“Good for you.”
“Why are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you.”
Liar.
“I’m just disappointed that your dad bought you off so easily.”
“Bought me off?” Channie’d never had more than ten dollars to her name. A hundred and fifty dollars was a fortune to her. “How dare you?”
“Channie, I’m sorry—”
She slammed the phone shut. “Gotta Be Somebody” started playing almost immediately. Channie turned it off without answering, then went inside.
Courage met her at the door. “We’re hungry.”
“Are you kidding me? Granny left without feeding you guys?”
“She said you’d fix us mac and cheese.”
“Well, she lied. You get peanut butter and jelly.”
Courage scrunched his face into a scowl and crossed his arms over his chest. “You ain’t no fun no more.”
Channie didn’t want to admit it, but Coco was right. She was less patient and more aggressive than she’d been when Enchantment was in charge. The littlest things pissed her off. Chastity’s influence was changing her personality—but how she acted and how she treated others was up to her. She’d learned to control her lust around Josh, she could control her bitchiness too. It was her choice.
She looked at the money that had caused her first real fight with Josh. It didn’t seem like such a blessing anymore. She fisted her hands, crumpling the three fifty dollar bills and decided she would not be a stingy, money grubbing, tightwad like Daddy. “I’m sorry, CoCo. Let’s go inside. I have an idea for something way better than mac and cheese.”
~***~
When the bell rang, all three trips stampeded the front door screaming, “Pizza’s here! Pizza’s here!”
Channie couldn’t help laughing. They’d never even seen a pizza before much less tasted one, but when she described it to them, and explained how all she had to do was call in their order and the pizza man would deliver it right to their door, the little monkeys went berserk.
Zeal threw open the door and said, “Ah, damn it to hell and back, it ain’t a pizza man, it’s just plain old Josh.”
“Hey, nice to see you too, kiddo.”
“Zeal Belks, watch your mouth!” Channie was going to have to be more careful about her own language in front of the boys. “What are you doing here?”
Josh looked at his feet and rubbed the back of his neck. “I came to apologize.”
Not only did Josh apologize, he paid for the pizza when it was delivered ten minutes later, even though he didn’t stay to eat it.
He said, “I have to get back home, Mom’s really pissed that I left and since I’m still officially grounded...this sounds so rude...but she said that you and the boys can’t come with us tomorrow.”
“I see.”
“It’s nothing personal against you...she just wants to punish me.”
Channie didn’t want Josh to see the rush of blood that was reddening her face so she turned away from him and said, “Wash your hands boys.”
Zeal scrambled onto the counter top while CoCo drug a chair across the floor. Savvy was the only one that would still let anyone baby him without a fuss so Channie picked him up and carried him to the sink. She balanced him on one hip and kept her back turned to Josh as she supervised the hand washing. When Zeal started to climb down, Channie grabbed the back of his neck and said, “Use more soap.”
Josh moved behind Channie and put a hand on her shoulder. “If you decide you want to go to the race, my dad said he could pick you and the boys up around eight o’clock tomorrow morning.”
Channie shut off the water and handed a dish towel to Savvy. “Dry your hands and get some pizza before your brothers scarf it all up.” She turned to face Josh and said, “That’d be real nice, as long as it’s no bother to your Daddy.”
Josh said, “Dad’s pretty laid back about stuff. Besides, he likes you and thinks the trips are entertaining.” He paused and rubbed the back of his neck. “I was wondering...if you put that itch spell on my shield tonight, will it last until you get to the race tomorrow?”
“Oh, crap. I forgot about that.”
“Yeah, I don’t want a repeat performance of last week.”
“How long do you want the spell to last?”
“You guys should get to the track no later than ten, but let’s say noon, just to be sure.”
~***~
Josh won both of his races by a huge margin, but Channie was so busy trying to keep up with the trips, she didn’t get to see either one of them. She was tempted to put a be-calm spell on the little monkeys, but Josh’s Daddy didn’t bring his trailer this time so there was no good place for them to nap.
She’d thought that a hundred and fifty dollars was a small fortune. By the time Channie got home, fed and bathed the boys and put them to bed, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she’d earned every penny.
She was sound asleep when Josh’s ring tone woke her up. It took her a few seconds to find her phone and fumble it open. “Hey, Josh.”
“Can I come over?”
“It’s late. Aren’t you tired?”
“I can’t stop thinking about you...all alone in that house with no parental supervision.”
“I’m not alone. The trips are here.”
“You know what I mean. Do you want me to come over or not?”
“Sure, come on over.”
Channie took off her gown and put on a hoodie and sweatpants. She added a pair of knee socks just to be safe and waited for Josh by the front door. He was also wearing cuddle clothes.
They sat on her bed and talked about trivial things like movies they wanted to see, books they’d read and what Josh wanted for his birthday.
“I should have gotten a car two years ago when I turned sixteen, but my parents have this crazy idea that I’ll live longer if I don’t have my own car.”
“What do you want from me?” Channie had her babysitting money but no idea what sort of gift to buy for him.
Josh rolled onto his stomach, resting the side of his head on his folded arms, and grinned at her. “All I want from you is an honest-to-god, real, mouth-to-mouth kiss.”
Channie scooted down and turned onto her side. She ran her fingertips down the center of Josh’s back, making him shiver. She loved knowing her touch affected him as much as his did her. “Well...since your birthday falls on winter solstice, maybe I can use the extra power to enhance your shield.”
As soon as Channie had learned that Josh was born on December 21, 1991, she’d looked it up. There’d been a partial eclipse of the moon during winter solstice that year. Even though Josh wasn’t a mage, it was still a good omen to have been born on such a special night.
Josh yawned and said, “Explain it to me again.” Either he had no aptitude for astrology or the subject bored him so badly he couldn’t retain any information. At least the promise of a kiss, perked him up enough to keep his eyes open.
“You remember how the moon’s power fluctuates—growing stronger and weaker as it waxes and wanes?”
“It’s strongest during the full moon, right?”
Channie groaned and rolled her eyes. “Come on Josh. I’ve explained this to you before.”
Josh quirked an eyebrow and yawned again. Maybe if she used food as an analogy, he’d pay attention long enough to grasp the concept.
“Think of it as a bottle of soda pop. The new moon is full of Dr. Pepper while the full moon is full of ginger-ale. A half-moon, only holds half as much, whether the moon is waxing or waning.”
“I hate Dr. Pepper.”
“Okay, fine. Pepsi.”
“Which is better? Pepsi moon, or ginger-ale moon?”
“Neither. They’re just different. But that’s only part of it. The moon is extremely powerful during the summer and winter solstices no matter what phase it’s in. And anytime there’s an astronomical event like an eclipse it multiplies the power exponentially, li
ke shaking the bottle before you open it.”
“I think my brain is going to explode.”
Channie rolled her eyes. “You have no idea how amazing this is. I can guarantee you that pregnant mages all over the world were casting spells to deliver their babies the night you were born.”
“It’s that big of a deal?”
“If you’d been born a mage, your entire clan would have watched you grow up, waiting to see how powerful you would become. They would expect great things of you.”
“Then, I’m glad I’m not a mage. Talk about pressure.”
“The bidding war to broker your marriage would have begun the night you were born. It would have been fierce and probably bloody.”
“What can I say? I was destined to be a sex god.”
Channie hit him over the head with her pillow.
Josh pinned her to the bed, straddled her belly and tickled her ribs until she was gasping for breath with tears streaming down her cheeks.
As soon as she said, “I give up,” he flopped onto his back and pulled Channie onto his chest stroking her hair until her hiccups subsided.
They talked about their hopes and dreams for hours and shared their deepest secrets. Channie knew that Josh wanted to race in the Olympics, but she had no idea that he wanted to go to college and become a psychologist.
She told him how she wanted to become a Master Healer like her Aunt Wisdom, but there was no way for that to happen unless she moved back to Arkansas—and that was something neither of them wanted.
He told her that his biological father disappeared before he was born and that Mr. Abrim adopted him at the age of five, when he married Josh’s momma.
“When Elijah was born, I was afraid Dad wouldn’t love me as much, but he’s always made me feel as if I were just as much his as Elijah. Even after the divorce.” Josh wound a strand of Channie’s hair around his finger and studied it as if it held the answer to his dilemma. “He wants me to come live with him, but I can’t desert Mom. Two years later, and it still hurts when I see him with Liz, even though I really like her. I just wish Mom and Dad could have stayed together.”
She told him how awful it was when Momma and Daddy found out Abby was pregnant. And confessed how much she missed her, even though she was a horrible mother and a pain in the butt.
He said, “I remember. You found me in the park the night she left. I was such a jerk to run off and leave you when you were so upset.”
“You thought I tasered you, remember?”
“That’s no excuse. I should have stayed and tried to figure out why you zapped me instead of running off like a coward.” Josh kissed the top of her head and said, “What’s your dad really running from? I mean, if he can cheat the casinos, why would he even have gambling debts?”
Maybe it was because they’d already shared so many secrets or maybe it was because Channie felt so safe in his arms that it lowered her guard. But whatever the reason, she told Josh her family’s darkest secret.
“Daddy was responsible for killing the grandson of a powerful mage. She’s sworn a blood oath to kill my entire family. We left without saying goodbye to anyone. No one knows where we are—and we have to keep it that way. Promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
“I would die before I let anyone hurt you or the trips. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We need to call the police.”
“If you involve the police, it will lead the...Cumberland Mountain Mages to our door!” She’d almost said ‘the Veyjivik clan’ but caught herself just in time. Josh already knew too much and she didn’t want to put him, or his family, in even more danger. “Promise me that you won’t tell a soul. Not even your Momma.”
“I promise.” Josh’s eyes darkened and darted back and forth as he gazed at Channie. “But I also promise to defend you with my life.”
Josh didn’t have the ability to protect Channie from any mage, much less one of the Veyjiviks. Panic clawed up her spine. She never should have told him. What was she thinking? If the Veyjiviks ever caught up with her, she wanted Josh to be far, far away.
He pulled her onto his chest and rubbed her back. “Breathe, Channie. Just breathe. I’ve got you, baby.” His voice grew softer...deeper...slower …
~***~
The next morning, Channie woke up with Josh spooned against her back, his chin on her hooded head and one arm draped over her waist. She didn’t want the trips to tell Momma and Daddy that Josh had come over for breakfast again—or, worse, that he’d spent the night—so she woke him up and sent him home. He promised to call her later, kissed the top of her head and snuck out the back door.
As Channie’s life settled into a wonderful, Josh-centered routine the Veyjiviks drifted further into the recesses of her mind. Life was almost normal. She went to Josh’s house on Mondays and Wednesdays. They tried to do homework and pretended to watch movies but mostly they talked and cuddled and fell a little more in love each day.
Josh had to go to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes Channie would go with him, but they didn’t get to spend much time together and practice wasn’t nearly as exciting as the races. Most of the time she stayed home and tried to catch up on schoolwork.
Momma and Daddy gave Channie three fifty dollar bills and took off for Blackhawk every Friday as soon as Channie got home from school. Josh waited for them to leave, then came over for an hour or so to hang out. Channie activated the “itches for bitches” spell on his shield before he left so he’d be protected from any BMX groupies that got to the track before she did the next morning.
Mr. Abrim picked Channie and the trips up every Saturday morning and took them to Josh’s races. Josh snuck out every Saturday night to sleep with Channie then went home on Sunday mornings.
Momma and Daddy came home early Monday morning before school and the whole thing started over again.
Channie suspected that Momma and Daddy were both addicted to gambling now and had no desire to leave Colorado. Everybody’s closets grew crowded with new clothes. Daddy bought the trips brand new bicycles. The second hand furniture went to the dump, the picnic table went back to the park, and soon the house looked like something out of a magazine.
But when Channie came home from school one Friday and found a sleek, black Lexus LX 11 sitting in the driveway instead of the old VW bus, she felt as if the weight of the entire Ozark Mountain range had been lifted from her shoulders. Momma and Daddy had no intention of ever going back to Arkansas.
As time passed, Channie learned to moderate Chastity’s energy with Enchantment’s magic. She still cursed at least three boys a day, but it was only a mild shock compared to what it could have been.
Channie even learned to fight the attraction of Josh’s shield— but Josh himself became much more difficult to resist. Even without being able to touch bare skin, things still had a way of getting out of control. Channie wished she had someone to talk to, but she didn’t have any friends—except Josh—and his opinion wasn’t exactly unbiased.
It all came to a head on the twelfth day of November.
~***~
Josh claimed it would help Channie make friends with the girls at school if she could intelligently debate whether Bella should be with Edward or Jacob. So they were curled up together watching “New Moon” when Elijah burst in without knocking.
Josh swore at him and said, “How many times do I have to tell you? This room is off limits when the door’s shut!”
Except...it wasn’t Elijah. It was Josh’s momma. And she was not happy.
“Joshua Vincent Abrim get upstairs right now.”
He groaned and said, “I’ll come upstairs when the movie is over.”
“You’ll come upstairs right now if you know what’s good for you.”
“Fine.” He threw the blanket off and sprang off the sofa then turned around and tried to tuck the blanket in around Channie’s body.
She squirmed away from his busy hands and said, “Mind your momma.” The back of the sofa fac
ed the door, but it still made Channie nervous for Josh to have his hands on her when his momma was in the room.
He said, “Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back.”
He wasn’t.
Channie waited for fifteen minutes then decided to go look for him.
As soon as she opened the door to the soundproof room, she heard Josh and his momma arguing—about her.
“This year is crucial if you want to qualify for the London Olympics. Grands are in three weeks. You can’t afford to let that girl distract you.”
“Channie doesn’t distract me. She inspires me.”
“Did she inspire you to skip practice today?”
“My rotator cuff inspired me to skip practice today. What is your problem?”
“So why aren’t you icing your shoulder?”
“I was going to ice it after Channie left.”
“Then you better tell her to go home.”
“I’ll ice my shoulder while we watch the movie, if it’ll make you feel better.”
“I think Channie better go home anyway.
“Why?”
“So you won’t be tempted to let every little ache and pain turn into a reason to stay home and make out with your girlfriend instead of going to practice.”
Something banged the wall and echoed down the stairwell where Channie was lurking—followed by even louder swearing—then total silence.
Heat flooded Channie’s entire body—not just her cheeks—from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. Mrs. Abrim must have caught them pawing at each other. Channie wanted to crawl into a hole and die. But even more than that, she wanted to escape.
She crept back into the media room and fumbled around in the dim light looking for her backpack and shoes. Her hands shook as she tied her laces. She slung her backpack over one shoulder. It felt as if someone had replaced all her books with cement blocks.
The door squeaked when Channie cracked it open and peeked into the hall. Josh and his momma were still arguing but at least they weren’t yelling at each other anymore.
“This isn’t like you, Josh. It’s like you aren’t even the same boy anymore. You never would have punched a hole through a door before you met Channie.”
“I said I was sorry and I’ll pay for the freaking door...cheap piece of crap.”
“What if she gets pregnant?”
“Is that what this is all about?”
“Do you think I don’t know where you sneak off to every Saturday night?”