14. Devil magic
Chapter 14
Devil magic
Skye
My brain, fried by that kiss, came back online. I recognized the voice. Phin’s stepmother. Way to cool off my arousal, immediately. I tugged down my sweater, which was lifting perilously close to my breasts. I ran a hand through my hair, trying to look presentable.
“Should I hide in another room?”
Phin had closed his eyes, lips moving as he recited something inaudibly. At my question, they opened. “No. Why would you do that?”
“She’s not really a fan of me, or vice versa. And you look like you’re swearing under your breath.”
“I’m making sure I don’t answer the door with a hard-on.” He was interrupted by more knocking. “But I’m not hiding you. Us. I’d hoped we wouldn’t have to face this so quickly, but I guess this is it. Are you ready?”
No , but I nodded. Might as well find out if this thing between us stood a chance.
“I’m coming!” Phin yelled, then stalked to the front door, grabbing my hand and bringing me along with him. He opened it to reveal not just Lina, but also his dad and his brother, Quin.
We stared at each other. I clocked the moment when each of them recognized me. His dad was surprised, Quin shocked, and Lina angry.
“Why are you guys here? I told you I’m fine, and I’m busy right now.”
Quin glared at me. “So I see.”
“We were worried. You disappeared, then had an accident. We wanted to be sure you’re okay,” Lina explained.
“As you can see, I’m good.”
“We should talk,” Lina said, tone clipped.
Phin frowned. “Maybe we should. But your timing sucks.”
Lina’s lips pinched but she stepped in when we stood back, Mr. Collins and Quin following.
Phin led them to the big room with the couch and chair. He pulled me down on the couch beside him and let the others find their seats.
Lina settled on a chair, Phin’s dad on the arm next to her. Quin sat in the remaining chair.
“What happened? Why did you just vanish like that?” Lina asked.
His hand was gripping mine tightly. “I needed some time to myself and went up north. The weather was worse than predicted, so I slid in a ditch, and Skye pulled me out. The power lines came down when we got to the cottage, so we stayed there till they could remove that hazard.”
“I can pay for anything I used,” I interjected, not wanting Lina to say I’d taken advantage.
Phin glanced at me. “No, I’ll cover that. Your family put me up for a couple of nights and gave me Christmas dinner, so I think I owe you.
“Depends on how expensive that wine was,” I muttered.
Before his family could respond, Phin continued. “No need for anyone to freak out. But, so you know, while I was in Newfell I decided that is where I want to live when I retire. I’m going to look for some place to buy up there and stay in the summers. I’m also dating Skye. Oh, and I’m partnering with the Duvalls and their garage, and will do more when I retire. I think that covers my news.”
The three of them stared at him in shock.
“This is sudden,” his dad said. He was frowning as he watched me, probably wondering what kind of devil magic I’d used on his son.
“Yes and no. I’ve been looking for something to keep me interested after hockey. When I found it, I wasn’t going to wait.”
“If you wanted a business opportunity, I could have set you up with several people who would love to work with you,” Lina said. “And you’re welcome to stay at the cottage anytime. It’s a family place.”
“No, it’s not,” Phin said, voice harsh. “It’s a showpiece, not a place to sit back with some beers and relax. And I can’t be comfortable there, not now that I know how you pressured the Duvalls until their legal bills were so high they had to sell their property.”
Mr. Collins’s head jerked toward his wife. Maybe he hadn’t known that.
“That’s what she told you?” Three guesses who the “she” Lina meant was.
“Are you denying it? You didn’t engineer a host of complaints about violations on their property?”
She looked away. “It wasn’t up to code.”
“Neither was our cottage.”
“I fixed all that.”
Phin shook his head. “Not how I’d describe it. Part of this was my fault. Back when you got together with Dad and asked what I wanted to do for vacation, I told you I liked to spend my summers there because there was no room for you. I was a self-centered teenager, and I wasn’t happy about Dad being with you. That’s on me. But that didn’t give you the right to bulldoze over the Duvalls to try to force me to be part of your new family.”
Lina was staring at him again. “What was I supposed to do? You were a little shit disturber.”
“Yeah. That’s where my dad should have stepped in. But he let you do all the work. That part’s on him.”
Mr. Collins spoke. “Phin, I didn’t know. And we were all trying.”
“Yeah, Dad. But you should have been the one trying to work things out, not leaving it to Lina. You knew me.”
His dad looked hurt. “I’m sorry, son.”
Phin huffed a breath. “It’s done now. And the three of you are happy and enjoy your lives. I’m glad. But that’s not what I want. Please respect my choices.”
There was silence, and I wasn’t going to break it. This was some big family stuff and I was uncomfortable being in the middle of it. But since Phin felt left out of this group, and I wanted to show my support, I squeezed his hand and stayed close beside him.
“This doesn’t seem like the right time and place for this discussion.” Lina moved her glance to me, making crystal clear what she meant.
“Anything you have to say, you can say in front of Skye.” Phin turned to his dad. “What about you?”
Mr. Collins looked at his wife, and I knew he wasn’t going to change what he’d been doing for the past ten years. It was easier to defer to his wife’s stronger character. Phin gripped my hand tighter.
“Why are you suddenly acting like this, Phin?” Lina asked.
He sighed. “Apparently we’re not going to have a breakthrough. Fine. I’m going for what I want now.”
Lina’s lips pinched. “Like we’re so terrible? One family isn’t happy with what I did years ago, so you don’t want anything to do with us? Your father loves you, did his best for you, and this is how you repay him?”
I almost burst in to defend Phin, but he had this. “Dad was great. I’m glad he’s happy. I’m entitled to be happy too, and I don’t have to be part of your world, even if you’d rather I was. That’s all. I’m not cutting you out, just making what I want a priority.”
Lina stood. “We can table this for now.” Her lips moved into a polite smile. “Since you’re safe, we might as well let you get back to…what you were doing.”
My cheeks heated, but I refused to let her make me feel bad.
“I love you, Phin.” But Mr. Collins stood and followed his wife.
Quin was the last to leave the room. He paused beside his brother. “Are you fucking crazy?”
Phin stood, still pulling me with him. “For what? Deciding what I want and going for it? For asking Dad to try to build a bridge with me instead of letting Lina do it for him?”
Quin snorted. “I hope she’s a good lay at least.”
Phin’s hand left mine, and before I knew what he was doing, Quin was pressed against the wall, Phin’s arm across his throat.
“Don’t ever say anything like that about Skye again. I don’t know what’s wrong with you, but you were friends with her. You know better.”
Quin shrugged. Phin stepped back and Quin straightened his collar and left the room. The door closed behind them and the house settled back into quiet.
I reached for Phin’s hand again. “You okay?”
He drew in a long breath. “I will be. Not how I hoped it would go, but what I expected.”
“What did you hope for?”
“That Dad and I could talk. But now he has Lina, and he lets her do all the hard stuff for him. Since I’m not following the plan Lina likes, I’m difficult. And I can’t even remember the last time he and I had a discussion in private.”
“I’m sorry. Do you want me to go?”
He turned to me, pulling me close. “No, that is definitely the last thing I want.” He swallowed. “Unless you want to leave after the family drama? They weren’t nice to you.”
I slid my hands up, around his neck, pressing myself against him. “I’m not going anywhere.” I’d like to strangle his relatives with my bare hands, but since that would be frowned on, I would bring him into mine. A family where he was wanted, just the way he was. “What do you need now?”
He met my gaze, open and vulnerable. “I need to feel like someone cares.”
“Then this is your lucky day, because I can definitely do that.” I stepped back, because I wanted something better than couch cushions. “Now, where is your bedroom?”
His whole body relaxed and a sexy smile curved up one corner of his mouth. “Upstairs. Unless you want to see the rest of this floor first?”
“Later,” I said. “Show me the way.”