He chuckled. “Like I’d come from the Flour Pot without a few of those.”
The call disconnected, and I glanced out the front shop window. There weren’t any customers waiting to get inside, so I decided to leave the sign on closed until we got things squared away.
I parted the curtain into the back and made my way over to the desk. Kimberly was changing the baby at the dressing table. She glanced over.
“It looks bad, doesn’t it?”
“Well, it certainly doesn’t look good,” I said, running my hand over the surface of the drawer. My fingers didn’t make it too far, though, before I thought of myself and stopped. I doubted if the sheriff would go to the trouble of taking fingerprints, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
“Now that Pearl is wide awake, I’m going to put her in the sling and wear her for a while. I can open the shop if you want... or would you rather wait until the sheriff has come and gone?”
“Why don’t we keep closed up for a bit yet. I’d like you to do a quick inventory of the front stock. I’ll take care of the stuff back here. It doesn’t look like anything but the desk was touched, but that just isn’t making any sense.”
She nodded, grabbed the inventory book from the file cabinet, and started off.
I didn’t really need an inventory book for the back room. One side of the room was now taken by my new to me desk and the baby’s crib and dressing table. The other side still held the spell lab where Ruby and I made our potions and brews. The walls of that side were covered with shelves filled with all the magical ingredients we might ever have need of. Some of those were quite pricey and hard to come by.
I have to admit; I was more than a little relieved when I found nothing missing from the stock. Curiouser and curiouser.
When Orville knocked on the back door, I was still standing there, staring at the desk. What secrets could an empty desk possibly hold?
“Come on in,” I called. Normally that door was locked at all times. Like I said, some of the items back here were far rarer than those up front. Plus, the baby spent a lot of time back here. We certainly weren’t going to take any chances of losing her.
To say she was a pretty little thing just didn’t do her justice. Baby Pearl was beautiful beyond compare. And I really didn’t think that was just my personal bias, either. Sometimes magic manifested in ways other than... well, magic.
The sweet smell of coffee, Chai tea, and raspberry-filled donuts filled the room as the door opened. Hmm. Smart of him to make me associate those smells with him. Hitting a whole other sense on that one.
Having the heart involved in a relationship was good, yes. But when you got all the other senses involved? It was even better. Love involved so much more than just a heart. And I loved everything about this man.
Too bad he was the sheriff, and I was a devout spinster. Destined to be the coven’s crone by the look of it. Oh, who was I kidding, I was the coven’s crone already. Not that I minded that title, as it denoted the wisest of the group. But it wasn’t a title I had expected to be wearing well before I hit the fifty years on earth mark.
Orville nodded to me, then walked through the curtain to take Kimberly her tea and donut. When he came back, he took a quick look at the desk and whistled.
“You weren’t kidding, were you? What were they trying to do, take the whole drawer?”
“Looks that way, doesn’t it?”
He nodded. “By the way, Kimberly said to tell you that nothing on the expensive side of things at least was taken from out front.” He glanced around him. “How about back here?”
“Nope. Not a darn thing. Whoever it was, they seemed to have a single focus on that drawer.”
He walked over to it and tried to open it. No luck. “Don’t suppose you have the key?”
I grinned at him. “Well, at least that was one thing I did right. I put the desk key on my keyring when I decided to use it for the business books.” I slid the right key to the front of my keyring and handed it to him. “Don’t suppose you’ll be taking fingerprints, then?”
An eyebrow arched. “Do you think it would do any good?”
Considering that, I shook my head. “No, not really. That only works if you have the person in the database already, right?” He nodded. “And that only becomes a factor if they were stupid enough not to wear gloves. Which I will bet isn’t the case.”
If they were smart enough to figure out how to break into my shop without leaving a sign of it by an apparent forced lock or broken glass, then I was betting they were a pro at this kind of thing.
Orville turned the key in the lock and when we heard the slight click, he pulled the drawer gently. It slid out perfectly.
“Well, at least they didn’t damage its functionality,” I said. That much at least was in my favor. Though I was figuring it wouldn’t be cheap getting that woodwork repaired. I might just have to live with a damaged drawer. Kind of ticked me off, honestly. That was my favorite piece from the entire estate.
He looked over his shoulder at me. “Will it hurt anything if I take out the whole drawer?”
“Go for it.”
The drawer slid out, and Orville immediately turned it upside down and then started knocking on it.
“Huh. You think maybe a hidden compartment?”
He shrugged. “You never know, do you? These old desks sometimes hold things like that.”
I looked at the desk with a whole new respect. I hadn’t heard of the maker of this one, but it looked like I had a bit of research to do. Usually, a creative desk maker will use the same kind of style for more than one desk. Unless, of course, it was a custom one-off job. With Fontaine’s money, that could well be the case.
I nodded to the drawer. “Anything?”
He frowned at it. “Not a darn thing, actually. Just an ordinary, very empty drawer.” His eyes met mine. “Was there anything in it when you bought it?”
“Nope. It was clean as a whistle.”
Orville pulled out the desk chair and sat down heavily, staring at the desk. “Well, this is a puzzler. Why on earth would anyone go to the risk of breaking into a shop to steal a single desk drawer that is totally empty?”
“You thinking something like a college prank? A fraternity test of some kind?”
Wind’s Crossing was definitely not a university town, but the next town over to the North was. Our small town was often the butt of their juvenile prank wars.
He rubbed his chin. “Maybe, but it just doesn’t feel right. Unless it’s one of your... more Goddess-loving clients, they wouldn’t even know the desk was back here. And you haven’t had it all that long, have you?”
“Three days total. But Kimberly just moved it into the back for me yesterday. They could have seen it out front before that. Wouldn’t take too much effort to look behind the curtain.”
“Well, right now then, that will have to be my working theory. It’s the only thing that makes any kind of sense at all. Not that those fraternity tests have any kind of sense to them.”
I took in a deep breath and blew it out. “So nothing to be done about it then. I’ll have to get a quote on getting it fixed. See if it’s worth it.” Then I looked him in the eye. “You don’t think they’ll be back, do you?”
More chin scrubbing. “I wouldn’t think so, not if that theory holds out, anyway. It wouldn’t make much sense to hit the same place twice. Word will get out that I’ve been here. Should put the fear of God into them if they have half a brain.”
Walking over to the back door, I looked down at the lock, then opened the door and looked at the other side. Nothing. Not a single dadgum sign that someone had broken in.
“I think there might be a problem with the fraternity theory, Orville,” I said after closing the door again. “I mean, it makes sense that they would break in from the back, right? The front of the shop is right on the street and pretty well lit all night long. But there isn’t a mark on this door.”
He chuckled, then glanced at the clo
sed curtain before pulling me into a fierce hug. His hard lips met mine in a quick kiss, then he leaned his forehead onto the top of my head.
“I do so love it when you say something silly, Opal. Makes you seem more like one of us fallible humans.”
I stood a little straighter. “Doesn’t seem so silly to me, sheriff.”
“Uh-oh. I’ve gone from Orville to sheriff.” He grinned at me as he took a step back. “Better watch my step from here out or I’ll be having cornbread-less soup beans tonight.”
He walked over to the door, opened it, then locked it. “You can time me if you want.” Then he stepped out the door and closed it behind him.
I heard the lock click into place. Ten seconds later, he was opening the door again with that crap-eating grin still in place. “Sorry it took so long, I had to dig out my credit card.”
He held up the offending piece of plastic as proof. I was so not going to live this down. He’d been after me to update the locks on the shop for years.
“Now will you please consider getting deadbolts on both doors?”
I sighed, then nodded. When he was right, he was right. No sense in denying it anymore. Or relying on my reputation as a witch not to be messed with. Obviously, that status was slipping. Something I’d definitely have to work on.
“You buy the locks, and throw in lunch, and I’ll come by around noon and install them for you.”
He looked at the lonely little window I had in the back room, and I shook my head. “One thing at a time, Orville. Besides, I have a spell I can use for the window. Should work just fine.”
That made him pause. “I’d be interested in hearing about that, but right now, I’d best get back to the office. Don’t want the town saying I give you witches preferential treatment or anything.”
He didn’t even glance at the curtain this time before leaning down to kiss me goodbye.
My lover sheriff was growing careless.
Chapter 2
By the time all of us left the shop that night, the deadbolts were installed on both the front and back doors. I had looked up the spell for the windows, but when the shop turned off busy, I hadn’t had time to gather the ingredients and cast it yet. There might only be one smaller window in the back, but there were a lot of them in the front. We needed them there for the lighting.
That could be a time-consuming task. Yes, I could have just concentrated on that one single backroom window, but I wasn’t known for doing anything halfway. Better to wait until I could do a proper job of it.
Kimberly knew my standing dinner date with the sheriff was a thing, even if she—along with the rest of the town—just thought it was a dinner of friends rather than lovers. I walked into the farmhouse with her and the kids and watched as she got baby Pearl situated in her swing. It was always fun to watch, as the process usually involved more than a few giggles. Baby giggles were the best.
“You know if you and the kids need anything, I can be here in five minutes flat.”
Kimberly smiled at me. “I know, Opal. You tell me that every week, and every week I don’t call.”
“Well, I just want you to remember it, and know that it still holds true. You are all family now.” She followed me into the kitchen and stood back, watching me as I started on the cornbread. Nothing fancy tonight, just a simple box mix.
“You really mean that, don’t you? About us all being a family now?”
I glanced back at her. She was leaning on the side of the kitchen doorway with her arms hugging herself. I put down the box in my hand and considered for a minute. I didn’t want to scare her off, but I needed her to know just how much I meant it.
Finally, I did what my heart told me to do. I walked back to her and gathered her into the biggest hug I was capable of. After a second or two, she was hugging me back and crying.
We stood like that for quite a while. She needed to get it out of her system. I might be a few minutes late for my dinner date, but Orville would understand. I was staying where I was needed for as long as I was needed.
Kimberly gave a last sniff and stepped back. “Thank you, Opal. It’s just... I’ve never really had...”
I let her go and then reached out to pat her shoulder. She didn’t have to say the words for me to understand. Kimberly, much like my precious little Nancy, came from a very messed up childhood.
“Well, you have one now. And this family will always have your back, no matter what. You understand that, right?”
She gave a weak smile and wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. “I’m starting to, yeah. Thanks.”
I nodded and went back to my cornbread making. “You need help fixing dinner for you and the kids?”
“Nope, got it covered. It’s a hot dog and coney sauce night. Kind of our own tradition for when you have your... night out with the sheriff.”
I wasn’t much liking that brief pause she put in there. Maybe she wasn’t like the other townsfolk in thinking we were just friends after all. Just maybe I needed to watch myself in public a little more with the good sheriff. I’d never forgive myself if I cost him his job. He was the best dang sheriff Wind’s Crossing had ever had. We needed him in that position.
There was a loud bang from upstairs. Now that I’d had Ruby take off that blasted noise-canceling spell, we could hear things like that again. Came in handy when the older kidlings spent so much time up there.
Nancy’s voice came trailing down the stairs. “We’re okay.”
Yeah, we would be needing more than that assurance.
Kim smiled at me. “I’ve got this.” Then she walked over and gave me another brief hug before jogging up the stairs to check on the kids.
I looked back at baby Pearl, happily swinging and in the satisfied baby zone. Then I finished my cornbread and got ready for my evening out.
After the day I’d just had, I was needing it badly.
I ALWAYS ENTERED ORVILLE’S house through the back door. It wasn’t so much the secrecy thing, although that played a part in it. I’ve always believed that front doors were for strangers and salesmen. Back doors were for family and friends.
And, yes, lovers too, apparently.
He opened the door wide and pulled me into his arms. But not before I got a good look at him. My man might be older, like me, but dang was he ever a sight to make a woman swoon. Especially when he was wearing a big pink apron with actual ruffles.
Orville was full of surprises like that. I never knew what sight would greet me when I came to call. But it was always something new. I don’t know how he did it.
His laughter joined mine as he stepped back and did a mini twirl. “Do you like it?”
“Like isn’t exactly the word for it.” Not all men could carry it off. Orville could. Even in a ruffled hot pink apron, he was one hundred percent man.
He grinned at me, then turned back to the counter and lifted the lid on the slow cooker. Using the lid as a fan, he wafted the sweet aroma over to me.
“I hope you’re ready to eat, because I’ve been smelling this for the past hour, and I’m starving.”
I lifted the bag in my hand. “Ready when you are. And the cornbread muffins are still warm too.” Not that there would have been an issue even if they weren’t. The beans were plenty hot enough to take care of that.
“Grab a couple of bowls down, and I’d ladle us up some eats.”
Within minutes, we were digging in with gusto. The girls had never been much of ones for good old-fashioned soup beans and cornbread. I’d forgotten how much I loved them. They were definitely going back on the menu back home.
After the initial rush of hunger wore off, and we’d filled our bowls with seconds, Orville looked over at me. I could tell something was on his mind.
“Out with it already.”
He took a deep breath. “Remember back when all the craziness started when Val Kimble was killed? Opie told me that he watched your girls put up a protection ward on the farmhouse. I was curious. Do you have anything like that set up
at the shop?”
I chewed slowly and shook my head. “Nope. Wouldn’t work. Those wards are meant to keep out—or at the very least alert you to—people who don’t have your best interest at heart. That’s all fine and dandy when you’re talking about your home. Not so much when you’re talking about a place of business.”
“Everyone’s out to make a deal, huh?”
“Most people, yes. And a fair few wouldn’t mind taking advantage of a shop owner if it meant getting themselves a bargain. Hence the problem.”
He nodded. “Okay, I get that. And I don’t suppose there’s a way to set it up to only be active during the after-dark hours? When the shop is closed?”
I stared at him. Well, of course now that he mentioned it, it seemed like a totally plausible thing to do. I was pretty sure there had to be a way to do it. Of course, it might take a phone call or two to the Minehearts to figure it all out. Earth witches were just plain better with protection spells than we Air witches.
When I didn’t say anything, he grinned at me. “Never even crossed your mind, did it?”
Pride is a horrid, horrid thing sometimes. With anyone else, I’d probably have denied it. Or, even more likely, simply ignored the question and given the asker a haughty look. But this was Orville, the one person other than my sister Sapphire, that truly knew me.
“It did not.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, I didn’t think so. How hard is it to do?”
“Truthfully, I don’t know. I’d have to get some help with that.”
An eyebrow arched upwards. “The great Opal Ravenswind not only admits she missed something, but also admits she needs help with a spell?” He shook his head. “You’re slipping, my dear.”
I gave the eyebrow right back at him. “And you’re the only one that knows that, now aren’t you?”
He swallowed. He knew my history for doing Karma spells. If word got out on the street to damage my infallible reputation, I’d know exactly who to blame. And I really put a lot of value on my reputation as a witch.
Witch Reborn Box Set: Books 1-3: Includes Gemstone Coven Holiday Shorts 1 & 2 Page 4