“I’m not so sure about that,” she whispered.

Minutes later, a laughing Celia reappeared on the porch. Angelina gave her a strange look as her mom placed a set of car keys into her hand.

“Am I going somewhere?”

“To the sheriff’s department. Take your checkbook.”

“Why would I need my checkbook?”

Celia was trying to stifle her laughter.

“For Dylan’s bail.”

“You are unbelievable, do you know that?”

Celia had warned her daughter to keep her temper in check, but the entire situation was just too ridiculous. Who gets into a drunken brawl with a complete stranger?

Dylan peered at the speedometer. “You’re going to get a ticket, Angelina.”

“
Now
you’re worried about breaking the law?”

He groaned and closed his eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you have a headache? Am I too
loud
?”

“I begged Celia to pick me up,” he muttered under his breath. “
Begged
her.”

“Why should my ailing mother have to come bail your sorry ass out of jail? What were you doing at Max’s bar, anyway?”

Dylan mumbled something, but she ignored him and drove faster toward the motel. Angelina was furious. She’d spent her night tossing and turning because of his stupid kiss while he was out at some backwoods bar with God knows who, doing God knows what.

“Angelina, you’re doing seventy in a forty-five.”

“Stop criticizing my driving!”

But she did ease her foot off the pedal. Despite her aggravation, she didn’t have a death wish.

“I’m in room fifteen,” Dylan said as they turned into the parking lot.

The Maple Ridge Lodge wasn’t exactly a four-star hotel. It probably didn’t qualify for any stars at all, but at least it was nice and clean. Dylan invited Angelina inside, and she was surprised to find it wasn’t a complete dump. The bed had been made, and there wasn’t a pair of dirty underwear in sight.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and kicked off his shoes. “You look surprised.”

“I am, a little.”

“Not what you were expecting?”

“Not really. Most guys are pigs.”

Dylan chuckled and reached for a bottle of aspirin on his nightstand. He twisted the lid off a half-empty bottle of water sitting next to his bed and downed the pills.

“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint—again.”

Angelina sighed and sat down next to him. His eye was already swollen, and she noticed his hands had several small cuts along the knuckles.

“Does it hurt?”

“Nah. You should see the other guy.” Suddenly, his head snapped up. “Actually, forget I said that. I don’t want you to see him ever again.”

She was instantly suspicious.

“You told my mom you got into a fight with someone from out of town.”

He nodded and sipped his water.

“Was that a lie?”

“It wasn’t a lie. You said he lives in Asheville now.”

Her mouth fell open.

“
Adam
? You got into a fight with Adam McDonald?”

“Don’t get pissed—”

Anger flooded her, and she jumped to her feet. “I’m already pissed! You got into a fight with Adam? Over me? What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking about you! All I ever do is think about you! Believe me, it’s aggravating as hell, but it doesn’t seem to be something I can control.”

Too stunned to formulate a response, Angelina dropped back onto the edge of the bed. Dylan stood up and began to pace the room.

“I couldn’t sleep, Angelina. All I could think about was you and that kiss, so I took a drive around town. I got lost and ended up at some hillbilly tavern on Bluebird Lane. I have no idea how much I drank, but it was too much, obviously. I was trying to sober up before I drove back to the motel, and that’s when I spotted that bastard standing next to the pool table. He made some smartass comment about you, and I saw your face. When I thought about how he hurt you, I just . . . I lost it. All I could think about was kicking his ass, so that’s what I did, and nobody tried to stop me. I was a complete stranger to these people, and they let me beat the crap out of him. The only reason we got arrested at all was because a deputy arrived.”

Angelina wasn’t too surprised that no one had rushed to Adam’s defense. He’d burned a lot of bridges in Maple Ridge. His violent tendencies hadn’t been limited to just her, and there were plenty of brothers and fathers still eager to get their hands on him.

Dylan sat down on the bed once again. “I waited until Adam made bail before I called your mom. I didn’t want her to find us in adjoining cells. I thought seeing him might upset her, and I didn’t want that. I would have called Maddie, but I don’t have her number.”

Angelina’s heart thawed a little. He gotten into a fight and thrown into jail because of her. It was stupid and sweet and a thousand other emotions she couldn’t name.

“Angelina,” he said softly, turning in her direction, “I’m not rational when it comes to you. It’s driving me a little nuts, to be honest. I wasn’t exaggerating earlier when I said you’re all I think about. I’ve done nothing but think about you since the moment we met. I’ve never been this . . . consumed by a woman before, and I have no idea how to handle it. I am so drawn to you, and I know it sounds crazy because we don’t know each other at all, but I can’t help how I feel. And after last night’s kiss, I know you feel it, too. I know you do.”

If she’d been any other woman, his speech would have sent her heart into a frantic dance. Instead, Angelina felt nothing but sadness, because she knew why he felt so consumed, and it had absolutely nothing to do with her.

He reached for her hand. “Say something, please.”

They stared into each other’s eyes, and she swallowed anxiously, struggling to find the words he needed to hear. Something that would explain the madness. But what could she say?
When I was thirteen years old, I wished for you?

Anything she might say would come out wrong. Instead, she took both his hands and gently traced her fingers over the cuts along his knuckles.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, so it might not work.”

Dylan looked confused as she took a deep breath and tenderly stroked his hands. Angelina felt the tingling rush to her fingertips, and it was the heat that let her know it was working. It had been years since she’d even tried.

It only took a moment, and when Dylan finally looked down at his hands, the tiny scratches that had marred his flesh were completely healed.

“All better.”

Dylan’s eyes snapped to hers and then back to his hands once again. There were no cuts, no bruises, no sign that he’d been in a fight.

“How?” His eyes were wide with disbelief.

“You’ve probably heard that all of the women in my mother’s family have certain gifts. I’m a . . . healer. And you were right. My touch heals, but it doesn’t cure.”

Dylan stared as his hands, as if he was trying to find some logical response to what he’d just witnessed.

It was true. It was all true.

“Which explains why you couldn’t save your father,” he said.

“And I won’t be able to save my mom.”

 “But there’s still hope for Celia, right?”

Tears swam in her eyes, and she nodded. Hope was all she had. There was no magical cure for cancer. No spell or enchantment that could wipe it away.

Dylan leaned closer, and she trembled as his hand cupped her face.

“You’re a witch.”

“A reluctant one, but yes.”

Dylan chuckled and nuzzled her cheek.

“Well, that makes perfect sense because I’m pretty sure you’ve performed some kind of wicked voodoo to make me fall head over heels in love with you.”