Skeeter sniffed. “Are you sure we have enough people for tonight?”
“I asked around for you, and I'm pretty sure we will have a good showing.”
I cursed myself silently for having helped Skeeter come up with the idea for tonight's singles mingle. But what else could I do for the poor guy? After listening to him almost cry about losing his job, I had to do something.
Besides, I had a plan. As my Great Uncle Tipper used to say, you don't place a bet unless you have a couple of aces up your sleeve. A few of my childhood friends had clear crushes on each other, and maybe tonight would give them all the big push to move forward.
“Don't worry, Skeeter. Everything will be fine.”
His eyes widened. “The last time someone said that to me…never mind.” He checked the clock on the wall. “Look at the time. How am I gonna get everything ready?”
Assuring him that I could help, I asked for a task to complete. Skeeter sent me to the kitchen to make the lemonade for the party. As soon as I walked through the swinging door, my friend Alison Kate jumped.
“What are you doing here?” She scrambled to clean up her workstation in front of her, knocking some mixing bowls onto the floor. “Oh, pixie poop.”
I waved her off. “Leave it. I'll clean it up once the event starts. I'm here to make sure things go off without a hitch for Skeeter tonight. The poor guy could use all the help he can get.”
“Yeah, I guess I'm not the only one who's nervous. You did say that Lee would be coming tonight, right?” Her eyes sparkled at the mention of our mutual friend’s name.
I got to work cutting the lemons. “He's coming with Ben. Lily should be here, but her cousin Lavender is home sick, I heard tell.”
“Is Blithe still protesting?” Alison Kate asked.
“You know it, Ali Kat. She said, and I quote, ‘There ain't nobody in this spit little town that's gonna catch my fancy.’” We both laughed at my spot on imitation.
“Famous last words,” joked Alison Kate. “Especially since we seem to be attracting newer residents every week. Who knows who might be showing up in Honeysuckle next.”
We worked together in silence. She finished her red velvet cake pops, a perfect dessert to go with Skeeter’s decoration attempts. I finished mixing up the fresh lemonade, pouring it into a punch bowl and finding a ladle. We carried out our goodies and set them on the front counter with other treats.
Skeeter placed a stack of red plastic cups next to the lemonade, one of the few things not pink or red in the room. “I think that'll do it.
Just in time. The door opened with the jingling of the bells, and more of my friends walked in. I greeted Ben and Lee with a hug. Lily followed behind, her eyes tracking where Ben went. The frown on her face surprised me.
“What's wrong?”
“I swear, I didn't tell her anything.” She jutted her thumb at the person following behind her.
Lily’s younger sister, Linsey, bounced inside. “Evenin’, Charli. I heard tonight's gonna be something else.”
My relationship with the ambitious sister of my friend had not improved much due to our recent history. When she was little, she was the biggest gossip, making it her business to know everything about everyone. Now that she worked for our local newspaper, The Honeysuckle Holler, I hoped that if she reported anything about tonight's event, she stuck to the truth and not rumors.
Plastering a wide fake smile on my lips, I welcomed her. She opened her mouth to say something smart, but a large presence behind her knocked her forward.
“Hey, watch where you’re going.” Linsey turned around to glower at the culprit and ran into the middle of his broad, hairy chest.
A colossal figure took up all the immediate space. His immense brow protruded out from under shaggy dark strands of hair, and his lower jaw jutted out from his face with two pointy teeth protruding from his lips. The last thing those who hadn’t met him yet would expect to come out of his mouth was a British accent.
“My sincerest apologies, young lady. I hope this does not color your opinion of me. I would hate to be the Darcy to your Elizabeth Bennet in their first encounter.” The deep voice of the enormous troll shook the air around him.
“Horatio, I thought you said you wouldn't be able to make it,” I exclaimed, enjoying Linsey's gaped mouth a little too much.
“I rearranged my schedule after I thought about your invitation. For as the bard Shakespeare put it, ‘Men at some time are masters of their fates.’ I did not wish to rely on the stars to find a possible match tonight. Although, I do hope that ‘Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.’” He patted nervously at his mess of hair.
A goofy grin spread on Linsey's face. “You like a lot of literature?”
He smiled down at her, his eyes gleaming with glee from under his bulging brow. “My dear, ‘Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost possible degree.’”
Linsey locked her arm around the troll’s elbow. “You seem to like Shakespeare a lot.”
“That's because I knew the man.” Horatio launched into a bawdy tale about his friend. Whatever kept the nosy reporter busy was fine with me.
Skeeter buzzed over to me. “I was about to give you heck for inviting a troll. They're not normally so well behaved. Or read.”
“Horatio has his own story to tell,” I said. “But let's just say that he wasn't kidding. The guy didn't just know Shakespeare. From his tales, they were close friends from the time the playwright asked for his help in researching Midsummer.”
We could have spent the entire night talking about the interesting mix of those attending the event. With the go-ahead from Skeeter, I went to shut the door. A hand stopped it from closing all the way, and a squat, rotund older vampire walked in, wearing a faded and raggedy tux with a black cape tied around his neck.
“Beau, what are you doing here.” My roommate would be getting an earful when we got back to my place.
He ignored my tone and took off his black cape he wore for special occasions. “Well, you've been talking about tonight long enough at home that I thought I should come down and take advantage. No need to stay home alone holed up in that old house with you.”
The thought of him with a girlfriend at our shared domicile gave me the willies. “Just remember our agreement. Advanced notice before any guests,” I warned.
“Same goes for you.” Beau wiggled his eyebrows at me, and Mason slipped behind him through the open door.
The detective’s presence sent my nerves on high alert. “Mason. What are you doing here? Is there a problem?”
He stammered a couple of times and then cleared his voice with a cough. “I thought that anyone was welcome tonight to attend.”
I stared at him, unsure what to say. His presence at the singles mingle confused me. As far as I knew, the man lived and breathed his work. When would he have time for a social life? And who would he meet tonight? Would they be good enough for him? Better yet, if he did find someone, would he continue to have time to consult with me?
Skeeter called everybody to attention, interrupting the onslaught of questions in my head. He gave a short speech about the event, which sounded more like a warning than a welcome. His chubby body dipped up and down in the air, his wings working overtime and fluttering nervously.
After he finished, he made his way to me, bumping into everyone in his path. “Charli, I forgot something. I need your help.”
“I think everything looks perfect.” I wanted to stay and watch the night unfold, curiosity getting the better of me.
“But I forgot to pick up the cherry pies from Sassy at the diner. Can you get those for me?” Skeeter gave me his best pitiful gaze that looked an awful lot like his normal state.
“Cherry pies aren't going to make or break the evening. I don't think anyone ever fell in love because of a piece of pie.”
Skeeter ushered me toward the door, blocking my ability to move around him. “You never know what may bring people
together. Please, Charli.”
“All right, all right. I'll be right back.” In a huff, I ventured back out into the night air.
My shoulder bumped into a form in the dark just outside the bakery. Maybe I needed to wear a big orange cone on the top of my head so people would stop running into me.
I glanced up into a pair of golden glowing eyes and heard a familiar low growl. “Dash. I'm surprised to see you.”
The wolf shifter hardly ever ventured out of his house. And he never did anything remotely social. Not in a million years would I expect him to be within a few feet of a singles event. Perhaps the need to find a mate brought him here? My stomach clenched at that possibility.
“Lee forgot something,” his low voice rumbled. “I’ll go inside and give it to him and then go. Are you leaving, too? We can walk back together.”
I shook my head. “No. Skeeter needs me to pick up some cherry pies at the Harvest Moon.”
Dash didn't reply, and I tried to interpret his lack of response. After a long awkward pause, he spoke again. “Are there a lot of people inside?”
“It's a decent crowd and mix. We've got a couple of fairies, a gnome or two, a vampire.” I listed out a few names. “Oh, and a troll.” I knew the last one would rile him up, and I just couldn't help myself.
His eyes flashed amber, and his lip curled up in a snarl. “That sounds dangerous.”
“It's just Horatio,” I laughed, pleased at achieving the reaction I wanted. “He's fine and a friend of mine.”
“How close of a friend?” Dash closed some of the distance between us with a step.
I swallowed hard. “Just…a friend. I gotta get the pies.”
“See you soon.” His voice grated so that I didn’t know if the man or the wolf spoke. He winked before entering the bakery, and I cursed the butterflies that took wing in my stomach.
If anyone felt dangerous, it was Dash. The wolf shifter needed to stay in the friend zone. For that matter, any guy needed to stay firmly there. I might be helping with the night's event, but I definitely wasn't going to be a participant.
2
Somehow, I managed not to curse Sassy and her attitude when picking up her homemade desserts from the diner. That fairy with the green hair bugged me to no end, but she sure had a way with pies, bless her heart and hex her tiny hiney.
When I returned to Sweet Tooths, lively conversation buzzed in the air. I placed the cherry pies on the counter, surprised that Skeeter didn't make a big deal out of me bringing them. I reached for a cup to scoop out some of my homemade libations and stopped. Why was the lemonade pink?
The drink’s appearance had changed in the time that I'd been gone. Instead of a pale yellow, the liquid had a faint blush color to it. Almost shimmering. Skeeter must have done something to it, trying to make it match the rest of the room.
I walked the perimeter, checking for any love connections. Smiles adorned almost everybody's faces—a good sign. Still, something bugged me. My nerves stood on end, and my stomach churned like I’d eaten a deviled egg that’d sat out in the sun too long.
Beau stood in the corner, chatting up not one, but two, ladies I recognized from his community theater troop, the Honeysuckle Hams. The twin witches had a reputation of hitting on any and all the males in town, but my roommate ate up the attention.
He laughed, and I marveled at him showing off his fangs in public. Then again, the man had two ladies hanging on his every word, so go Beau. But he’d better take my warning seriously. In no way did I want to be disturbed in my own home or walk in on any shenanigans.
Maybe my roommate deserved a chance at fighting his loneliness. After all, he’d mustered up the courage to participate in tonight’s event versus my sorry behind walking the sidelines, pretending that having an elderly vampire as a roommate was good enough. I scanned the room for the detective. Or the wolf shifter. At least somebody to talk to for a few minutes to cheer me up.
Something knocked me upside the head again, and dark green dust flew up my nose. I sneezed twice in response.
“I’m so, so sorry.” Juniper waved her wand around to clean me up, causing even more particles to fly around me. Quite an unusual effect from someone who owned the local fairy dust and clean business.
She giggled at her failed attempt. “I’m making things worse. But you know what? It's kinda fun to make a mess instead of cleanin’ one up.” She brandished her wand in the air, spreading more of her dark green dust around. “Whee,” she cheered, taking a sip from her cup.
How many flying things needed to hit me in the head tonight?
Pushing my way through the crowd, I searched for my friends. By now, Lee should be with Alison Kate, and maybe Ben had gotten a clue about Lily's affections.
I found Lily, staring with deep adoration at the person next to her. But my jaw dropped when I identified him. “Lee.” Nothing about that pairing gave me good feelings or eased the gnawing in my stomach.
“Hey, Charli. Isn't this fun?” Lee gestured around the room, spilling the contents of his cup in mighty sloshes over Lily. I waited for my fiery friend to explode at him.
Instead, she laughed it off with a flirtatious titter. “More for me.” She licked her fingers.
Who were these people and what did they do with my friends? I shook Lee by the shoulders. “Where's Alison Kate?”
He squinted his eyes at me in confusion, but the smile never left his face. “I think she's talking to Ben.”
“And that doesn't bother you?” I resisted the urge to knock some sense into him.
He turned his full attention back to Lily. “Why would it? I want my friend to be happy. Don't you?”
“I do,” I agreed, waving my hands in the air in frustration. “But with the right person.”
Had I always been wrong? Maybe my instincts were frazzled. Dealing with the loss of a beloved relative and a death curse to boot might have damaged my ability to read others. And yet, I'd always known who liked whom when growing up. Tastes didn't change all of a sudden, did they?
Mason grabbed my elbow and pulled me to the side. “Charli, we need to talk.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank the unicorns. Have you figured out what’s going on?”
“I’m afraid.” He furrowed his eyebrows, holding on to me even tighter.
“Of what?” I waited for his brilliant theory.
A sickeningly sweet smile broke through his frown. “I’m afraid that you don't know how special you really are.”
Any number of flying objects or beings could have entered my mouth as wide as it dropped. “But Mason,” I countered.
“No, I mean it. Charlotte Goodwin, you are extraordinary.”
The detective used my full name only when I was in trouble. Problem was, I figured I was in a heap of it right now.
Mason lifted his red plastic cup in the air as if toasting me. “I mean, I've met women who had great powers. But it's not your incredible ability to find things that sets you apart.”
Because of Mason's confidence in my abilities, my talent grew stronger with every use. My dad used to call it bird doggin’, but the detective used the technical term of tracker from where he used to work up North. But right now, I couldn't find my way out of this awkward situation.
“Mason, I should go.” I tried to back away politely, but he followed.
He stroked my arm. “I mean with a talent as rare as yours, you could have hundreds of men at your feet. And yet you stay hidden in this sleepy little town.”
“Not so sleepy right now. I think you should cool off. Maybe find something else to drink.” When I reached for his cup, he yanked it away from me, protecting it.
A crash from somewhere behind interrupted us. With Mason's attention torn away from me, I made my escape and sought out the cause of the noise. Juniper flew by me, a trail of dark green dust in her wake. Horatio chased after her, and I barely made it out of his path before being mowed down.
“Horatio, what are you doing?” I ca
lled out.
“Flying thing pretty,” he bellowed.
Not the right words from the eloquent troll. Definitely a far cry from Shakespeare. I didn’t need my souring stomach to tell me that things were going terribly wrong.
My eyes darted around the room, taking everything in. Friends hooking up with the wrong friends. Personalities not just different, but completely changed. A detective almost making a declaration that would splinter us, changing our relationship forever.
The scene unfolded into chaos. My gut did an annoying I Told You So dance inside me while my mind worked in overdrive to find the common thread. The thing that would have affected everyone.
One of the witch twins who'd been attracted to Beau's fumbling charms, Flossy or Mossy, pushed me out of the way without ceremony. “I need me some more of this here drink. Hooey, it's got one heck of a kick.” She spilled the pink lemonade down her hand and licked it up with enthusiasm.
After filling her cup, she ran back through the crowd again. A thought dawned on me. Everyone held a red plastic cup in their hand. And they all beamed even brighter after taking sips.
Another person bumped me with their hip. “Move over,” growled Dash.
“I thought you weren't staying.” Maybe the wolf shifter had decided to find a mate after all. He sloshed some lemonade into his cup.
“Dash, I don't think you should drink that.” I pulled on his arm to get close to the cup. Maybe I could wrestle it away from him.
“Why? It's delicious.” His tongue lapped up the pink drops from his fingers, and he faced me. “As are you.” With a wide grin, he showed off his elongating fangs.
Pixie poop.
3
I snatched the plastic cup from Dash and examined it. The lemonade no longer resembled the drink I had made at the beginning of the event. Not only was the hue a bright pink, but now it contained bubbles. One whiff of it and the smell nearly singed my nose hairs off.
“Hey, give that back.” Dash snatched the cup back and downed its contents, licking his lips with dramatic satisfaction. His intense stare gave me the heebie-jeebies. More than once, I had imagined him looking at me that way late at night, but something felt way off about it now.
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