The Kitchen Witch

THE KITCHEN WITCH

By

Annette Blair

Praise for the work of ANNETTE BLAIR

"
An Unmistakable Rogue
brings to mind the best of Teresa Medeiros or Loretta Chase: funny, passionate,
exquisitely
lyrical."

—Eloisa James, author of
Fool for Love

"An innovative mix of family frolic and period gothic… fast-paced romance… plenty of sexual tension. Wonderful."

—
Romantic Times

"Wonderfully written… captivating… engrossing… masterful."

—
Scribes World

"Humorous… emotional… delectable."

—
Reader to Reader

"What this story is filled with is love."

—
Romance & Friends

continued
…

An Undeniable Rogue

"A love story that is pure joy, enchanting characters who steal your heart, a fast
pace,
and great storytelling."

—
Romantic Times

"An utterly charming and heartwarming marriage-of-convenience story.
I highly recommend it to all lovers of romance."

—
Romance Reviews Today

"Awesome! To call this story incredible would be an understatement… Do not miss this title."

—
Huntress Reviews

"Annette Blair writes a very good story and has created some unforgettable characters in this excellent tale."

—
Romance Review

"Annette Blair skillfully pens an exhilarating, humorous, and easy-to-read historical romance. You don't want to miss
An Undeniable Rogue
."

—Jan Springer

"Ms. Blair has a delicate touch with love scenes… none of her characters are insignificant."

—
Romance Readers Connection

"A feel-good read that shines with warmth, wit, and passion."

—C. L. Jeffries,
Heartstrings

An Unforgettable Rogue

"Never has a hero submitted to such sweet seduction while remaining very much the man in charge… Spicy sensuality is the hallmark of this unforgettable story."

—
Romance Readers Connection

"After
An Undeniable Rogue
, I never expected to read such a wonderful story again.
An Unforgettable Rogue
proved me wrong."

—
Huntress Reviews

"A beautiful blend of humor, pathos, and passion, with the added bonus of outstanding supporting characters."

—
Reader to Reader

"Knight
In
Shining Silver Award for
KISSable
heroes.
Bryceson
'Hawk' Wakefield is most definitely
An Unforgettable Rogue
."

—
Romantic Times

"Ms. Blair is such an awesome storyteller…
An Unforgettable Rogue
is a mesmerizing tale that sweeps the reader into the Regency era."

—
Scribes World

"Annette Blair creates another memorable and refreshing love story… a charming read."

—Jan Springer

"I recommend
An Unforgettable Rogue
as an entertaining book in its own right, even more as part of the must-read Rogues Club series."

—
Romance Reviews Today

This book is dedicated with love and gratitude to:

Edie and Andy Anderson—for your hospitality and friendship.
I will never forget those magic writing retreats on the mountain.

 
         
Janet
Kuchler
—for a summer home away from home, relaxing hours of pool plotting and laughter; late night talks, and for telling me to pay attention to the signs.

Rainy Kirkland—for dragging me to Salem in the first place, then for listening to my wild ideas—all my wild ideas—and saying, "You can do it, kiddo." Lucky for me, I always believe you.

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

Published by the Penguin Group

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USA
) Inc.

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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London
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, England

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

THE KITCHEN WITCH

A Berkley Sensation Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Sensation edition / October

Copyright © 2004 by Annette Blair.

Cover art by Masaki Ryo/CWC International Inc.

Cover design by Rita
Frangie
.

Interior text design by Kristin
del
Rosario.

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 0-425-19881-2

BERKLEY SENSATION

Berkley Sensation Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

BERKLEY SENSATION and the "B" design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Chapter One

Salem
,
Massachusetts
, September 2004

LOGAN
Kilgarven
plucked a bright red leaf off the sleek black hearse in his neighbor's driveway. "What if she really is a witch?"

Jessie Harris laughed as she buffed the chrome hood ornament. "Melody
Seabright
is no more a witch than I am."

"Jess, I only moved into the apartment above her a couple of days ago, and already I've heard that she's flighty, unpredictable, and quite possibly a witch. After all that, you still think I should ask her to baby-sit?"

Jessie straightened, raised a speaking brow, and gazed at him through the top of her bifocals. "What would have happened to you," she asked, "if I had believed what people said about the town bad boy when you stood before me in juvenile court all those years ago?"

"Good point," Logan
said,
which didn't stop him from wincing at the mention of a past he'd tried for years to bury. Nevertheless, here he stood, back in good old Salem,
Massachusetts
… though he didn't suppose there was a better town in which to lay old ghosts to rest. He glanced over at his son, playing quietly in their backyard. No, nor a better place to raise a boy, either.

Logan took to studying the straight lines on the sleek sixties hearse Jessie had salvaged and refurbished. That was Jess, always trying to fix junk.

When Logan looked up, she was watching him, and he smiled, touched that she still worried about him after all these years. "If you hadn't given me a break, I'd probably be in jail today," he said, "and we both know it." He shook his head. "Are you going to remind me of that for the rest of my life?"

"I will if I have to."

Logan groaned. "Just don't do it in front of Shane, okay?"

After she finished polishing the hearse, he helped her put champagne and soft drinks in a cooler shaped like a coffin.

Jessie gave him a searching look. "I'll make you a deal. I'll swear off reminding you for about ten years—until after you tell him."

"Gee, thanks."

"I don't know if you'd be in jail right now," she said, considering. "But you might not be the respectable new executive producer at WHCH TV. Have I told you how proud I am of you? How glad I am that you came home?"

"A few times, on both counts," Logan said, shaking his head, but eventually he sighed. "I never intended to come back, you know."

"I know," Jessie said. "But you did want to give Shane a family, plus you thought a grandson would lure your mother into retirement; she knows, by the way."

"Ah yes," Logan said. "And I missed your meddling."

Jessie grinned. "It's not my fault you thought you'd find me baking cookies and waiting for you to need a sitter."

Logan laughed. "When we talked on the phone about the possibility of my moving back and renting the apartment next door, I distinctly remember you saying—"

"That if you ever needed a sitter, I'd be nearby, and I am, but I can't sit tonight."

"Right.
Mom made a similar promise, you know. And what do I find the first time I need a sitter, but her working a second job, again, and you…" He lifted the cooler into the back of the hearse and shut the door.
"Giving world-class cemetery tours."

"I needed a new profession. Retirement didn't suit, and I wanted to have some fun. I mean, what else is an old judge good for?"

Logan checked his watch. "We were talking about leaving my four-year-old son with a woman who might be a witch. What am I gonna do? I need to be at work in twenty minutes."

"We were talking about leaving Shane for a couple of hours with a woman who loves kids, vintage clothes, and chunky doodle ice cream, in that order."

"Jess, this is serious."

Jessie shook her head. "I'll give you serious. You want someone who can connect with a boy whose mother gave him away? Melody's your girl."

Logan glanced toward Shane, on the jungle gym next door, to make sure he hadn't heard. "What's that supposed to mean?" Logan
asked,
his voice low.

"It means Melody can relate. Enough said." Jessie wagged her finger at him. "And you didn't hear that from me."

Logan ran a hand through his hair.
"Great, just what I need, a baby-sitter with a dysfunctional background."

Jessie laughed outright. "Like yours was normal?" She swiped her hands on her jeans and picked up her car wax and buffing cloth. "Sometimes I think normal is dysfunctional."