“Go tell Rayne he better not be sleeping with Cassidy or I’m going to kill him,” I told the bee who dodged from side to side then set off.
I laughed, shaking my head, then followed the sound of Dad’s and Horatio’s voices. They were standing at the edge of the vineyard surveying an empty field. Horatio was still dressed in a business suit, but Dad was wearing jeans. It was unusual to see my dad dressed so casually. It looked…awkward.
“Plotting world domination?” I called.
Horatio turned and smiled at me, but he had an odd expression on his face. He looked…nervous? Okay, seriously, what was going on?
“No, plotting sparkling wine,” my father answered.
The enologist in me immediately got to thinking, considering which grapes and what processes would work best. For years I’d tried to convince my dad to brew a sparkling wine. And now, just when I wanted to leap into a new trade, he was finally considering it. “Well, that is news.”
“I thought you’d be pleased,” Dad said with a smile. “Your mother always liked this view,” he said, looking across the field toward the lake. “Roger has been monitoring this section of the vineyard for the last two seasons. He says the climate will sustain the grapes we need. Maybe you can talk to him, Viola?”
“Sure,” I said. “I’d love to. I have a whole notebook full of ideas somewhere.”
My dad smiled. “Thought so. And, now that you’re here, maybe Horatio will finally spit out whatever he’s been trying to tell me for the last half an hour.”
I laughed. “You do look pale,” I told my brother who smiled at me. “Never could hide your emotions.”
Horatio grinned. “Well, I have some good news, I think.”
My dad bent to pick a dandelion which he then handed to me.
“Spit it out,” I told Horatio as I stuck the little flower behind my ear.
“I…I was in Sweet Water this morning, met with Julie’s dad. I’m going to ask Julie to marry me at the ball tomorrow.”
My tears started welling at once. My big brother had found his love. I was so happy for him. I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tight. “Congrats! Please tell me you got her a good ring.”
“Well, duh,” he said as I pulled back. “I just wanted to make sure, you know, that it was going to be okay?” he said then, looking at Dad.
My father and Julie had gotten off to a bad start. Dad had wanted the property that later became Julie’s shop. The tug-of-war between them had almost killed the spark between Horatio and Julie. But in the end, it was that same tension that had given Horatio the strength to stand up to Dad. And to this day, I wasn’t quite sure what Julie had done to soften my father, but I knew something she’d said, or done, had won him over.
Dad smiled. “Horatio, you and Julie were meant for one another. Of course you have my blessing.”
Horatio grinned. “Wait until you see what I have planned.”
“I’m sure it will be epic,” I said with a wink. “Congrats.”
“Indeed, congratulations,” Dad added.
“Well, she hasn’t said yes yet.”
“She will,” I said with a smile. “I also have news. Nothing that fabulous, but it’s an opportunity I want to take. I was offered an internship.”
“At the college?” Dad asked.
I shook my head. “In France, at the Beaumont perfumery.”
My brother, who knew my true goals, nodded. “Do it. It’s just what you’ve been dreaming of.”
“So you’d be gone the whole summer?” Dad asked.
“Maybe. I know you need me here. I wasn’t sure about the timing, but Luc Beaumont offered, and it’s a great opportunity.”
“Is this what you want?” Dad asked.
“Yes. I want to get some hands-on experience then come back and set up shop in the old distillery, start my own perfume label. I’ve even been considering opening a day spa.”
My dad nodded. “Cottage industry. That could work very well.”
I grinned. “Yes, it could. And I have a good nose for it. Of course, I’m going to need some acres for flowers. But not here. Make a sparkling wine here.”
“We’ll put you in the back along Rayne’s property, let his bees work for you,” Dad said.
At the mention of Rayne’s name, my cheeks started burning. Unable to hide it, I noticed Horatio look closely at me then furrow his brow, looking perplexed.
“Well, how about that,” my dad said then, sitting. He propped his elbows on his knees and gazed out at the lake. “Big news. Good news. Proud of you both,” he said. There was a wistful acceptance in his voice that would not have been there in months past. And, I dare say, the sound of pride.
Horatio sighed. “And now, I should probably head back.”
I looked at my phone. No return call from Rayne yet, and I needed to get ready for my shift at Falling Waters. “Me too. Coming, Dad?”
“No. I think I’ll sit here a bit,” he replied, looking out over the field.
I leaned in, setting a light kiss on the top of his head. He grabbed my hand, patting it gently, then let me go.
With that, Horatio and I turned and headed back toward the parking lot.
“Cool about the internship, but you’ve got something else on your mind,” Horatio said. “Spit it out.”
“I don’t know. You’re going to be mad. Actually, right now, I might be mad. I’m confused. If I tell you, you won’t do or say anything unless I say so. Promise me.”
“Uh, no. I can’t promise that.”
“Then I’m not telling you anything.”
“Yes, you are. Tell me. No, don’t tell me. I see it on your face. A guy. Wait, not that Luc guy, right? I thought Alice—”
“No, not Luc.”
“So it is a guy thing?”
“Do you know Rayne’s friend, Cassidy?”
“Cassidy? Wait, are you hot for Cassidy? I didn’t think you—”
“Oh my god, shut up. She’s pretty enough, but no. Are Cassidy and Rayne an item?”
At that, Horatio stopped in his tracks. “Why do you care?”
“Just. Well. Are they or aren’t they?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
“I think they’re just friends. I never saw anything between then. Now, tell me why. Rayne…did Rayne make a move on you?”
“It’s not like that. I have feelings for Rayne.”
“For Rayne?”
“Yes.”
“Rayne?”
“Yes. Shut up. So, well, am I stupid or what?”
Horatio was scowling. “Viola, are you sure? You two are so different from each other.”
“Opposites attract.”
“Have you talked to him about it? I mean, is it a thing?”
“We kissed.”
“You kissed? When?”
“At Julie’s.”
“I think I may kill someone,” Horatio said, looking pale once more.
I laughed. “No. Don’t. Well, not yet. I need to see what Rayne’s up to first. I mean, if he’s genuine, I want to be with him. So don’t mess things up.”
“You and Rayne?”
“Yes.”
“You? And Rayne?”
“Yes. That’s what I’ve been saying.”
“I’ll go talk to him.”
“No. Listen, you worry about Julie right now. I’ll sort out this business with Rayne, and if you need to kill him, I’ll let you know. We can hide the body together.”
Horatio laughed then put his arm around me. “I will say this, Rayne is a loyal friend. He’s amazingly kind and generous. He’s not rich, but he’s a happy person. If you do care for him, and he does care for you, the two of you could get along fabulously. And if not, I know a great place to dig.”
I laughed then pulled out my phone once more. When I did, I saw I’d missed a call from Rayne. Ugh! Cell service was always spotty in the vineyard.
“That’s a start,” I said, sh
owing Horatio my phone. “You’re sure about Cassidy?”
“Yeah, he told me once he understands our relationship because Cassidy is like a sister to him. It’s not a thing.”
I exhaled deeply.
“He’s taking you to the ball tomorrow night, right?”
I nodded.
“Well, you’ll see for sure then. And so will I. I’ll have my eye on him.”
It was then that I stopped cold, grabbing Horatio’s arm. “Oh shit!”
“What?”
“I forgot to buy a dress!” Wonderful. In the middle of all the excitement going on around me, I’d somehow forgotten to buy myself a gown. How in the world had that happened? I’d prodded Alice along to get hers, but somehow it had just slipped off my radar. With the symposium, and Beaumont, and Rayne, I’d totally forgotten.
“Stumble into that closet of yours. I bet you have something in there you forgot you even own.”
“Very funny,” I said with a frown, but then my mind was struck with an idea. “I’ll come up with something.”
I opened my car door.
“Don’t forget to take those boots off,” Horatio reminded me.
“Crap. My head is a mess,” I said. Pulling off the boots, I handed them to my brother who tossed them in the trunk.
“Muddy boots and designer pants. I don’t know, seems like you and Rayne might work after all,” Horatio said with a grin as he leaned against my car.
I smiled at my brother. “Shut up. Anyway, I’m so excited for you. I love Julie.”
“Me too. Tomorrow at midnight.”
“I’ll be there,” I said then started the ignition.
Horatio stepped away from the car and waved good-bye.
I smiled. If only Mom could see us now.
Chapter 13: Rayne
After I left the suit shop, I walked down to the lakeshore. I’d tried to call Viola back, but she didn’t pick up. I knew Cassidy meant no harm, but I’d sensed Viola’s suspicion the night we’d gone to Falling Waters. Like all faerie, Cassidy had a sparkly glow. No doubt Viola had noticed it, and it had set her on edge. Certainly Cassidy had gotten Rick’s attention, when he wasn’t too busy casting glances at Viola.
I looked at my phone once more. It was almost time for her to start work at the restaurant. Now what?
I walked slowly down the beach eyeing the dark blue waters as they lapped against the rocky shoreline. The sun was starting to set, trimming the sky with deep purple and vibrant pink colors. The water reflected its shimmering light, each crest trimmed with the vibrant hues.
I closed my eyes and felt the soft wind blowing off the lake. The sweet perfume of spring filled my nose. I was not surprised when, a moment later, I heard a familiar buzzing sound. Two of my little ones had found me.
Opening my eyes, I listened as they reported in. Alice was happily preparing for her dinner tonight, and Luc was over at Lavender Fields Bed and Breakfast trying to figure out what to wear. And both of them were delightfully happy. The bees, magical creatures that they are, did what they could to help plant romantic ideas in both their minds. Everything, it seemed, was finally coming along for Alice. But long distance relationships rarely worked well. Did that mean that in order to help my girl, I was going to have to lose her?
“Well done,” I whispered to my friends who then directed my attention toward a figure walking down the beach toward me.
I cast a glance down the beach to see Kate, with whom Alice would be having dinner that evening, walking along the lakeshore.
“Rayne,” she called happily.
Her long golden hair was blowing in the soft wind. She was a lovely thing.
“Hi, Kate,” I said, stuffing my hands in my pockets, walking to meet her.
“I’m not sure if I should be happy with you and Viola Hunter or angry. Alice is head over heels for this Frenchmen you introduced her to. If she runs off to France, I may never speak to you again.”
I laughed. “Let’s go with happy. You’re having them over tonight?”
“Yeah, Cooper and I wanted to check this guy out.”
“He seems a good sort.”
Kate nodded, her bright eyes shining. She looked closely at me then said, “Something’s troubling you.”
“How did you know?”
“You’re here,” she said, motioning toward the water.
I smiled at her. Alice and Kate had been friends for many years. Alice’s report of her was always good, and moreover, Alice trusted her. That was good enough for me. “In love, I think. Not sure if she loves me back.”
“Hmm,” Kate mused. “I know how you can find out.”
I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Ask,” she replied playfully, giggling. The sound of her laughter, I noticed then, chimed like a bell which echoed on the waves. The sound of it was captivating. For a moment, I felt transfixed. Strange.
Kate took my arm, seemingly breaking the spell, then turned and walked with me down the beach. “Love is something so rare, and never easy to come by, not true love, at least. If you love this woman, tell her. What’s the risk? I once had to make a great leap of faith for love. It wasn’t an easy choice, but I did whatever it took.”
“Did you get what you wanted?”
“You’ve met my husband? Seen my children? Their worth is beyond measure. And the cost, well,” she said, glancing across the waves, “seems very small in comparison now. If you love her, truly love her, do anything for her. Do everything you can to make sure she knows what she means to you.”
Kate’s words struck my heart. It was exactly what I needed to hear. “Thank you, Kate.”
“Of course,” she said then took my hand. Opening it, she lay two pieces of beach glass in my palm. I noticed then how the tiny pieces, one pale pink in color, the other one green, looked like hearts. “I was wondering who they were for. Now I know,” she said, then closed my hand.
The sun dropped below the clouds and dipped toward the horizon. It cast stunning pink and golden light on the beach. In that moment, the air around Kate shifted and changed. What a sparkly thing she was, all golden and glimmering in the sunlight. She was luminescent. And there seemed to be no other place in the world where she fit more perfectly than on that beach. And in that moment, I knew without a doubt what I had long guessed.
“Mermaid?” I inquired softly.
Kate giggled lightly, her voice like a small melodious bell. “Once. No more. And you, fey thing that you are…I remember another like you in Chancellor many years ago. No wings though, huh?”
“Those are pixies.”
“Thought I saw one in my garden last summer. Wasn’t sure if that was you or not. I thought maybe you could shrink down and ride in a walnut.”
“I wish.”
Kate squeezed my hand then let me go. “I need to get back, finish getting ready for dinner tonight. Good luck, Rayne.”
“Thank you.”
“Not going to forgive you though if she moves to France, though.”
“Won’t shipwreck me, will you?”
“Retired,” she said with a laugh then headed back down the beach.
I watched her as she went. A lovely creature, she melded into the beachline. Mermaid. Chancellor really was a special place. With all the witches haunting the ladies’ auxiliary and beauty salons, of course it made sense that we’d have our own mermaid.
I smiled. If the bees and I could finally find a match for Alice, there was no way I could mess things up with Viola. I just needed to show her that she was, beyond all measure, the thing I wanted most in the world. And I was willing to do anything to have her…even ask her brother’s permission.
Chapter 14: Viola
“Maybe this trunk, Miss Hunter?” Dorothea asked, pulling an old box out of the back of my mother’s closet.
I was standing on the other side of the room looking in the garment bags hanging at the back of Dad’s closet. So far I’d found a few gowns, but not the one I was looking for.
Dorothea opened the trunk to reveal a dress box inside.
“Oh my gosh, that’s it!” I squealed.
I don’t know why the idea came to me, but the second Horatio told me to go check in my closets for a dress, I remembered an amazing blue gown my mother had once worn to some formal event. I remembered, very vividly, her coming down the stairs in the midnight blue gown which was covered in glimmering beads and intricately sewn embroidery. Stars and moons had been sewn with sparkling beading all along the sheer material covering the skirt of the vintage dress. She’d sparkled like the night’s sky. It was an image of my mother I always carried in my heart.
“I can’t believe you found it,” I said, gently lifting the dress out of the box.
Carefully, Dorothea and I looked over the garment.
“It will need a few stitches. You’re a bit smaller than your mother was. I can have it ready for you by tomorrow. Let’s try it on,” she said as I quickly slipped off my clothes and slid into the gown.
It was large, and the material was very fragile, but something magical happened when that dress slipped over my head. A dizzy feeling took over me, and I swore I could hear music. The feel of Rayne’s lips pressed against mine, and his sweet honey taste came to mind. I closed my eyes, feeling myself swoon.
“You all right, Miss Hunter?”
“Yes. Hungry, I think. I’ve been running all day.”
“All day? All year, more like.”
She was definitely right about that. And now, I’d be running even more. I needed to connect with Luc, let him know I was unquestionably interested in the apprenticeship. And I needed a spare moment to return Rayne’s call. I just wanted to make sure I was in the right frame of mind when I did so. I hadn’t had a chance to get there yet.
“Look how beautiful,” Dorothea said, standing me in front of the mirror.
The vintage dress was as stunning as ever. One of the sleeves had ripped a bit and the satin sash needed to be fixed, but the hem was the right length. It was so lovely. And more than that, I caught the light scent of my mother’s perfume on the fabric. Was there anything more perfect than feeling her in that moment?
Carefully, Dorothea eyed the waist. “About two inches will do. I’ll just fold it in, don’t want to cut the actual gown. No need to hem. You and your mother must have been the same height.”
The Chancellor Fairy Tales Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 20