“If I don’t eat all of the cheese today.” She smirked and then walked away.
“You better not,” I called after her lightheartedly.
I went up to my room to get ready for the party. I still had an hour before Nate was due to arrive, and at least two hours before the event got into full swing. I didn’t think I was smelly, but Jezebel told me I needed a shower anyway. I let her out to wander the gardens before people started to arrive, and hopped into the tub. I decided on a bath instead of a shower to keep my hair dry. I hadn’t touched a blow dryer since high school, and I wasn’t about to start today. Plus, I had some rose bath oil stuff I’d bought on my last trip to the drugstore. I figured a party was as good occasion as any to see how it worked.
Standing there in a towel after my bath, dripping water on the bathroom floor is when I realized I didn’t have anything to wear to the party. I had a few nice dresses and suits, but I didn’t own a cocktail dress. I grabbed my phone and called Aunt Kara.
“Lenny, are you okay? You didn’t leave, did you? Why are you calling me on the phone? I thought you were upstairs.” I could hear her starting to panic.
“I'm all right, and yes I’m upstairs. I just need your help. I don’t have a cocktail dress. Do you have something I could borrow?”
A few minutes later, Aunt Kara arrived at my door with a beautiful emerald cocktail dress. It was a vintage piece made of emerald lace over a mountain of tulle that gave the skirt the perfect amount of volume.
“Thank you! It’s perfect.” I said.
“It will bring out your eyes beautifully.” She said and handed me the dress. “Oh, and your dinner date is here. Should I send him up?”
“No. Tell him I’ll be down in a flash.”
I paired the dress with silver kitten heels, and put my hair up into a twist. I was ready to go in a few minutes, and I hoped that I hadn’t kept Nathan waiting too long.
Nate was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for me, and he whistled at me as I descended the steps. I could smell something delicious coming from the bag Nate was holding. He held it up and smiled.
“Got us breakfast for dinner from the diner. It’s blueberry pancakes with lots of butter and syrup and a side of sausage.”
“Oh, that sounds excellent. How is the weather outside? I haven’t been out since earlier this afternoon.”
“It’s warm enough to eat outside as long as we don’t take too long.”
We went out back and sat at one of the tables on the patio. The space was partially enclosed, so it kept the wind out. With the heat coming from the building, it was actually quite pleasant.
“Lenny, this is probably a bad time to bring this up with the party and all, but I was wondering if you could tell me about the cabin in the woods?” Nathan asked cautiously.
“What do you mean?” I tried not to betray how suddenly anxious I felt.
“I know you and Esme are doing something out there. I just can’t put my finger on what it is. She’s been going out there for a long time, and there are rumors about that place.”
“What kind of stories?” I asked after swallowing a huge lump in my throat.
I was hoping some of the color would return to my face. I’d felt all of the blood drain out of it the second he’d asked the question.
“You know about ghosts and stuff. Maybe even something about witches.” Nate practically whispered the word witches as if he was afraid of the sound of it.
“Hey guys, the party is getting started.” Aunt Kara appeared in the doorway to the outdoor patio. “Are you guys coming in?” She took a step back when she saw the stricken look on my face. “I’m sorry if I interrupted something.”
“It’s okay, Kara. I was just asking Lenny silly questions about spooks and such. We’re ready to come in.”
Aunt Kara shot me a concerned look, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders. Nathan didn’t look upset at all, so I figured he didn’t take the rumors he’d heard too seriously. I knew the discussion wasn’t over yet, and I felt terrible for keeping my secret from him even if it was just for a couple more hours.
We stayed at the party and mingled for an hour or so, but then the bed and breakfast got really crowded. People were in the lobby, breakfast room, and upstairs parlor. They eventually had to spill out onto the patio and into the garden even though the night was getting chilly.
“You guys can take off and do something else if you want.” Aunt Kara said after she found Nathan and me in the hallway.
“We wouldn’t dream of leaving you, Aunt Kara,” I said.
“No, seriously. You kids get outta here, and it’ll make room for more guests. I had no idea how popular this party was going to be. I guess I shouldn’t have underestimated how big of a crowd free food can draw when there isn’t anything else going on in town.”
So, Nathan and I found our way out of the bed and breakfast. We started to walk to his car, but I took him by the hand and pulled him in the other direction.
“Where are we going?”
“I have something I want to show you. I can’t keep this a secret any longer.” I said as confidently as possible.
The truth was that I was scared to death. I was going to take Nate to the old cabin and introduce him to Madam Kizzy Piggot. It was time to come clean to my boyfriend about who I was, and show him that there are things in this world that not everyone can see.
It hit me like a brick while we were walking to the cabin that this could be it. There was a very real chance that the reality of witches and ghosts would be more than Nathan could handle, and he might leave me. But, there was no way that I could hide who I was forever. It had to come out at some point, and part of me wished I’d told him before I fell in love with him.
“Why are we going to the old cabin?” Nathan asked when I turned down the gravel drive that led to it.
“You asked about it. I’m going to show you.”
“Whoa. What are you going to show me? Are you just bringing me out here to try and scare me?” He said and laughed, but I could detect a hint of nervousness in his laughter.
“No, baby. But, you should be prepared. This is something that will change the way you see the world.” I said and pulled him forward when his pace slowed down.
He was silent for a few moments, but then said “I trust you, Lenny,” as the deserted cabin came into view.
Nathan didn’t complain or protest as I led him up the steps to the front door. I’m not sure why I decided that tonight had to be the night that I told him about my “gift,” but it didn’t feel right to keep it a secret for one moment longer. I just hoped that Kizzy had a way to soften the blow.
I held my breath and knocked on the door three times.
“Babe, what are you doing?” Nathan asked with a chuckle.
Before I could answer, Kizzy opened the door and smiled broadly. “Lenny, you brought a friend this time.”
Nathan was completely silent, and his mouth hung wide open. I took his hand again and pulled him through the door into Madam Piggot’s parlor.
“I’ve been in here before. I don’t understand.” He mumbled.
The room looked exactly as it had the last time I’d been here. Logic told you that with the soft light from the lamps and the glow emitted from the candles, the windows of the cabin shouldn’t have been dark and hollow as you approached the home. The world outside the door and the one inside the cabin were two different places.
“Take a breath, Honey,” I said when I realized he was holding it. “I’ll explain everything. I thought this was the best way to show you so that you didn’t think I was crazy.”
The truth was that I could have just cast a spell and proved to him that I was a real witch, but I was afraid. I wanted backup to help soften the blow, and I didn’t think that Esme would be as tactful as needed for this situation. I get the feeling that Esme is a very rip the Band-Aid off fast and tell it like it is kinda gal.
“This isn’t real, is it?” Nathan whispered. “I’m
sick, right? I’ve got a fever, or I’m dreaming. Am I drunk?”
“It’s real,” I answered calmly. “Just not in the way you think.”
“Please come, sit down,” Kizzy said and gestured towards her fainting sofa.
I led Nathan over to the seat by the window and guided him onto it. He was looking around the room with the fascination of a child. I thought he would be more frightened, but I was relieved to see that he was more captivated than afraid.
“You could have warned me you had this planned. I would have had something prepared.” Kizzy said.
“I didn’t know. I didn’t plan this.”
“It was just the right time. I see that now.” She said and nodded her head.
“Nathan, there’s more,” I said as I sat down next to him and took his hands into mine. “I brought you here because I wanted you to believe me, and I wanted to tell you this in a place because I thought that Madam Piggot, Kizzy, here could help me frame it all in a positive light.”
“What is this place?” He asked curiously.
“It’s my place,” Kizzy said confidently. “It’s a place where I can interact with the living even though I’ve passed on.”
“You’ve passed on?” Nathan asked her in a voice barely above a whisper.
“Yep. I’m dead as a doornail, Sweetie. Can’t you tell?”
“I guess you do look a little see-through.” He responded. “But, how did Lenny make you appear?”
“Remember at the door when I knocked three times?” I asked, and Nate responded by shaking his head yes. “Well, that’s how you summon Kizzy.”
“So, what happens if you knock two times? Or four?” He asked.
I was shocked that he was curious about all of this instead of being scared or repulsed. I’m not sure why I thought he’d take this knowledge so badly, but I was relieved to see him being so inquisitive about everything.
“I don’t know. Esme told me we knock three times for Kissy. She never told me what happens if you knock a different amount of times.”
Kizzy shrugged her shoulders. “I assume you’d get someone else. Another spirit perhaps. I can’t tell you who it would be, though.”
Now I had to tell Nathan the rest. This wasn’t just about showing him that ghosts were real. I also needed to let him in on me being a witch.
“There’s more,” I said. “What I’m about to tell you will change the way you see the world, and it will probably change the way you see me too.”
“Just tell me, Lenny. Whatever it is, we’ll get through it. I love you no matter what.”
Dread spread from my stomach up into my throat, and I began to feel light headed. My fingers and toes were tingling, and I could feel the hair on the back of my neck standing up. You would think his declaration of unconditional love would make me feel better, but all it did was remind me of how much I had to lose.
“Witches are real too, and I am one. I didn’t know until I moved to Tree’s Hollow, but once I was here, everything changed for me.” I held my breath.
Nate chuckles and squeezes my hand. “Seriously, Lenny. Just tell me. You don’t have to deflect with humor. I’ll accept whatever it is.”
“Wait? You accept that you’re in an abandoned cabin decorated in ghost, but you can’t believe witches are real?”
“Oh, you’re serious.”
I nodded my head yes.
“Okay. So, like you can cast spells and stuff. You can communicate with ghosts too. Does that mean I’m a witch since I can see Kizzy?” Nathan was taking this better than I’d expected.
It was my turn to giggle. “I don’t think you’re a witch. You would know. Of course, I didn’t know until I got here. And yes, I can cast spells.”
He didn’t say anything, but he did look at me skeptically. I guessed I was going to have to demonstrate, but what would be the best way to show him what I could do.
Then it hit me. I just had to do it right because I was still kinda new to spell casting, and I didn’t want to accidentally turn Nathan into a frog or something. I closed my eyes, held out my hands, and pictured what I wanted with all of my mental focus.
When I opened my eyes again, I had a cupcake in each hand. One cherry chip with cherry buttercream frosting for me, and one yellow cake with chocolate frosting for Nate.
“Marry me,” Nathan said with a big smile.
“Nathan, stop. You need to be serious right now.”
“I am deadly serious, Lenora. I didn’t think it was possible for you to be any more perfect than you already were, but if you can materialize cake out of thin air, I need you to be my wife.” He said with a chuckle.
For a moment, I am speechless. I mean, Nate just asked me to be his girlfriend officially, and now he’s asking me to be his wife.
“You just asked me to be your girlfriend.” My hand instinctively went to my throat and to the pendant he’d given me.
“I know, and that was really me chickening out, Lenny. I’ve wanted to ask you to marry me since a week after we started dating, but I didn’t want you to think I was crazy. I’ve been carrying this in my pocket every day since our one-week anniversary.” Nate said and pulled a small, navy blue jewelry box out of his pocket.
Nathan opened the box and held it out towards me. Inside was a princess cut solitaire diamond ring. It looked to be just under a karat, and the stone sparkled like a star.
“Yes. A million times yes.” Slipped out before I could think about it.
Nathan put the ring on my finger and pulled me into his embrace. We held each other for a few minutes before we parted. My eyes had been closed as my face was pressed against his muscular chest, and when I opened them, we were standing in the empty cabin.
“I guess Madam Piggot thought her work was done,” Nate said with a smile.
As we left, I couldn’t help but notice that my engagement ring kept catching the moonlight. I couldn’t help but stare at it, and I was lucky that Nate was leading me down the gravel pathway by the hand.
Since I wasn’t watching where I was walking, I didn’t notice the man coming towards us until Nate said something. He let go of my hand and took a step forward.
“Stay behind me, Baby,” Nate said protectively.
I guess he forgot about the whole magic thing, but I’d let him play the protector for now. I just hoped that if things went sideways, I could count on my magic to save us.
“Well, hey there folks. It’s a mighty nice evening for a stroll in the moonlight.” The man said in a voice that was just a little bit too friendly and unmistakably Russian.
He stepped into a beam of light that broke between tree branches, and I got a better look at him. The man was tall and thin with a grizzled face peppered with stubble. He was wearing a blue silk shirt, jeans, and a black leather jacket. Something was pressing against one of the pockets of his coat. Whether it was a gun, knife, or just his phone, I couldn’t tell.
“It is a lovely evening,” Nate said enthusiastically. “My name’s Nathan, and I’m a forest ranger by trade. Is there something I can help you with out here?”
Nate maintained his friendly demeanor, but I could tell his questions were meant to encourage the man to leave. It would be hard for him to come out and say the man shouldn’t be here since we were also in the woods after park hours permitted, but my new fiancé wanted the man to know he wasn’t welcome.
“I know your name.” The stranger practically growled. “I know hers too. Lenora Brewer. Such a beautiful name for a gorgeous woman.”
“Look, man, I think you need to take a hike,” Nate said firmly but calmly.
“I will take my leave of you lovely people in just a moment.” The man stated in an ever-thickening Russian accent. “I just have a short message to deliver to the lady.” He paused for a moment to ensure I was paying rapt attention to him. “You need to stop looking into the death of Nikolay Volkov for your own health and peace of mind.”
“Sir, I don’t know who you are, but you need to leave now, or
I will call the police,” Nate said, and he took a step towards the guy like he was about to fight him.
“I’m going. You need to keep your little woman on a shorter leash for her own safety.” The stranger said curtly.
“That’s it,” Nathan said and raised his fists.
“Nathan.” I managed to squeak out as I grabbed his arm.
It was enough to stop Nate from clocking the guy. He turned to me and apologized as we watched the man walk away.
“I guess that was something about work.” He said once we were alone again.
“Yeah, that and a favor.”
“What do you mean?”
I told him the story of Nikolay’s ghost visiting me at the restaurant where he died and again at work. He didn’t ask me to drop my investigation, but I could tell that’s what he wanted.
Nate walked me home and waited until I had secured the windows in my room and locked the door after he left. He sent me a text message when he got home letting me know that he was safe and wanting to know that I was as well.
You’re not going out with Esme again, are you? – Nate
Not tonight, Baby. I’m in for the night. I promise. I love you.
Love you too, Good night future wife. - Nate
Good night future husband.
Even though the Russian showing up to scare me had put a damper on the evening, I still couldn’t help but go to sleep with a smile on my face. Even Jezebel curled up next to me and just cuddled instead of being a sassy pain in my butt.
Chapter Seven
Aunt Kara shrieked so loud that I thought she’d shatter glass when I told her about the engagement the next morning. She almost dropped the tray of muffins she was carrying out to the breakfast bar when I told her.
“He’s quite the catch, Lenny. Congratulations!”
I took one of the muffins and peeled the paper off of it slowly. It was still warm and smelled of butter and brown sugar. Aunt Kara’s snickerdoodle muffins were the best I’d ever tasted, and I knew that if I didn’t get one or two of them right away, they’d be devoured by guests as soon as the breakfast room opened for the morning meal.
Brewing Trouble Page 5