into his mouth. Instead of acknowledging them, he pretended he hadn’t uttered them. “Where should we start?”
Ivy pointed to the shelves on the far side of the room. “Those are the books that might be able to help us.”
There had to be fifty leather-bound tomes there, all well taken care of and heavy looking. It was going to take them forever. Jack stepped up to the shelves, selecting one of the books and pulling it out to study. “So, this is a … witch book?”
Ivy made a face, crossing her arms over her chest as she regarded him. “Do you want to talk about this before we start?”
Jack balked. “Talk about what?”
“Your attitude regarding witches.”
“What makes you think I have an attitude about witches?”
“You have a funny way of saying the word,” Ivy said. “For the record, I don’t consider myself a witch. I consider myself a naturalist who leans toward certain … practices … and I’m a great proponent of the tenets of Wicca.
“I do not ride around on a broom, however,” she continued. “I don’t curse people. I don’t make potions, although I do make lotion and soap. I don’t cast spells. I don’t try to eat small children. Oh, and last time I checked, I don’t cackle when I laugh.”
Jack couldn’t stop himself from smiling. She was just so … serious. “Okay,” he said. “I guess you’re saying you’re a nature lover. I think I can live with that.”
“It’s a little more than that,” Ivy hedged, shifting from one foot to the other. “I am not a true Wiccan. I like a lot of their beliefs, and I happen to believe in karma. I’m more of a … mixture. I pick what I like and stick to it. In essence, I believe in being a good person and holding true to myself. I also believe in magic.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“It’s not,” Ivy said. “There are some people in town, though, who don’t understand that.”
“Ava Moffett?”
Ivy smiled tightly. “She’s part of the small group who believe I’m a Devil worshipper and am sacrificing babies during full moons.”
Jack smirked. “I don’t care what you believe, Ivy,” he said. “You seem pretty … normal … to me. Well, other than your hair.”
“I happen to like my hair.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It just stands out.”
Ivy sighed. “Do you want to ask me anything?”
“Yes.”
Ivy was surprised. She’d expected him to insist on looking through the books instead of conversing. “Okay.”
“Can someone pervert Wiccan beliefs to do evil?”
“People can pervert anything to do evil,” Ivy said. “Wicca is very … peaceful, though. It’s not about hurting anyone. That’s what people don’t seem to understand. Wicca is not Satanism. That’s a common misconception.”
“Do you get a lot of people trying to convert you? Brian told me this is a Christian town. I would guess they see you as something of a challenge.”
“Most of the residents here are good people,” Ivy replied. “They accept me for who I am. There are a few, though, who are … dismissive … of my beliefs and me. I’ve been dealing with it since I was a child. I’m used to it. I let it roll off of me.”
Jack wasn’t sure if he believed that, but he let it go. “You seem like a good person,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with your beliefs. You’re a little … touchy … but you have a right to your feelings. I’m guessing people judge you by how you look, not who you are. I know how that is.”
Ivy cocked her head to the side, considering. “People look at you and see a tough guy, don’t they?”
Jack shrugged, hating the way her gaze made him feel.
“You’re a lot more than people give you credit for,” she said. “You’re a … deep thinker. I think you’re a deep feeler, too.”
“You’re wrong there,” Jack said. “I’m someone who likes to focus on my job. I do think about that, so I am a deep thinker. I don’t really get close enough to people to
Ivy pointed to the shelves on the far side of the room. “Those are the books that might be able to help us.”
There had to be fifty leather-bound tomes there, all well taken care of and heavy looking. It was going to take them forever. Jack stepped up to the shelves, selecting one of the books and pulling it out to study. “So, this is a … witch book?”
Ivy made a face, crossing her arms over her chest as she regarded him. “Do you want to talk about this before we start?”
Jack balked. “Talk about what?”
“Your attitude regarding witches.”
“What makes you think I have an attitude about witches?”
“You have a funny way of saying the word,” Ivy said. “For the record, I don’t consider myself a witch. I consider myself a naturalist who leans toward certain … practices … and I’m a great proponent of the tenets of Wicca.
“I do not ride around on a broom, however,” she continued. “I don’t curse people. I don’t make potions, although I do make lotion and soap. I don’t cast spells. I don’t try to eat small children. Oh, and last time I checked, I don’t cackle when I laugh.”
Jack couldn’t stop himself from smiling. She was just so … serious. “Okay,” he said. “I guess you’re saying you’re a nature lover. I think I can live with that.”
“It’s a little more than that,” Ivy hedged, shifting from one foot to the other. “I am not a true Wiccan. I like a lot of their beliefs, and I happen to believe in karma. I’m more of a … mixture. I pick what I like and stick to it. In essence, I believe in being a good person and holding true to myself. I also believe in magic.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“It’s not,” Ivy said. “There are some people in town, though, who don’t understand that.”
“Ava Moffett?”
Ivy smiled tightly. “She’s part of the small group who believe I’m a Devil worshipper and am sacrificing babies during full moons.”
Jack smirked. “I don’t care what you believe, Ivy,” he said. “You seem pretty … normal … to me. Well, other than your hair.”
“I happen to like my hair.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it. It just stands out.”
Ivy sighed. “Do you want to ask me anything?”
“Yes.”
Ivy was surprised. She’d expected him to insist on looking through the books instead of conversing. “Okay.”
“Can someone pervert Wiccan beliefs to do evil?”
“People can pervert anything to do evil,” Ivy said. “Wicca is very … peaceful, though. It’s not about hurting anyone. That’s what people don’t seem to understand. Wicca is not Satanism. That’s a common misconception.”
“Do you get a lot of people trying to convert you? Brian told me this is a Christian town. I would guess they see you as something of a challenge.”
“Most of the residents here are good people,” Ivy replied. “They accept me for who I am. There are a few, though, who are … dismissive … of my beliefs and me. I’ve been dealing with it since I was a child. I’m used to it. I let it roll off of me.”
Jack wasn’t sure if he believed that, but he let it go. “You seem like a good person,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with your beliefs. You’re a little … touchy … but you have a right to your feelings. I’m guessing people judge you by how you look, not who you are. I know how that is.”
Ivy cocked her head to the side, considering. “People look at you and see a tough guy, don’t they?”
Jack shrugged, hating the way her gaze made him feel.
“You’re a lot more than people give you credit for,” she said. “You’re a … deep thinker. I think you’re a deep feeler, too.”
“You’re wrong there,” Jack said. “I’m someone who likes to focus on my job. I do think about that, so I am a deep thinker. I don’t really get close enough to people to
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