“I don’t really remember.”
“Oh hogwash, you do so remember. No use lying to the woman. It’s not like she can put us back in the recipe.”
“She can’t?”
“No. Only a witch related to Gertie would be able to do that.”
That one statement settled pretty much everything for me. I needed to find out who Gertie was and who happened to be her nearest descendent. Pronto.
“Gertie was suspicious. She kept tabs on the comings and goings of the town’s residents and visitors.”
“She wasn’t just suspicious. She was a busybody.”
“She didn’t like us on sight.”
“Why not?” I mean, other than being a little rude, Kay figured they could’ve been nice people at some point.
Then again, if I’d been trapped inside a recipe for years, I might be a little rude too.
“We were new in town and not many new people happened upon this little area without having a reason for being here.”
“And did you? Have a reason for being here?”
Bowler Hat licked his lips. “Oh yes.”
“Get that dreamy look off your face, you nincompoop. You’re part of the reason we’re in this mess. I think.”
“What was the reason?” I prompted after several minutes of silence and the three of them looking off into space.
“Her cookie recipe.”
“You mean…?” I pointed to the paper still on the floor where I’d let it drop.
“Yes. The very same.”
“You wanted the recipe or the cookies?” It’s not that I couldn’t connect dots. I mean, I knew them being here had something to do with the recipe, but some of the dots were a little fuzzy or nonexistent altogether.
“Both,” Bowler Hat man replied.
“Her cookies were famous the world over with witches and all manner of paranormal creatures. And her recipe was award winning. It was worth a fortune.”
I sighed. It was just like the pumpkin cheesecake thing all over again. Thankfully, when Broo arrived in Blue Balls Falls, she was able to get her mother’s bakery up and running again and things strangely seemed to balance themselves out for the first time in a long time. Of course, then my sister, Kandy… Well, her magic was hijacked by little demonlings called Wickeds. But, once things on that end were resolved, jealousy and all, balance was once again restored.
However…
“You were here to buy…”
“No, dear. We were here to steal.”
Of course. Criminals. Gertie, whoever she was, trapped three criminals in a recipe. Kind of genius, though. Curse them to exist inside the thing they wanted most.
“Gertie caught us in the act, right here in this kitchen, or one that looked near identical to it. We didn’t know she was on to us. Not until it was too late.”
“She wasn’t supposed to be here, you see.”
“Where was she supposed to be?”
“On a date with me,” Bowler Hat said. His ghostly eyes hardened and his lips thinned. I didn’t know if he was upset with himself or Gertie, but it wasn’t a very pleasant, warm and fuzzy look on his face.
“He was supposed to woo her, then keep her out of the house two nights before Christmas. That’s when her cookies held the most magic. We’d planned to steal it that night.”
“But she came back?”
“She never showed up for our date and I’ve been wondering all these years if she never actually left the house. That was the only way she could have caught you two trying to steal it.”
My eyes traveled from one ghost to the next, trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. I wasn’t entirely sure I needed to know the whole story. What I really needed to know was how to get rid of the ghosts without drawing attention to the situation.
I did have one question. Okay, well, I had a few questions, but… “Were you dead when she cursed you?”
“Heavens no, girl. There would have been no point in that.”
“Yes, to trap us inside the recipe was quite good on Gertie’s part.”
“It was. I thought for sure she’d have us thrown in the magical pokey and leave us to Baba Yaga.”
Oh, man… Baba Yaga. I didn’t want to deal with her at all. But that meant I needed to figure this out on my own and this was well outside my area of expertise.
“So, if you weren’t dead, how are you ghosts now?”
“The curse zapped us of our life force. The longer we resided in the recipe, the less life force and free will we had. Eventually, it left us as nothing more than what you see now.”
“What have you been doing all these years while trapped? Is there another plane of existence?”
“Something like that. There’s this lovely room that smells of sugar and flour and outside it is the very last moment of each of our lives before we were cursed.”
“Wow. Just…wow. I had no idea Blue Balls Falls had such things in its past. I thought it was just a sleepy little magical town for misfits.” Of course, there was matter of Broo’s mother and the evil warlock.
“Blue Balls Falls?”
“Where’s that?”
“That’s here. The town you wanted to stroll through.”
“We’re not from Blue Balls Falls. How did we get here? How did you get Gertie’s things if you’re not related to her?”
“I’m so confused.”
“Where are you guys from, then?”
“Graysville, West Virginia.”
“Never heard of it. We’re in Virginia, hidden from the humans in a valley.”
“Maybe that’s why we can’t leave. It’s not the spell. It’s because we’re not home.”
“We have to get back to Graysville.”
Three sets of ghostly eyes focused on me. “I don’t know what you expect me to do, but no. I have no way to get you back to a town that I’ve never heard of. The only one who would know what to do would probably be Baba Yaga and I don’t talk to her unless it’s an emergency. This doesn’t classify as one.”
“Doesn’t it though?” Shari the Cat asked. “I think it kind of does.”
“The cat has a point.”
“I have a question,” Ms. Unremarkable said.
“Sure.”
“Is it Christmas? It doesn’t feel like Christmas, but your house is decorated like it is.”
“No, it’s not Christmas. It’s Christmas in July.” This was a subject I could talk about.
Along with the outside being decorated, the inside was like a Christmas Shoppe. Every room had a color theme and the scent of cinnamon, and balsam and fir floated throughout the house.
I’d set up an antique Christmas village in the living room near the fireplace, complete with a model train set.
And then, there were the Christmas trees. One in each room and I couldn’t say that I didn’t use a bit of magic to set them up and decorate them, but in my defense, they would be for the enjoyment of anyone who came to visit.
Christmas music sounded from all corners as well, unless there was a Christmas movie on television, which there often was.
“They moved Christmas from December to July?”
“That seems rather odd.”
“No, they didn’t move Christmas. This is just a mid-year celebration for some. Shopping sales and holiday movies on television. I love Christmas, so I try to celebrate. I mean, I didn’t know Christmas in July existed until Broo came to town and mentioned it one day and I thought I should try it out.”
“Sounds kind of nice. Is that why you were baking Gertie’s cookies?”
“Yes. I found the recipe in a trunk in the attic.”
And now I have to go.”
“Go?” Shari the Cat asked, her usually docile, friendly tone, rising. “Go where?”
“Out.”
“Good idea.”
“You’re staying here with… them.”
“I don’t want to stay with them.”
“Well, I’m not going to leave them here a
lone.”
“Good point. Maybe we can call Barry or Larry.”
“Oh no. I’m not leaving them here alone, either. You’re staying to watch over the ghosts and I’m going out to try and find some answers.”
“That’s excellent,” Cane Lady exclaimed.
“Answers to send you back somewhere that isn’t here.”
“That’s rude.”
“Maybe, but this is my house and all I wanted was to bake a batch of Christmas cookies. Not entertain three thieving ghosts.”
“There’s no need for name calling.”
“But if the shoe fits…” I gathered my little black bag and turned to Shari. “Please take care of my house.”
One blink, then two, and I was outside on the front walk. Even in the bright light of day, the glowing lights around the eaves twinkled. I’d added candy cane sticks to the edges of the steps this year, too. The yard decorations… lighted gingerbread men, Christmas trees, and blow up figures made my heart happy.
Christmas in July or Christmas in December, I didn’t care. Christmas was my favorite.
Now… Who did I go to for some answers about my unwanted, corporeal guests?
Chapter Two
“Gertie? Who’s Gertie?”
“That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out,” I said, exasperated.
My sisters stared at me over their drinks outside the diner. Kandy had been guzzling strawberry lemonade for weeks. I’d say she was addicted to it and she’d probably agree with me. I’d never seen her like this. Broo made a pitcher of it at the first sign of warmer weather and Kandy had been hooked. Our other sister, Kyla, was all about plain lemonade. I liked both.
I don’t know why we hadn’t had it in so long.
Broo had brought some much needed life to Blue Balls Falls. Looking back to the time before she’d come, life hadn’t had much color or pizzazz. Things were the same, day in and day out. But with her, along with some unfortunate explosions and frequent visits from Baba Yaga, there was also laughter, new foods and drinks to try, and a revitalization with more and more magicals visiting from other areas again.
There were also the demons. And the Wickeds.
There were the cats and Broo’s mate, Amir, who’d once been a cursed frog.
Blue Balls Falls was a bit of a destination.
Of course, I wish it wasn’t a destination for the ghosts in my house.
“Do you guys have any ideas? Any at all? What about Morgan?”
“What about him?” Kandy asked as she fished a strawberry from the bottom of her glass with a straw.
“Maybe he can help.”
“What about Merrick?” Kyla asked, her tone sugar sweet.
I forced a bland smile. “What about him?”
“Maybe he can help.”
“Why would you think that?” I’d been avoiding the handsome as sin demon for months and didn’t plan to stop any time soon. He was too beautiful, too smooth, too much of everything and I didn’t want that in my life. Plus, under all that pretty, he was a demon. Though, that argument wouldn’t hold much water considering Kandy’s mate was a demon and once she accepted that fact, the two couldn’t seem to keep their hands off each other.
Kind of like she couldn’t keep her hands off the lemonade.
“Why don’t we call Baba Yaga to come deal with the ghosts and be done with it?”
Kandy and I both stared at Kyla.
Kandy spoke first. “We should wash your mouth out with soap for saying that.”
“Why? She’ll show up anyway in the end, so why not let her have her fun at the beginning and then we won’t have to get in trouble later.”
I had to admit Ky did have a point. There were all sorts of ways this whole thing could go sideways if we tried to fix it ourselves, but Baba Yaga? Really?
I shook my head. “I think we can handle three ghosts,” I said with a lot more confidence than I felt.
“I agree,” Kandy offered in solidarity. She’d had to deal with Baba Yaga last time things went a little haywire around town and didn’t want a repeat. “Do you have any idea what we should do first?” she asked.
“I think the first thing to do is figure out why the ghosts think I look just like Gertie.”
“Maybe their eyesight is all wonky,” Ky added, as she used a tiny bit of magic to refill her glass of lemonade.
“Could be, but they seemed pretty certain.”
“What about Bethilda or Leon? They’ve been around the longest. Well, there’s Amir, too, but I’d go with Bethilda, if it were me.”
“Okay. Then you can talk to Leon.”
Kandy’s eyes widened at the suggestion. The two had had… Well, let’s just say Leon was a little scarred from his interactions with Barry the Cat when he’d lured Kandy into the shooting range in an effort to prove he could be wicked.
“You know he doesn’t like me anymore.”
“Oh, please. I’m sure he’s forgotten.”
“I don’t think so. Who could forget that kind of thing?”
“Ky, you’re not helping, you know. I’m sure you think you are, but you’re not.”
“Just pointing out the obvious flaws in your plans.”
“Baba Yaknowshegonebeallupinourbusiness is not the answer.”
Ky shrugged. “She will be.”
I pushed back my chair and stood, leaning over to give Ky a kiss on top of her head. “You’re probably right, but I think I’ll still try to fix it without her. And you go with Kandy. If Leon struggles with her, you’ll be there to smile and charm him.”
I adored my sisters. I don’t know what I’d do without them. We were as close as sisters could be and each the same yet different. Distress was something we could sense. Pain, too. And elation.
The Blue Balls Falls Inn gleamed in the summer sun.
The main stretch of road through the center of town hummed with life. Businesses had their doors open. Magicals from all over milled about and even stayed overnight from time to time. Everything had changed since Broo had been unceremoniously dropped off at the edge of town by Baba Yaga.
Over the last couple of years, Broo had re-introduced us all to the outside world, to the modern conveniences that had somewhat been forgotten when her mother had been killed in the bakery.
The old bakery.
The old bakery Broo accidentally blew up using a spell. Oh, she’d gotten better at it, but it had taken a ton of practice and even more patience by the residents in town.
But when Broo arrived it was like a breath of fresh air or waking up after a long sleep through a very, very long, dark night. We were slowly but surely coming into our own again. We had old time charms, but modern conveniences now, too.
Even cell phones, though I believe Morgan had a hand in that one, too.
And cable.
And the Hallmark Channel. Goddess, I love their sweet, romantic movies.
“Fancy seeing you in town, Kaydence. How are you today?”
The movie of my life didn’t have sweetness and romance. It had a demon named Merrick, who would not give up this whole mate business.
I pasted on a smile and glanced in his direction. “Hi, Merrick. I’m doing well. How are you?”
I could be nice. I could be cordial. Honestly, though, who says things like ‘Fancy seeing you in town’?
“It’s a beautiful day. I couldn’t be better.”
“That’s good.” I kept walking, doing my level best to ignore his presence.
He was everything we’re taught demons are and then some. He and his brothers, Morgan and Max were triplets the same as Kandy, Kyla, and I were, but they had a distinctive something that allowed anyone to tell them apart.
Anyone, right? Not just my sisters and me, but anyone would be able to do it, right?
“Aren’t demons supposed to be all ugly and pock marked?”
“What would be the point of being a demon if we couldn’t change our looks to be more appealing?”
“So, it’s a glam
our?”
“It’s more an exchange. You don’t want the details, love. Trust me.”
He was right. I probably didn’t.
“Why are you going to the inn?”
“I need to talk to Bethilda about something.”
“Anything I can help with?”
“Unless your name is Bethilda, no.”
“Will you be free after?”
“No.” I had no idea what I was going to be doing afterward, but it was better to go on and head Merrick off at the pass.
“Free later on, then?”
“I doubt it.” I picked up speed until I was practically jogging up the steps of the inn. Had I not been looking where I was going, I’d have run headlong into the demon. “How did you… I mean, you were…”
“I’m a demon, love. I can move around as I wish.”
“Must be nice.” Although, what was I saying? I could do that, too.
He had me all flustered.
“It has its advantages.” He crossed his arms over his wide yet comforting looking chest and glared down at me. “Now, why don’t you tell me why you continue avoiding me?”
“I’ve told you. I’m not interested.”
“You can’t do anything about it. We’re mates.”
“Says you.”
“And says you. You just don’t want to acknowledge it. It’s there if you’d only listen.”
“I don’t believe in that kind of thing.”
“No? What about your sister and my brother?”
“I meant, I don’t believe in it for me.” Goddess, I was such a bad liar and he was so handsome it almost hurt to look at him.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Maybe not, but that’s how I feel. If you’ll excuse me…”
He didn’t move. He didn’t budge. He stood there, feet planted, body rigid, gaze unwavering. What was he waiting for? What did he want from me? Okay, scratch that last one. I knew what he wanted from me. At least I knew sort of what he wanted from me, but that was not going to happen. I wasn’t the mating type. I liked my solitude. I liked going home to my house and hanging out there for days on end, not seeing anyone if I didn’t want to. A mate would screw that all up and I wasn’t going to give in. He was just going to have to deal with it.
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