by Linda Mooney
“Culinary?” Amy whistled. “The boy can cook!”
“He’s looking to start his own restaurant...I think.”
Chuckling, Rick added, “The guy was needing the apples for a pie. Tammy gave him the apples in exchange for a slice of that pie.”
The comment was met with raised, questioning eyebrows. Tamberly giggled nervously. “I-I gave him our home phone number when he was ready to pay off his debt.”
“Oh, yeah,” Penny crowed. “He’s going to pay, all right! Whoohoo!”
The rest of the sisters joined in with their little cheers until the patriarch waved for quiet. “It’s getting about supper time, don’t you think? I think meat loaf is on the menu tonight. Rick, are you as hungry as I am?”
“Maybe hungrier.”
“I guess that’s our cue to set the table,” Amy stated, getting to her feet. “Come on! Last one in the kitchen has to do the dishes!”
Her pronouncement led to a mad dash for the kitchen, leaving the two men alone in the parlor, but not before Tamberly heard her father laughing at their scrambling. It was a cheerful sound, as well as a rare sound. Their father very rarely laughed outright anymore. At least, not since the death of Mother.
She didn’t know what made her feel happier—knowing she had finally found her heart’s call, or realizing the occasion had brought a bit of joy into her father’s life.
Chapter Three
“Kimmy?” Tamberly grabbed her younger sister by the arm and pulled her to one side of the kitchen, next to the back door where they would be out of the way of the others.
Kimberly gave her a warm smile. “Let me guess. You want to talk about the sex hex test?”
Tamberly didn’t need to acknowledge her sister. As half-witches, all of them were already aware of each other’s emotions. And although she knew she could freely talk about anything with them, this time she felt more comfortable asking about the more personal details of the test with the only other sister who had already been through it. To their credit, the other three Blakeney girls continued to ready supper without interruption.
“How... I mean, how do you know what to do? How did you know how to... Shit. I’m not making much sense, am I?” She winced.
Kimmy smiled, laughing softly, and gave her sister’s hand a squeeze. “Don’t you think I wished I had someone to talk to about it when I’d met Rick?”
Tamberly nodded. “Did you? I mean, did you talk to anyone prior to the test?”
“I asked Daddy.”
Tamberly gave her sister a wide-eyed look of astonishment. “No! Really?”
“Really. Daddy understood. He even told me that if Mom had been alive, she wouldn’t have been able to help, since she was human.”
“What did he tell you?”
“Pretty much what he’s told each of us when we reached puberty. That our time to find our future loves revolved around the time of our birth. And that we’d first get the heart call, but that the sex hex test would be the deciding factor.”
“What else?” It seemed incredible to Tamberly that Kimmy would have gone to their father in the first place, but common sense would dictate the necessity. After all, their father was a full-blooded warlock, and they were only half-bloods.
“That the time of the year would dictate what kind of test we would need to give.”
“Did Daddy tell you to take Rick to the pumpkin patch?” Tamberly remembered how she and the other girls had waited in the parlor while the couple was away. And how, after they had sensed their sister’s joy, they had been eager for Kimmy and Rick to return so they could celebrate Rick becoming part of the family.
Kimmy shook her head. “No. That part came to me that night after we got home from the pizza parlor. I couldn’t sleep, so I got up and came into the kitchen for a glass of water. I looked outside the window, and I saw the pumpkins glowing in the field.”
Tamberly gasped. “Glowing?”
“Yep. Like orange lanterns. And somehow I knew that’s where I had to take him for the test. Don’t ask me how or why I knew. I just did. I followed my heart and my instincts, and...you know.” She smiled.
“But how did you know what to do? How to test him? How did you know he passed it?”
Kimmy shrugged. “Same way we know how to do all that other stuff that Daddy’s never taught us. I just did.”
“So all I have to do is keep myself open for the sign that will let me know how to perform the test?” Tamberly clarified.
“As far as I can tell you, yes,” Kimmy confessed. “Sorry I can’t be more specific.”
“That’s all right. It’s more than I had in the beginning. Hmm, there’s so many symbols of Christmas, I don’t know where to begin.”
“Then I suggest you start with the easiest,” Amy whispered over Tamberly’s shoulder.
“What’s that?”
“Mistletoe.”
Chapter Four
The apples were perfect—sweet, juicy, firm, and at the peak of their picking. Jonathan paused in peeling them to stare at the curling ribbons of skin already piled in the bowl. How those people at the farmers market managed to get the apples at their prime to sell baffled him. Like all raw fruits and vegetables, that window of superb quality was extremely narrow. But somehow he knew that anything they sold would be of equal perfection.
Damn if he could explain how he knew such a thing.
Looking up, he glanced out the window over the sink. Snow still fell in slow, light flakes. If it continued, there would probably be at least four more inches of fresh powder by morning. The market was on the other side of the trailer, but it was probably closed. Out of habit, he checked his watch. Yeah. Closing time was an hour ago.
She might be home by now. Does she live here in town? Or was she one of those farmers who came from out of town?
He started peeling the last apple, but the woman was foremost in his mind. Habit made him pause before he cut himself. His thoughts weren’t on the pie. They were on the beautiful redhead who had given him these apples.
In exchange for a slice of pie.
Which was why he was working on the dessert now instead of tomorrow. He and Lyle were supposed to remain here in Toppers Cove until Christmas Day, then drive back to Vermont on the twenty-sixth. Even with the market closed for the season, the tree lot would remain open on Christmas Eve. Hell, there were less than half a dozen trees left in the tent. Jonathan figured if they discounted them, those could be sold before noon.
And then I could take Tammy her slice of pie.
He reached back to feel his jeans pocket where he kept his wallet with the phone number safely tucked inside, needing to reassure himself that it was still there.
What if I called her tonight. Maybe ask her out. Surely there’s some place here in town that stays open after dark.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something falling onto the floor. Curious, he turned around and stared down at the candy cane lying beside his boot. “Hello. Where did you come from?” Maybe I brushed up against someone’s decorations back at the market, and it accidentally attached itself to me. The reasoning sounded plausible enough, considering all the times he’d similarly found his back and rump sprinkled with fake snow and pine needles from the trees on the lot.
Jonathan bent over to pick it up. He started to lay it on the counter, prepared to forget it, when something told him to look again. It was a typical red and white peppermint stick, about six inches long. It took him another couple of seconds to realize what made it different.
Its stripes weren’t stripes. Instead, they were swirls. And curlicues. Thin and delicate looking, and almost filigree in design, as if the machine making the candy had suffered a creative glitch. Smiling, he laid the cane on the back of the sink and returned to the pie as his thoughts returned to Tamberly.
Yep. That’s what he would do. If he pushed it, the pie would be ready within the hour. Then he could call her up with the excuse that he wanted to bring her the promised slice, a
nd while he was there, find a way to ask her out. There was a chance she might even go out with him tonight, if there was something open where he could treat her.
The thought was tempting. In fact, it was becoming increasingly seductive, like a siren’s call, beckoning him. Beguiling. And damn him if he could figure out why. But there was no doubt in his mind he had to see her again. He had to learn more about her.
His mind raced frantically. He’d promised Uncle Morris he’d stay and help Lyle until after Christmas. It would take them a couple of days to get back to Vermont, then he could drive back here to see her again if their first date looked like it could go a second inning.
He remembered the young man who had passed her the paper and pen. Apparently the guy wasn’t her husband or boyfriend, or else he would have made it immediately clear the woman wasn’t available.
An image flashed in his mind’s eye. The man had been wearing a wedding band. Tammy didn’t. The guy was probably her brother, then, he figured, and a sense of relief swept through him.
“Tamberly.” It was an odd name, but it suited her. Tamberly, with the red hair that looked totally natural, and green eyes that were the same shade as the evergreens he sold. He remembered how she smelled like peppermint. Like Christmas candy. Jonathan glanced down at the candy cane sitting on the edge of the sink. The comparison made him smile, and he went back to peeling the remaining apple.
He would take special care making this pie. It would have to be the best damn pie he had ever made, or else he would permanently hang up his chef’s hat.
The door opened, and Lyle came inside, stomping the snow off his boots on the short steps at the last minute. “We got three left,” he announced with a grin, then sniffed. “Wow. Something smells good. What’s for supper?”
“Homemade pizza,” Jonathan told him. “Did you say there were only three trees left on the lot?”
“Yep. Sold two just as they were shutting the gates. Homemade pizza, huh? With pepperoni?”
“And mushrooms and onions, just the way you like it.”
Lyle hung his jacket on the hook by the door and parked himself in the padded bench next to the table. “What’s that you’re working on?”
“Apple pie. I thought I’d go ahead and fix it for Christmas.”
“Did I ever tell you you’d make someone a great wife some day?”
Jonathan paused long enough to give his cousin the finger before going back to his slicing. Lyle cackled.
“Where did you find apples? At the farmers market?”
“Yeah. I was lucky, too. There were some at the last stall. I got to talking to the woman there, and after I told her I was a professional chef, she gave me what she had left in exchange for a slice of pie.” He glanced back to see Lyle giving him an odd look. “What?”
“The last stall?” his cousin repeated.
“Yeah. Why?”
“What did the woman look like?”
“She was a gorgeous redhead. Said her name was Tamberly.” Jonathan frowned. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
Lyle scratched his head. “You promised her a slice of that pie in return for free apples?”
“Yeah. There’s nothing wrong with that, but you’re acting like I shouldn’t have taken her up on the offer. Why? Do you know the girl?”
“Not personally, no. But I know what I’ve heard, and she’s not good news.”
“Explain yourself.” Jonathan laid his knife on the counter and turned around to face his cousin, giving the man his full, undivided attention.
Lyle gave him a searching look. “Why should I explain myself? I’m just telling you the woman is bad news.” He shrugged. “So you promised her a piece of pie. No problemo. Take her the pie, and let it remain at that.”
“And what if I don’t intend to let it ‘remain at that’?” Jonathan challenged him. “What if I want to take her out to a movie or something?”
“I’m just saying, Jon, you would be doing yourself a whole lot of good to stay clear of her and her whole family, especially her old man, if you know what’s good for you.”
“That sounds vaguely like a threat.”
“Whatever.”
“No. No ‘whatever’.” Jonathan crossed his arms over his chest. “Give it to me straight, Lyle. I want to know that the hell you’re insinuating.”
“You’re not gonna believe me, even if I tell you.”
“Try me.”
“The woman’s a witch.”
“So what? She’s a redhead. And as far as I can tell, a genuine redhead. And we all know redheads are typically hot heads. But judging from what few words we exchanged, she seemed pretty sane to me.”
Lyle gave him a disgusted shake of his head. “You’re not listening. I said she was a witch. A real witch. You know, one of those broom-riding kind? And her father’s a warlock.”
Jonathan found himself with a stunned smile on his face. “Are you shitting me?”
“No. I’m dead fucking serious.”
“A witch?”
“Yeah.”
“And I’m supposed to stay clear of her?”
“Yep.”
“Why? Afraid she might put a spell on me or something?”
Lyle stared at him for a few moments. After a while, he threw up his hands in surrender. “Hey, it’s your ass you’re putting on the line, whether you believe me or not. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“That’s right,” Jonathan acknowledged. “I’m a big boy now, and I appreciate the heads up, but I don’t see any harm in trying to be friendly. I take it she and her family are locals?”
“Yeah. They’ve been here for generations. They have a farm right outside of town. Blakeney Farms.”
Now that his cousin mentioned it, Jonathan recalled a sign hanging in the stall that had that name on it. “That explains the freshness of their produce,” he commented. Sensing the worst of their disagreement was over, Jonathan turned back to rolling out the pie dough. He could feel his cousin’s eyes still on his back. “Any final word of warning?” he casually asked.
“You’re just gonna take her the piece of pie, and that’s all, right?”
When Jonathan didn’t answer, Lyle tried again. “I mean, you’re not thinking of doing something stupid...are you?”
“Stupid as in what?”
“As in asking her out while you’re here.”
“That would be my business, wouldn’t it?” Jonathan countered.
“All right, but if things start looking, you know, freaky, don’t call me to come bail you out.”
Jonathan nodded. “Fair enough. Now go wash up. The pizza should be ready.”
Lyle got to his feet and pointed at the pie. “Will that be for dessert?”
“It depends,” Jonathan answered.
“On what?”
“On whether or not I can get a date tonight.”
Chapter Five
The dishes were done. Rick and Kimmy had gone back to their place, and everyone else had scattered to wherever to pursue individual interests for the rest of the evening when the phone rang. Tamberly glanced up from where she was putting a load in the washing machine and waited. There was no need to run to answer it. She already knew Sandy was the closest to it. It was an instinctual thing, knowing where each of her siblings was at any given time. Her father explained that it was part of being a half-witch. If they had been full-blooded, they would have been able to communicate with each other through non-verbal connections.
The sound of footsteps coming her way made her smile. Her first reaction had been that the call had to be from Jonathan. Sandy heading her way confirmed it.
“Hey, Tam! Phone call!”
“Be right there!”
She started the washer, then hurried through the kitchen and into the small alcove in the hallway where the single household telephone was located. Grabbing the receiver that had been left lying on top of the phone book, she breathlessly answered, “Hello? This is Tamberly.”
“Tammy? This is Jonathan. From this afternoon at the market? I got the last of your apples, and you told me I would owe you a piece of pie in exchange?”
“Yeah, yeah!” She gave a nervous giggle. “Don’t tell me you’ve already fixed it.”
He answered with a chuckle that sent little shivers through her. She could almost see him in her mind’s eye, with that big, warm smile and his eyes sparkling as they crinkled in the corners.
“Well, yeah. I didn’t want the apples to lose their crispness. Look, I’m not interrupting anything important right now, am I? I’d like to come over and drop it off, if that’s okay.”
“It’s fine!” she hurried to reassure him. “Let me give you directions how to get here.”
After giving him the best direct route, Jonathan promised to be there in less than five minutes. Stunned, Tamberly thought she had misunderstood him.
“Five minutes?”
“I’m turning onto county road sixteen as we speak.”
“You’re already driving?” she asked incredulously. “How are you able to talk to me?”
Again she heard his wonderful laughter. “I’m on a cell phone, Tam. See you soon!” There was a click, and the line went dead.
She bolted for the bathroom to check herself out in the mirror, and to run a brush through her hair as she debated whether or not to change her blouse. With her mind elsewhere, she nearly collided with Amy waiting her turn outside the door. Her sister waggled her eyebrows at her.
“Guess this means I have to stay in my room and listen to the weather report on the radio?”
“Would you? Please?”
Amy slid past her and began to close the bathroom door. At the last second, she peeked out into the hall where Tamberly was still standing.
“Take him into the kitchen. Show him he’s not the only one who knows how to cook,” her sister suggested in a sultry tone, winked at her, and shut the door. Smiling, Tamberly strolled into the den.
Manderly Blakeney glanced up where he was watching television. Wearing his stained coveralls, and with his stocking feet crossed on the foot rest in front of him, it was hard to imagine him as the powerful warlock she knew him to be. Other than the obvious spells he normally cast to help the crops, Tamberly and her sisters rarely saw him react in anger and use his abilities to their fullest extent unless it was to protect his family. And if that became necessary, his powers were indomitable.