Haunted Hex (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 10) by Sara Bourgeois (book series for 10 year olds txt) 📕

“Okay, fine,” I said as I opened the door for him to jump out. “Thank you,” I called after him before shutting and relocking the door.

The only acknowledgment I got was a flick of his little tail before he took off to walk around the house. It only took him about three minutes to walk all the way around the house and garage.

When he was done, Meri walked up onto the porch and plopped down at the top of the steps. I took that as his all-clear sign.

I took Laney out of her car seat, and we headed inside. After kicking off my shoes, I got the baby settled and went into the kitchen to make coffee. I fed Meri some precooked bacon and made myself a sandwich. I’d had a scone at Lilith’s, but I was tired, hungry, and needed something more substantial than pastries and tea.

“This isn’t as good as one of Viv’s sandwiches,” I said to Meri as I sat down to eat.

“That thick-cut bacon she makes is amazing too,” Meri said.

“I’ve been neglecting everything, haven’t I?” I asked.

“Kinsley, you just had a baby. If anything, you’re taking on too much,” Meri said in an unexpected moment of encouragement.

“I didn’t go into the shop today,” I said. “And when was the last time I saw Viv?”

“Reggie is fine,” Meri said. “Until the tourists come back, there’s not a ton for her to do. And Viv understands. Everybody knows you just had a baby, and they are dealing with their own stuff too.”

“You’re right,” I said. “I should call Dorian, though. He hasn’t dropped by since I had the baby. I need to make sure he knows he can.”

“With his husband finally home, he’s probably getting a lot of work done on his novel,” Meri said with a flick of his tail. “That and he’s been really good about keeping people updated on the post-tornado goings-on via the newspaper’s website. See, the world is not falling apart because you need to put yourself and your baby first,” Meri said.

“Wow, when you put it that way, it makes me sound like I think a little too highly of myself,” I said.

“That’s not what I meant,” Meri said. “But if that’s how you feel, then…”

“So, I guess our little bonding moment is over then,” I said with a sigh.

“Whatever,” Meri said and scampered off to the living room, presumably to check on or nap with Laney in her bassinet.

I texted Thorn for an update and he responded with a message that he was fine, he’d be home for dinner, and we’d talk about the Mercy thing then. I’d wanted way more information than that, but at least he was safe. Being home, safe at Hangman’s House, I started to feel guilty for leaving Thorn alone to deal with Mercy Cullen, but he was the sheriff.

The guilt and anxiety of the situation would have eaten away at me, but I channeled it into deep cleaning the kitchen. By the time Thorn got home from work, it smelled beautiful, and the floor was so clean that not only could you eat off of it, the wood planks practically sparkled.

“You didn’t rest, did you?” Thorn asked as he walked through the front door and took off his hat.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“I can smell your favorite lemon oil kitchen cleaner,” he said.

“I have so much to tell you,” I said. “But first you have to tell me if Mercy is okay.”

“Let me order a pizza, and then we’ll talk,” Thorn said.

“Dinner! Oh, man. I got so into cleaning that I didn’t make anything,” I said.

“It’s fine,” Thorn replied. “I’m going to order a pizza and take a shower. I promise we’ll talk about everything.”

I wanted to push for information, but Thorn seemed like he needed some time to unwind. I also didn’t notice until he said he needed a shower that he was kind of stinky.

After he undressed, I put his uniform in the wash and tended to Laney. She woke up shortly after Thorn got home, and I used the time he was showering to get her a bottle and diaper change.

The pizza arrived, and I tipped the driver. He handed me the pizza, breadsticks, and a manila envelope. “Coupons?” I asked.

“Yeah, coupons,” the obviously oblivious and unconcerned teenager said with a shrug. “Guess it’s a thing we’re doing now.”

He left and I set the envelope aside. It felt like a cozy night by the fire kind of evening, so I put the pizza and breadsticks down on the coffee table and set Laney’s bouncer up on the floor between the sofa and the fireplace.

“Beer or wine?” I called up to Thorn when I heard him leave the bathroom and walk around our bedroom.

“Beer, if you don’t mind,” he called back down.

I retrieved a beer from the fridge for Thorn and debated about whether I wanted a glass of wine. On one hand, wine and pizza did go together nicely, but on the other, what if something happened to Laney? In the end, I was too nervous about potential emergencies and both of us drinking. So, I grabbed myself a Coke.

“No wine?” Thorn asked. He was coming down the stairs while I put our drinks on the coffee table with the food.

“No, Coke’s good for me tonight,” I said. “Let me grab some napkins and we’re ready to roll.”

“I’ll grab the napkins,” Thorn said. “Please sit down and rest.”

“You worked all day,” I protested.

“And so did you,” Thorn said. “Not at the shop, though. Do I even want to ask what you were doing out at Samara Delarosa’s house?”

“I went to talk to Mercy Cullen at her work today,” I said as we sat down on the sofa. “She said Samara kept a chest full of secrets there, and I couldn’t resist. Mercy didn’t know why her name was in Samara’s grimoire with a skull drawn next to it, but I’d hoped to find answers at Samara’s place.”

“Okay, wait,” Thorn said.