The Witches of Dark Root: Daughters of Dark Root: Book One (The Daughters of Dark Root) (37 page)

The effect was beautiful––I glanced at Paul––and romantic.

“Places,” Shane said, and Eve and I moved towards the only booth in the restaurant, a voluminous red one tucked away into the far back corner. We sat, wide eyed and smiling, waiting for our guests to come in.

At last, the door opened and two blond heads emerged wearing matching, crocheted pink beanies.

“Ooh!” June Bug said, removing her jacket and hanging it on the coat rack by the door. “It’s beautiful in here!”

I smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as I waited for Merry’s reaction.

“It really is,” she said, offering Shane a grateful smile as she hung up her own coat and removed the beanies from both of their heads.

Shane took their arms and escorted them towards our table. “Ladies, this way.”

“Aunt Maggie and Aunt Eve!” June Bug whooped like she hadn't seen us in months instead of hours. Eve and I scooted towards the center of the booth, allowing Merry and June Bug to settle in on either side of us like bookends.

“You two must have helped out,” Merry said, nodding approvingly as she surveyed the café. “...I’m sure the boys didn’t do this all on their own.”

“Maybe a little,” I admitted, feeling suddenly shy.

June Bug wound her arms around my waist, giving me a big squeeze.

“A little?” Eve scoffed. “We basically took over the place.”

“The first course will be ready in just a few minutes,” Shane said. “Sorry, paprika mix-up. Can I pour you some wine?”

Eve and I lifted our emptied glasses and Merry said that water would be fine for now. We listened to the music for a moment, sipping our drinks and swaying in the booths, taking in the ambiance of the place.

“Wanna dance, honey?” Merry said, leaning across the table to ask June Bug, who nodded at the invitation.
 

The two were up seconds later, waltzing in and out of the tables, Merry twirling and dipping her laughing daughter. I hadn't seen my older sister this relaxed in a long time and I felt happy knowing that I had been a part of it.

“Let’s dance,” Eve said, and I turned to see that she had slid out of the booth and was herding Paul––who had three empty wine glasses in his hand––towards a free spot near the stage. She took the lead and Paul obliged. I felt a fire in the pit of my stomach as they joked about something I couldn’t hear.

“I guess that leaves us two wallflowers,” Shane said, placing another bottle on the table. “Shall we?”

I didn’t want to dance, but I didn’t want to sit here alone either. I drank my newly-filled glass in one long swill and stood up, smiling widely.

“Sure, why the hell not?”

Shane routed me towards a spot near the center of the room, spinning me beneath his arm then pulling me near. I was dizzy and I couldn’t tell if it was because of the wine or the dancing. I peeked over the top of his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of what Eve and Paul were doing. They were locked in each other’s arms, dancing close, and Eve kept throwing her head back to laugh as if he were the funniest man on earth.

“You like him, don’t you?”
 

I looked back at Shane, surprised by the directness of his question. His face was soft and serious.
 

“It’s okay,” Shane said. “He’s a good-looking guy. If I were a pretty young woman I’d probably like him, too.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Maybe you have a little of your Uncle Joe in you,” I teased.

“I don’t know about that,” he said, pulling me tighter. “But a man can tell when he’s got competition.”

Competition?

I suddenly felt bad for him. He had been mooning after Eve these last few days and she was too busy chasing Paul to notice.

I stood on tiptoes and whispered, “We could work together. Pull them apart.”

“Maggie, neither one of us would want that. And you wouldn’t want the win. Not unless it was fair, right?”

He smelled good and I moved in closer to inhale him. I hadn’t smelled a man in a long time and I was missing the scent. Even so, Shane confused me. Why was he always so concerned with rules and etiquette? Why didn’t he ever just take what he wanted? I knew my experience with men was limited, but I had heard enough about them to know that they were all cave men at heart.

“Why are you so nice, Shane Doler?” I smiled at him, surprised by my own candor. But it was an honest question, even if it was wine-induced. He was too nice for me––too nice for any of us, except maybe Merry.
 

In truth, he shouldn't give us the time of day.

“Well,” he said, releasing me with one hand so that he could scratch his jaw as he thought. “I wasn’t always nice. It was something I had to work at.”

“Really?” I said as he spun me. “I thought people were either born good or bad and that was that.”

“First off,” he said, smirking down at me when I was back in his arms. “I don’t think there is good or bad when it comes to people. They just make choices and the choices can be good or bad. But, at any minute...” He stopped dancing, grabbed my shoulders, and peered intently into my eyes. “...At any minute, the coin can flip and what was bad can be good and what was good can be bad.”

I sighed. “Boring! Spare me the philosophical lectures, okay? I just want to know why
you
are nice.”

“My father, he uh, well...” Shane started choking and he turned his head to the side. The song on the Ipod ended and another began. Shane resumed dancing, not as smooth this time, more of a sway than a dance. “...My father was not what you would call a
good
man. He had problems with drinking, women, slapping...”

Shane’s fingers dug into my back then released.

“You don’t have to say anymore,” I said.

As Aunt Dora had said, we didn’t need to know everything.

“It’s okay,” he assured me, wrinkling his brow. “At any rate, he and my mother died. Got in a car wreck on their way back from a bar one night. DUI caused by...” He let it hang there, not finishing the sentence.

“I see.” I didn’t know what else to say.

“So, I went to live with my grandma. Got into trouble at school for all sorts of things. Mainly just being angry, I guess. They weren’t too big into counseling in those days. Then Uncle Joe got involved in my life. Started bringing me here during the summers. Introduced me to books and Magick and...” His eyes fell on me. “...The Maddock girls. You know,” he laughed, his shoulders relaxing. “Ironically, I learned more about being a
real
man from Uncle Joe then I ever did from my dad.

“...But, more than anything, I wanted to be like all those cowboys I read about in his library,” Shane added. “They were good guys, you know? Tough guys with big hearts. And even if I couldn't ride fences in the morning and gallop off into the sunset in the evenings, I could still be a cowboy. I could still do the right thing, make an honest living, even kiss a pretty girl or two.”

A glint touched his eyes just as the last song on the Ipod ended and our dance was done.
 

“I think that’s my cue to attend to the cheese,” he said, bowing.

My sisters and June Bug had already gathered back at the booth and I joined them, sliding in next to Eve.

“You two looked like you were getting along,” Eve commented, refilling her glass. “Shane always did have a thing for older women. I remember how he mooned after Ruth Anne. Kinda pitiful.”

Before I could respond that there was nothing going on between Shane Doler and myself, and that if she wasn’t so self-absorbed, she would see that it was
her
Shane was after, Shane returned with a small silver pot.

“Sorry I didn’t give you time to order,” he said, placing it on a large trivet in the center of the table. “I figured you would want the
spec-ial-ty
.”

He said the last word with a French accent and June Bug giggled.

We watched as he turned the dials on the pot and added chunks of cheese, spices, and a liquid. The cheese melted and we took turns stirring as Paul appeared with a platter of breads, fruits and vegetables. The two demonstrated how to spear the food and dip it in the fondue, while being mindful of the hot pot.

We took turns and it was so good I soon forgot my ire with Eve.

“This is amazing,” Merry said, as Shane removed the cheese and replaced it with a pot filled with a clear broth. “Dip Stix certainly got a makeover. Now we need to get people in here.”

“I’ve put ads in all the local papers and Maggie’s made some amazing fliers that we’ve been handing out. I’d say we are well on our way.” Shane twisted the lid on a bottle of cider. “Now for the wine sauce...all non-alcoholic.”

He winked as he poured several bottles into the pot, raising and lowering his arms like he was leading an orchestra. I was impressed that he seemed to know exactly how much to put in without a measuring cup.

Paul emerged again, carrying a silver tray filled with an assortment of bite-sized meats and potatoes. “Tell me what you think of this,” he said. “I don’t eat meat myself anymore, but I still like to hear about it.”

His eyes met mine and I blushed.

“Oh Paul,” Eve said, and I knew that I had been caught. “Maggie doesn’t understand cuisine. She’s been living like a cave woman in that commune of hers, haven’t you Mags?”

Eve turned towards me, fluttering her eyelashes innocently.

“She’s right,” I said, spreading my hand. “No fine dining there. Just raw meat and wild sex.”

Paul’s smile broadened and I fluttered my own lashes, just as innocently.

“Maggie! There’s a child here,” Merry reminded me.

“It’s okay, Aunt Maggie,” June Bug reassured me. “I wouldn’t eat raw meat. It’s yucky.”

We all laughed, except for Eve, who was stabbing at a piece of pork on her plate.

“I can’t wait to get back to New York,” she said, lowering her skewer into the pot. “I miss places with atmosphere.” She sighed dramatically as she watched her meat turn from pink to white. “There’s this one place that is positively charming. It’s so nice you can’t get in without at least a two month’s reservation. But the owner knows me, so, you know...”

“Would that place be Hooters?” I asked, nonchalantly nibbling on a potato.

Eve’s head turned swiftly in my direction, her eyes narrowing. “No, it’s not Hooters,” she hissed. “It’s a
nice
place, something you wouldn’t know anything about.”

Her face had paled to an ashen white, but I wasn’t done with her yet.

“Does the whole crew go to this
nice place
after the ‘show’ or just you?” I said.

“What are you talking about?”

“The cast members of your shows. Do you all go together?”

Eve’s response was measured and careful. “I go there on dates, Maggie. Another thing you probably know nothing about. How long has it been since you’ve been on a real date? One that didn’t involve handing out religious tracts or shucking corn?”

I turned towards the kitchen, my eyes finding Paul. “It has been awhile,” I admitted. “But I think that’s about to change.”

Eve’s energy grew as hot as the liquid in the pot. She watched me, trying to figure out how much I knew.

June Bug pushed her empty plate away. “Are we still going to the mall tomorrow, Aunt Evie?”

Now it was my turn to be surprised. “I didn’t know you guys were going to the mall?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Eve widened her eyes. “I’m taking Merry and June Bug to the mall in Linsburg and then to the movies. Won’t that be fun, honey?” she asked June Bug, who nodded. “Sorry I didn’t invite you, Maggie.” Eve flipped back her hair. “...But you’ve been so busy lately, pining for things, I didn’t think you’d have the time.”

“That’s fine,” I said as Shane removed the pot and replaced it with a small black cauldron.

June Bug clapped as Shane poured in pieces of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers.
 

“...On Thursday, I’m taking them to the County Fair in Herston,” I added to Eve. “We’re going to eat lots of cotton candy and go on rides and have so much fun we may never want to come back. Doesn’t that sound fun?”

June Bug nodded as she lowered a strawberry into the chocolate.