by Tonya Kappes
Josh and Pearl popped into my head.
“There is Josh, the tattoo guy.” I pointed to Oscar’s notepad for him to write down Josh’s name and stirred the bubbling cauldron. “He and Burt had words about the packaging of my lotion when I noticed they were using those cheap bottles.”
“Really?” Oscar wrote on the pad under Josh’s name.
“Yeah. He said how packaging appealed to the customer.” I stirred the cauldron one more time before I put the ladle down and walked around the counter toward the door. Somehow I was going to have to get that wisteria vine oil. “I think he’s right. Did you see those cheap bottles?” I asked and opened the door.
Whispering Falls was so pretty at night. The stars dotted the sky, looking like twinkling lights. They shone down with the moon into the valley of the village, putting a silent glow around the town. It added to the magical community.
A sense of safety crept into my soul. I sucked in a deep breath of the fresh nighttime air. I felt safe, believing the person who broke into the shop was definitely not from Whispering Falls.
I reached out and grabbed a piece of the wisteria vine. I had seen Darla countless times run her fingers down the shoot, knocking the flowering off of it. After that I wasn’t sure what she did. Most of the time she shoo’ed me out of the shed so she could do her creating.
“That doesn’t really give Josh a reason to kill Burt.” Oscar said to me when I walked back in the shop and he tapped his little notebook with the tip of his pen.
“Burt embarrassed him after that asking if Josh was now the marketing manager.” I twirled the broken vine in the air trying to figure out exactly how I was to extract the oil.
I walked back around the counter to the cauldron, looked at the vine one more time and tugged my fingers down the shoot, knocking off all the flowering pieces. I threw the vine in the pot hoping something would come to me.
“And Pearl.” I picked up the ladle and blended the vine into the bubbling cauldron. “She and Burt had words because she told him how and where to package my lotion using my bottles.”
“Well, since you are not a suspect and Sonny is in charge, I think we just give him this information and let him figure it out.” He walked behind the counter and looked in the pot. “Do me a favor and let’s just cut ties with Head To Toe Works.”
The mixture in my pot boiled and suddenly stopped, becoming chunky in an ochre color.
“Nasty.” Irritated, I flipped off the cauldron. “You know,” I threw the ladle on the counter, “there is no magic to what Darla did to the stem. Why can’t I do it?”
“You don’t need to do it.” Oscar’s voice was a little huskier. “We will tell Sonny about the break-in and when it’s solved, if it’s tied to Burt’s murder, we will figure it out. In the meantime, we will add more security to the shop and life will go back to the way it was before you met the Rossens.”
I grabbed the Magical Cures Book and flipped it open, turning the pages until I came to the page with the recipe I had used for the stress free lotion. If I didn’t say a word to Oscar, I wouldn’t lie to him because I knew I couldn’t let this go. There was evil in the air and it was up to me to figure out who had gotten their hands on my cure.
“June,” Oscar set the pen on the counter next to his notebook. “Can we talk for a minute?”
“About us?” My heart skipped a beat. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to ignore the elephant in the room. “I had a dream about my dad.”
“You did?” Oscar encircled me in his arms, one of his hands rested on the small of my back. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I don’t know.” A happy sigh escaped me. There was no way I was under some sort of spell put on me by the village or the Elders or our parents. I loved Oscar. I had always loved Oscar.
He ran his hand down my cheek. The mere touch of his hand sent a warming shiver throughout my body.
“Tell me about it,” he said with quiet emphasis.
“I thought it might be one of my dreams but I think it is just the stress of not having them here.” I nuzzled in his neck. His natural smell was better than any cologne and there was no way it could be bottled. Gently my lips kissed his neck a few times. “I’m sure it’s my subconscious playing with me because in my dream I was at the cemetery looking at their stones. My dad sat next to me.”
I looked up. His blue eyes studied my face.
“Your parents would be so proud of you.” Oscar’s lips came down warm and sweet on mine. He whispered, “As for any sort of marriage arrangement, even if there were such a contract, I’m happy they got it right.”
I smiled. He was right. If there were a contract, my parents and his parents knew we would be good together. They were right.
“And maybe you should go visit the cemetery. Talk to them like they are living.” He swooped me up in his arms. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he took me to the storage room where I had a small living space, including a couch.
Chapter Seventeen
I lay in the curve of Oscar’s body, listening to him slightly snore. Being with him confirmed even more how much I couldn’t wait to become Mrs. Oscar Park.
“June Park.” I grinned at the sound of it as my married name came out of my mouth. “June Park.”
I glanced out the storage room door and out into the shop. Regardless of what happened with Head To Toe Works, my life was good. But I still couldn’t shake why someone would want my recipe.
“KJ,” I gasped remembering just how I could get my hand on some wisteria vine oil.
Slowly I lifted Oscar’s arm from around me and rested it on his own hip. He shifted a bit and I waited to get up until I heard him snoring again, leaving him in the storage room.
Rowl. Mr. Prince Charming lifted his head from the stool where he was curled up.
“You stay here.” I grabbed my cloak off the coat rack and threw it over my shoulders. “I’ll be right back.”
I let myself out the front door and swept down the steps. I walked up to the hill behind the shop to The Gathering Rock. It was a space just before the wooded area where Eloise lived. There was a large rock where the villagers gathered during celebrations and meetings. I also used it to get in touch with KJ, the son of Kenny.
Kenny was a Native American that helped supply me with the special herbs only he could get me from his native land. Unfortunately, Kenny was killed, but his son KJ had taken over for him. KJ always knew when I needed smudging grass or my regular ingredients. The bottles told him when they were getting low. When I needed something special, like wisteria vine oil, I would message him through the wind.
The wind whipped around me. The fireflies batted around the rock, darting in and out of the woods. The rustle of the trees told me it was time.
I breathed into the wind as soon as it passed through me, sending a signal out into the universe for KJ. Out of the corner of my eye, the images of a graceful deer leapt out of the woods. Long and dark, KJ appeared on the edge of The Gathering Rock with his arms crossed over his bare chest and a feather headdress atop his long black hair.
“KJ, I’m so glad to see you.” I rushed over and greeted him. “How is your family?”
“They are good.” He reached around his back and pulled his knapsack to the front of him. He reached in and pulled out a black clay vase with two spouts. “From my family.”
He held it out.
“It’s a Native American wedding vase we made for you.” As I held it in my hands, he pointed to the various parts. “The two drinking spouts are connected by a single handle. The two spouts symbolize the two individual lives, and the handle symbolizes the union of these two lives in marriage. You and Oscar.”
“I love it, KJ!” I threw my arms around his neck, knowing he wouldn’t reciprocate. When I pulled away, he had a faint smile on his lips. “It’s our first wedding gift.”
“I hope you enjoy.” He nodded.
“I have two favors.” I felt like a schoolgirl inside with my first requ
est. “Oscar and I would be honored if you would marry us on All Hallows Eve here in The Gathering Rock space.”
It was request I knew Oscar wouldn’t mind if I handled on my own. We didn’t have anyone to marry us and KJ was the perfect choice for our spiritualist wedding.
“I would be honored.” He bowed, his headdress fanning me.
“I know I’m not Native American and neither is Oscar, but we would love to have the ceremony.” I had been to a couple since I was a spiritualist and we loved them. It was two families coming together and there was not a more beautiful ceremony than a Native American marriage.
“You be sure you bring the vase.” KJ’s arms extended down to his side. “What else can I do for you?”
“I need to get my hands on some wisteria vine oil.” I glanced down the hill toward the village. Everything was still asleep and quiet. “Darla was the only person I knew who had extracted oil from a vine and I just can’t figure it out.”
“You must take a vine to the graveyard and tell the maker what you seek for I do not have the vine nor the oil for you.” KJ turned and darted off into the woods.
“Tell the maker?” I questioned into the wind.
“The maker,” the wind called back.
“June,” Oscar and Mr. Prince Charming were climbing the hill. “Are you okay?”
“I’m good. I just needed some fresh air.” Though I knew Oscar didn’t believe me, he didn’t ask me anything else.
“I woke up and you weren’t next to me.” He drew me in from behind and wrapped his arms around me, resting his face on my shoulder. Both of us looking down the hill. “Isn’t the village beautiful?”
“Yes. And the stars.” I swallowed hard and bit back tears. There was something deep within me churning and I couldn’t put my finger on it.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” Oscar turned me around.
“I don’t know why I’m so emotional.” I swallowed hard. “I’m thinking it’s getting married without any of our parents, plus the fact someone stole the last of Darla’s vine oil. It was the only herb I had left that was part of her. And to think it was probably because of some silly national deal.”
“Don’t worry.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and pulled my chin up to look at him. “Sonny will figure out who stole it if it’s related to Burt Rossen’s death and we will get it back.”
“You are too good to me, Oscar Park.” I placed my hand on the back of his neck and drew him down to me. His lips parted mine in a soul-reaching kiss. “I can’t wait to say I do on All Hallows Eve.”
“So is that the date?” he asked. I nodded. He threw back his head and let out a great peal of laughter. “I love you June Heal Park.”
Chapter Eighteen
Luckily with no dreams or nightmares, I was able to get some sleep, but I knew I had a full day of work ahead. Before Oscar and I headed home we had cleaned up the shop and refilled the potion bottles enough to open. I would make a few special cures while customers where milling around and have Faith watch the shop while I went to see my parents.
KJ’s words were the first thing that popped into my head.
The cauldron was good and clean when I flipped it on. I ran my hand down the shelf of ingredients behind me. I grabbed the geranium, beeswax, rosewater, coconut oil and pinched or poured a few drops into the cauldron.
“Now.” I brushed my hands above the cauldron. “I’ll let you simmer.”
The clock said it was time to flip the sign and get ready for the day.
“I’ll be right with you,” I called after I had turned the sign to open and gone back to the counter hiding behind the partition where my cauldron was coming to a boil. The glowing liquid was exactly what it was supposed to look like before I put in the wisteria vine oil. The sapphire color swirled counter-clockwise until it reached a state of ruby globules.
“June?” The voice called out from underneath the dinging bell above the door. “It’s Pearl and Josh!”
“Pearl. Josh?” I stuck my head around the corner and saw them standing in the doorway of the shop. Both of them glancing around.
“What kind of store is this?” Pearl had a box in her hand.
“It’s like a mini Head To Toe Works, only cuter stuff.” Josh picked up a long thin glass bottle with wire wrapping coiled around it. Evenly spaced glass beads were held tight to the bottle by the wire. The cork lid had a little silver fairy sitting on top of it. “Sleep aid?” He read the label before putting it back down.
“Welcome.” I wiped my hands down my apron and greeted them. “Why aren’t you at work?”
“Tiffany came in and shut us down.” Pearl put the box on the ground. “I took these and thought you might want them back.”
“How did you know where to find me?” I asked and pointed to the small table near the front where I had some hot apple cider from The Gathering Grove simmering in a crock-pot for my customers.
“Tiffany put the bottles out at the dumpster.” Josh picked up another bottle and read the label. “Seriously, why on earth would you want to sell your product through Head To Toe?”
“It was the national thing.” I wasn’t going to lie. “I care about my customers and if a large chain like Head To Toe Works can get my product in the hands of the American people, I was all for it.”
Pearl wasn’t as interested in the shop as Josh was. She just stood by the door with her hands clasped in front of her.
“We only came to drop off the bottles. There are more in the car.” Pearl opened the door and walked out.
“Is she okay?” I asked Josh.
“No, dude. She’s mad. We are both mad as hell.” He popped off the lid of one of the sleeping aids and took a whiff. “But she’s already got a new job taking care of some old lady.”
“Are you having a hard time sleeping?” I asked, ignoring Pearl putting another box in the shop.
“Nah, just curious about all of this.” Josh pointed to the boxes of bottles. “It didn’t seem right to keep those by the dumpster.”
“Thanks, Josh and Pearl.” I wasn’t really sure what to say. It was their only job and I felt bad for them. “Do either of you know who would want to kill Burt?” I just couldn’t do what Oscar asked me to do. I had to get to the bottom of it.
“Nope. He was a jerk, but he was the boss and I needed my job.” Josh shrugged and looked over at Pearl.
“Don’t look at me,” Pearl quipped. “I kept my head down and did my job. I’ve got mouths to feed.”
“You did get in a little tiff with him the other day.” I recalled her talking about the different conveyor belt with the bottles I had provided.
“Yeah, but that doesn’t give me reason to kill the man.” Her eyes narrowed, creases formed between her eyes. “I don’t think we are welcome here anymore.”
“Pearl, I didn’t mean to. . .,” my voice lowered after they rushed out of the shop, “to insult you.”
I stood out on the front stoop of A Charming Cure waving my arms trying to get them to stop so I could make a quick apology, but they just zoomed down the streets toward Locust Grove.
“Who was that?” Faith asked. She was walking up the street with two cups of coffee in her hand.
“No one,” I said. “Please tell me one of those is for me.”
“It is.” She walked up the steps and handed me one. Our fingers grazed. Her head tilted. Her eyes went blank and in a stare that led over my shoulder. “One of them knows about the break-in.”
“What?” I asked.
“One of those people who were just here knows something about the shop break-in.” Her head turned in the direction of Josh and Pearl speeding out of town. She shook her head, her blond hair fell behind her shoulder. “Something told me you needed me today.”
“Tell me what you know about the two who were just here.” There was no way I was going to let her get away with just saying they knew about it. “Did they break in? What do you mean they know about it?”
“The voice
s whisper.” Her eyes darted around the open morning air. “There are rumblings. Nothing real specific yet. Only they know something and they came here to tell you or give you clues for you to put together.”
“They didn’t say much.” I opened the door. Mr. Prince Charming darted out and headed toward Glorybee. He loved going there in the morning when Petunia was feeding the animals. He loved to sit in the live tree in the store and visit with his animal friends. I held the door open for Faith.
“Did they mention your shop?” she asked.
“Pearl didn’t say much. She brought me my bottles back. Josh said she found them by the dumpster.” I shut the door behind us and walked back to the cauldron.
The only thing that really stuck with me was when Josh said he didn’t understand why I would give Head To Toe Works my lotion when I had a shop here. Of course I told him to help customers, but I really wanted to do my share to help the economy in Whispering Falls since it was our few shops that kept us going.
“Congratulations by the way.” Faith and I shared a smile.
I knew she was talking about me finally setting a wedding date.
“The air told me.” She waved her hand in the air.
Hear ye, hear ye! The bells will be ringing on All Hallows Eve. Wedding bells, that is for our very own June Heal and Sheriff Oscar Park. KJ will be performing the marriage ceremony using a traditional Native American celebration complete with the wedding vase he and his family made for the Parks as a wedding gift. This means All Hallows Eve will be a big celebration full of spiritual happenings and fun. We will still host our annual open house, so start planning your shop’s festival activities today! It will be here before you know it. This article is sponsored by Mystic Lights. Be sure to see Isadora Solstice for all your magic ball tune-ups and needs.