wicked witches 08.6 - a witch in time by Amanda M. Lee Page A

something like, “Do you really think I would marry you after you got me caught in a fairy tale book and a crazy woman’s head.” I opted to let it go and focus on Willa as she interacted with guests.
    She was dressed up, her bridesmaid dress pressed and smooth. Her hair was pulled back, and she seemed desperate to be the center of attention. She talked to one of the ushers, repeatedly putting her hand on his arm. When he refused to show her proper interest, she shifted her eyes to Calvin.
    “Uh-oh.”
    “What?” Landon asked, slipping his arm around my waist. “What horror is about to befall us now?”
    “Aunt Willa is going after Calvin,” I said, shaking my head as I watched Willa approach. “Is she going to hit on him right before his wedding?”
    “Where is Tillie?” Landon asked, scanning the crowd. “There’s no way she would put up with this.”
    “She’s getting dressed,” I said. “We heard her heading toward her bedroom when we snuck out. That’s probably a good thing, because she would’ve cursed us to within an inch of our lives if she caught us.”
    “If she’s inside and this is really a memory, how are we seeing it?” Landon challenged.
    He had a point. Crap! I hate it when he does that. “I … .” Was I wrong? I caught sight of Aunt Tillie a split-second before Landon did, exhaling heavily when I saw her peeking from the open bedroom window about five feet from us. “She’s watching from inside.”
    “Fine,” Landon conceded. “She’s watching. Your theory is still in play.”
    “My theory is right,” I said, narrowing my eyes when I saw Willa put her hand on Calvin’s chest. To my surprise, Calvin firmly removed Willa’s hand and leaned down to whisper something to her. Whatever it was, Willa didn’t like it. She said something back and then turned on her heel and stalked away. When I glanced at Tillie again, she was smiling. “That’s what she needed to see. She wanted to make sure Calvin wouldn’t betray her. She already knew it in her heart, but now she knows it in her head, too.”
    “Do you worry about things like that, Bay?” Landon asked, his question taking me by surprise.
    “Like what?” I feigned ignorance. I knew exactly what he was talking about.
    “Don’t do that,” Landon said, wagging a finger in my face. “I’m asking a serious question. Do you think I would betray you?”
    I answered honestly. “No. I’m terrified I’ll somehow lose you all the same, though.”
    “Because of the witch stuff?”
    I shrugged, unsure how to answer. “Maybe.”
    “We’ve been over this, Bay,” Landon said, his tone calm and even. “I won’t leave. I don’t want to leave.”
    “But … we’re stuck in Aunt Tillie’s mind,” I argued. “That can’t make you happy.”
    “We might be time traveling,” Landon countered. “I haven’t given up on that yet.”
    “Even if we are, that’s still because of my family,” I said. “Are you willing to put up with that … forever?” I almost choked on the word.
    Landon was unruffled. “Yes.”
    I swallowed hard. “Really?”
    “Bay, I’m not going anywhere,” Landon said. “I’ll say it as many times as you need to hear it. I screwed up when I left. When I knew you were a witch and you refused to tell me everything, I reacted badly because I didn’t know what else to do. I’m over that now. I’m not leaving. I need you to believe that. When you do, then we’ll start talking about all of this.”
    I knit my eyebrows. “All of what? The magic?”
    “I don’t care about that either,” Landon said. “I mean all of this.” He gestured at the gathering. “When you believe in me and know in your heart I’m not going anywhere, then we’ll talk about weddings. Until then, I’m happy with how things are.”
    “I … .” Holy crap!
    “That’s what I thought,” Landon said, smirking as he dropped a quick kiss on my mouth. “Now watch your wedding,” he said. “We might have traveled