The Witches Of Enchanted Bay
Amelia Morgan
Table Of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Epilogue
Prologue
Meg Walton didn’t know what she’d gotten herself into. She was completely out of her element. She ran a donut shop; she didn’t solve murder cases. At the same time, she couldn’t give up now. She’d made a promise to her friend. If her word didn’t mean anything, what good was it? So whether she liked it or not, she was in too deep to turn back.
Talk about uncharted waters for Meg. She’d spent her life flying under the radar, going out of her way to keep a low profile. That was hard enough for anyone to do in a small town, but it was especially difficult for her, considering she was a witch.
That’s right, Meg was a real-life, spell-casting witch. She came from a whole family of them. Although it was impossible to tell by just looking at her. From the outside, she looked just like any other athletic, oval-faced, thirty-two-year-old woman with wavy, long, red hair and green eyes.
Unlike so many of the witches that were portrayed in pop culture, she didn’t wear an ugly, pointy, black hat, fly around on a broomstick, or carry a magic wand, but she did have magic coursing through her veins.
Meg had been taught by her mother at an early age to keep her powers secret. Her mom constantly told her that as a witch, it was best not to draw attention to oneself. Small town folks did not have a good history of accepting those that were different than them. Tales of persecution littered history books. Up until now, Meg and her family had kept their witch secret from getting out. Suddenly, that was in danger of changing.
As Meg stood at the crime scene, she was still in a state of disbelief. It all seemed so unreal. Murders didn’t happen in sleepy small towns like Enchanted Bay. At least they weren’t supposed to. In her entire life, Meg couldn’t recall a single murder occurring in town, until now.
What a time for things to start changing. Enchanted Bay was a quaint, cozy town of twenty-five thousand on the coast in Northern California. It was known for its beaches, tree-lined streets, and picturesque Victorian-era houses. Now it would be known for something else too.
Meg couldn’t get over the fact that a person had been killed just a few feet away from where she was standing. It was a grisly reminder of how quickly a person’s life could be cut short. No matter what she did, she couldn’t seem to shake the eerie feeling that was in her bones.
As shocking as the murder was, the victim had a number of enemies around town. Some people had a knack for getting under the skin of others. The problem was, a person could only go around burning bridges for so long before they got burnt themselves. That’s what had happened here.
If the murder wasn’t disturbing enough, one of Meg’s good friends was suddenly a suspect in this case. Meg’s jaw nearly dropped when she heard her friend’s name on the suspect list. She knew something was seriously wrong here. There was no way her friend could have done this. The police disagreed.
That forced Meg into a position she never thought she’d find herself in. She didn’t want to get involved in this case, but she also wasn’t about to let her friend go to jail for a crime she didn’t commit.
In her mind, there was only one thing she could do. To prove her friend’s innocence, Meg would have to find the real killer herself. As her investigation began, Meg realized she’d have her hands full. It was a good thing she had her witch powers to help her out.
Chapter One
One Day Earlier
It was one of those days at Enchanted Donuts. Business was hopping. Sales magic was in the air. Meg couldn’t seem to ring customers up fast enough. It was always that way during the morning rush.
On weekdays, the place was jammed all the way up until eight-fifty-five a.m. Then the townsfolk scurried off to work, finally giving Meg a chance to take a breath.
That was usually when Meg’s friend, Lisa McGraw, came in. As a saleswoman, Lisa made her own work hours. She preferred not to set any appointments until ten. That gave her a chance to get her beauty rest.
Lisa strolled into the donut shop that morning with a smile on her face. She looked like she couldn’t wait to take a bite of a chocolate-glazed donut. That had been her favorite kind for years. Amazingly enough, despite coming into the shop almost every weekday for the last decade, she never got tired of her favorite.
“The usual?” Meg asked.
“Of course,” Lisa replied.
“I’m just asking. We do have twenty-two other kinds of donuts here.”
“Meg, when you find something you like--”
Meg finished her friend’s sentence. “You stick with it.”
Lisa was a woman who valued consistency, which only made her inconsistent romantic history stick out like a wart on a witch’s nose. She had the worst luck with men. It was almost like she was a bonehead magnet that only attracted bad apples.
Meg couldn’t figure out why. Lisa was a girl-next-door type. She had long blonde hair, blue eyes, a trim figure, and was as sweet as could be. Logically, she should be able to find a good guy. But if love was anything, it was illogical. One thing was certain. Lisa was proof that opposites did attract. Her current boyfriend was a great example of that. Although Meg preferred not to bring him up right now.
Instead, she gave her friend her chocolate-glazed donut. Lisa went to town, immediately taking a bite. Her eyes lit up like a little kid on Christmas morning with the first taste.
“After all these years, it still amazes me how good these donuts are,” Lisa said.
There were other donut shops in town, but none as successful as Enchanted Donuts. Meg wished she could take credit for that, but she owed everything to her grandmother. Penelope Walton had opened the place over seventy years ago. Now the business was run by Meg and her mother.
“I live to please,” Meg replied.
“Although I probably shouldn’t be eating this. I don’t even want to think about how many calories are in this.”
“You say that every day, yet you keep coming back.”
“That’s because they’re so addictive. Still, if Jack found out I was scarfing down on a donut, he’d go nuclear,” Lisa revealed.
Oh, dear. Apparently a conversation about Lisa’s boyfriend was inevitable. Meg was not a fan of her friend’s latest beau. Jack Jensen was a self-proclaimed fitness guru. In general, Meg thought it was trouble when anyone referred to themselves as a guru.
In the end, Meg just wanted her friend to be happy. Unfortunately, she had a bad feeling that Jack would end up doing the opposite.
Not that Meg was doing any better. She didn’t have much luck when it came to fi
nding love. She was all-too single these days. The donut shop keeping her busy was a good excuse to use with her friends, but the fact was, she wanted to find someone. The right guy just hadn’t come along yet.
Meg wasn’t about to let Lisa’s boyfriend steer her away from her donut-a-day habit. “Jack should give our donuts a try. He just might like them.”
Lisa scoffed. “Are you kidding? He wouldn’t be caught dead in a donut shop. It would kill his business.”
Meg shook her head. “How did you end up with a man who hates donuts?”
Lisa deflected. “There’s more to a relationship than donuts. Besides, Jack has plenty of other good points.”
“As long as you’re happy.”
Lisa was quick to change the subject. “Speaking of, it would really make me happy if you’d come to Jack’s DVD launch tonight.”
Ugh.
It was Meg’s turn to deflect. “You know I have my own fitness plan, and it’s doing just fine for me.”
What Meg didn’t tell Lisa was that it wasn’t so much a fitness plan, but rather a metabolism-revving spell. Each morning, Meg cast a spell which essentially turned her stomach into a fat-burning machine. Thanks to the spell, she could pretty much eat whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted, without ever having to worry about gaining a pound. Unfortunately, Meg couldn’t tell Lisa about any of it without revealing she was a witch, so she always quickly tried to change the subject.
“Right. You have that mysterious fitness plan of yours,” Lisa replied. “Look, I don’t want you to come to the DVD launch because I think you’ll be interested in Jack’s new workout plan.”
“Then why do you want me to come?”
“To keep me company.”
“I’m confused. Won’t Jack be doing that?”
Lisa shook her head. “Other than me, the only people that will be at the party are the people from Jack’s gym. He’s going to be so busy promoting the DVD that I’ll barely have any time with him. It would be nice to have you there to talk to.”
Lisa could tell Meg still wasn’t convinced.
“Please, will you do this for me?” she asked.
Meg gave in. She threw Lisa a half-smile. “Anything for a friend.”
“Great.” Lisa then took another bite of her donut. Her face lit up again. “These donuts really are enchanting.”
Lisa didn’t know the half of it. Most people thought the donut shop was named after the town. The truth was, the shop was named Enchanted Donuts because the pastries here really were enchanted. There was a secret, magical ingredient in each donut that made them taste better while also making them healthy. Thanks to that magical ingredient, Enchanted Donuts was the only bakery in business that sold addictively-delicious pastries that customers could eat by the dozen and never gain a pound afterward.
This was just another thing Meg had to keep secret from her friend, as well as all the other customers.
Meg smiled at her friend, knowing that without spilling the magic beans, there was only one thing she could say. “Thanks.”
Chapter Two
Just as Lisa McGraw left the shop to meet with her first client of the day, Meg’s mother, Beth Walton, entered. Surprisingly, Beth had a big smile on her face. Like her daughter, Beth had a slim figure with long, wavy red hair. In general, witches tended to age well. Still, Meg hoped she’d look as good as her mother when she reached her early sixties.
“Morning,” Beth said.
Meg furrowed her brow. “You seem happy for a woman who hates mornings.”
There was particular irony to the fact that her mother owned a donut shop, yet hated mornings. Few professions that demanded a person wake up before the crack of dawn, but a donut shop was one of them. It was no coincidence then that Beth saddled her daughter with the majority of the opening shifts. Still, even though Beth rarely showed up at the store before ten o’clock, she was often groggy until eleven or even noon. Not today.
Beth revealed what was making her so perky. “Did you hear that Connor Smith is back in town?”
Beth was no stranger to gossip. She practically ran the gossip mill in town. Most of the town chatter Meg paid little attention to. This was different. After all, it was Connor Smith she was talking about.
Meg’s eyes opened wide. “Really?”
Beth smiled. “I knew that would get your interest.”
Meg hadn’t heard Connor’s name in almost a decade, but she’d thought about him plenty during that time. They’d been good friends growing up and always seemed to have a special bond. Meg and Connor’s mothers made it no secret that they wanted them to end up together one day. They weren’t the only ones. Everyone thought Meg and Connor would eventually become a couple.
The problem was, they never seemed to both be single at the same time. Then, shortly after returning from college, finally they were. They went out a few times and seemed to really be hitting it off. But before their relationship had the chance to reach its full potential, Connor got news that would change both of their lives forever.
Connor had gotten accepted into the police academy in San Francisco and would be leaving in a month. He wanted Meg to come with him, but she couldn’t. Part of it was because duty called at the donut shop. Meg’s mom expected her to take over the place one day.
There was more. Meg was a small town girl; always had been, always would be. The big city life didn’t interest her. At the same time, Connor wasn’t willing to stay in town. He thought he was destined for more than to be a small town cop. This was his big break, and he wasn’t about to pass it up.
Their once-promising relationship came to an end when Connor left town, the unfortunate casualty of bad timing. Over the years, Meg had wondered what would have happened if she’d gone with him, or he’d stayed. After almost a decade, she thought she might not ever get the answer to all her question. Maybe now she finally would.
“You know, not only is he back, but he’s single too,” Beth said.
Subtlety was not Beth’s strong suit. Then again, she had no interest in it. Meg didn’t need to go to a used car lot to get high-pressure sales. She got plenty of that from her mom.
Meg changed the subject. “How do you know all this?”
Beth smiled, slyly. “I have my ways.”
“You mean you used your powers?”
Beth scoffed. “You know I try to cast spells as little as possible. Besides, who cares how I found out? All that matters is he’s back in town, and he’s single. The question is, what are you going to do about it?”
“Way to put pressure on me,” Meg deadpanned.
“Honey, you’re thirty-two and haven’t had a date in six months. You could use a little pressure.”
“Just so you know, this is more than a little pressure,” Meg pointed out.
“This is nothing.” Beth then nudged towards the front door to the shop. “That, on the other hand, is the moment you’ve been waiting a decade for.”
As Meg turned to the door, she saw Connor Smith enter. He looked just as good as she remembered. Connor was a handsome man with an angular, clean-shaven face, short sandy brown hair, hazel eyes, and an athletic build. He had confidence without being cocky and was approachable, yet still commanded authority. It was a delicate balance, but he pulled it off.
Meg was wondering how she’d feel if this moment ever came. It turned out that she was nervous as could be. Her stomach was twisted into knots.
Meg’s mother wasn’t burdened by anxiety in the least. “If it isn’t our favorite cop in a donut shop.”
Connor smiled. “It’s nice to see you too, Ms. Walton.” He approached the counter and looked at the display case. “What a delicious selection.”
“I’m not the only one who is happy to see you.” Beth pointed to her daughter. “Did I mention, Meg’s still single, too?”
Meg gave Beth a stern look. “Mom.”
Connor laughed to himself.
Beth excused herself. “I have some sales reports to run. Why do
n’t I leave you two alone?”
Beth then headed to the back office, leaving only Meg and Connor in the shop. There was so much Meg wanted to say, but she wasn’t sure where to start. At the same, she was interested to hear what was on Connor’s mind as well. Neither seemed to know exactly how to break the ice. They both waited for the other to make the first move.
Meg decided to start with a joke. “My mother, the matchmaker.”
Connor chuckled. “Some things never change.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Can I get a dozen glazed?”
“Wow. Big appetite.”
“It’s not just for me,” he replied.
“So, how long have you been back in town?” she wondered.
“A couple of days. I’ve been meaning to come in sooner, but I’ve been trying to get settled in at work.”
Meg looked out the window and saw the police car parked out front. “I’ll bet the Enchanted Bay police department is happy to have a big city cop like you around.”
“Actually, I’m a detective now.”
“Moving on up in the world, huh?”
“That’s one way to put it.”
“Is that not how you’d put it?”
“It’s complicated,” Connor admitted.
That seemed to be an all too familiar theme in Connor and Meg’s lives.
“You’re right. Some things don’t ever change.”
“Let’s just say I’m happy to be home.”
“What brought you home exactly?”
Connor tried to find the right words.
Meg decided to try and help him out. “Let me guess, it’s complicated?”
Connor nodded. “Yeah. Let’s just say I’m hoping to live a much simpler life from here on out.”
“You came to the right place then.”
“I’ll say. There’s nothing like the simple pleasure of a good donut.”
Meg laughed. “You can take the cop out of the city, but can’t take the donut cravings out of the cop.”
Meg finished boxing up the donuts and put them next to the cash register. Connor couldn’t wait until he got back to the police station to try one. As he took a bite, he looked as happy as could be.
The Witches Of Enchanted Bay (Witches Of Enchanted Bay Cozy Mystery Book 1) Page 1