The Hidden Grimoire by Karla Brandenburg (pride and prejudice read TXT) 📕

talked on the phone fairly regularly for a while. He was so helpful, and when the issue was finally resolved, I had to pick up my check at the insurance office. As soon as I met him, I knew there was something special about him. I guess he felt the same way, because when I asked him to dinner to celebrate, he accepted. I ended up getting a job working at Wisconsin Global and the rest, as they say, is history. We were married three months later.”

I wasn’t able to hide my surprise. “That was quick.”

“When you know, you know. We spent hours talking. Him about his family, me about mine. And then when Jeannine told us you lived right here in Hillendale, I couldn’t believe he wasn’t interested in reconnecting. You’re the one person I wanted to meet most.”

I twisted as if a spider crawled up my spine. “Why me?”

In the other room, the baby cried. Georgia startled, sat up and rubbed her eyes. She cried, too, but hopped from my lap and ran down the hall.

LeAnne smiled after her. “She’s such a little mother.”

Ash sat tall and issued a mournful meow, one of few I’d ever heard from her.

“We should see if anything’s wrong,” I said.

LeAnne sighed. “I suppose he might need a change. Georgia can’t manage that quite yet.”

I pinched my fingers, widened them, fighting the negative energy, calling on the white light. I pushed to my feet and forced a smile. “I’ve been waiting to meet your new little man. Sounds like now’s my chance.”

I headed down the hall Georgia had followed and found her inside the bedroom I’d seen in my astral visit. Her sock monkey was still where I’d left it.

Tears streamed down Georgia’s face as she clutched the slats on the side of the crib. “Don’t cry, Wemy.”

My heart wrenched. This was not normal behavior, new mother or not. Maybe LeAnne had post-partum depression. I walked past Georgia and scooped the little boy from his crib.

“What’s wrong, little man?” I crooned as I rocked him in my arms. Immediately, the baby quieted, staring at me with blue eyes. I held him out and sniffed his bottom, which reeked of urine. “Let’s change your diaper, shall we?” I looked around the room and found the changing table and a package of diapers.

His diaper weighed almost as much as he did, and his skin was red and mottled. “Oh, baby,” I whispered.

“I swear,” LeAnne said, whooshing past me to take over. “It comes out faster than it goes in. I can’t believe how much this kid pees.”

I wanted to believe I’d misjudged LeAnne’s inattentiveness, or rather, she wanted me to believe that, but the whole scenario didn’t feel right. Before she fastened the new diaper, a fountain rose from the baby and hit LeAnne in the chest.

“Now I have to change my shirt,” she fumed, and walked away from the baby. Who was still on the changing table, his diaper half-changed.

Georgia cried again.

I set Georgia on the changing table beside the baby and finished diapering Remy. “Mommy’s tired, like you’re tired. She needs a nap.” I winked for emphasis, and yet my heart broke for these children. Was LeAnne like this when Jason was home? I considered how frightened Georgia had been when I’d visited her dreams the first time, telling me Daddy was mad.

Outside the window, a mourning dove perched in the tree, cooing softly. Echoing Georgia’s unhappiness.

“I knew you’d understand,” LeAnne said. She stood behind me, wearing a new sweatshirt. “When Jason told me about you, I’d hoped by combining our bloodlines my daughter would be a powerful witch, but I never expected her power to manifest itself so early. Think of all the things we can do with that power.”

Well. No beating around the bush there. She undoubtedly saw the magic in me as plainly as I saw it in her.

“What does Jason think of all this?” I asked.

“I can manage Jason. He’s never guessed that I’m different, and I’m sure he’ll have a change of heart with you. In fact, we could hire you as a nanny.” Her eyes glittered, sending me an uncomfortable jolt.

“I have my business to run.”

LeAnne ignored me and turned to Georgia. “What do you think? Shouldn’t Aunt Brynn live with us?”

“Aunt Bwinn?” Sniffling, Georgia tucked her head into my neck once more.

Time to go. And I wanted to take the children with me. “I promised Kyle I wouldn’t be long. Let me send him a text.” I laid the baby in the crib and Georgia on the floor. Ash dashed in and walked circles around Georgia. When I tried to pull my phone from my pocket, I couldn’t move.

Chapter 40

Just a cramp. After holding Georgia’s weight, and adding Remy’s, the strain had seized my muscles temporarily.

“Not used to holding so much weight, I guess,” I said to LeAnne, flexing my arms. I tried again, and pulled my phone from my pocket.

What could Kyle do? I’d be putting him in danger. While I stared at my phone, LeAnne glanced over my shoulder at the text. “Maybe you should text him you won’t be home tonight.”

No. That wasn’t going to happen. I sent the text and found new confidence. “You know I can’t. How is it that Jason doesn’t know about you?”

“What’s the old saying? Love is blind? With all the fussing he did whenever he talked about your—what did he call it? Genetic malfunction?—I didn’t dare tell him. He still doesn’t quite understand, and meeting you has confused him further. I wasn’t sure you shared the legacy when I met you in the shop, either, what with my pregnancy hormones. All those extra senses you take for granted—I couldn’t tap into them, you know?” She tittered. “Oh, I don’t suppose you do know. You don’t have children. Even when I stopped in after my doctor’s appointment, I wasn’t sure Jason wasn’t exaggerating. That’s why I invited you over today, to see if we truly did