Page 28 of Soft Flannel Hank

“I used to be a bartender. I mixed drinks in a fancy nightclub.”

“You ever mix anything else?”

Esther’s initial instinct was to protect herself from that probing question. But her intuition was more resonant than her anxiety, and her magic hummed in her body warmly, comfortably, as if it knew it was among friends.

“Yes,” she murmured.

“Potion expert?”

“Something like that.”

“Me too,” Magda said, putting the cards back down on the table. “Among other things.”

Esther smiled, pleased as hell to have her instincts proven right. It felt like a win and she hadn’t had many wins for a very long time. Magda clapped her hands and grabbed a roll of paper towels from the box and the bottle of cleaning spray from the counter.

“But this place isn’t going to clean itself, now is it? At least, I haven’t figured that one out yet, have you?”

“No,” Esther said, barely able to contain her laugh.

It felt so good to laugh, especially after so long without it.

She was still in trouble. Callum was coming for her, and she would have to deal with that soon. But not today. Today, she would work hard to make a home for herself. Even if it was just for a few days, it was a home nonetheless. Nothing short of Callum MacLeod storming through that door could ruin her day.

* * *

Since infancy,Hank’s best friends had been Buck Black and Jamie Nutter, Magda’s son. It was convenient that Magda had been his mother’s best friend since they were in first grade. Magda was like a second mother to him.

Magda also happened to know everything there was to know about everything that happened in World’s End. She kept the secrets and the history. She knew who wasintrouble, who wasmakingtrouble, who wasoutof trouble, and whowastrouble. Hank needed Magda.

Nat had texted just before dawn to tell him that Callum would have people send more information later in the morning, but Hank thought he’d get a jump start and see if Magda knew of any new people in town. If this fugitive witch was in the area, no doubt Magda would have heard about her. She always knew when someone new was hanging around.

And so he drove to the diner, got a travel mug full of hot coffee, and bought a slice of Magda’s favorite triple berry pie to-go. Because he could. Because hehadn’t.

The drive to Magda’s was short. But then, the drive to anywhere in World’s End was short. He pulled into the driveway to find the garage door open and Jamie on a ladder, fiddling with the opening mechanism.

Hank hadn’t seen Jamie since he dissolved his life after leaving the force a few months before. Buck routinely inserted himself into Hank’s life, using the spare key and letting himself in to Hank’s house to check on him. Magda did the same thing. But Jamie had taken a step back.

Not away, just… back. It didn’t bother Hank. That was Jamie. After losing his dad, Jamie had a hard time sidling up to trauma. But often during those months, Hank had opened his mailbox to find a gift card or book with no sender, and he always knew it was Jamie.

Jamie would support you with all of his big heart from afar, even if he couldn’t quite bear to sit right next to you.

Jamie hopped off the ladder as Hank put the truck into park, wiping his hands on a rag and coming out of the garage. He clenched the rag in his hands, looking at Hank as if he was a ghost.

Hank got out of the truck. “You need any help with that, Jamie?” he asked.

Jamie gave him a weak smile. “I think I fixed it. Let’s check.”

He produced a small, black opener from his pocket and clicked the button. With a groan, the garage door trundled shut.

“Well, there you go,” Hank said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

His friend smiled bigger now. The quiet hung between them in the foggy morning, but it was a worn, comfortable silence.

Being with Jamie always felt like slipping on an old sweatshirt, one that was soft and fit in all the best ways. Hank hadn’t seen him in months, but it didn’t matter. His friendship with Jamie was one of the most comfortable things he could claim.

“It’s good to see you, Hank,” Jamie said.

“Yeah,” Hank said, his throat feeling tight all of a sudden. “I guess I was finally ready for a change.”