Tug of Attraction by Ashlyn Chase Page B

baking a cake. It was a homey scene and he was surprisingly content.
    Then she set her bowl on the counter and said, “Well, I have to go now.” She walked out the screen door to the back yard. He didn’t know why, but he felt bereft. 
    “Ethan. Wake up,” Charlotte shouted in his ear.
    “Not yet. Waiting for...” When he realized he was talking in his sleep and he was about to say he was waiting for Brigit to come back, he shut his mouth.
    “Your alarm has been going off for thirty minutes.”
    “Really?” He checked the clock and Charlotte was right.
    “That’s what you get for waking up to soft music. I’d have changed the station to some annoying hard rock, but I didn’t want to punish myself.”
    “I appreciate the wake-up call, Charlotte.” He jumped out of bed and started gathering the clothes he needed from his dresser. “I need to get to the boat. I don’t want to miss the slackwater.”
    “That’s when the tide isn’t going in or out. It’s just ten minutes of standing still. Right?”
    “Yup. I guess you do listen.”
    “Of course I listen. What else do I have to do? Are you meeting some big ship?”
    “Nope. A Navy sub.”
    “Cool. I’d go with you, but, well...”
    “I know. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.” He dashed to the bathroom and figured he could make up the time if he took the world’s fastest shower and skipped his coffee.
    * * * *
    “I s it really almost Samhain already?” Hanna asked the Triquetra Coven members at the next full moon. “It seems like fall is just flying by.”
    Usually shy April spoke up, “I couldn’t get over the maple leaves turning bright red, and all the other beautiful colors.”
    “That’s right! This was your first New England autumn,” Brigit said. She really liked the new member. Sometimes it took a while for someone to fit in, but April seemed to blend right away.
    Rebecca elbowed her bakery business partner. “And soon you’ll experience your first New England winter.” She faced the rest of the coven and said, “I’ve tried to prepare her for the Nor’easters.”
    “I had fun shopping for boots, hats and jackets. Can’t say I needed those much in Texas.”
    “Don’t forget good gloves and thick socks,” Ethan added. “You can get frostbite if you’re on the water, like I am, or get stuck in a snowbank.”
    April’s brows rose. “Huh? I can avoid the ocean, but how would I get stuck in a snowbank?”
    Rebecca laughed. “I think he meant if your car gets stuck in a snowbank. But not to worry, Ethan. She doesn’t have a car yet.”
    “But you do.”
    “Okay, okay. We’ll be sure she has thick socks, gloves and a scarf.”
    Hanna smiled. “I love how our coven members take care of each other. Any other advice for April, or other questions before we begin?”
    Fayleen cleared her throat.
    “I’m getting to that,” Hanna said. The group fell silent. “Okay, if there are no more questions, I have one. Does anyone know where Michele is?”
    Murmurs and head shakes were the only answers.
    Rebecca cocked her head. “Can’t you do a locator spell—or something?”
    There seemed to be more meaning behind her question, but Brigit didn’t know what it was. Then she remembered that Rebecca had used some kind of spell to find her father.
    Fayleen spoke. “We’ve pulled out everything in our bag of tricks. I’m afraid she’s shielded herself so well, even we can’t find her.”
    We, meaning Fayleen and Hanna no doubt.
    “I’m sorry,” April said. “Who’s Michele?”
    “She was a long-time member of our coven,” Hanna said. “In fact, your brother Dru was supposed to take her place.”
    “And since I took Dru’s place, I’m actually here in Michele’s spot.”
    “No. You’re here in your spot. The Goddess must have decided we needed an April instead of a Michele.” Hanna gave her a special smile that was packed with warmth.
    Keith tapped his foot. “So, what do you need Michele