1 The Ladybug Jinx

by Tonya Kappes

“Pearl once!” Clarice’s voice boomed as she grabbed the needles from the middle-aged woman. “Not twice, once. Hold on, Liz. I’ll get those tassels for you once I figure out how to get these needles back on track.”

  Liz snickered. She loved that Clarice blamed the needles and not the knitter, although the knitter’s face was flushed red.

  “Take your time.” Liz walked around the room.

  It might be cold outside, but the warmth of the yarns made the shop very cozy. She didn’t mind waiting. It was just one more thing she liked about Grandberry Falls. The slow pace that made her enjoy life.

  She’d never noticed all the different types of yarns. Wool, Mohair, Dishie, Swish Tonal, the spools went on and on lined across the three room house that Clarice had turned into the cozy shop.

  Quickly she thumbed through the wool cloaks hanging on the round display.

  “Aren’t those beautiful?” Clarice broke the silence in Liz’s head.

  “Yes.” Liz held up the black lined one, thinking it just might go with her new sequined dress. “Did you make this?”

  “Honey, I can make anything.” Clarice handed the bag of tassels to Liz after Liz put the cloak back on the rack.

  “You do a beautiful job.” The clock hanging behind Clarice’s head couldn’t be right.

  Liz didn’t have time to make a deal or dally any longer. She needed another cup of coffee to warm her bones, and she could get that meeting Jenna.

  “Put it on my tab.” Liz waved behind her. “Hazel, stop on over for a cup of coffee.”

  “Naw, I’m gonna run some errands. I think Maggie might be coming in town soon.” Hazel’s eyes light up like fireworks on the Fourth of July.

  Maggie was Hazel’s other granddaughter and niece to Jenna. Hazel Greenlee raised Belle and Maggie after their parents were killed in a tragic car crash when they were little ones. From what Liz has heard and seen, Hazel had done an amazing job.

  “Oh, good. I can’t wait to meet her.” Liz hugged Hazel goodbye.

  Maggie was a lawyer in New York City. She’d left for college and hadn’t come back. She had returned a couple times a year, but not since Liz had lived in Grandberry Falls.

  The sound of the falls and the snow-capped rocks looked like a perfect Christmas card. And the carriage lights lining both sides of the street made the dangling Christmas decorations sparkle even more. With all the beauty surrounding her, she had hard time finding the joy, but she had to somehow—for Hayes.

  “Over here,” Jenna yelled and waved her hands over the crowd in the coffee shop. “Non-fat, vanilla latte for you.”

  “Yum. Just what I need.” Liz laid the bag of tassels on the table, and brushed the snow off her coat. “The snow is really coming down.”

  The blizzard outside wasn’t stopping the town folks from getting out. The streets were filled with conversations and Christmas cheer.

  “We are supposed to get a couple inches.” Jenna handed Liz a menu.

  She put it down. There was no reason for her to look at it. She ordered the same thing week after week.

  “I was afraid the snow might keep you away.” Kerri Ann McComb wiped her hands down her Christmas apron causing the bells along the side to jingle.

  Kerri Ann was an inspiration to Liz. She didn’t care what people thought, and said it like it was.

  She pulled the pen out of her hair and tapped the order pad.

  “The usual?” Kerri Ann asked.

  “Yes, please. And, I’d like to add a bowl of your soup.” Soup was exactly what Liz needed to take the chill out of her spirit. “Plus, I’d never miss our weekly date. Are these from The Ladybug Florist?”

  She picked up the bud vase, admiring the cream, white, and red Poinsettia with holly springs.

  “Selma ordered one for each table. Didn’t Celia do an excellent job?” Pride filled Kerri Ann’s voice.

  Celia Briggs, the owner of The Ladybug Florist, decorated all of Grandberry Falls. And beautifully.

  “I hope she’s back in time to get the fundraiser arrangements done.” Jenna gave a cross look to Kerri Ann.

  Kerri Ann should have the inside scoop since she dated Marty, Celia’s father.

  “Marty is in Los Angeles at the movie wrap party, and he said there’s a big surprise to tell me when he gets back.” Kerri Ann refilled the coffee cups. “I still can’t believe Sam Barber was living in our town and we didn’t even know it. Much less falling in love with Celia.”

  What the luck, Liz thought about Celia Briggs.

  Sam Barber, famous movie star, was escaping his life and wound up in Grandberry Falls—of all places. He even applied to The Ladybug Florist to be Celia’s delivery boy. With a few hiccups, Celia and Sam had fallen in love, and she was doing all the flowers for his movie’s wrap party—in Los Angeles.

  “Oh, she’ll be back in time. Then I’m going to spend some time with Marty.” Kerri Ann winked, referring to her relationship she sparked with Marty a few months ago.

  Over Kerri Ann’s shoulder, Liz noticed a crowd gathered around a table in the back of The Trembling Cup.

  “Kerri Ann, what’s going on back there?” She strained her head.

  Kerri Ann looked back, then at Jenna, then at Liz. “Nothing, nothing.” Her voice was rough with anxiety.

  “That was strange.” Liz watched Kerri Ann rush back toward the table and quieted the crowd.

  Kerri Ann couldn’t fool her. She was the eyes and ears of anything new in town and there was definitely something new in the back of the shop.

  Liz wrapped her scarf around her neck.

  “And that’s Kerri Ann for you,” Jenna said as soon as she was out of ear shot. “Did you go to The Figure 8? I told Beth to expect you and set you up with a great dress.”

  The dress was the last thing on Liz’s mind. They needed to get the fundraiser finalized and that way she’d be able to put this holiday season behind her.

  “Yes.” Liz rolled her eyes. “What about you?”

  “Me?” Jenna put her hand on her chest. “My situation is different from yours.”

  Liz laughed. Everyone in the coffee shop stopped and looked. All except the table in the back that was still crowded with people.

  “What? I’m a widow,” Jenna said, reminding Liz of the tragic drunk driving accident that left her without a husband and Ashley fatherless. “You are a divorcee. Let me guess, black dress?”

  Liz moved slightly to the right so Kerri Ann could put the food down.

  “Yes, but it’s different. You’ll have to wait and see.” Liz jabbed the salad on her fork and dipped it in the dressing cup.

  Jenna was going to have to wait.

  “Fine. If you’re not going to divvy up the details, I guess we can work on this.” Jenna slapped her hand on the stack of file folders.

  With only two weeks until the benefit, Liz wondered how they were going to get all they needed done… done.

  The New Year’s Eve benefit, Night at the Casino, was sponsored by the local Mother’s Against Drinking Drunk chapter, and there were no alcoholic beverages served at the function. They rented games and people had volunteered their night to be table dealers, servers and show everyone that you can have a good time without the alcohol.

  The Trembling Cup erupted in a wave of laughter. Liz looked up, but Jenna continued sorting through papers and talking about a document she couldn’t find.

  The crowd parted from the back table. Why was everyone smiling and laughing. And who were they patting on the back?

  Ever since Sam Barber put Grandberry Falls on the map, you never knew who’d show up.

  Liz couldn’t help but notice the handsome gentleman that emerged from the crowd. He was definitely good looking, but she wondered what made him so popular. She sat up a little taller as he headed for their table.

  She was sure she’d never seen him around town, which would be hard to do since the town only consisted of one Main Street with several side streets. The country side was vast, but names were k
nown.

  He stared back, but not at her—Jenna.

  She tilted her head toward Jenna and whispered, “I think someone is checking you out.” Her eyebrows lifted in curiosity.

  Was Jenna hiding something, or someone from her?

  Jenna looked up and quickly darted back to Liz. “We have to get out of here.”

  She frantically gathered the files scattered all over the table. With the flip of a piece of paper, Liz’s cup tumbled over and the coffee went everywhere.

  “Oh no!” Jenna screamed and scrambled to save what she could.

  “Here.” A masculine hand dropped napkins on the table.

  Jenna grabbed them and soaked up the mess.

  “Good morning, Jenna.” His husky voice fit his tall and slender yet muscular frame.

  Liz was unable to move, lost in his milky, big brown eyes, until he turned and went out the door.

  “Are you going to tell me who that man was?” Liz put her hand out to stop Jenna from getting up so fast.

  It’d been a long time since Liz had felt that kind of energy from a man, and she wasn’t about to dismiss it so quickly.

  “Someone I haven’t seen in a long time,” Jenna whispered while dabbing the papers with napkins. “He’s just someone from my past who needs to stay there.”

  After some jumbled words, Jenna shoved the papers in her bag and walked out the door. All Liz understood was that Jenna would call her later, which would give Liz time to get her emotions in check.

  About The Author

  Tonya Kappes is the author of Carpe Bead ‘Em and The Ladybug Jinx, her debut women’s fiction novels. She’s also the author of two short stories which can be found in the Something Spooky This Way Comes and Believe Anthologies. Her, co-authored, non-fiction book The Tricked-Out Toolbox, helps writers explore the best promotional and marketing strategies for their career will be available January 2012.

  Besides being the co-founder of the beyond quirky writer’s grog The Naked Hero (www.thenakedhero.com), she also is co-founder of The Writer’s Guide to E Publishing (www.thewritersguidetoepublishing.com).

  When she’s not writing about quirky characters and even quirkier situations, she’s busy being the princess, queen and jester of her domain which includes her BFF husband, her four teenage boys and two dogs.

  For more information, check out Tonya’s website, Tonyakappes.com.