“I will neither confirm nor deny that.”
“You don’t need to.” I didn’t have to turn to see his smile. I could hear it in his voice.
We drove out of the city and into the quiet of the country. Okay, so not really the countryside, but way less congested than Dremest was. Down the lane their home was on, I stopped in front of the garage and shut the car off.
“You can’t be serious,” Forest said as he leaned forward to get a better look.
I mimicked him, trying to figure out what he saw that I didn’t. “What?”
“This is some fairy-tale shit. We’re in the middle of the woods, and there is this beautiful cottage just sitting here, lit up like the birds themselves strung the lights.”
“Knowing Colleen, they might have.”
There were small white lights draped along the roof of the home and over the attached garage. From where we sat, we had a view of the front of the home and the warm light spilling out the windows. There was a long deck that spanned the front. Another on the back matched it. Once we were on the deck, Forest would be able to see the small touches Colleen liked to sprinkle throughout the home. Some of it was weird as hell, others looked like they belonged here.
“Tell me about her again.” It wouldn’t have been smart to show up with Forest without him knowing about the woman he was meeting.
“She’s a witch. Not the kind you see in movies or fairy tales, like you said. She practices her craft to protect her family and her home. She speaks to spirits. They give her messages or instructions on how to do certain spells and for general guidance. It makes her happy.” Colleen got into this as she aged. Who knew what would have happened if she were spiritual when I was younger and my father was beating the shit out of me?
“I’ve never met anyone like that. Can she predict the future?”
“She has for me, but she won’t tell me every detail. She’d rather tell me cryptic shit over the phone or text, then I wait for it to come to fruition. She’s startingly accurate.”
He turned his brilliant smile on me. “Is it weird that I want to meet her more now?”
“No, she’s a lot of fun. You definitely won’t feel like you’re sitting down to be questioned. Every person who is invited into her home experiences warmth and affection. She’s a gift to this earth.” I didn’t think I’d said those words out loud before. They were the truth. Colleen and Davis were both precious. They were there for me when I needed them and still were to this day.
The front door opened, light spilling out onto the deck. The sun had begun to set. Colleen liked to cook dinner late when I visited because she didn’t want me pacing all night in the hallways of the mafia building with an empty stomach. At least, that was what she’d told me.
“Shel, get out of that car and introduce me to your man!” she hollered.
Forest didn’t wait for me. He opened the door and made his way to Colleen, leaving me to catch up to him.
“Colleen, it’s very nice to meet you,” he said and extended his hand.
“Aren’t you handsome? I’ll take your hand, but know next time, we don’t need to be formal. We’re not that kind of family. You’ll get a hug if you’d like.” They shook. Colleen held his hand in hers and lightly ran her fingers over the back of it. I wondered what she saw in her mind.
“Yes, ma’am,” Forest replied.
“You can call me Colleen. Let’s get inside. Davis is setting the table. Dinner’s almost ready.”
I followed them into the house with the understanding I was simply along for the ride tonight. The dinner wasn’t about me,but rather Colleen and Davis getting to know the man I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since I’d met him.
Colleen stopped in front of me. “You did good. He’s a great match for you, Shel. You already understand that though. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t have waited as long as you have to finally get here. That man is special, but not as special as you are. You’re my family, and I will always be here for you, but that also means I’ll give you shit when you have your head up your ass like you did. I’m glad to see you’ve finally figured out how to move forward with Forest.”
“Me too. If not, I would have driven Jordan and everyone else up a wall.”
16
FOREST
Okay, this house was nothing like I’d ever seen. When Sheldon told me Colleen was a witch and psychic, I expected to walk into a dark, spooky home. That was what I got for having pop culture as a frame of reference. Instead, I entered an airy place with plants scattered about, crystals in little nooks, and other trinkets placed just so. I was sure there was a reason for every piece.
Fairy lights were strung throughout, bringing a whimsical touch to each room. The farther I went with her, the more I saw. It was a house obviously filled with love.
“Your home is beautiful,” I told her.
“Thank you. I worked hard to get it this way. Finding a place we loved in the woods was only the first step. Come meet my husband.”
