by Tonya Kappes
“Wonderful.” I clapped my hands, trying to put the veiled threats from Ezmeralda behind me. “I’m excited for her.”
Petunia had spent the last few months training with Isadora Solstice to become the next leader of our village. It was an honor given to me, but I was proven to be a little too young and not necessarily wanting to have the responsibility of the village on my shoulders. After all, my five-foot-four frame could barely hold all the issues I did have on my own. I was just fine being responsible for me, Mr. Prince Charming and Madame Torres with Oscar by my side. Tonight I would resign and give her the reins. Fine by me.
“This smells delicious. What is it?” Eloise asked, bringing the cup away from her nose.
“A special blend for cool fall mornings to put a spring in your step.” He held his hand out and held his fingers up one-by-one. “1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger, 2 cups filtered water, 1 Tbsp. raw honey or pure maple syrup, ½ lemon, juiced, 1 cinnamon stick, Chamomile flowers, from my daughter of course.” A prideful smile appeared under his mustache. He continued, “Echinacea tincture, fresh mint leaves, pinch of cayenne pepper.” He tapped his temple. “I think that is it.”
“Did you leave the leaves out?” I swirled my cup in front of me looking into the liquid. He was known to put a few tea leaves in without the recipient knowing. And I didn’t want anyone—other than who I told—to know about my dreams. It would send the town into a downward spiral.
“Of course I did.” He shuffled off to help another table.
“Hm.” I picked up my spoon and twirled it in the cup. There was a little skepticism in his tone. I lowered my eyes. “I wouldn’t believe him even if I gave him a truth serum.”
Eloise and I laughed.
“Does Oscar know about the nightmares?” She started back up the conversation I was ready to end.
“Unfortunately he saw how frantic I was when I woke up in the middle of the night.” I recalled the look on his face. “But he doesn’t know I’ve been having them nightly.”
“He’s spending the night?” Eloise drew back. She remained uncomfortably still.
Even though Oscar and I were spiritualists, Eloise still had old-fashioned ways. And spending the night before marriage was not appropriate. She made sure she was a parent to both of us.
“I’m glad he was there. I was so upset there was no way Madame Torres would have been able to comfort me. Or even sweet Mr. Prince Charming.” I took a sip of the tea and set it back down on the saucer. “This is delicious.”
“There you are.” Oscar appeared behind me. He bent down and kissed my forehead. “I went to the shop but your sign was still turned to closed.”
He walked around and gave his aunt a kiss before he put a small paper sack on the table and I knew what was in it before he even told me.
“I thought you could use a little treat.” He smiled and pushed the Wicked Good Bakery bag toward me. “And Raven said it just came out of the oven.”
“You are so sweet.” Eloise grinned. “I can’t wait to see what your babies are going to look like.”
“Hello?” My eyes widened. I was just getting used to the idea I was engaged; not even close on having children. “Cart before the horse.”
“No joking.” Oscar looked so handsome in his Whispering Falls police uniform. “I’ve got to get going. Colton said we are expecting a crowd for Petunia’s ceremony tonight. I also kind of told him we would grab a bite to eat with him and Ophelia beforehand.”
“That’s good.” The more distractions the better.
“Take care of each other.” He kissed Eloise and me again. “You are the most important girls in my life.” He bent down again. He whispered in my ear, “You are the most important.” His mouth moved over mine with exquisite tenderness replacing the knot in my stomach with a tingling.
Eloise and I sat in silence watching Oscar leave and walk down the sidewalk toward the station.
“You two are so adorable. I just can’t stand it.” Eloise picked up her cup and took a sip. “But we need to figure out these dreams.”
“I’ve even used my mom’s fairy dust potion and it’s not working.” My mom was a homeopathic curist; she just wasn’t able to make potions and get to the root of someone’s aliment since she wasn’t a spiritualist.
She left me a secret book of spells (Magical Cures Book) she had gotten from Eloise, and I had scoured it to find some sort of new potion to help me get rid of these terrible nightmares.
“Fire nightmares aren’t anything to mess around with.” Eloise wasn’t making me feel any better.
“Tell me about it.” I drank the last sip of tea from the cup and got up. I didn’t leave without the bag from Wicked Good Bakery. It would be a treat for later. “I’ve got to get going. I have to find out where Mr. Prince Charming went before I open the shop. I have to keep him close.”
“I’ll be by later to check on you.” Eloise nodded. “I’m going to have another cup of this delicious brew.” She lifted her hand in the air. Gerald acknowledged another round with a big grin. I waved ‘bye and headed out the door.
“June! June!” Petunia waved her hands in the air. With each bobble of her head, a butterfly flew out from her messy updo, knocking out a few twigs as well.
A few people trailed behind her. She held a bag from Wicked Good in her hand. “We just came from the bakery and I told my family the June’s Gems were to die for. Especially since they were named after one of my friends.”
That was one of Petunia’s personality traits I loved. She thought everyone was her best friend. And everyone did love her. She had a sunny disposition and her love of all creatures exuded from her.
“They are delicious.” I held the bag in the air. “I’m saving mine for an afternoon treat.”
June’s Gems was Raven Mortimer’s take on a Ding Dong. The chocolaty treat was my favorite. We had seen a lot of stressful times together. The Ding Dong knew how to calm me down. Since we didn’t have a supply of Ding Dongs in Whispering Falls, Raven was gracious enough to make an even better version, naming it after me.
True or not (I like to lean toward the true side), Raven said June’s Gem was her best seller.
“This is my sister, Peony.” She pointed to the girl next to her, who looked very young. The light blue wrap dress made her blue eyes pop against her pale skin tone. Her small hands gave a slight wave hello before she ran her hand down her high blond ponytail. I couldn’t help but feel a little envious of her taupe stilettos. Definitely got the fashion sense of the two sisters.
“Nice to meet you.” I nodded, offering a smile.
“My cousin, Gwendolyn.” Petunia showcased her cousin like she was on display, just like one of those game shows on television. “Gwenie for short. But she’s just like a sister to us.” Petunia looked at Peony giving a quick nod. Peony backed her up.
Gwendolyn was a little plumper than the other two. Her hair was not as messy as Petunia’s and not as neat as Peony. She was a mix between the two of them. Her hair was brown like Petunia’s and pulled into a bun. She folded her arms in front of her. Her dark eyes lowered. There was not a smile on her face as there was Petunia’s and Peony’s.
We politely nodded, neither of us smiling.
Petunia’s arms curled around the third woman. “This is my bestest friend in the entire world. Amethyst Plum. They are here for my induction. But Amethyst is here forever.”
“So nice to meet you.” I shook each of their hands, not getting a good feeling from cousin Gwendolyn. “Forever?”
“Yes.” Amethyst said with a flat voice. She wore a black pair of pants and a black buttoned blouse. Her black hair lay in loose curls down her back. Her thick black brows arched perfectly over her dark eyes. Her long lashes swooped down with each blink. She was beautiful. The only pop of color was the tips of her red heels. “I own Full Moon.”
Petunia clasped her hands in front of her, twirling her body from side-to-side, grinning from ear-to-ear.
“June owns A Charmi
ng Cure, with all sorts of homeopathic cures.” Petunia nodded enthusiastically. “You will get to know each other really well. And,” Petunia squealed. “You can join our book club! We meet once a month at Ever After Books. You are going to love it.”
“We will see.” Amethyst’s brows rose.
“Really? You own A Charming Cure?” Peony bounced on her toes. She grabbed Amethyst. “Isn’t that cool?”
“No.” Gwenie quipped. “I go to a doctor. A real doctor.” Her eyes lowered, glaring at me. “Aren’t you the one who took the Village President’s job right out from underneath my cousin?”
“I…” I stuttered. “I didn’t. . .”
“Gwenie!” Petunia’s hand clasped over her mouth. “That’s in the past.”
“She’s just asking a question,” Amethyst chirped in. “I’d like to hear the answer.”
Gwenie never took her eyes off me, making me a bit uncomfortable. “Aren’t you?” She wasn’t going to let it die.
“June, I’m sorry for their behavior.” Petunia stepped up and nervously fiddled with a strand of stray hair that had fallen out of her updo. “Gwenie’s just looking out for me. I’m sure Amethyst is nervous about Full Moon opening. It’s her first shop. After all. . .”
Amethyst’s voice was bold. “You did call me every day for a month complaining about her and how she stole it right out from underneath you after you had been working toward it all your life.”
“But that was before I knew the chosen one was among our village,” Petunia said.
She was right. I had no idea why or how I was the chosen one, but I was. Evidently I wasn’t the chosen one to be the Village President because I just couldn’t do it. In my gut, there was a task out there for me as the chosen one, only I hadn’t found out what the task was. I figured it would rear its ugly head. In the meantime, I couldn’t worry about the task and had to live my life.
“Don’t sugar coat it.” Peony laughed elbowing Amethyst. “Really she means no harm.”
“I think you are way off base.” I wasn’t going to stand there and let her accuse me of coming to Whispering Falls to deliberately take the Village President dream from Petunia. “You have no idea what you are talking about and until you do. . .”
“What?” Amethyst questioned me.
“Oh dear.” Petunia wrung her hands. “Oh dear.”
“Yeah, what?” Gwenie took a step forward.
“What potion girl? Are you going to give me some evil potion to shut me up?” Amethyst stood tall and scared me a little. She tapped the toe of her shoe.
Cousin Gwendolyn took another step closer like they were some gang backing each other up. “Because I’m here to tell you no one, not even a little two-bit potion witch is going to hurt my family.”
“Is something going on here?” Colton Lance stepped up behind us.
Colton took his police hat off; his messy blond hair fell down around his ears. He and Ophelia were an item. They came to Whispering Falls together and they lived above Ever After Books. He was in charge of the police department after a misunderstanding with Oscar a few months back, but now they were both in charge.
“Colton.” Petunia’s worry lines softened. “This is my sister, Peony, my best friend, Amethyst, and my cousin, Gwendolyn.”
Colton was gracious enough to shake their hands before he turned to me. “Are you okay, June?”
Gwendolyn and Amethyst walked off toward Glorybee.
“I’m fine. Just looking for that ornery cat of mine,” I looked past Colton to make sure they weren’t going to A Charming Cure’s line of customers.
“Oh cute white one?” Petunia’s sister asked bringing me back to the present conversation. Petunia’s face balled with a smile and her head nodded. “He was at Glorybee.”
“Yes. I would guess that.” The fog was slowly lifting and some cars were driving by. I had to get the shop open.
“He’s a little charmer that one.” Peony smiled.
“Yes, he is. He loves a pretty face.” I instantly liked Peony. Anyone who loved my cat, I liked. He didn’t just like anyone either.
“We might have given him a few treats before we walked down here.” Petunia blushed knowing I had asked her to stop giving him so many since he was putting on a little weight.
“I better get going,” I said before I started to cross the street. There was a line already forming outside of A Charming Cure.
“I love the name of your shop.” Peony and Petunia crossed with me.
“Thank you. I’m a little partial to it.” I could feel the pride written on my face. I knew Petunia had already told her, but maybe she was so young she had forgotten. She seemed a little flighty.
The shop has come a far way since my days of selling the homeopathic cures in the Locust Grove Flea Market.
“Can we go in there later?” She turned to Petunia.
“Of course.” Petunia bent down and picked up a fallen tree branch off the road and stuck it in her hair. “I want to take you into every shop before you go back home.”
“See you soon.” I waved and darted between the cars like a human game of Frogger. Colton had crossed the sidewalk a distance down and he seemed to be waiting on me.
“Was Petunia’s friend threatening you?” Colton asked when I approached him.
“No.” I shook my head refusing to let her ruin Petunia’s moment. “I’m sure she’s nervous about Full Moon.”
“It sure sounded like she threatened you and you said something about casting a spell on her.” His words stopped me dead in my tracks.
“I did no such thing.” I had to clarify. “She badgered me.” My words came out more frantic than I wanted them too.
“So she did threaten you?” he asked again.
“She was only taking up for her best friend,” I assured him. “Something about the history between me and Petunia with the whole Village President thing. But that is going to be corrected tonight.”
“You said she badgered you.” He cocked a brow.
“She asked if I was going to put some sort of spell on her or something because I started to take up for myself before I decided to let it go.” I tucked a piece of hair under my chin. His questions were making me nervous. “Ridiculous.”
“What did you say about a shop?” Colton asked.
“Amethyst owns the new bed and breakfast in town.” I looked around to see where it was. “Full Moon.”
“So, that’s her.” Colton’s head went from side-to-side, trying to get a look at Petunia and the girls off in the distance. “I heard there was a new shop, but it’s on the outskirts of town. Something about the Elders not wanting visitors to see all the magical happenings in the middle of the night.”
“I never thought of it, but I guess it makes sense.” I shrugged. “I’m just a bit shocked they approved a sleepover shop. I never thought we’d need a bed and breakfast. The Elders must be busy.”
The Order of Elders consisted of three past Village Presidents from different villages. They approved shops for all the villages and came when there was a crime committed. I had gotten to know them pretty well when I had found myself a suspect in a crime I had not committed. The Marys, as I so lovingly called them since their names were Mary Sue, Mary Ellen and Mary Lynn, were harmless.
I had a sneaky suspicion I was going to see them while they were in town. I scoffed the idea away and took off toward my shop.
Chapter Three
I opened the beautiful gate in front of the store; every store had the most amazing gates and doors welcoming the customers inside to a world of magic.
Two little window boxes under each window had fresh flowers. It didn’t take a potion to know Arabella had replaced my dead ones. Fortunately the outside of the shop was covered in the most beautiful wisteria vine, which didn’t require much maintenance. Good for me since I would surely have killed it.
The purple and white flowers grew up and around the front door. It was a welcoming sight each morning. Especially on cold f
oggy mornings like today. Instant happiness, I thought smiling as I looked at the vine.
“Outta the way. Excuse me.” I heard someone behind me when I stuck the key into the shop door. “Move it.”
I turned around to see the line of customers being shoved to the right and left as Patience and Constance Karima made their way to the front.
They two grey-haired sisters who owned Two Sisters and a Funeral, pushed their way to the front. They were always on the look out for fresh bodies. They didn’t care who was in their way. When they wanted something they took it. Patience, the shorter of the two, stood behind Constance.
“Yes,” Patience was the master of repeating her sister. “Outta the way.”
“Constance. Patience.” I tilted my head to the side. I blew my bangs out of my face. “It’s not very nice to cut line in front of these nice people.”
I had to make good somehow. There were some angry faces in the crowd.
“We must wait our turn.” I smiled and turned the key to open the door, trying to hurry in without them following me.
Constance must not have heard me, or she ignored me because she plowed on through the door even before I could make it in. The bell above the door rapidly swung back and forth, dinging in our ears.
“Welcome,” I said flatly. “I guess you aren’t waiting your turn,” I muttered under my breath. I could tell it was going to be one of those days.
I flipped on the light switch next to the door and greeted each customer who came in. “Calming the soul products are on the left and anything pertaining to health issues are on the right. You will find wonderful products in the middle for facials and other external healings you might need.”
“We didn’t come here for no cleansing,” Constance protested. Her jaws clenched, her cheek muscles stood out.
“No cleansing,” Patience repeated, wringing her hands together. “Someone’s gonna die.”
A couple customers’ heads turned.
“Oh, I do have some embalming fluid for you.” I grabbed each of them and pulled them to the back of the shop not letting go until we were out of hearing range. “What is wrong with you two?”