“There you are, we were just talking about you,” Granny said, embracing her in a brief side-hug.
“How are Fred and Eleanor?” Thea asked, genuinely curious.
The last she saw of them, they were just about to get interrogated by Blaine for Fred’s gun. Even though they were innocent, she understood how the process could be stressful and tiresome. She recalled the same thing happening to her, when she was caught red-handed by Blaine with a murder weapon in her hand.
“Oh, they’re doing just fine. Everything’s been going well at Witt’s End Diner. Thankfully, business hasn’t been impacted by the entire investigation and they’ve felt a weight come off their shoulders now that all the evidence Marcel had against them is gone.”
“Things should go back to normal, now that Dennis has been arrested,” Tiegen added, blowing at her coffee. “Sandra had some charges filed against her for what happened, but I doubt she’ll be away for too long.”
“You’re willing to employ her again?” Granny asked.
Tiegen shrugged. “Most likely. Before this mess, she was a great worker. Spotless record. I’m willing to overlook this small blemish just once.” Her gaze drifted towards Thea. “Unless someone else would like to claim that job for herself.”
“Here you go again with trying to get her to work with you,” Granny said with a small sigh. She pushed herself out of her seat and headed towards the kitchen. “I need to check on my muffins.”
Watching after her, Thea didn’t respond to her aunt’s proposition. She wasn’t going to take it, that was for sure. She had A Stitch in Time to worry about. How was she going to take on a job at the mayor’s office?
“Sit, I want to talk to you about something,” Tiegen said, snapping her out of her daze. Her aunt pointed towards the seat that Granny left empty. “It’s about you and that detective. Blaine.”
Thea frowned. “What about him? Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing in particular. But I’m just trying to warn you about forming a relationship with someone who is only starting out in their blossoming career. Things get difficult quickly.”
“What are you…” Thea started, before restructuring her thoughts. “Aunt Tiegen, do you really think this conversation is necessary?”
“Of course it is. I’m looking out for you,” Tiegen replied bluntly. “I’ve seen it happen before, you know. I saw it happen with your parents. They were forced to break up when Selena went to college. They knew that the distance was going to cause a fracture in their relationship.”
As Thea processed those words, her mood soured. She figured that her aunt didn’t mean to make her feel that way, but that was the inevitable outcome.
At her dejected look, Tiegen softened. She reached over to enclose Thea’s hand in her own.
“I guess my point is to enjoy it while it lasts,” she said softly, rubbing her thumb over Thea’s knuckles. “Blaine looks like he is a busy man and he has an important career to take care of. I wouldn’t be surprised if he prioritizes that over everything else.”
With a hard swallow, Thea nodded. She was right. Blaine probably wasn’t going to stick around for long, so she needed to protect her emotions in the process. She hadn’t even heard from him since the night of the arrest.
Aunt Tiegen’s words were ringing true.
Chapter 30
“Are you ready to go, Granny?” Thea asked as she stepped underneath the doorway of their home. Her car keys jingled in her grasp.
“Yes, I’m coming right now!” Granny replied in excitement, coming out of the kitchen with a smile on her face.
They were heading off to Witt’s End Diner to visit Eleanor. Granny was persistent in taking Thea along with her, asking her to give her a ride to the restaurant. Thea couldn’t deny her that, so she dressed up casually and agreed. She raised a brow playfully as she watched Granny emerge from the kitchen in a nice dress, but she said nothing. The two of them hopped in the car and went on their way.
“Are you excited to see Eleanor again?” Thea asked as they neared the establishment. “I’m just glad that the investigation is done and over with.”
Granny let out a relieved breath. “You have no idea how happy I was when I heard they finally arrested the murderer. I told you it wasn’t Eleanor.”
“I know, but the police just wanted to make sure,” Thea reminded her gently, parking her car in an empty space. “There were a lot of people to consider, but they found the right one in the end.”
“And for that, I’m thankful,” Granny replied, getting out of the passenger seat. “Now, hurry up. I wanna see Eleanor.”
Thea laughed, jogging after her. When they entered the diner, it was relatively empty. There were a few customers here and there, but it wasn’t bustling as Thea expected it to be. At the same time, there was light chatter wafting through the restaurant. That was strange. It was lunch hour.
“Eleanor!” Granny exclaimed, embracing her friend tightly. “I’m so glad you’re alright. How are you? How’s Fred?”
“We’re both doing okay,” Eleanor replied gently, peeking over to see Thea standing behind her. “Fred’s in the back right now. And how are you doing, Thea? Has everything been fine?”
“Of course,” Thea said, nodding. “I’m just glad everything’s back to normal. Granny wanted to see you. She kept talking about the importance of good friends and cherishing them before coming here.”
“It’s important to have people in your life that will always be there for you,” Granny reminded her as she linked her arm with Eleanor’s. “Through thick and thin. When you have someone like that, you won’t need much else in life.”
“That’s absolutely correct,” Eleanor agreed. “You and Fred are everything I need, Freya. I know you two would never leave me.”
“And I would have handled that police station by myself if they didn’t leave you alone,” Granny said, raising a finger. “I’m serious. I tried to tell them early on that you weren’t involved in this case.”
Eleanor waved her hand in the air, brushing away the matter. “Oh, it’s alright. Dennis got arrested, so I’m more than happy with everything that happened.”
Just then, Eleanor leaned over and whispered a few words into Granny’s ear. At the same time, she motioned towards the back of the diner, eyes flickering over to Thea. Granny nodded enthusiastically at whatever she had to say before the two of them beckoned Thea to follow them.
Of course, this sequence of events confused Thea, but Granny reassured her that she would enjoy the surprise they had prepared for her. As a result, she followed after them.
Turning the corner, Thea let out a sigh. “Granny, I really hope that you didn’t do anything crazy–”
Her words dropped as she took in the scene. Blaine stood there in front of one of the booths in an old suit and a corsage. A few multicolored balloons were attached to the end of the table. Out of the corner of her eye, Thea could see Granny and Eleanor giggling like a pair of schoolgirls.
“Blaine?” she asked, taking a careful step towards the table. “What’s all this?”
“Well, I wanted to make it up to you. All of our previous dates have been cut short by one thing or another, so I wanted to plan one out that was more special than the last ones,” he explained, standing with his hands clasped in front of him. He looked polished.
She swallowed thickly at the word dates. In her mind, she figured that they were dates all along, but she didn’t know whether to have admitted it out loud. She was glad to see Blaine confirm it for her. It took a weight off her shoulders.
“And so you decided to make our date look like a prom night?” Thea asked, ending that sentence with an amused laugh.
Granny, who was doing her best to muffle her smile, stepped forward to explain while Eleanor retreated to the kitchen to fetch something.
“Remember the story I told you about your parents? About how your dad asked your mom to prom in this very diner?” Granny asked, which jogged Thea’s memory i
n seconds. “I mentioned the same story to Blaine, so he knows how important Witt’s End Diner is to our family.”
Thea felt her heart skip a beat at that. Whenever she was told anything about her parents, she felt an odd sense of yearning even though she didn’t remember much about them. She probably couldn’t even recognize their faces.
And yet, she was still touched by the stories that Granny would tell her about them. To go to these lengths to recreate a significant part of their lives… Thea smiled. She blinked furiously once she began to feel the waterworks accumulating behind her eyes. Sniffing loudly, she was grateful when Eleanor popped back into the area carrying a freshly made pie in her hands.
Leaning over, Thea saw the crust lettering atop the treat.
PROM?
“I hope it’s not too cheesy,” Blaine mumbled out, scratching at the side of his neck.
Thea shook her head, smiling widely at him. “No, actually. It’s wonderful. I love it.”
However, she glanced at the outfit Blaine was wearing and then looked down at her own choice of clothing. A worn-out T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers in contrast with Blaine’s suit and tie.
“You guys should have told me something in advance. I was wondering why Granny looked so good before we left,” Thea quipped, which made them all laugh. “I would have tried to look better.”
“You look perfect as you are,” Blaine replied softly, which made her heart flutter.
As Eleanor and Granny took their leave, Thea and Blaine sat down and enjoyed their date together. This time, there were no unexpected interruptions. And it was perfect.
*****
Don’t miss the next book in the Tabby Kitten Witch Mystery Series:
Adventure Magic
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Catalog of Books
Tabby Kitten Witch Mystery Series
Familiar Magic
Creature Magic
Adventure Magic
Ivy’s Botanical Shop Cozy Witch Mystery Series
Brewing Up Trouble
Brewing the Midnight Oil
A Storm is Brewing
Back to the Brewing Board
Brewing Up the Wrong Tree
Brewing Down the Hatches
Witches Be Crazy Cozy Witch Mystery Series
Down the Hatch
Down But Not Dead
Down and Out
Down and Dirty
Down in Flames
Down for the Count
The Hocus Pocus Cozy Witch Mystery Series
Spooks and Spells
Freaks and Felons
Crooks and Crystals
Graves and Goons
Brooms and Brains
Moons and Magic
The Happy Blendings Cozy Witch Mystery Series
The Potion Commotion
A Pumpkin Potion Explosion
A Drop in the Potion
A Notion of a Potion
A Deceptive Potion
A Formidable Potion
A Risky Potion
Calamity Corners Cozy Witch Mystery Series
Calm Before the Witch Storm
The Witch is in the Details
Better the Witch You Know
A Witch Axe to Grind
A Cauldron of Witch Tricks
Triplet Witch Sisters Mystery Series
Two’s Company, Three’s a Coven
Resting Witch Face
Bewitched and Bewildered
Triple Toil and Trouble
The Witch Sisters of Stillwater
Hoodoo and Just Desserts
A Shade of Murder
That Ol’ Black Magic
A Whole Lotta Witchin Goin On
The Beast Cometh
Secrets and Sorcery
Creature Magic (Tabby Kitten Mystery Series Book 2) Page 11