by Bella Falls
The rest of my friends offered their congratulations before she flitted off to tell the rest of the residents her good news.
Before the festivities finished, I managed to talk and eat with almost everyone. Dirt stained the bottom of my feet, but I didn’t care as I danced my heart out to every song Jordy and the Jack-O'-Lanterns played. I even convinced Henry to stop his grousing and swing me around a couple of times. My grumpy assistant was more fragile than he let on, and I was glad I’d hired Bug to help out with my business to give him some time off.
Mason claimed me for a slow dance and endured the occasional stomp on his foot with grace. He rocked me back and forth on the grass, and I leaned my head against his shoulder and let him lead.
My fingers waved at Clementine and Tucker dancing near us. My cousin mourned her decision about her mother, but she’d stuck to her guns and had forced Aunt Nora to leave Honeysuckle with her husband in just a few short days. It would take more time and a lot more coffee talks to get the smile on my cousin’s lips to reach her eyes again.
“I’m so glad to have you back,” I murmured into Mason’s shoulder.
He leaned his head against the top of mine. “Me, too. It about killed me not to be there for you. I couldn’t even be kept in the loop. I know you were well protected by others, but I don’t ever want to feel that vulnerable again.”
I rubbed his back to reassure him that everything worked out and I was okay. “Did Willie tell you what’s going to happen to Nick?”
Mason’s chest expanded and contracted with a sigh. He pulled himself away so he could look at me. “He’s been working with the council to figure out what to do. Since Nick was instrumental in saving the town, they’re debating what the best outcome would be. In the meantime, Nick’s under house arrest, and I don’t think he’ll find himself truly welcome here for a long time. If ever.”
The word family could be very powerful, but Nick and I both knew how hurtful it could be as well. He’d made some terrible choices in the hopes he could connect to his father but failed to appreciate and ultimately protect his mother. I appreciated my family even more after our confrontation with Aunt Nora. But I couldn’t help wanting to know if my biological cousin Abigail was safe or not. Unbeknownst to Mason or even my brother, I’d asked Nana to use her connections to help me find the answer.
“What happened with your detective friend?” I asked. “Did he get reprimanded or rewarded for the capture?”
Mason’s mouth twitched into a frown. “More than likely, he’ll get a commendation. Getting Mordecai off the streets will be a major feather in his cap. He can have all the accolades he gets, but I wouldn’t call him a friend. Not anymore.”
The hurt in the detective’s eyes crushed me. I stopped dancing and stood on my tiptoes, pressing my lips against his to ease his regret.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me closer. Too soon, his mouth left mine, and I fought to catch my breath.
“I’m glad to see I can have that kind of effect on you.” Mason brushed a strand of hair away from my face. “I’ll admit, I’m concerned about this bond between you and Dash. Maybe even a little jealous.”
Hearing his true feelings alleviated some of my guilt. “I am, too. Concerned, that is. There’s nothing to be jealous about, though.”
“What does your grandmother say you have to do?” he asked.
I furrowed my brow. “She said that I’d made a right mess because I acted without thinking. Since there’s witch, shifter, and fae magic involved, it’s a tangled mess of power. It’ll take someone more powerful than her to unravel it.”
Mason’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline. “If Vivi’s not strong enough, then the problem is bigger than I thought.”
“There’s one more worrying piece of the puzzle that arrived this morning. I got a postcard from the Gray sisters,” I said. Even Nana shivered when I showed her the piece of mail.
“Who are they?” Mason asked.
“According to my grandmother, Dina, Enya, and Frida Gray are three of the scariest women she’s ever met. Older than dirt, although they don’t look like it. Nana only visits them if she’s desperate to know something about the future, and even then she doesn’t like being in their presence.” I hesitated, unsure of whether or not to share the rest of Nana’s warnings with the detective.
“There’s something else. Spill it,” Mason insisted.
The handwriting scratched into the postcard reflected in my memory. “The message they sent was both simple and cryptic.”
Mason tightened his hold around me. “What did it say?”
“Your fate is broken. If you want it fixed, come see us.”
The detective pondered the note. “How did they find out what’s happened to you?”
“That’s the thing.” I glanced up at him with worry. “The postmark is old, like it got lost in the mail or something. They sent it before I challenged Lorelei. Before I even went to Nick’s spa in the first place.”
Mason hugged me closer to him to chase away my fears of what was to come. “Well, one thing we don’t need a psychic to tell us.”
“What’s that?” I muffled into his chest.
He leaned back and lifted my chin. “You won’t have to go to them alone. I’ll be there for you no matter what.” His lips met mine for a chaste kiss, sealing the promise. “I love you.”
“Love you, too,” I responded.
Burying my head against his chest again, I hid my sudden worry as a flood of jealousy and sadness invaded my heart. Neither emotion belonged to me, and they must have been strong to connect to me over such a distance. But I dreaded for Mason to detect the truth.
With my head resting on his chest again, I listened to his heart beat a steady rhythm and let it drown out my concerns. For now, I danced under the stars in the arms of the man who loved me.
Fate and my future would have to wait until tomorrow.
Dear Reader -
How will Charli and Dash’s binding affect their lives? Will it hurt Charli’s relationship with Mason? Find out in Preserves & Premonitions: Book 7, coming Winter 2020!
Thanks so much for reading Cornbread & Crossroads! If you enjoyed the book (as much as I did writing it), I hope you’ll consider leaving a review!
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Series Order
Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Series
Magic and mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow…
Suggested reading order:
Chess Pie & Choices: Prequel
Moonshine & Magic: Book 1
Lemonade & Love Potions: A Cozy Short
Fried Chicken & Fangs: Book 2
Sweet Tea & Spells: Book 3
Barbecue & Brooms: Book 4
Collards & Cauldrons: Book 5
Red Velvet & Reindeer: A Cozy Short
Cornbread & Crossroads: Book 6
Preserves & Premonitions: Book 7
Series Order
Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries
A little sweet tea and a whole lot of spells won’t always put out the fire…
Flea Market Magic
Rags To Witches
Pickup and Pirates
Vintage Vampire
Bar
gain Haunting
Acknowledgments
This book in particular was a huge challenge for me in a time when everyone needed a little magic to get through things. There are several people I owe a lot to for helping me get to the finish line!
My plot buddies - Thanks to Melanie Summers and Danielle Garrett for being there whenever I felt like I hit a plot wall. Your long talks and encouragements helped push me to come up with the best story!
My sprint buddies - I owe a huge thank you to Malorie Cooper and the Live Sprint gang! Because of you, I got in all the words! Also a big shout out to my sprint buddies on Chatzy, especially Danielle, Suzan, Elle Adams, and Amanda M. Lee! All our word counts are going to add up fast!
My editing crew - Thanks to Greg and April for all the help wrangling those pesky grammar gaffs!
My family - Without your love and support, this time would have been unbearable. It’s a pleasure to have you be a part of the Southern Charms family!
My hubs - Well, we made it through a surgery and a big move! Thanks for watering the plants so they don’t die, moving all the boxes, and giving me the space to write! I wouldn’t have any stories without your support!
About the Author
Bella Falls grew up on the magic of sweet tea, barbecue, and hot and humid Southern days. She met her husband at college over an argument of how to properly pronounce the word pecan (for the record, it should be pea-cawn, and they taste amazing in a pie). Although she’s had the privilege of living all over the States and the world, her heart still beats to the rhythm of the cicadas on a hot summer’s evening.
Now, she’s taken her love of the South and woven it into a world where magic and mystery aren’t the only Charms.
bellafallsbooks.com
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