Chapter 1

• As he drove the last few blocks to Cora’s house, Patrick thought how blessed his life had become in the recent months, since meeting this eclectic bunch of witches. Of the eight, none were similar and yet, together they were a whole. He’d never forget the power of little Kasey and that gorgeous, but scary, woman Rachel, when they’d slammed that vile human back and put him in his place.
• Just thinking of Charlie had him glancing at the woman beside him. She sat there silently, which worried him, for she was never silent long, and stared at her hands. Hands that had been pinned to the ground when Charlie ran stakes through them. Gods and Goddesses bless those eight witches for saving Rhonda’s life. Pulling into the driveway, he offered her a playful grin. “Ready for the craziness of three weddings at once?”
• Her mouth moved to form a breathtaking smile. “I can’t wait.”
• Patrick rang the doorbell and then moved aside, placing Rhonda in front of him. He grinned when it opened.
• “Trick or treat,” Rhonda laughed at the vampire holding the door open.
• “Oh, hi.” Rachel took the teeth out of her mouth. “I thought you were more munchkins.” She glanced over Rhonda’s head at Patrick.
• “Is it okay I brought a male into the woman’s domain tonight?” Rhonda sighed, “they still won’t let me drive with these.” She held up her scarred hands. “I mean really, couldn’t we pad the damn steering wheel or something so I can grip it?”
• Rachel looked down at her hands, then up to Patrick. “I suppose one male in the house won’t corrupt the feminine energies.”
• Patrick focused on her hands for a moment too, he’d never get over it. Shaking it off, he glanced at Rachel again and raised an eyebrow. “Is that what you’re wearing tomorrow, Rachel?”
• Rachel laughed. “Ha! No. Although it is an idea, isn’t it? Could you see the guest’s faces?”
• “You’re giving her ideas she doesn’t need.” Leena said quietly coming from the kitchen, in costume, pointy hat and all.
• He winked at her. “I would pay to see you walk to your groom like that, Leena.”
• Leena looked down at her black ratty dress and purple shoes. “Hmm, no. Better not go there.”
• Kasey came out drying her hands on a towel. “I just got kicked out for getting sparkles in Cora’s finger thingies.” As she spoke the sparkling antennae on top of her head bobbed around. “I told her to just say it was fairy dust.” She looked up and spotted Rhonda. “Oh. You’re here!” She bounced over to her.
• Patrick stepped back so the fairy wings wouldn’t smack him as she flew past. Fitting, she finally had wings to keep up with her, he thought. “I’m afraid to ask what Cora’s wearing.”
• “Silly question really,” Cora said, as she entered the room.
• He turned and looked at the slender woman dressed in a black body stocking with a skeleton decoration. “Oh yeah, you all should be wearing these outfits tomorrow. The grooms will pass out.”
• Cora walked past him and hugged Rhonda. “We should dress him up,” she said softly.
• Rhonda grinned and turned to look at Patrick. “With those black eyes, he should be a pirate I think.”
• Kasey frowned. “He needs long scruffy hair…oh,” she turned to Cora. “Dade, now there’s a pirate.”
• Cora smiled and bit her lip. “I preferred the white knight earlier.”
• Rhonda’s mouth dropped and she reached to lift Cora’s hand. “Oh! He finally…you are…he did?”
• Cora nodded.
• Patrick leaned over and looked down at the ring on her hand. “There goes another one.”
• Rhonda elbowed him, turning to glare up at him. “He didn’t die. He got engaged.”
• Patrick shrugged down at her. “Same thing, isn’t it?”
• Her mouth dropped open.
• “Children,” Leena said quietly. “We have far too much to do tonight to bicker.”
• Moving out of the line of fire, Patrick went over to sit down. “So,” he looked around, “the grooms are banished where?”
• Kasey grinned. “They’re at Chris’s. We decided the night apart would be a good thing.”
• He chuckled. “I’m willin’ to gamble none of them agreed to that.”
• Rachel shrugged. “No, but it will give them time to get nervous.”
• “That it will,” he agreed quietly.
• “It’s my turn!” Steven ran past Owen, his Dracula cape flying out behind him.
• Owen huffed out a breath, lifting his eye patch to look over at Chris and Dade. “Has anyone beaten him to the door tonight?”
• Dade tipped his cowboy hat up and shook his head. “Nope, only ones we got to greet were those that appeared when he was flying across the lawn after the bullies.”
• Chris scratched under his wizard hat and smirked. “I got pictures of that.”
• Owen sat on the bottom step. “It’s going to be too late soon. The young ones will be heading home.” He looked at Steven coming back in taking his teeth out. “Then what the hell do we do to pass the time?”
• Steven glanced at his watch. “Is that all it is? Shouldn’t it be midnight by now?”
• Chris pointed his wand at him. “You do know you have to go through the ceremony, good wishes and reception before the honeymoon part, right?”
• Sliding to the floor, Steven sighed. “Yeah, it’s not just that. Why can’t we be there helping or something?”
• Owen nodded. “I worry about Lee overdoing it, Doc, she’s so tired.”
• “She’ll be fine. Women, even pregnant, have a reserve energy none of us males have in our arsenal.” Steven assured him.
• Dade smirked. “I hope so.”
• Chris turned and raised an eyebrow at him.
• Dade shrugged. “What?” He grinned. “While all of you are off having marital sex, I’ll be at home with Coralee having the nasty pre-marital sex.”
• Steven groaned. “No sex talk tonight…we agreed.”
• The doorbell rang, Owen reached over and held Steven’s arm while Dade and Chris bolted for the door, laughing.
• “Not fair.” Steven grumbled.
• Owen released him and leaned to see the trick-or-treaters at the door.
• With a big smile on his face Chris opened the door. Seeing the people on the other side his grin faded. “Aunt Silvia? Uncle Chester?” He looked at Owen and then Dade, his eyes huge. “I thought you weren’t arriving until tomorrow.”
• Dade stepped back as an older woman with an unpleasant expression pushed past him and walked in.
• “We decided to come tonight. It will give us more time before you drag us into the woods tomorrow.” She brushed past Chris.
• Dade just stood there looking at Chris, an astonished look on his face. The man behind her walked in and handed Dade a suitcase.
• “There’s another bag in the car.” He walked past with his nose up.
• Owen held his breath when Dade looked at Chris, then to the suitcase and back to the pompous man that brushed by him.
• Chris grabbed the bag before his uncle wore it. “Uncle Chester. This man is my best man, not a servant.”
• Uncle Chester turned and looked at them. “Why are you dressed like that Christopher?”
• Chris shook his head. “Well now, it’s comfortable…” he sighed, “and it’s Halloween. I guess you didn’t notice the children running around dressed up.”
• She turned again and nodded. “Yes, your cousin is outside now telling them to go home.”
• “Noooooo.” Steven ran into the foyer past them all and went outside.