by Tegan Maher
Otherwise, if she said no, they’d have to sneak on and risk getting thrown in jail afterwards for trespassing or whatever it was they called it when people hijacked a Christmas parade float.
“Okay, you’ve convinced me,” she said, her smile widening to show off perfect white teeth. “I’ll be there too, dressed as Mrs. Claus. It’ll be a hoot.”
“Thank you,” Jordie said and turned so they could collect Chrissy.
Neri held him in place by grabbing his arm. “Don’t forget the costumes.”
Jordie sighed and turned back to Myrtle. “Do you have extra elf costumes?”
“We certainly do. I’ll grab them and meet you at the float in twenty minutes. Don’t be late.” She hummed “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” as she bustled away down the corridor.
“It’ll be a shame when she turns back into her normal self,” Neri said.
“What do you mean?” he asked over his shoulder as he pulled Neri along behind him.
“You know how every town has that one person who is a total grump? The one who hates children, Christmas, birds singing in the morning, and love? Myrtle is that person. The Christmas mojo has made her tolerable.”
“Please don’t tell me we’re going to be stuck on a float with the town’s curmudgeon after you un-mojo everyone.”
“Be prepared,” Neri said. “She’s mean.”
And yet she still deserved to be herself.
They collected Chrissy from the gingerbread house contest. When she asked about the handcuffs, Jordie gave her a vague lie that they were old friends from back home and he’d done it as a joke to get a shy Neri on the float.
Chrissy shrugged it off but kept a wary gaze on Jordie on their walk over to the parade set up area. Smart girl not to trust him completely.
She held Neri’s free hand and swung his arm back and forth. “I wanted to wait until after Christmas, but I can’t hold it in any longer. I’ve decided to give up my scholarship to Auburn in the fall and stay here to help Dad with the Christmas tree farm.”
Neri pulled Jordie to a stop. “What do you mean you’re giving up your scholarship?”
“I won’t need it. And that way we can get married sooner.”
“Married?” Neri tugged on Jordie’s arm as if he wanted to run. “No one said anything about getting married. I’m only eighteen and you haven’t even finished high school yet. We’re not getting married.”
Chrissy backed up and crossed her arms. “I thought you loved me. Why wouldn’t you want to marry me?”
Neri glanced at Jordie, stark fear shining in the younger man’s eyes. “Can we talk about this later?”
“I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” she snapped, turning around and stomping away in the opposite direction.
“Should I go after her?” Neri asked.
“I bet you wish you’d picked a girl you could mojo just a little bit right now, don’t you?” Jordie shook his head and tugged Neri forward. “You almost wrecked an entire town for someone you might not even be dating after Christmas.”
Neri hung his head. “I mean, I’m madly in love with her, but marriage?”
“Come on, Romeo. Let’s get you on that float. Then you can see if Chrissy still wants to stay in town when sausage is her future again instead of Christmas trees.”
Two hours and one awkward parade float ride later, Jordie shoved the last bite of his world’s greatest sausage biscuit into his mouth as he fired off a final text to Tippie. She’d been less than pleased that Jordie wouldn’t be bringing Neri back with him, but he’d negotiated terms the three of them could live with. Jordie lost the bonus money portion of the agreement, but money didn’t matter when it came to a couple of kids in love. He honestly believed Neri learned his lesson.
“What did she say?” Neri asked, sliding onto the booth seat beside him.
“I smoothed things over for you with your aunt, but understand she has a seer friend who is keeping a mystical eye on you. Tippie expects you to check in weekly with your mom, and she’ll keep this little Christmas siren debacle to herself.”
“Thanks, man.” Neri held up his hand and they did a half shake bro-hug.
“Group hug?” Bob shouted from the other side of the diner.
“No!” Jordie kept his tone sharp and firm. He leaned in close to Neri. “You need to fix that guy.”
Neri scratched under his chin. “Chrissy’s dad is just a hugger by nature.”
Jordie shuddered. “Then I might have to consider letting you change his mind about how long it’s appropriate to hug a stranger.”
Neri chuckled. “Are you out of here?”
“All that’s left is for me to pay my check and grab one of those hoodies.” Jordie pointed to a black hoodie hanging behind the cashier. The blocky script boasted “World’s Best Sausage Biscuit” with the picture of a sausage biscuit with arms, legs, and a super creepy smile. “A Christmas present for someone special. It’s weird, like her. She’ll love it. I’m going to take my own advice in giving a gift from the heart.”
Neri dipped his head. “It seems like you have this love thing figured out better than me.”
Neri had yet to make up with Chrissy, but he wasn’t ready to give up on their young love yet. Jordie admired the younger man’s tenacity. Maybe it would work out for them. Maybe not.
“I definitely don’t have the love thing figured out any better than you, but we’ll both get there.” Jordie forked over the cash for his biscuit and the gift, and waved goodbye to Neri who already had his gaze fixed on Chrissy.
Maybe there was nothing wrong with being a little lovesick. As long as it didn’t interfere with other people’s lives. Would a hidden life lesson come from every assignment? And did Tippie know what she was doing when she sent him on this assignment?
Nah.
Jordie plugged Burberry and the Walker witches’ address into his GPS to get an estimate on arrival time. He smiled and tuned the radio station until he found Bing Crosby crooning “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas.”
Perfect music for what would be a perfect holiday spent with the people he loved.
Want to read more?
Is this your first Lost Souls ParaAgency adventure? Be sure to check out the paranormal romantic mystery series starting with the first book Lost Souls ParaAgency and the Three Witches of Burberry. Also look for the spin-off series about a bad witch searching for redemption in Bad Witch Takes a Case.
About K.M. Waller
K.M. Waller lives in Florida with her husband, two kids, two kittens, and a popcorn-loving hermit crab. When she’s not reading, writing, or chasing her kids around the house, she loves to binge television dramas and mysteries.
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Angels, Eggnog, and Murder
A Keyhole Lake/Southern Soul Hunter Christmas Crossover
Tegan Maher
Angels, Eggnog, and Murder
A Keyhole Lake/Southern Souls Christmas Crossover
By Tegan Maher
I usually spend Christmas in a palace in Celestial City, but now that I’ve been demoted, that’s not going to happen this year. Instead, I took my friend Shelby up on her invitation to spend the holidays with her and her family in a little town called Keyhole Lake. I expected a holiday season in a rural America to be laid back and relaxing, but when a man turns up murdered, I knew my Christmas was going to be anything but boring.
1
“Stop worrying, Kira,” my friend Shelby said as she slowed her car.
I still wasn’t comfortable riding in one, but so far, she’d proven herself capable. I’m immortal, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt if we careened over one of the massive drop-offs we’d passed along the road to her house.
“I’m not worrying,” I sa
id, biting my lip as she turned next to a mailbox that had Flynn Farm printed on it in large white letters. Silver tinsel wound around the post, and a cheery red bow adorned the door. “Okay, I’m worrying a little. Are you sure it’s fine with your sister if I crash your family Christmas stuff?”
She laughed, her green eyes alight as she glanced over at me. “It’s more than fine. Trust me. I should be the one worried. I love my fam, but they’re … a lot.”
That didn’t make me feel much better, but before I could ask her what she meant by that, I caught sight of five horses grazing in a pasture, snow blanketing their backs. One of them lifted its head as we rounded the corner, ears perked toward us as Shelby rolled the window down.
“Hey, baby!” she crooned as the horse trotted over to the fence, twisting his head and bucking a little. She put the car in park and motioned toward me as she pushed her door open. “C’mon. I want you to meet somebody.”
I climbed out and walked around the front of the car as she stepped off the side of the driveway and up to the fence. The little sorrel horse popped his head over and nuzzled Shelby on the cheek.
“I missed you, too, handsome,” she said, scratching both sides of the horse’s face and giving him a kiss on his muzzle. “Kira, I’d like you to meet Major.”
“Nice to meet you, Major,” I told him, reaching toward him. He stuck his nose out, and his whiskers tickled my hand as he snuffled me. Once he gave me the okay, I slid my hand up his jaw and gave him a scratch. I was much more comfortable in this setting. I lived on a farm myself, and though we didn’t have any horses, we had a couple cows and a fainting goat named Tater. Animals, I understood. People, not so much.
“Oh,” I said, thinking of something. “Can he have a treat?”
Major’s ears flicked forward at the word and we both laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.” I snapped my fingers and a sugar cube appeared.
“Now he’ll be your best friend the whole time you’re here,” she said, laughing as he lipped it off my hand and crunched it.
“I’m good with that,” I replied. “At least I know there will be one for-sure friendly face.” That hadn’t come out exactly as I’d planned, and I glanced at her to make sure she hadn’t taken it the wrong way.
She waved me off and turned back toward the car. “You don’t have to explain; I know what you meant. Hop back in, and let’s get this initial meet-and-greet over with. Then you’ll realize how much you’ve worked yourself into a tizzy for nothing. Besides, it’s not like you won’t know anybody. Cody and Emma will be here later.”
That was Shelby’s boyfriend and bestie. They’d had to stay behind at the university due to last-minute exams, but they’d be there the next day. I climbed back into the car, putting my hands near the vent to warm them up. I wasn’t used to cold weather and wasn’t sure yet how I felt about the snow that draped every surface and floated down in big, fluffy flakes that immediately melted and soaked my clothes. It was gorgeous to look at, but I didn’t think it was something I’d want to live in for months at a time.
While Shelby concentrated on navigating the driveway, I took the chance to enjoy the view. Large oaks formed an arch over the drive, a few dead leaves struggling here and there to hang onto the snow-draped branches. We rounded a curve and a cute farmhouse and two barns came into view. A little twinge of homesickness twisted in my heart.
Colorful icicle lights circled the wraparound porch, and poinsettias sat on each end of the four steps leading to it, the pots wrapped in alternating green and gold foil. Candles flickered in each window, and I wondered how they kept them from catching the lacey curtains on fire. Some sort of magic, no doubt. After all, witches lived there.
The tires crunched on the snow as we pulled up in front of the porch, and before we’d even stopped, a woman rushed out the front door, pushing the screen door open with such haste that the wreath hanging on it nearly fell off.
“You came!” she squealed, scooping Shelby into a hug as soon as my friend stepped out of the car.
Grinning, Shelby hugged her back. “I told you I was coming home. Why are you so surprised?”
The woman was obviously Shelby’s sister because with her red hair, freckles, and sparkling green eyes, there was no missing the family resemblance.
“Yeah, but I also know you can’t control when bad things are going to happen and you’re going to have to rush out to stop them. Maybe even demons and wicked witches are taking time off for the holidays.”
“Speaking of taking time off for the holidays,” Shelby said, turning to me, “Noelle, this is my friend Kira. Kira, this is my sister Noelle.”
I was a little afraid she was going to try to hug me, too, so I was glad when she just stuck out her hand. I wasn’t exactly a touchy-feely person. Taking it, I smiled. “Nice to finally meet you, Noelle.”
“You too, Kira. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m glad you decided to come spend the holidays with us.” She opened the back door and grabbed one of our bags. “Now come on inside. It’s freezing out here.”
I pulled my duffle from the back seat. “Yeah, Shelby said it’s not usually this cold here, so I’m a little surprised. I hope I brought enough warm clothes.”
“If you didn’t, it’s no big deal. We have enough hoodies and coats to keep an army warm. She was right, though. This isn’t usual, but I’ll take a white Christmas.” She winked at me. “It makes the hayride much more fun when you can actually dash through the snow, even though we have a two-horse buckboard rather than a one-horse open sleigh.”
I smiled at her reference to the Christmas song, glad that at least that much of the holiday would be the same. Since I’d never celebrated the holiday anywhere other than the Celestial City, I hadn’t been sure what to expect.
When I stepped into the house, warmth and the mouth-watering smell of baking sugar cookies washed over me. A huge bare pine tree stood in the corner of the front room, and a fire crackled in a fireplace.
“Oh, cool!” Shelby exclaimed. “You waited to decorate the tree. When I saw the decorations up outside, I was afraid you’d done it without me.”
“Never!” Noelle said, a warm smile curving her lips. “Decorating the tree together is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. I’d never do it without you if I didn’t have to.”
For just a second, I thought I saw the glisten of tears in Shelby’s eyes, but she dropped her bag on the plaid couch and turned toward the kitchen visible through an adjacent doorway. I trailed behind her, my stomach growling. I sure hoped some of those cookies were already out of the oven.
The kitchen was typical of older farmhouses and reminded me of the one in the house where I was raised. This one had been upgraded with sleek stainless-steel appliances and a huge double-oven gas stove. Gleaming brown marble countertops gave the kitchen a modern look, but the long plank farm-style table and lacey white curtains worked to keep the homey feel.
“Did you cook anything?” Shelby asked, pulling a jug of tea from the fridge. “I’m starving.”
“Nope,” Noelle said as she pulled a tray of cookies from the oven. “I’ve been baking cookies and making candy all day, but I just called an order in to Duck’s.”
“Duck’s?” I asked as I took a seat at the table. All I could picture in my mind was some guy carrying a squawking water bird in each hand.
Shelby grinned as she poured the tea. “Duck’s is our local pizza place. Duck is the owner. Once you have a slice, it’ll be the pizza you compare all others to.”
“Phew,” I said, grinning back. “Much better than the visual I was getting.”
Noelle scooped the last cookie off the sheet then took a seat at the table. Shelby handed us each a glass of tea and sat down beside me.
“Oh, man,” she said, taking a long drink. “The taste of home.”
Another thing we had in common, apparently. Maybe it was like my partner Callum kept saying: humans, or witches who lived as humans, weren’t much different than I was. And Shelby was
right. The tea was great.
“You mentioned a hayride,” I said. “Is that something you really do? If so—
Before I could finish the sentence, an older lady with a bun who bore a striking resemblance to Shelby and Noelle appeared. Except … she appeared out of thin air and was translucent. I shoved backwards from the table in surprise and reached instinctively for the dagger that was always on my hip, knocking my tea glass over in the process.
Noelle had the reflexes of a cat, apparently, because she shoved out her hands from across the table and magicked the glass back upright before it did much more than slosh a little.
“Addie!” Noelle snapped, “I told you they’d be here this afternoon. Behave yourself!”
Shelby’d told me about the town’s oddly robust ghost population, but I hadn’t been prepared for one to pop in while we were shootin’ the breeze around her kitchen table. I should have been, I suppose, seeing as how it had been her Aunt Addie’s house first.
“It’s okay,” I said, smiling at the older woman hovering over the kitchen table. “You must be Addie. I’m Kira. Nice to meet you, ma’am.” I was trying not to stare, but I’d never spent time with a real-life non-living being who wasn’t trying to kill me.
She didn’t look much different than I imagined she had in life except her whole body had a slight shimmer, and her skin appeared a little silvery. Her grey-streaked red hair even had some flyaways as if she’d worked outside and gotten it mussed. Her cheeks were flushed with pleasure and she was looking at Shelby like a proud mama. That reminded me of my aunts, which made me a little homesick again.