by Candace Colt
Beau cleared his throat. When the woman turned, even in the semi-dark space, he could tell she was a real looker with curly hair and turned-up nose dotted with freckles. She knew how to fill a tee-shirt, too.
“Oh,” she said. “I thought you were Aunt Deidra.”
“Name’s Ba—.” Crap. He tried again. “Ba—.”
“Bah? Your name’s Bah?”
He shook his head. Why did he always freeze up? He talked to almost anyone without one damn problem. But when meeting a new woman, especially a beautiful one, he stammered like King George VI.
His inability to speak coherently with attractive women drove him nuts, made speech therapists run screaming, ruined relationships, and threw a monkey wrench into building his electrician business.
To cover the strained silence, he handed her his business card. Her dismayed expression made things worse. He knew he came across as an asshat when he stammered. But the more beautiful the woman, the more tongue-tied he became.
She turned the flashlight to the card and read it out loud: “‘Cat’s Paw Cove Electrician. We Con-duit. Beauregard Grayson, Licensed Electrician.”’
The red-head offered a handshake. “I’m Theo’s cousin, Abby. I’m taking care of the place. Nice to meet you, Beauregard.”
As he took her warm hand, all Beau managed was, “You, too.”
The woman breezed by him and left the room. Who’d blame her? He wanted to punch the wall in frustration. Instead, he held up his battery-operated shop light and started testing fuse switches.
“Didn’t go well, eh?” came a small voice.
At Beau’s feet stood a small puffball. “Hey, Short Stuff. How’s it going without Theo?”
Scarlett tilted her head to the right and left. “Abby’s a pretty good caretaker. But she has a lot to learn about cats.”
“As usual, I made a crappy first impression,” he muttered.
“You like her, don’t you?”
Beau snapped his head back. “Where’d you come up with that?”
“I can tell. She’s available.”
“And just how do you know?”
“Typical human; she tells me everything. She’s just lucky I don’t carry gossip.”
“Lucky?” Scarlett, the town’s gossip empress, could spread a story at the speed of light. Beau flipped the switches one more time, but still no power. “Looks like I have to take the whole panel apart.”
“Have fun.”
“Actually, I think this is fun.”
“For you, maybe. Me? I’d rather watch humans try to make me chase a laser light.”
Deidra sat on the stool behind the cash register. “Did Beau figure out the problem?”
“I didn’t stay long enough to ask. Is he always in a rush like that?” Abby asked.
“Beau bought the business from an old fellow who had a lot of health problems and over time had lost a lot of customers. Since then, Beau’s taken on more than he should to earn clients back. I’m sure he juggled an overbooked schedule for us,” Deidra said as Scarlett jumped up on the counter. “He’s probably doing too much and comes across as rushed. But, he’s the best.”
Abby scratched Scarlett’s chin. “He doesn’t talk a lot, either.”
Deidra’s smile broadened. “Oh, I can explain that.” She started to say more, but Dot and Polly walked up, each holding a doll.
“This one begged to come home with me,” Polly said.
“Now, will you explain how this works?” Dot asked as she held hers up for Deidra and Abby to see.
Abby rolled her eyes. “Ask my aunt.”
“Very simple.” Deidra checked her phone. “Oh, look at the time. Ladies, we should be going. Let’s talk over lunch.”
“We need to pay,” Dot said.
“My treat,” Deidra said. “I’ll square up with my daughter later. Besides, the cash register is still down. Would you two mind waiting for me outside? I have a few more things to go over with Abby.”
After the women had gone out on the porch, Deidra asked quietly: “Still haven’t found anything to break the curse?”
Abby shook her head. “I’ve tried everything. Honest. The old woman’s curse sticks like it was super-glued. I’ve given up, Aunt Deidra. This is my fate.”
“Nonsense. Make an appointment with Luna Halpern. She’s a local witch. If anyone can reverse a curse, it would be her.”
“I met her at the wedding. She seemed very nice. But it was a witch who did this to me. What good would it do to see another one? Besides, I’d feel like a fool bothering her with this.”
“Bother? This is right up Luna’s alley. And she’s not some goofy witch you’d see in a movie. Or like the one who cursed you. Now promise me you’ll call her.”
Abby was tired of helpful suggestions. She’d paid a ton of money for positive affirmation seminars. Tapped her meridian points till she’d bruised. Slept through a dozen Reiki sessions. Worn enough crystal necklaces to have choked a horse. Switched and unswitched to organic veggies and free-range chicken.
Abby knew her problem was beyond any help, but she humored her aunt. “I promise. I’ll call her.”
“Abigail Blessing, I know you and your promises. If you don’t make that appointment before the end of this week, I’ll march you over to the Cove Cat Café to meet her.”
Deidra knew Abby’s habits too well. “Okay. Okay. I’ll call her,” Abby said.
After her aunt and her friends drove off, Abby went to check on the electrician’s progress. As she rounded the corner to the laundry room, she slammed into the man’s broad chest.
“Whoa.” Beauregard’s deep voice resonated through her as he lightly touched her arms. “You o—kay?”
“Uh. Sure. Sorry about that,” she said.
Abby rolled her gaze up to his face, inches from hers. Even in the dim light, she could tell he was blushing.
“No prob,” he said.
As the man stepped past, Abby caught a hint of his fresh woodsy aftershave. A refreshing change from the stinky stuff that drenched Polly. Absentmindedly, she rubbed her arms where the man had briefly touched her. Even though accidental, his touch reminded her of how long it had been since she’d been in a man’s arms. Much too long.
Where was he going? The lights were still off. She silently groaned. This wouldn’t be the first time she’d fried a whole electrical system. Dollar signs rolled through her head. She couldn’t afford to rewire the entire building. Perhaps her father would float another loan, even though he’d made it clear there’d be no more loans after the last one.
How could she have been so darn feeble-minded as to have said that word out loud?
Out on the porch, Abby realized Beauregard hadn’t left after all. Instead, he walked back toward the house, carrying an expandable ladder over one shoulder. She’d helped her dad with those enough times to know even an aluminum ladder was heavy.
This guy carried it as effortlessly as a grocery bag full of marshmallows. She shouldn’t stare, but she couldn’t resist. With tree limb sized arms like his, no wonder lifting a ladder was easy. He walked to the side of the house, with Abby right behind him.
“Is it bad?” she asked.
He shrugged as he steadied the ladder against the house.
“Want me to hold it?” Gack, that had sounded so wrong. “The ladder,” Abby quickly clarified.
A grin crossed his lips, then quickly disappeared. “No, thanks.”
She tried to swallow, but her mouth had gone dry.
Her gaze fixed on his tight butt as he moved up every rung of the ladder. The blond Adonis was fantastic from every angle.
“She’s watching you.”
“What are you doing up here?” Beau asked.
Scarlett had hunkered down in a lazy ball on the roof while Beau examined the lead-in wires.
“I’m hanging out,” the kitten said. “Up here is my favorite hiding spot. The view is awesome. Don’t act like you see me. She’ll freak out.”
Beau
unfastened the main connection, clipped the burned-out section, and rewired it. “I’m surprised this didn’t start a fire. This wiring was in bad shape.”
“Abby likes you,” Scarlett said.
“We just met an hour ago.” Beau ignored the flicker of interest, but the possibility was intriguing. “Don’t spread rumors about us, Scarlett. Understand?”
“Right. My lips are sealed.”
Beau chuckled. “That will be the day.”
“Look, she’s only here for two weeks. Actually, eleven more days. If you’re going to make your move, be quick. Like now.”
“Like no way.” Beau tucked his tools into his belt. “You plan to stay up here?”
“Nah.” Scarlett made a short hop to Beau’s shoulder for the ride down.
“Damn, Short Stuff. You’ve got some sharp claws.”
“Got your attention, didn’t it?” she breathed into his ear.
“Scarlett, in the name of God, what were you doing up there?” Abby reached for the cat.
“My su—pervisor,” Beau said.
“If anything would happen to Scarlett on top of me screwing up the electricity, I’d be excommunicated from the Blessing family.”
When Beau passed the kitten to Abby, Scarlett pulled her rubber body ploy that caused the electrician’s and Abby’s arms to have an extended contact.
Beau swore the woman’s touch caused a shock-wave through him. It wasn’t static from animal fur, either. He knew the difference. This one was a real burst of electricity, like touching a hot wire.
Apparently, Abby hadn’t noticed as she cuddled the feline under her chin. “What’s the verdict on the power outage?”
Beau motioned for her to follow him inside to the fuse box. He located the breaker and switched it on, and the studio lit up, back to normal.
“Bad street con—nection,” he said.
“Really? Wow. Well, how much do I owe you, Beauregard?”
“Nothing. I’ll talk to E—than. Please c—all me Beau.”
“Thank you so much. And thank you for getting Scarlett off the roof, too.”
Beau pursed his lips and gave the cat a sideways glance. “Any t—ime.”
Scarlett jumped from Abby’s arms and trotted beside Beau as he retrieved his ladder and tools and went back to the truck.
“I’m telling you, act fast,” the feline said.
Beau locked the ladder in place then turned to the porch where Abby stood. The afternoon sun reflected off her red hair, creating an angel’s halo. He blew it off to imagination and opened his driver’s side door.
Before he got in, he made sure to get Scarlett’s attention. “You’re scratching the wrong tree trunk this time.”
“Human, can you try any harder to be more stubborn?” The cat shot her tail in the air and headed back to the house.
“Catch you next time, Short Stuff.”
Chapter Three
After closing the studio for the day, Abby decided to take herself out for dinner. Short on cash, she had a small credit balance left on her charge card. Her mouth watered for a thick burger, and The Galley was a short walk up the street.
Scarlett hadn’t made an appearance since the electrician had left hours ago, but Abby wasn’t worried. Cat’s Paw Cove was a feline-friendly town. When Scarlett got good and hungry, she’d come trotting back.
Meanwhile, Abby’s own stomach announced a reminder she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. After Aunt Deidre and her friends had left, the store had been busy. Abby had sold several pricey pieces. And no further power glitches, thank God.
Kristy Wilshire, the owner of The Galley, greeted Abby at the door. “So good to see you again. Theo’s wedding was beautiful, wasn’t it? It’s a long wait for a table, but there are seats at the bar,” Kristy said.
Abby didn’t mind the bar at all and took a seat at the farthest end. Kristy sat next to her.
“Hope you don’t mind my company for a few minutes. I need to get off my feet.” Kristy motioned to the bartender. “We’re still celebrating the wedding, so Abby’s first one is on the house.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Abby said.
“My pleasure. We didn’t have much time to talk at the reception. It’s been a long time since you were back in town.”
“It’s good to see you again, too,” Abby said.
The bartender placed a pint of pale ale in front of Abby. As she raised the glass, she caught her and Kristy’s reflections in the lighted mirror behind the liquor shelves.
“Look at us,” Abby gasped between giggles. “In the mirror.”
“Hilarious. We could be sisters!”
They both had red hair, green eyes, and a spray of freckles. There were a few years between them, and Abby was shorter and a bit rounder, but otherwise an uncanny similarity.
“Is it possible you have some Wilshire blood in you?” Kristy asked.
Abby shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of.”
“If I ever need a body double, I know who I’m contacting. Well, my rest break’s over. Time to meet and greet,” Kristy said. “Enjoy your dinner.”
Soon after, Abby’s burger arrived still sizzling. First things first, she tasted a French fry. A good one guaranteed everything else would be great. And this one was outstanding with just the right amount of crispiness on the outside and heat on the inside.
She layered the lettuce, slices of red onion, and beefsteak tomato on the burger. With a flourish, she patted the top bun in place to seal the delightful creation.
While she hated to act like a tourist, she couldn’t resist taking a photo to post on Instagram. After adjusting the plate and pint until it looked right, she sent the snap with a caption: A hangry girl’s bestie #CatsPawCoveGalley
Within seconds, the post got a dozen ‘likes.’
The first bite of burger was so good that she chewed slowly to let the flavors meld in her mouth. She chased it with another sip of beer as the bartender returned.
“How’d we do?” he asked.
“I totally lo—”
Lord in heaven. She’d almost done it again.
She hurriedly recovered. “Delicious.”
That had been too close for comfort. Abby freaked thinking about all the customers and staff that would have been in total darkness just because she hadn’t been able to keep her mouth shut.
Damn. All this because she’d unintentionally angered a hag at a psychic fair two years ago. It will be fun, her friends had said. Yeah, right.
Abby Blessing knew a thing or two about psychics and witches and magical people. The minute she and her friends had walked into the park where the fair had been held, her instincts had alerted her to danger.
Half the so-called magicals at the event had been fake. The other half had followed the dark path. All in all, that event had been a one-hundred-percent-lousy place to be. Abby had tried to coax her friends to leave, but they’d been caught up in all the hoopla.
Abby had taken a seat near a fountain on the far side of the park. Even with no unique gift, she’d sensed a dangerous vibe trying to pull her in.
She’d fought it for a few minutes, then something had compelled her to start walking. No matter what direction she’d chosen, the vibe had intensified to a constant charge that had raised the hair on her arms and neck, until she’d stopped dead in her tracks in front of a ragged tent. Inside, an old woman, dressed in tattered clothes and worn shoes, had sat cross-legged on the ground. The woman’s shawl had been pulled over her head so that only her ghostly eyes had been visible. Unlike any of the other exhibitors, the old woman had nothing for sale.
Abby remembered the sickening turn in her stomach when the woman had raised her rheumy-eyed gaze. Abby had known immediately that she’d been face-to-face with a dark path witch.
Out of the blue, the old woman had said, ‘It’s your fault, you know.’
Instead of moving on, Abby had succumbed to the woman’s ploy, bantered with the witch, and challenged her validity. When
Abby had reached her limit with the woman’s insistent negativity, Abby had loudly proclaimed that the old hag was insane and not to believe a thing she’d said.
Not the smartest move on Abby’s part. The woman had released her shawl to expose her tangled hair and menacing face. She’d raised her hands skyward and delivered the curse.
‘Insane, you say I am? Then from this day, that you will not forget, if from your lips, the word LOVE slips, your constant companion will be regret.’
Winding down like a mechanical fortune-telling dummy in a sideshow, the old woman had drawn her shawl over her head and had reentered her far-away trance.
Abby had ignored the inquisitive fair-goers who’d gathered to watch as she edged away from the booth to find her friends. Once in the car, Abby had been goaded to say the word and see what would happen.
She hadn’t believed anything could happen just by saying a particular word. To prove it, she had blurted it out, and the car had stalled. No amount of effort had restarted it, and they’d had to be towed.
After that, every time she’d said it, some absurd electrical or mechanical failure happened. It had started with small things like the stalled car. Or a blown lightbulb. Today it had been an entire building.
Drawn back to her meal in The Galley, Abby swirled the last French fry in the catsup.
The old hag had been right. That had been a day Abby would never forget.
Chapter Four
Beau might have a problem talking to some women, but he had no trouble forming a string of salty swear words that shot from his mouth like fireworks. One of his brand-new work gloves was missing.
Scowling, hands on hips, he glanced over his tidy shelves and benches. Proud of how he kept his shop, he’d spot something out of place in a heartbeat. It wasn’t here. He’d checked under and between the seats of his truck. Inside the shop. In his apartment.
While he wasted time, the day was whizzing by. He had five service calls ahead. No telling what kind of outside job he’d face, like yesterday at The Magic Potter. Beau had an extra pair, but they were nearly threadbare.