A Southern Charms Cozy Potluck Box Set

by Bella Falls

  I gasped. “You can't give up yet.”

  “That's what Horatio says to me every day.” She composed herself. “I’ll stay in the race for as long as I can. I know it's important that everyone has a choice, although I think my chances may be tied to my sweetie more than he thinks.”

  “If there's anything I can do to help,” I offered, standing up from the sofa.

  “I know it's customary to start a job on a handshake, but…” The fairy fluttered over and kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you for your friendship.”

  I smiled at her. “Thank you for staying strong.” I lifted my arm and bent it like she had the night of the speeches.

  She scoffed. “I’m not really.”

  “I know a troll who would disagree.”

  With the worries about the state of my house gone, I rode my bike into town to have lunch at the cafe. Life's interruption the night before resulted in my agreement to check out the new drool-worthy man in town who supposedly came in every day and sat at the counter. I almost refused to go due to Blythe’s timely interruption, but I owed her more loyalty than spite.

  Before I walked into the Harvest Moon, I spotted Dash leaning on the side of the building. “You're late,” he accused.

  I stopped beside him. “How did you know I was coming here?”

  He tapped his ear. “I’m a shifter. I keep telling you this, but you don't listen. I could hear the entire conversation.”

  “Because you were eavesdropping?”

  “No, because of how close in proximity I was to you.” He cocked an eyebrow at me, and my cheeks heated.

  “Blythe isn't going to be happy that you’re crashing our covert mission,” I said.

  “I know. That's why I have a built-in cover. Hey, man,” Dash called out.

  Lee approached and put his arm around both of us. “All good with the two of you?” he asked.

  “Never better,” replied Dash. He flashed me a teasing grin over Lee's head.

  I placed a hand on my hip. “And how is bringing in another person going to serve as a cover?”

  Dash mimicked my stance. “Relax. The two of us will take a table and let you sit at the counter. I'm just interested in checking out the competition for the current hot guy in town.”

  “Yeah, me too,” joked Lee. He opened the door and walked inside.

  Blythe’s face brightened as she checked to see who came in. When she spotted the three of us, she furrowed her brow. Lee and Dash did as they promised and occupied a nearby table. I sat my behind down on a stool at the counter.

  “What are they doing here?” she hissed.

  “Note to self,” I said. “Shifters have better senses of smell, hearing, and sight.”

  Blythe gazed at me in confusion. “What does that mean?”

  “It means I won't be talking on my spell phone anywhere near him next time.” The sound of a chuckle earned the wolf shifter a dirty look from me.

  The bells on the door jingled, and Blythe’s head whipped up again. The color in her cheeks deepened, and the eager smile that spread on her lips surprised me. “Hey, you,” she practically purred. “I’d like to introduce you to one of my closest friends, Charli.”

  I swiveled the stool to get my first look at the specimen and gasped. “It's you.”

  Damien widened his eyes and took the seat next to me. “It seems we were destined to meet, you and I. Pardon me for my confusion, but I believe your name to be Charlotte, is it not?” he asked in his posh British accent.

  Blythe jumped to answer for me. “Her name is actually Charlotte, but her friends call her Charli,” she clarified.

  “And which am I?” Damien asked with interest.

  “I’m not sure yet.” The same nagging recognition knocked at the back of my mind, but I still couldn't pinpoint why.

  Perhaps his devilishly handsome looks made me nervous. I couldn't tell his true age from his facial features. Not one wrinkle marred his perfect skin. The symmetry of his face was pleasing, and he had a dimple in the middle of his chin that begged to be touched.

  His plump lips broke into a smile, showing off his pointed fangs. “Then let me err on the side of hope and say that I am pleased to meet you, Charli.” He took my hand in his and brought it to his mouth, planting a light kiss on my skin.

  Simultaneously, my friend frowned behind the counter, and an audible growl rumbled from the nearby table. If only the animal in the man could sense my absolute lack of interest in the perfect specimen in front of me, he might not need to make his displeasure known with such volume. I pulled my hand away and folded it in my lap.

  “Blythe, there are other customers in here,” warned Mr. Steve from the pass-through window.

  She gritted her teeth. “I’m on it,” she called out. “I’ll be right back,” she promised Damien in a singsong tone too cheery to belong to her.

  “Talk me up,” she mouthed at me, taking out her pad to take orders.

  The newcomer turned in his stool, so his entire body faced me. “I confess, I have been wanting to talk to you. Raif is absolutely useless when it comes to providing good intelligence on the citizenry of this quaint town.”

  Something about the way he described Honeysuckle rubbed me the wrong way. “I spent an entire year away from home, and I chose to return, especially for the town's charms.”

  He frowned. “Oh, dear, I fear I may have, how might you put it, stepped my foot into it. I, of course, am enjoying my time in Honeysuckle Hollow. I have traveled all over the world, and getting to know more about the small communities is what gives me the most pleasure. Especially when I find such interesting inhabitants in residence.”

  “Like Blythe?” I pushed.

  “She has one of the most important jobs in town,” he insisted.

  “Really?”

  “Yes. By serving each person who comes into the only food establishment, she exposes herself to everyone, and in turn is a wealth of knowledge. You could say that she is one of the most integral parts of your community.” He accepted the glass of iced tea from Blythe with a nod and thanks, causing her to giggle as she offered refills to the other customers.

  That nagging feeling in the back of my head wouldn't leave me alone, but I liked how he saw my friend as more than a waitress. She deserved someone who saw the best parts of her as I did.

  “That's a nice way of describing her.” Although he could technically say the same thing about Sassy, I was glad that it wasn't the annoying fairy’s shift right now.

  Damien redirected our conversation. “I hope you have received an apology from my friend for his appalling behavior the other night with the temporary loss of his pet. I've never seen him act quite like that.”

  “I’m used to people questioning my talents. Especially when I’m the only one with them in town.” I shrugged, stirring the ice in my tea with a straw.

  “They are rare and wonderful. As I said, I have traveled the world, and if you possess the magic I think you do, then you could be making more than just a living elsewhere.” He leaned in closer and lowered his voice with a cold glint in his eyes. “I know people who would pay good money.”

  Blythe rejoined us. “My ears are burning. You wouldn't happen to be telling him any stories about me would you, Charli?”

  Damien straightened in his seat and turned to face my friend, his tone changing in a split second. “Only good things.” He reached his hand out and covered hers resting on the counter.

  It unnerved me to watch my friend’s normally cool and guarded demeanor melt like ice on a hot summer’s day. Her tittering giggles did me in. “I’m going to go join Dash and Lee, and give you two some space.”

  “But you haven't had lunch yet.” Blythe pleaded with me with wide eyes to stay.

  “Fine.” I placed my elbows on the counter and held my head in my hands, enduring every flirtatious banter.

  My friend never did take my order for food, and my stomach growled its displeasure. A plate of fries appeared in front of me.
/>   Dash sat down on the accompanying empty stool and grabbed one, swiping it through the ketchup and cramming it in his mouth. “Here. I know you're hungry.”

  The way he sat so close to me made Damien take notice. He extended a hand. “I don't believe we've met. Damien Mallory.”

  “I heard. Dash Channing.” He gripped hands with the vampire, holding onto him far too long with a challenging gaze.

  “Down, boy,” I admonished the shifter, who took an extra second to let go of the vampire.

  Damien kept up a pleasant front but paid more attention to Blythe until he had to leave. He repeated reassurances that they would spend more time together soon.

  Turning to Dash and me, he asked, “Would the two of you like to join my lady friend and I sometime in the near future?”

  “The two of who?” I uttered, not wanting to really spend any time with the guy who creeped me out.

  “You and your boyfriend,” Damien clarified, indicating Dash.

  I choked on a sip of tea. “I don't have a boyfriend.”

  Dash patted me on the back. “Hey, I’m a boy and a friend.”

  “Shut up,” I hissed at him.

  Blythe interrupted us. “Charli, you wouldn't mind going with us on a picnic, would you?”

  “We'd love to,” accepted Dash before I could decline.

  I swiveled around to stare at the shifter. “What are you doing?”

  “Making plans with your friend. Being social and taking an interest in the people of my town.” He ate another fry, holding it in his teeth to show off his smug smile.

  Relief swept through me when Damien stood up to leave.

  The vampire took my hand in his and kissed it again.“It was nice getting to know a little more about you, Charli. I look forward to our double date.” He gestured at the door. “Blythe, my dear, would you mind speaking with me outside?”

  My friend weaved her way around the counter, ignoring all of the other hungry customers. I watched her through the glass door as she giggled and touched him. He kissed the back of her hand as well, but instead of yanking it away like I had, she pressed the skin to her lips. She floated back inside in a daze.

  When she returned to the counter, I snapped my fingers in front of her face. “Who are you and what have you done with my friend?”

  She tittered and clapped her hands. “I know, right? He’s s-o-o-o cute. Whenever he's around, I can't seem to concentrate on anything else,” she gushed.

  “Frosted fairy wings, B, what happened to the girl who said she would never be turned into a fool?” Hungry and annoyed, my last nerve threatened to walk out the door.

  Blythe cupped my chin and looked at me with pity. “Maybe it took finding the right person to change my mind. If you had the courage to make a choice, you might find happiness, too.” She let me go and went to pick up some lucky customer’s order.

  Out of spite, I pulled the plate of fries in front of me and ate the rest of them without letting the shifter have another one. Blythe returned with a full plate of food for me, but I still wasn’t sure I could forgive her.

  “When can we schedule our double date?” she asked.

  “It's not a date,” I complained.

  “I’m counting it as one.” Dash swiped a fresh fry from my plate.

  I pointed a finger in his face. “You're already in enough trouble as it is, mister.”

  He ignored me and spoke to my friend. “I can take care of the main dish if one of you can do sides and the other brings dessert.”

  “I’ll get Steve to let me bring the sides from here,” volunteered Blythe.

  “That leaves the dessert to you, Charli. I'll see you later.” The shifter waved at both of us. “Can’t wait for our date,” he called out as he left.

  “It's not a date,” I yelled, causing the rest of the patrons in the cafe to stop talking and eating to stare at me.

  “Yes, it is,” Dash announced through the glass door with a wave and a wink.

  I groaned loud and long. “You people are infuriating.”

  Blythe patted my head. “But you love us just the same.” She walked away, humming out of key.

  I didn’t know who the us included, but at the moment, it did not consist of a certain stubborn furry-behinded shifter.

  Chapter Eleven

  Lee talked my ears off for the next half hour at the cafe, barely giving me a chance to finish my long-awaited lunch. He asked me every question under the sun about my experience with cell phones while I was away from Honeysuckle.

  “Now, explain to me how they used to message each other with this,” he said, holding up his flip phone.

  “See the letters underneath the numbers?” I pointed. “If you hit those buttons enough times, the letters will show up on the screen, and you can spell out words. Using that method, you could create a message to send without calling.”

  “Fascinating, but what a waste of time. I think I can do something with that. What else?” he pushed.

  Not having had a phone myself, my knowledge was limited. But I remembered one handy function when the tracker I was working with found a young boy hurt but still alive. “There’s an emergency function on the phones that would put the person in touch with services that could come help.” I winced at my poor explanation. “A quick way to dial directly in.”

  “An emergency button. Cool,” he exclaimed. “I’ll have to play with that. I wonder if I could hook the system up to the warden station? Or maybe find a way to turn the phone into a beacon of some sort.”

  “Like a homing signal?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Something that would make it easy to locate whoever was in distress. Maybe that could save lives.”

  “It's a worthy project at least,” I agreed. I didn't complain when Lee took off like a rocket to start tinkering and working through the many plans already formulated in his brain.

  After finishing lunch and giving Blythe more grief about the upcoming picnic thing, I left the Harvest Moon and emerged into the afternoon sun, full and satisfied.

  Ben stopped me on my way to my bike. “Charli, I'm glad I caught you. Would you mind stopping by the office for a moment?”

  I followed my friend to the advocates’ office, greeting Jed Farnsworth at his desk. Ben brought me to a lady sitting in a chair in front of the second desk.

  “Hey, Ms. Alma. How are you doing?” I gave her a warm hug.

  “I could be better, if I'm being honest.” She patted my arm. “Did young Bennett fill you in on my dilemma?”

  Ben took a seat behind his desk. “I did not, Ms. Lewis.”

  The older lady’s face crumpled. “I’m afraid that I am missing some items of great worth from my possession. There's one item in particular that leaves me in great distress. I was wondering if I could hire you to help me find it.” She opened the purse on her lap and dug through it, pulling out her wallet.

  “You don't have to pay me, Ms. Alma. I'd be happy to help,” I replied in confusion.

  “Oh, but I overheard you talking with that good looking gentleman at the cafe that you could make money. I don’t want you to think I don't value your talents. I can at least pay you a fee if you can locate the item,” she offered.

  I didn't want to argue in Ben and Jed's place of business. “When would you like me to try?”

  Ben stood from his seat and circled around his desk. “I thought that maybe I would accompany you back to Ms. Lewis's house. As the missing items are a part of her will, I would like to be present, if you don't mind.”

  “Of course not,” I assured my friend. Jed wished us luck, and the three of us headed out together.

  When we got to her house, Ms. Alma relaxed a bit. “I didn't want to give any details while out and about. The one piece I am mainly concerned with is an emerald ring that my dear late husband gave me on the night of our honeymoon. It's a family heirloom on his side, and there has been more than a little drama about me having it. I intended to bequeath it to one of his sisters’ children, but when
I looked for it, I couldn't find it.”

  An easy task, I looked forward to giving her some peace of mind. I walked her through the steps to focus her. Taking her hand in mine, I closed my eyes. An image of the sparkling green stone formed in my head. “I see it resting at the bottom of a jewelry box,” I said.

  “That's where I always keep it,” admitted Ms. Alma.

  I waited for the image to change places, but it disappeared entirely like smoke on the wind. I blinked my eyes open. “Strange.”

  “What is?” Ben asked.

  Unnerved, I attempted to shake it off. “Nothing. I'd like to try something else. Let's start from where you keep the jewelry box.”

  Ms. Alma escorted us up the stairs to a closet in her room. She took down a box, opened it, and took out another smaller box from inside like a Russian nesting doll. When we got to the wooden jewelry box, she took it out and handed it to me.

  I opened it with great care and took stock of her other pieces. Simpler gems and metals rested in their place in the red velvet interior. A string of luminescent pearls lay in the back. She lifted up the first tray and pointed at an empty slot. “This is where I kept the ring all these years.”

  “And when was the last time you saw it?” I asked.

  “Why, last week at least. I wore it with my best dress to the dance at the retirement center. Maybe someone who saw it on me wanted it,” she suggested.

  “You think it's been stolen, not lost?” clarified Ben.

  She brushed her fingers over her other jewelry. “I can't think of another explanation. I took it off that night and placed it right back in here.” She pointed at the box.

  I squeezed her hand in reassurance. “Let's try another method. Ben, will you act as my guide and make sure I don't run into anything?”

  With my friend’s assurance, I picked up the jewelry box and gripped it tight. Closing my eyes, I summoned my magic into my core. “Clear the fog so I can see, help me find this jewelry. The precious green so sparkling bright, from hidden dark bring to the light.”