The Only Purple House in Town (Fix-It Witches, #4)(57)

“Any other business?” Sally asked.

The house meeting was wrapping up; they got together on Sunday nights to discuss matters relevant to those sharing space at Violet Gables. Such a cute name. Honestly, Iris wanted to get a plaque made—something adorable and vintage—to post next to the house number, but so far, she hadn’t seen anything that looked exactly right.

“Actually, I do have something,” Mira said tentatively.

“What’s up?” Eli asked at once.

He was always a bit more forthcoming with Mira than with most people, and the other woman shot him a grateful smile. Iris restrained another flicker of…something. It’s fine. It’s great. We all get along. That’s flipping fantastic.

“You have the floor,” Iris added.

“You have one last room, right? I wasn’t planning to say anything, but I guess things got worse this weekend.”

At hearing this, Sally frowned in concern, her knitting needles at a rare pause. “Worse for who?”

“Tell us from the beginning,” Henry Dale put in.

“Right. Let me back up. I used to be Rowan’s big sister in a volunteer mentor program. They’re nineteen now, and we’re still friendly. Evidently, things have gotten scary at home. I mean, it wasn’t great before. Evangelical household.”

“Oh no,” Iris breathed. She could easily imagine what “scary” entailed under those circumstances.

“Before what?” Eli asked.

Henry Dale was frowning, and Sally set down her knitting bag. Both of the older folks seemed focused on the story now, worried for someone they’d never met. I have the best housemates.

“The gist is Rowan’s cousin screenshotted their locked socials and outed them to the rest of their family.”

Iris drew in a sharp breath. “Are they safe?”

“Things were tense last time I talked to them. But they stopped answering my messages last night, and the texts have been left unread.”

“Does Rowan usually take a while to respond?” Sally asked.

“I forget that my phone can even get texts,” Henry Dale said. “And it takes me forever to send one.”

Iris tried not to laugh. That was because Henry Dale had a “classic” flip phone and he used his thumbs on the numeric pad. Anyone who wanted a quick answer should call him or ask face-to-face. She’d learned not to message the old man if she needed a fast turnaround.

Mira shook her head. “They usually reply within an hour.”

So it had been almost twenty-four hours since Mira had heard from Rowan? Iris didn’t like the sound of that. Not at all. Maybe she was overreacting, but she’d read about people being shipped off to conversion camps or getting locked up by their families. Unease jabbed at her insistently.

“I don’t know what you’re about to ask, but can we pick Rowan up? It sounds like they might not be safe. We can figure out the details afterward.”

Mira stood. “I was hoping you’d say that. We have the little room ready here. I don’t have a lot of cash right now, but I’ll do an extra spell to cover their rent, or—”

“Nonsense,” Henry Dale cut in. “We’ll all chip in. Since I’m getting a discount for puttering, I can easily afford to contribute.”

“As can I,” Sally said. “Really, we’re all getting a bargain, especially since the house is so much prettier these days.”

“I can pay,” Eli said, sounding slightly disgruntled. “I can send a year’s rent for Rowan right now.”

Iris waved her hands, demanding attention from everyone. “Hey! I’m the homeowner. I wouldn’t charge Rowan anything under the circumstances.”

“If you don’t stop it right now, I’m going to cry,” Mira announced, already putting on her coat.

“Let’s go now,” Sally urged. “If I’m right, Rowan’s family is probably at Sunday night church, so we can do a stealth rescue. Ooh, should I put on my black coat and hat?”

“If you want,” said Iris.

“If it’s okay, I’ll just take Iris and Sally,” Mira said.

“Fine with me,” Eli said. “Henry Dale and I will put sheets on the bed and dust Rowan’s room.”

“They’ll be so happy,” Mira said with another tremulous smile. “Should I send a text to let them know we’re on the way? They’re not answering, so—”

“Wait,” Iris cut in, as something occurred to her. “When I got in trouble at home, my mom would usually take my phone away. If you send a message to Rowan and they don’t have access, couldn’t their family read the message first?”

“Oh damn,” said Sally.

Mira slowly lowered her phone. “Do you think their family would do that?”

Iris lifted a shoulder. “We won’t know until we get there.”

“I’ll try to call instead. If I can’t get a hold of them…” She trailed off as the phone rang and rang before defaulting to voice mail.

Since Mira knew where Rowan lived, she drove and Sally called shotgun. Iris gazed out over the cornfields as they left town. Somehow it was worse knowing that Rowan lived out in the country. It would be so easy for their family to isolate them, cut them off from friends who cared, and ugh. This line of thought reminded her of Lily, who was so glad not to be related, and of Rose and Delphine, who’d essentially ghosted her while claiming to put the ball in Iris’s court.