A Ghoulish Midlife (Witching After Forty #1) - Lia Davis Page 0,56
enough is enough. We’ll send our bill; you’re not stiffing us on this after playing all these practical jokes on us.”
I gaped at him as he threw up his arms and walked away. Hurrying back to the bathroom, I rinsed out my mouth and got to my front window in time to see the men throw their last few tools in the back of one of the trucks, then they all peeled the hell out of there.
“Shit.”
“I can help,” Owen said. “I know how to do construction with magic. I can show you. I need a place to stay on a more permanent basis since the lighthouse was so damaged. And you need training.”
I turned to see him leaning against my door frame. “I haven’t decided to stay.”
“Oh, come on. After what we went through together here, me, you, those cops, and that crazy woman? You’re going to walk away from this?”
Chuckling, I looked down at my torn-up yard. The big bulky construction trucks had done a number on it. I thought about the front living room that was still pretty much torn up, and the fact that only one bathroom worked in the house.
Unless I could find a construction crew that specialized in magical houses, how else would I get it fixed?
“Ava,” Owen said softly. “I’ve never in my life seen anyone animate that many corpses. It just made you tired. It would’ve killed me to try. I’ve also never met a necromancer that can heal. Your line is supposed to be extinct.”
I sank down onto the bed. “You know rumor has it I’m a seventh-generation necromancer to the Howe family.”
“Ah.” Owen stuffed his hands in his pockets and watched me. “Then that answers that. The Howe bloodline is extraordinarily strong. Your powers will only grow stronger. Especially now that you opened them up like you did last night.”
Frowning, I lifted my gaze to his. “I guess I'm hanging around for a while, aren’t I?”
“You need to let me train you.” He sat beside me. “And Wallie will need it as well.”
“Yeah, I suppose that’s true. Okay, Owen, looks like we’re roommates.”
He grinned. “Great. Let’s go make a list of what we need to fix this house.”
We got busy doing that, and I checked in with the bookstore. Clint was happy to take me on a more permanent basis, thankfully.
Two days later, I walked out of the downstairs bathroom, covered in plaster, my hair in a big, messy, slightly greasy bun. Owen and I had made serious progress in there today.
I grabbed a carton of ice cream and spoon and ate straight out of the container as I leaned against the kitchen cabinets.
“Come in,” I called when someone rang the doorbell. “Ah, shit.” I dropped a blob of chocolate ice cream on my white shirt. I wasn’t expecting anyone, but it was almost definitely Olivia. She loved to pop in. I wiped off my shirt, then threw the rag in the sink, turning to find Drew standing in the kitchen.
Super.
Damn it.
I squeaked and ran into the laundry room. After a quick glamour to make me look like a normal human, not too fancy, but definitely not covered in plaster and ice cream, I walked back out.
He burst out laughing. “You know I saw you before, right?”
“No, you didn’t, so there.” I gestured toward the table. “Have a seat. What can I do for you?”
“I came to update you. Nobody can find hide nor hair of Carmen.”
We figured that much. But I nodded anyway. “That’s good, I guess. I hate that it resulted in her death, but she had to be stopped.”
“I agree, though I rather would’ve put her in jail. The other thing was that some citizens complained about seeing the skeletons.” The corners of his lips twitch.
I gaped at him. “No.” I hadn’t even thought about that.
“Yes. Apparently since Halloween is next weekend, they thought it was some sort of skit and wanted to find out who put it on, so they could complain that they hadn’t had a chance to buy tickets.” He chuckled then, making me smile.
My dismay turned to humor and I sat down and laughed. “Next time I’ll do an event invite on social media.”
Drew laughed with me. “Great idea.” He studied me for a moment. “Go out to dinner with me.”
My giggles caught in my throat and before I could overthink it, I replied. “Okay.”
He nodded once. “I’ll text you.” With that, he stood. “I gotta get back to work.”
I scrambled out of my seat and followed him far enough to watch him walk down the hall with his tight butt in his tight uniform pants.
“Bye,” he called.
I finger waved, and as soon as the door closed, let my glamour go. Owen poked his head out of the bathroom door. “Was someone here?”
Walking over to the island, I grabbed the ice cream and ate a huge spoonful. “Mmhmm.”
I said yes to dinner. With the hottie sheriff. And I wasn’t even sure if I was staying in Maine!
What had I gotten myself into?
Witching After Forty Series
Witching After Forty follows the misadventures of Ava Harper – a forty-something necromancer with a light witchy side that you wouldn’t expect from someone who can raise the dead. Join Ava as she learns how to start over after losing the love of her life, in this new paranormal women’s fiction series with a touch of cozy mystery, magic, and a whole lot of mayhem.
A Ghoulish Midlife
Cookies for Satan (Christmas novella)
A Cursed Midlife
A Haunting Midlife
More coming soon
About Lia Davis
Lia Davis is the USA Today bestselling author of more than forty books, including her fan favorite Shifter of Ashwood Falls Series.
A lifelong fan of magic, mystery, romance and adventure, Lia’s novels feature compassionate alpha heroes and strong leading ladies, plenty of heat, and happily-ever-afters.
Lia makes her home in Northeast Florida where she battles hurricanes and humidity like one of her heroines.
When she’s not writing, she loves to spend time with her family, travel, read, enjoy nature, and spoil her kitties.
She also loves to hear from her readers. Send her a note at [email protected]!
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Also by Lia Davis
Paranormal Series
Shifters of Ashwood Falls
Bears of Blackrock
Dragons of Ares
Gods and Dragons
Dark Scales Division (Co-written with Kerry Adrienne)
Shifting Magick Trilogy
The Divinities
Witches of Rose Lake
Coven’s End (Co-written with L.A. Boruff)
Academy’s Rise (Co-written with L.A. Boruff)
Singles Titles
First Contact (MM co-written with Kerry Adrienne)
Ghost in the Bottle (co-written with Kerry Adrienne)
Dragon’s Web
Royal Enchantment
Marked by Darkness
His Big Bad Wolf (MM)
Their Royal Ash
Tempting the Wolf
Hexed with Sass (part of the Milly Taiden Sassy Ever After World)
Claiming Her Dragons (Part of the Milly Taiden Paranormal Dating Agency)
Contemporaries
Pleasures of the Heart Series
Single Titles
His Guarded Heart (MM)
About L.A. Boruff
L.A. (Lainie) Boruff lives in East Tennessee with her husband, three children, and an ever-growing number of cats. She loves reading, watching TV, and procrastinating by browsing Facebook. L.A.’s passions include vampires, food, and listening to heavy metal music. She once won a Harry Potter trivia contest based on the books and lost one based on the movies. She has two bands on her bucket list that she still hasn’t seen: AC/DC and Alice Cooper. Feel free to send tickets.
L.A.’s Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LABoruffCrew/
Follow L.A. on Bookbub if you like to know about new releases but don’t like to be spammed: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/l-a-boruff
Also by L.A. Boruff
The Unseen War
Paranormal Reverse Harem
War of Fangs
War of Fire
War of Wings
Coven’s End
Complete Paranormal Reverse Harem co-write with Lia Davis
Kane
Voss
Quin
Jillian
Coven’s End: The Complete Series Boxed Set
Academy’s Rise
Paranormal Reverse Harem co-write with Lia Davis
Hell Fire
Dark Water
Dead Air
Academy’s Rise: The Complete Series Boxed Set
Valentine Pride
Complete Paranormal Reverse Harem co-write with Laura Greenwood
Unicorn Mates
Unicorn Luck
Unicorn Truth
A Platypus and Her Mates
The Firehouse Feline
Paranormal Comedic Reverse harem co-write with Laura Greenwood and Lacey Carter Andersen
Feline the Heat
Feline the Flames
Feline the Pressure
Magic & Metaphysics Academy
Paranormal Academy Reverse Harem co-write with Laura Greenwood
Magical Mischief
Magical Mistake
Magical Misfit
Southern Soil
Sweet Contemporary Reverse Harem
Literary Yours
Snow Cure