by Deanna Chase
“Damn,” she muttered, watching as the front reception area went from organized chaos to something that looked like the Tasmanian Devil had rolled through. Finally, her magic hovered over her open purse. “Oh, no,” she said, her eyes going wide. If the spell upended her bag, her entire life would scatter across the floor. But to her surprise, her magic dipped down and carefully retrieved her phone from her purse. It sailed neatly into her hand.
Noel hit Yvette’s phone number as her daughter quipped, “Grandpa got me a puppy. And I loooove her.”
“I didn’t do it!” Yvette said the second she answered her phone.
“So I hear. Dad did this? Has he lost his mind?” Noel said to Yvette. Then she put the landline receiver back up to her mouth and said, “Is Grandpa keeping the puppy at his house?”
“No. She’s mine. He said so,” her daughter whined.
Noel tightened her grip on the receiver. “I don’t recall anyone asking me, Daisy. We’ll have to talk about this when I come to pick you up.”
“Mommmm. She needs me.”
“I’m sure you think so, sweetheart. But I already said we’ll talk about it when I get there.”
“But—”
“If you push me, Daisy, the answer is no.” Noel stared at the ceiling, hating that she sounded just like her own mother when she herself had begged for a puppy when she was a little girl. She still remembered the temper tantrum she’d thrown when she’d been denied the dog she’d wanted to adopt. But she and Daisy didn’t live on a farm near the woods. They lived in an inn and had guests to cater to. Taking in a dog was a huge commitment. “Do you understand?”
“Yes, Mommy,” her daughter said. A second later, a clanging sound rang in Noel’s ear, followed by Daisy complaining loudly that life was so unfair.
Daisy’s dramatics made Noel chuckle as she pressed her iPhone to her ear and asked Yvette, “What kind of puppy did Dad just bestow on me?”
“I’m not really sure,” her older sister said. “Right now, she’s just an adorable ball of fluff. Two puppies showed up on his doorstep. Faith’s keeping one, and he gave the other one to you.”
“How come you didn’t end up with one?” Noel asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Isaac’s allergic to dogs.”
“Abby can fix that,” Noel said reasonably, referring to their younger sister who was a gifted earth witch. “Pretty sure one of her potions would fix your husband right up.”
There was silence on the other end of the line.
“Yvette, come on,” Noel said. “You know I don’t have time for a dog. Between chasing after Daisy and dealing with guests—”
“You know, if these puppies had shown up last month, I would’ve taken one in a heartbeat. But things are… a little stressful at home right now. It’s just not a good time.”
There was something in Yvette’s tone that silenced Noel’s argument. Her older sister was the strong, confident one, the one who had the perfect husband and marriage. Everyone loved Isaac. If things were stressful at home, something serious was going on. “Vette? Are you okay?”
Her sister let out a long sigh. “I just don’t know yet.”
“Want to talk about it?”
“Not over the phone,” Yvette said.
“Coffee later?”
“Maybe tomorrow. I’ll call you in the morning, okay?”
“Sure. But if you need anything, you know where to find me,” Noel said, wishing she could reach out and give her sister a hug.
Yvette let out a small chuckle. “Chasing a puppy around the inn?”
“Goddess no. That isn’t going to work out. We have guests this week. Dad’s just gonna have to keep the dog until it’s trained.”
“Good luck with that. See you tomorrow.”
Noel was shaking her head, wondering what the heck she was going to do with a dog, when the bell on the door chimed. An older woman dressed in linen slacks and a silk shirt walked in. Her dyed auburn hair was curled and styled to perfection. An older man who was an inch shorter than her shuffled in behind her. He placed a hand on the small of her back and smiled at Noel as they made their way to the check in counter.
“Mr. and Mrs. Vincent?” Noel asked, expecting them.
“That’s us.” The woman’s clear blue eyes twinkled with happiness.
“Welcome to Keating Hollow.” Noel smiled at them and nodded at Alec, her part time helper who was hauling in their luggage. “Take those to the honeymoon suite.”
Mrs. Vincent giggled and pressed her hand to her husband’s chest. “You booked us the honeymoon suite?”
“Anything for my bride.” He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. The gesture was so tender, Noel quickly turned to the computer, feeling as if she was intruding on a private moment. She made herself busy processing their check-in, then smiled again as she handed the sweet couple their room key. “You two don’t get into any trouble now, you hear?” She winked at them. “The Keating Hollow Inn is a respectable establishment.”
“No promises,” Mr. Vincent said, grinning at his bride of fifty years. “The missus here says she’s expecting a romantic weekend. I can’t disappoint, now can I?”
“Definitely not,” Noel said, making a mental note to send a chocolate and champagne basket up to their room. The Vincents had been married for half a century and still looked like newlyweds. Bittersweet emotion swelled her heart as she glanced away. It was the future she’d hoped for when she’d gotten married just before her daughter was born. But that dream died the moment her husband walked out and never looked back. The sharp pain she usually felt in her gut when she thought of Xavier had lessoned to a dull ache, and for that she was grateful. It was well past time she moved on.
She glanced up, watching the couple make their way to the elevator, and spotted Deputy Baker standing near the front door, his arms crossed over his chest. When had he slipped in? Had the bell chimed? She hadn’t heard it.
Tall, lean, and broad shouldered, the man was too damned good looking for his own good. And he was also off-limits. He’d made that perfectly clear years ago after a summer when they’d gotten entirely too close. They’d ended up in each other’s arms, engaged in an impressive make out session, when he’d pulled back and told her that getting involved would be a big mistake. His rejection had been a blow, but she’d gotten over it. What hurt more was the cooled friendship. These days she wasn’t in the market anyway. Once her husband had disappeared, she’d sworn off men. Her attention was reserved solely for her six-year-old daughter, Daisy.
Noel started to ask the deputy what she could do for him, but as the older couple passed him, she heard the woman whisper, “Don’t worry, dear. Your someone is already waiting for you.”
If Noel hadn’t been an air witch, she wouldn’t have even heard the comment. But voices carried in the air, giving her heightened hearing, an ability she sometimes resented. She knew she shouldn’t stare, should give Drew a hint of privacy, but when his expression turned dark, almost tortured, her heart ached for him. She recognized the look. It was the one he always got when someone mentioned his late girlfriend, Charlotte. There was no doubt in her mind that he was thinking about her. Of course, he was. Charlotte would forever be his one who had been taken from him too soon.
“She probably just means Shannon,” Noel quipped, trying to lighten the mood. The curvy redhead who worked at A Spoonful of Magic had made her intentions toward the deputy sheriff clear to the whole town, even if it was obvious Drew wasn’t interested. Every time Noel spotted him trying to dodge the vivacious vixen, she couldn’t help but chuckle. It was his own fault for being gorgeous and too polite to tell her to take a hike.
Drew took his cap off and met her eyes. His haunted expression sent a chill down her spine. “Noel, I’m here on business.”
She suddenly found it hard to breathe as fear seized her. She gripped the edge of the counter and automatically asked, “Is it my dad?” Her father was battling cancer, and these days she carried that
fear with her at all times. But Drew’s news couldn’t be about Lincoln Townsend. She’d just been talking with Yvette, who’d been at his house. Surely if something was wrong, she’d have known about it. “What happened?”
“No, it’s not your dad,” he confirmed and moved closer. “It’s about your husband, Xavier. They’ve found him.”
Ex-husband, she immediately thought. Xavier had disappeared on her three years ago. Eighteen months ago, she’d been granted a divorce due to abandonment. Noel blinked, a new kind of fear filtering through her. She must’ve heard him wrong. “Say that again.”
Drew Baker cleared his throat. “I got a call from the county sheriff’s office. They found a boat washed up on shore about ten miles north of Trinidad. It was rented by Xavier Anderson seven days ago.”
Chapter 3
Noel’s world stopped. Her vision narrowed to just Drew, and all she heard was a faint buzzing in her ears. She saw Drew’s mouth moving, but she couldn’t work out what he was saying. And when she didn’t answer him, he strode over behind the desk and placed his hands on her shoulders.
“Come on, Townsend. Snap out of it,” he said, leaning down to stare her in the eye. “Don’t fall apart on me now.”
The sound of his deep voice snapped her back into reality, and she shrugged him off. “I’m fine.”
“You sure?” he asked, taking a step back to give her some space.
“I’m sure.” She sucked in a deep, cleansing breath. “So, you said they found him. Where is he?”
Drew grimaced. “Eureka. They just identified him this morning.”
Raw pain sliced through Noel’s heart as she interpreted his words. Identified. That meant… “He’s dead, then?”
“I’m sorry, Noel,” he said, sympathy radiating from his light eyes. “They need you to come confirm his identity.”
She gripped the edge of the counter, her fingernails digging into the pine. The pain suddenly turned to a fiery-hot anger. The bastard had been in town last week, and instead of coming to see his daughter, he’d rented a goddamned boat instead. What in the goddess’s name was wrong with him? “Where was he?”
“The found him in the boat just above Trinidad.”
“I mean,” she said, her eyes flashing with rage, “where was he all these years? And what the hell was he doing in Trinidad?”
Drew glanced around the lobby then wrapped his fingers around her elbow and gently guided her toward the front door. “Maybe we should talk about this outside.”
“Why?” She dug her heels in and yanked her arm out of his grip. “So the entire town can hear me have a meltdown? What difference does it make, Drew? My daughter is going to grow up knowing her dad not only left her but couldn’t be bothered to come see her when he was less than thirty miles away. Do you know what that’s going to do to her?”
“I can imagine.”
She scoffed, anger taking over and fueling her outburst. “No, you can’t. Your parents live here in town. My mom up and left when I was ten. It destroyed me that she never came back, never called, never cared about her girls enough to even send an effing birthday card. And ever since Xavier left, I’ve prayed he’d come back. Not for me, but for Daisy. She’s never gotten over him leaving. Now I don’t know that she ever will.”
Noel grabbed her phone and sent a quick text to Alec asking him to take care of the champagne basket for the Vincents and letting him know she had to step out for a while. Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed her purse off the desk then stormed out of the inn. The door slammed behind her, but she barely noticed as she stalked across the street and headed for Deputy Baker’s patrol vehicle. It was a white SUV with the words Keating Hollow Sheriff’s Department on the doors.
The chill in the early December air normally would’ve had her shivering, but she was too numb to notice. Grabbing her coat hadn’t even crossed her mind. She heard Drew’s heavy footsteps behind her and quickened her pace. She wasn’t in any hurry to identify her ex-husband’s body, but she had to move. She wanted to throw things, to scream at the top of her lungs. Instead, she fumed silently, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for Drew to unlock the passenger door.
He didn’t say anything as he held the door open for her or when he slid into the driver’s side. But he did silently take her hand in his as he put the car in gear and sped out of town.
Noel stared down at their connection, her eyes focusing on his strong, slender fingers. How long had it been since she’d allowed a man to hold her hand? Not since Xavier, she was sure of it. She’d been on a couple of dates in the last year or so, but neither had gotten past the awkward first date. Both had been nice guys, she just hadn’t been ready for any kind of relationship. She’d only had room in her heart for Daisy and her family. And while she thought it should feel strange and uncomfortable to let Deputy Baker hold her hand, the reality was neither of those things. Despite his desire to keep a certain amount of distance between them, Drew was still a friend, and had been for the past ten years.
She lightly squeezed his hand and said, “Thank you.”
“No need to thank me. Just doing my job.” He glanced across the car and gave her a small smile.
Noel shook her head. “I highly doubt holding my hand while you drive me to the morgue is in your job description. If you want to play it cool, then have at it Deputy Baker, but we both know I probably should’ve just driven myself.”
“No way, Noel. Not while you’re in shock. Besides,” he glanced over at her, “you did sort of demand I do it.”
“I did not.” She tried to pull her hand from his, but he tightened his grip.
“Yes, you did. What do you call stomping over to my car and waiting at the door? Do you really think I’d have ever denied you a ride to Eureka?” He gave her an incredulous look.
“You should have. It’s not like I don’t have a perfectly good SUV sitting at my inn.” She stared at their hands again. “You can let go. While I appreciate the support, I think I can handle things now.”
His gaze drifted to their joined hands and for a moment, she thought he was going to refuse. But he frowned and released his hold. “Sorry about that. Overprotective nature, I guess.”
“I’d say so,” she said, her hand suddenly feeling cold and abandoned. She gritted her teeth and gave herself a tiny shake. Snap out of it, Noel, she told herself. He’s just a casual friend. Nothing else. But that was a lie, too. They’d been best friends at one point in their lives. And she was willing to bet he still knew her better than anyone, even though they’d made a pointed effort to keep their distance.
“Sorry,” he said again and steered the car expertly down the winding, two-lane road that headed toward the coast.
They were surrounded by majestic redwoods, and in the distance there were rolling hills, followed by the Pacific Ocean. The image of Xavier lying face down in some charter boat sent a chill through her, and she wrapped her arms around her body.
“Are you cold?” he asked, already reaching for the heater controls. “You should’ve brought a jacket.”
“No.” She shook her head, glancing down at herself. She was wearing a green sweater, jeans, and leather boots. He was right. It was December on the Northern California coast. She should’ve brought a jacket, but the truth was she was in shock. She could barely feel anything. A jacket wasn’t going to help her.
“Well, I am,” he said and flipped the heat on.
If she hadn’t seen him reach over and work the controls, she never would’ve noticed the warm air. She turned her head and stared out the window. The gorgeous redwoods lining the highway usually captivated her. Not today. All she could think about was Xavier, his sandy blond hair, bright green eyes, and easy smile. She was smitten from the very first time she’d laid eyes on him. He’d been easy going, fun, full of life. He’d brought her out of her shell during a time in her life when she’d felt as if she’d been drowning. Yvette had just gotten married. Abby was living in New Orleans and hadn’t been ho
me in three years. Faith had just left for college. And her dad had thrown himself into work at his brewery. The only person still in town who she’d been close to was Drew, and he’d long ago put the brakes on their friendship after a night of drinking that had led to an ill-advised make-out session.
Noel had been contemplating leaving Keating Hollow, but then Xavier had walked into the brewery and everything had changed. Her life had been like a dream for four years. Then it had turned into a nightmare.
She clenched her fists, anger coiling in her gut. “How dare he?” she said out loud to no one.
“How dare he what?” Drew asked.
She whipped her head around, her insides churning with bitterness. “How dare he die without giving me answers.”
Drew opened his mouth to say something, probably to soothe her, but she raised her hand, stopping him.
“Don’t,” she said, her voice low and full of steel. “You don’t have the answers any more than I do. There’s nothing to say.”
“There’s always something to say, Noel.”
She glanced up at him and shook her head. “Not this time.”
His hands tightened around the wheel, and she knew he was dying to contradict her, but when he didn’t say anything else, she knew in her soul she was right. There was no defense for a man who’d walked out on his three-year-old daughter and never looked back.
Chapter 4
Drew stood right behind Noel in front of the coroner’s office. She’d stopped a couple of feet away from the door, her body frozen as if she couldn’t take one more step. The air seemed to crackle around her and her blond hair was full of static electricity. It was likely her air magic was charged from her stress. It happened. Too much emotion effected magic in different ways. He just hoped for both their sakes that she kept it under control.
“You can do this, Noel,” he said into her ear, hoping a little encouragement would calm her.
“I—I really don’t think I can,” she said, her voice shaking. “This was the last thing I expected to be doing today.”