The Professor Woos The Witch

But if being a familiar meant more time with Pandora, he was all about that. Just the thought of being near her again pumped endorphins into his system. That had to be this other side of him at work. He hadn’t been interested in a woman in ages. Not after the scar Lila had left.

He closed his eyes and tipped his head back, the buzz of insects and the melody of birdsong creating a natural white noise that let him drift into his thoughts. Pandora was beautiful and had curves that wouldn’t quit, but there was more to her than just a stellar exterior. She was kind and sweet and funny and smart. Also not afraid to speak her mind or stand up to him, which he loved.

But above all that, she was good with Kaley. If there was one way to his heart, it was through his daughter.

After the divorce had been finalized, he’d dated a few times. Mostly set-ups put together by some of his colleagues at school. But after watching the change of expression on his dates’ faces when he mentioned Kaley, he’d quickly decided his need for companionship could take a backseat until his daughter was off to college. Apparently, it took a special kind of woman to accept another woman’s child.

He hadn’t really needed another woman in his life that badly anyway. And Kaley sure as hell hadn’t needed another mother figure walking out on her.

But Pandora had started out liking Kaley better than she liked him. He grinned. For a witch, she was all right. Hell, for a human being, she was spectacular.

Which brought him right back around to thinking about kissing her again. He sighed deeply, remembering the sweetness of her mouth on his and the lush curves of her hips under his hands. And after seeing her in those skimpy shorts and too-tight tank tops, he could imagine very well what she’d look like—

“You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”

He opened his eyes and sat up abruptly. “Hey, Kaley. I didn’t even hear you come out the door.”

She sat in the chair next to him. “That’s because you were dreaming about Pandora, weren’t you?”

“Miss Williams.”

“Hah! So you admit it.” She got a big goofy grin on her face. “You’re in luh-ove,” she sing-songed.

“Kaley. I just met Miss Williams. No one falls in love that quickly.” Although it wasn’t out of the question to say he was headed toward deep like.

Kaley shrugged. “Whatever. You like her.”

He gave her his best fatherly look. “Did you come out here to harass me or did you have another reason?”

Her smile turned sly. “I thought I heard you call me for ice cream.”

He laughed. “Oh, you did, did you?” For a moment, he was overwhelmed with how beautiful his daughter was. How perfect and smart. This child had been a gift to him. If he loved her any harder, he’d explode. “Come on, let’s get in the truck.”

She sat up straighter. “Why?”

He stood. “You said you wanted ice cream, didn’t you? Well, let’s go into town and get some.”

She jumped up. “You mean it?”

“Get your shoes on, young’un. They don’t serve the barefoot.”

She ran back into the house. “Okay!”

He walked in behind her and shut the door. If Kaley was a witch, he was okay with that. And if Pandora could help Kaley, then he needed Pandora. No matter what he was or what he had to sacrifice, he’d make sure this worked out.

Pandora had over an hour to meet her buyers at the house she was showing them, which gave her the perfect opportunity to swing by her mother’s place. Corette didn’t open Ever After until ten anyway, allowing them plenty of time for coffee and an interesting chat about Mr. Cole Van Zant.

She knocked on the front door, then walked in. As always, her mother’s house was pin-straight and picture perfect. “Mom? It’s me, Pandora.”

“In the kitchen, honey.”

Pandora set her purse and briefcase on the granite counter, then leaned in and kissed her mother’s cheek. “Morning.”

“Morning.” Corette stood at the island, scrambling eggs in a Pyrex bowl. She smelled like Chanel No. 5, her signature perfume. “Hungry?”

“No, I ate at the house, but I’d love another cup of coffee.”

“Help yourself. What brings you by this morning?”

Pandora filled a cup, then added cream and sugar. “I need some advice. And help. And I might not be the only one.”

Corette’s precisely sculpted brows went gently skyward. “Are you in trouble, honey?”

“Oh no, it’s not for me…” Pandora frowned. “Well, it might be a little for me.”

Corette stopped whipping the eggs. “What’s going on?”

Pandora stared at her coffee for a second, choosing her words. “What do you know about familiars?”

Corette poured the eggs into a buttered pan and put the bowl in the sink. “The same as any witch, I suppose. A familiar is an animal that can help a witch focus, and often strengthen, her craft.” She smiled, but it was bittersweet, and Pandora knew why. “I wish we’d been able to find one for you. I still think it would have made all the difference.”

If only her mother knew. “What about the human kind of familiar?”

Corette blinked a few times. “They’re very rare. I haven’t heard about one in ages. Some people think they’ve died out.” She shrugged. “I don’t think that’s true. I think the familiars that aren’t bonded yet keep a low profile, and any witch who has one guards that knowledge dearly.”