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“To avoid a vendetta that would last the next fifty years. Nobody wants that, especially you.”

He averted his gaze. “I’m sorry, Maya. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

“If you expect me to believe you, I’m going to need you to look me in the eye when you make a promise like that.”

He forced his focus back to me. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. Hand to the gods.”

“Tell me who sold you the spell, and we can end this unpleasant conversation.”

His lower lip trembled. “I can’t. She’ll crucify me.”

That narrowed it down. “Meemaw?”

His eyes answered for the rest of him.

“You’ll be fine, Donny. Leave her to me.”

Life was so easy for the Neighbors. No worries. No obligations. No fear of their past catching up with them. Why did they insist on complicating it?

I left the bowling alley, cursing Meemaw under my breath for adding another item to my To-Do list.

I drove my golf cart to Meemaw’s condo to have a quick word, then I’d start my half of Clement’s client list. As I pulled into the parking lot, I spotted Meemaw on the sidewalk, heading toward her condo.

I wasn’t the only one.

Penny emerged from the building, carrying a mallet. Her eyes sparked with joy when she spotted Meemaw. The fury picked up speed and swung the mallet, knocking the crone clear off her feet.

“Holy hellfire!” I hit the brakes and sprinted to the fallen witch. “What on earth do you think you’re doing, Penny?”

“You told me to be a nutcracker!”

“She’s still an elderly woman. You can’t go around breaking hips.” I helped Meemaw to her feet.

“It’s inflatable.” Penny bonked me on the head with the blow-up weapon.

“What in the hell was that?” Meemaw asked, dusting herself off.

“I recovered this fake mallet from Janice Aberdeen and decided to prank you with it,” Penny said.

Meemaw’s face registered pure confusion.

Despite my better judgment, I piped up in defense of Penny. “Miss Beaufort is unhappy with your treatment of her. She would like you to stop pushing her boundaries.”

“Then Miss Beaufort should show me she has boundaries.”

“I think this was her attempt to do that.”

“Well, she failed miserably.”

“I was only following Maya’s suggestion,” Penny said.

Meemaw grunted. “You need a better guru.”

“While we’re on the subject, no more spells to Neighbors,” I told her.

Meemaw arched an eyebrow. “Does that include you?”

“Of course not. I’m not a Neighbor. I’m also not going to use magic to win a bowling tournament.”