“We don’t dare use the boxes in front of her,” Sam whispered in the living room. “We have no idea how this will go. She might witness something and the gossip around town could happen instantly.
“Right.” Kelly had carried Manichee inside. “We could pretend we’re just back from a night on the town and send her home.”
Sam almost giggled at the idea. The last time she’d come in from a party she was home by ten. It was nearly two a.m. now. But she didn’t want to wait until daylight to see if Bertha Martinez’s advice would work.
“I’ll never fall asleep anyway,” she said. “I’ll tell her.”
The woman seemed a little peeved until Sam assured her she’d be paid for the full eight-hour shift. She gathered her things and said she would see Sam the next evening.
Let’s hope not, Sam thought as she watched the nurse’s car drive away.
Kelly was sitting on the sofa with the box on her lap. “Do you suppose there’s some little ceremony we should do? Light some candles or incense or something?”
Sam emerged from the closet where she’d taken Virtu from the safe. “I have no idea. I haven’t used them before. Of course, I’ve never blended the power of this box with another. And I don’t think anyone else has stayed so stubbornly asleep as Beau.”
“Well, let’s just give it a go without props,” Kelly said. “I say we take the boxes into his room and then maybe we touch them at the same time or something.”
Sam felt a nervous flutter, some combination of fear and excitement, as she carried Virtu into the bedroom. Kelly carried Manichee. They closed the door, ordering the dogs to the living room, and took positions on each side of the bed. Beau lay quietly on his back, breathing evenly. Other than the tubes connected to him, he might have been simply enjoying a good night’s sleep.
Both boxes were now glowing softly, golden. The stones on Virtu had become brilliant red, green, and blue. Sam’s and Kelly’s eyes met across the space above Beau’s chest.
“Do we dare let them touch?” Sam whispered.
Kelly nodded. “According to the book, yes. I think that’s when the power is greatest.”
Leaning forward slowly, each woman held the box out toward the other. They were directly above the spot where Beau’s most severe wound had been when the boxes touched.
A vibration began. Sam felt startled but kept her grip on the box. Now, a hum.
From the size of Kelly’s eyes, she guessed her daughter was experiencing the same effect.
The humming sound rose in pitch, like a steaming tea kettle, then higher yet, until they could no longer hear it but knew it was practically screaming. The dogs, closed out on the other side of the door, were making frantic little sounds.
When do we let go? The thought flashed through Sam’s mind, but the need to keep the boxes together was compelling.
A second later a light flashed and both women felt a jolt. The boxes dropped, repelled from each other by some unseen force, as if they were saying, Now—it’s done!
Sam looked down. The boxes had landed on Beau’s chest and tumbled away. They were lying at his sides now. But the real miracle was when she looked at his face. His eyes were open, blinking, and a beautiful smile came over his face.
“Beau! Beau, can you hear me?” Sam took his hand and looked into his ocean blue eyes.
“Sam—what’s going on?” His gaze darted back and forth. “Kelly?”
“Oh my god, Beau—you’re back,” Kelly said.
Chapter 63
Inexplicably, Sam burst out crying. All the worry, the tension, the fear of the past weeks came to a head and then left her body. Beau reached for her hand but the confusion of the attached tubing drew his attention. Kelly circled the bed to Sam’s side.
“Mom—we did it! Can you believe it!”
And with that, Sam was laughing and crying at the same time. They raised the head of the bed so Beau could see his surroundings.
Kelly wiped the moisture from her own eyes. “Look, I’m going to leave you guys alone. You have a lot to talk about, and I’m sure Scott didn’t expect me to stay out all night.”
She opened the bedroom door and both dogs rushed in, ecstatic to see Beau sitting up. He reached over the edge to pet them, speaking their names. Sam felt another rush of relief. The doctors had left her with the frightening idea that Beau might not recover his memory, that there could be permanent brain damage. So far, he had recognized everyone.
Kelly blew kisses to Sam and Beau before calling Scott to say she was on the way home. When Sam heard the front door close, she turned to Beau.
“Kelly and Scott are married,” he said. He paused a moment, thinking. “The wedding was in the forest.”
“Is that the last thing you remember?”
He shook his head slowly. “There was a murder case. We were working a murder …”
“Do you remember the name Marcus Fitch?”
His expression hardened.
She decided to skip the parts about Fitch coming after her and only briefly touched on the connections to OSM and The Vongraf Foundation, and the fact the FBI had been brought in and helped with the arrest.
“The good news is that Marcus Fitch is in jail. His attorney is pushing to move the venue, since the story has been front page throughout northern New Mexico for a while now. Evan and Rico have done a great job putting the evidence together for the attorney general’s office and it looks pretty solid. Fitch won’t be getting out.”
“Okay,” he said. “that’s good.”
Sam watched his face carefully. The indifferent response wasn’t like the old Beau.
“You’re tired,” she said, “and I don’t want to wear you out with too much detail at once.”
She lowered the head of the bed a bit. “I’m going to stretch out in the recliner right over there. You just make a little sound if you need anything.”
“I love you, Sam.” His smile seemed a bit faded, but it was genuine.
She kissed his mouth gently. “I love you, too. Welcome back.”
* * *
The day nurse came at nine, her tap on the door waking Sam from the first solid sleep she’d had in a long time. The woman exclaimed and fussed, and wanted to call in the news of Beau’s improvement to her supervisor and report it to the doctors in Albuquerque.
“One thing at a time,” Sam said. “Can you at least take out all those tubes and things? He wants to get up.”
Cautions were issued about how weak his muscles would be and how he should take it easy with solid food and a dozen other things; Sam merely filed it all away. The phone had already begun to ring, starting about the moment Kelly would have arrived to work at Puppy Chic. Riki, Jen and the bakery staff, Evan and Rico. The outpouring of love was amazing, but Sam had to remain firm, especially with the deputies, that Beau wasn’t quite up to taking phone calls yet.
When she saw the next call was from Stan Bookman, she preempted what he was about to say by thanking him profusely for the use of his plane in bringing Beau home.
“I’m happy to hear it has turned out so well,” said Stan. “Such a relief. I hadn’t wanted to bring it up, Sam, but the cruise line is still waiting for some answers …”
Sam felt a flash of irritation. Seriously? She had only got Beau back a few hours ago, and already it was business, business, business. She answered with a short “I’ll have to get back to you on that” and hung up. She owed Stan a debt of gratitude, definitely, but she’d begun to see the relationship in a different light. The question was, how would she handle this?
She left her phone on the table and walked into the kitchen. While the coffee maker burbled and hissed, she fed the dogs and performed a few other automatic tasks. But her mind was focused on the bigger picture.
During the entire time of Beau’s hospitalization and recovery, she had done a lot of soul searching, bargaining with the powers that be. If she got Beau back, she would reevaluate her life’s priorities. Now a grandchild would be in the
picture, and she knew changes were in order. The bakery and chocolate factory required a huge commitment of her time, and the latter would only become more demanding as time went on. Stan Bookman’s call just now was a vivid reminder. And yet, she had signed a contract. How could she get out of it without serious legal and financial penalties?
She poured a mug of coffee for herself and one for the nurse. She carried them to the bedroom where the nurse was stowing equipment.
“Look at me,” Beau said with a smile. “Free of wires.”
“That looks awfully good to me,” Sam told him.
“Looks like a miracle to me,” said the nurse. “I’ve treated several coma patients over the years, but haven’t seen one yet who talked about wanting to get up right away.”
Beau sniffed the air. “Can I have some of that coffee?”
Sam looked toward the nurse.
“Try a sip and make sure it’ll stay down.”
Sam handed one mug to the nurse and gave her own to Beau. “You heard what she said. While you give it a try, I’ve got a phone call to make.”
She went back to her phone and looked up a number. It would be late afternoon in Switzerland, but she hoped to get an old acquaintance, Wilhelm Schott, on the line right away. Her chocolate dilemma might have been solved.
Chapter 64
Six months later …
Kelly looked as if she had a beach ball under her shirt as she directed placement of Valentine decorations in the front entry. Sam and Riki continued to twist strands of greenery laced with hearts along the stair railings and across the balcony. Jen was placing red, pink, and white flower arrangements along the center of the dining table. Zoë was in the kitchen, making certain there were enough napkins and place settings.
“Can we get that beautiful red and pink pendant thingy attached to the chandelier?” Kelly asked.
Beau steadied the ladder while Scott climbed it and aimed the hook toward a link between crystal pendants. The Valentine’s Day wedding would take place in the grand entry hall of the Victorian. White chairs had been rented for the guests; Riki would come down the staircase to join Evan under the chandelier; a long table in the dining room would accommodate twenty-four friends in style. The caterers could take advantage of the professional-grade appliances that remained from the chocolate factory days.
Sam thought back. When she’d called Wilhelm Schott, president of the major Swiss chocolate company, Qualitätsschokolade, he was thrilled to purchase the Sweet’s Traditional Handmade Chocolates brand, given that a huge contract came with it. His company had the facilities to produce the quantities the cruise line wanted, without hardly blinking an eye. Schott had purchased the brand name, the logos, recipes and techniques—including a supply of Sam’s secret ingredient—and the contracts with Cruceros Privados and Book It Travel, all for an obscene amount of money. It didn’t make sense to ship basic ingredients such as chocolate and sugar to Switzerland, nor the packing boxes and shipping supplies. Qualitätsschokolade had all that, so it was largely a matter of transferring title and paperwork.
In September Sam had spent a week at the big candy factory just outside Lucerne. It was a bittersweet experience, bidding her little business goodbye, but at the same time a huge relief. Beau’s recovery from the coma had been steady, but slower than she had hoped. And his change of attitude toward his law enforcement career was another surprise. He’d watched the news of Marcus Fitch’s trial during the winter months, but seemed detached as to the outcome.
He would remain on leave from his county job for a while longer. Evan Richards had assumed the role of acting sheriff. Both he and the county would decide, as it got closer to election time, whether Evan would run for the office officially. Much depended on whether Beau wanted to go back to work by then. With the money she’d received for the chocolate business, early retirement was definitely an option.
Scott came down the ladder and stepped back to appraise the decorations, draping an arm across Kelly’s shoulders. They smiled at each other. Their new pet, a calico cat named Eliza, sauntered through the foyer, giving Kelly a knowing look. Cats were different communicators, she was discovering. Dogs told her, straight out, what was on their minds. The cat was far more subtle—and highly intelligent. She had showed up on the front porch the night they moved into the Victorian.
“Glad we bought the house?” she asked Scott.
“So glad.” He turned her toward him and kissed her, as if the Valentine pendant above their heads were mistletoe.
“I love your change in career, too,” she said.
“Temporary, so far,” he reminded. “But let’s hope it works into a permanent gig.”
At the semester break in December, Scott had put in for a sabbatical from university teaching—the purpose was twofold: be home with Kelly when the baby came, and have several months to write. With all the research he’d done in and around Bury St. Edmunds and Cambridge, he had enough material for a book on the reclusive author, Eliza Nalespar, who’d grown up in the Victorian house. With the dead author’s fame and the local connection to New Mexico, he’d been offered contracts from both US and UK publishers. The advance had been banked away to cover living expenses.
Already, Scott had ideas for other books, especially now that they had lived in the Victorian for a few months. The creaky sounds from the old house gave him the idea for a series of children’s books featuring a reclusive writer who lives in a haunted house and solves mysteries. When he’d run the idea past his agent, she raved, “That idea will probably earn you more than the book on the history of the old place.”
Jen came in, slipping her arms into the sleeves of her coat. “Table is set—beautifully, I might add—and I’m off to pick up my dress for tomorrow from the seamstress. Becky says the cake is done, and she’ll bring it when they come for the ceremony.”
Zoë was close behind. “Darryl’s home wondering what’s for dinner,” she said with a laugh. “He’d better watch out. He’ll be having a bologna sandwich if he’s not careful. I’ll be back tomorrow early enough to watch over the caterer.”
“Thanks, everyone,” Riki called out from the balcony above. “See you tomorrow.” To Sam, she said, “I’m going home for a nice long evening of mani-pedi and a facial. The guys can do the bachelor party thing if they want, but I shall be radiant tomorrow.”
Sam kissed her cheek. “You’re always radiant, you and that gorgeous English skin of yours.”
Soon, it was the four of them—Sam, Beau, Kelly, and Scott—and they settled around the small kitchen table for a light supper. Beau had opted out of going along with Evan and the younger deputies for a night on the town. Sam watched him carefully, as she had for months now. Although he was as loving and attentive as ever with her, he’d lost some of the old spark and hadn’t rebounded from the shooting as quickly as she’d hoped. These days he seemed content to tend to the animals and putter about the ranch, and he hadn’t said anything about resuming his office as sheriff. But perhaps time would tell.
“I’m glad you chose salads for tonight’s meal, Mom,” Kelly said. “I can hardly eat anything these days without heartburn killing me.”
“Two more weeks,” Sam said with a smile. She faced Kelly’s mid-section. “Are you ready for your appearance in this world, Miss Anastasia Sweet Porter?”
“Ow. Careful about talking to her—she answers with kicks.”
Beau chuckled whenever Kelly said things like that. He helped Sam clear the dishes and then the men retired to the room Kelly had insisted Scott set up as his man cave, to watch football on the big screen TV. Sam cleaned up the kitchen while she heated water for tea.
“I wonder what the future holds,” Kelly said. “The baby, Scott’s writing career, so many things.”
“The magic. I can’t help thinking about Bobul’s last visit, along with Bertha—niece of older Bertha. She said the two of us should embrace the magic, use the power we have together for good purposes. I’m trying to imagine how that wil
l go.”
Kelly laid both hands against her belly. “I’m beginning to wonder if it really will be the two of us. This one—she’s showing some unusual signs …”
Sam stared at her daughter.
Kelly read her thoughts. “Nah. It’s just me, my puffy ankles and sore ribs and too much time to think about things.”
But it was true, Kelly had already been pregnant when she first encountered the power of the boxes. Could it be? Would Anastasia be born knowing things, with abilities they could only imagine? Sam found that her heart welled with hope and joy at the thought of that unknown future.
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Thank you,
Connie Shelton
Books by Connie Shelton
The Charlie Parker Series
Deadly Gamble
Vacations Can Be Murder
Partnerships Can Be Murder
Small Towns Can Be Murder
Memories Can Be Murder
Honeymoons Can Be Murder
Reunions Can Be Murder
Competition Can Be Murder
Balloons Can Be Murder
Obsessions Can Be Murder
Gossip Can Be Murder
Stardom Can Be Murder
Phantoms Can Be Murder
Buried Secrets Can Be Murder
Legends Can Be Murder
Weddings Can Be Murder
Alibis Can Be Murder
Holidays Can Be Murder - a Christmas novella
The Samantha Sweet Series
Sweet Masterpiece
Sweet’s Sweets
Sweet Magic Page 23