by Robyn Neeley
They ate for a few minutes in silence as Bethany finished her plate, taking a big swallow out of the second glass of water he’d gotten for her.
“Wow. You were hungry.”
“Yeah.” She grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth. “I guess I was. Thank you for this.” She held up her glass. “And this.”
“My pleasure. You’ll feel better in the morning if you keep drinking it.” He sipped on his beer and stared at the Ouija Board. “So what did you ask it?”
“If the Buffalo Bills would ever win a Super Bowl,” she joked sarcastically.
“I could probably tell you the answer to that. Here. Let me try.” He put his fingers on the planchette. “Will Bethany Wilson lease the empty store next to the firehouse?” The heart-shaped piece of wood slid to “Yes.” “Well, look at that.”
“Oh, c’mon on. You totally moved it.”
Okay, maybe he did give it more than a little nudge. “LB, that hurts. You know I have magic in my blood. Ghosts dig me.”
She rolled her eyes and leaned forward, placing her fingers on the planchette. “Will Adam Reed become a famous calendar model?”
He cracked a smile. He knew immediately what she was referring to. That shoot for the Frisky Felines calendar last year had been loads of fun. Bethany had gone out of her way to make him feel comfortable that day. It wasn’t like he was modest. However, the room they used in the animal shelter had been full of gawkers.
She’d kept everything fun and not intimidating. They’d laughed through the entire shoot.
“What can I say. I’ll do anything for the felines.” He tapped her shoulder. “Open your business.”
She finished her water. “Why are you so interested in me opening a photography studio?”
“You did such an awesome job on the Frisky Felines calendar. You were great with all of us. Besides, we need more cat pictures in this town.”
She laughed. “That last point is pretty convincing.”
“You know we’d all help you. Emma, Abby, Caitlin, and of course, Rachel. I would do any renovations you needed.”
“Maybe someday . . .” her voice dragged.
He wasn’t so convinced that even buzzed Bethany could throw caution to the wind. “Tell you what.” He tapped her knee. “How about we make some New Year’s resolutions?”
“Now?”
“Sure, why not? We’ll get a head start. You can work on a new business plan—we’ll table discussion on you leasing a store for now. I’ll then work on adding a new carpentry division to my dad’s company.”
“I like that idea,” she said softly.
“Oh, and a second resolution for me would be to get the Batter Up spell finally right.”
“You’re not sure about Zoe and Will?” she asked, reaching for a piece of garlic bread from the plate on the table and biting down.
“Who knows. Although, that guy has been sporting one hell of a grin this week. Maybe they are finally enjoying their Holiday Hook Up.”
“Maybe,” she said, and looked out the window.
“Not a Will fan?”
“No, that’s not it. He’s a nice guy.”
He glanced outside, huge snowflakes were steadily coming down. “It’s late. I should probably get going. I’ll shovel your pathway in the morning.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Not a problem at all. Besides, I need to work up an appetite for my mom’s Christmas goose. Say, do you have plans for tomorrow?” he asked. It only occurred to him now that she might not with her parents out of the country.
She smiled. “Not really, but I’ll be fine. I have a freezer full of food. I’m going to Skype with my mom and dad in the afternoon. Maybe I’ll finally get around to reading the book I checked out from the library last month.” She smiled. “If I need some holiday cheer, I can always hang out in the store and get started on tagging items for our After Christmas sale.”
The thought of her being alone in her family’s empty store, even if she’d be surrounded by all things Christmas, made his heart squeeze. “Well, you’re welcome to join me at my mother’s.” He got up and walked to the front door. “Tell you what. I’ll stop by in the morning. You can let me know then.”
She came up behind him and reached for his coat, handing it to him. “That sounds like a plan. Thanks, Adam.”
“And another thing.” He grinned down at his beautiful neighbor, tugging her ponytail gently. “No more Ouija and Wine Nights alone. Promise.”
“I promise.” She touched his flannel shirt, letting her hand linger. Her beautiful brown eyes locked with his, and before he realized what he was doing, his lips were angling toward hers.
“Merry!” she blurted out.
He stepped back. Man, was he really that stupid to try to kiss her again? “Christmas,” he said. “Merry Christmas, Bethany. I’m sor—”
“I don’t feel so good.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “Excuse me.” She ran from the hallway, and a few minutes later he heard the sound of her getting sick in the bathroom.
Oh, God. She was throwing up the dinner he made her eat. Taking off his coat, he headed down the hallway. “Hey, LB. Can I get you anything?”
“Water” was the only word that came from behind the closed door followed by the toilet flushing.
“On it.”
He raced into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water from her refrigerator. Returning, he met her in the hallway. “Here.”
“Thank you. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Don’t be. We’ve all been there.”
She took a sip of the water, leaning on her wall. “I should go to bed. Can you do me a favor? Blow out all the candles and lock up for me.”
“Of course.”
“Bye, Adam.” She barely looked at him as she moved into her bedroom.
Returning to her living room, he blew out the row of candles lighting up the mantle, and then the one on the coffee table, his gaze resting on the Ouija board.
What would be the harm in asking a couple questions?
He took a seat on the sofa and placed his fingers gently on the planchette.
“Mary, are you here?”
It shot in the direction of “Yes,” and this time he knew for a fact that he hadn’t guided it. “Well, hot damn, girl. Merry Christmas. Come talk to me.”
The planchette spelled out the words “Busy.”
Typical. What exactly filled your calendar when you crossed over? He hoped to have many well-lived years before he knew.
He was eager to talk to his distant cousin.
What should he ask her first? What color sweater did his mother knit him this year for Christmas? Nah. He’d find out tomorrow and be wearing it soon enough. He snapped his fingers. “Mary Berry, can you tell me this? Will I finally get my first kiss with Bethany at the First Kiss Ball next week?”
He held his breath for that answer, gaze fixed on the planchette. It slowly moved in the direction of “No.”
Damn know-it-all.
He stood. Maybe he should ask Mary if he should stop trying to kiss Bethany all together because clearly a first one between them wasn’t in the cards. “Well, nice talking to you, Mary. Hope you have a Merry Christmas from beyond. Let’s do this again after New Year’s. Maybe catch a movie at the Majestic Theater.”
He got up to leave right as the planchette’s needle began to spin.
Holy crap! He stared down at the board.
“P . . .
I . . .
Z . . .
Z . . .
A.”
Pizza? Why would she spell at that word? Was Mary hungry? He scratched his chin. “Or did it mean something else?”
Chapter 12
Bethany strolled down Main Street, taking in the beautiful scenery all around. Last night’s snow fall had blanketed the town, giving Buttermilk Falls residents a much-anticipated white Christmas.
It was early afternoon, but you wouldn’t know it from the deserted street. A perfect
time to take a walk and collect her thoughts.
She’d woken up this morning with an enormous hangover, but her memory of how it all went down still intact.
When Abby had opened the mystery box and pulled out the infamous blonde wig, Bethany had almost lost it. Where had it come from? She hadn’t seen it since the night of the Holiday Hook Up where she distinctly remembered tossing it underneath the picnic table outside the Inn, hiding the evidence when Josh joined her outside.
Who had found it and sent it to her?
Whoever it was knew what she’d done. It couldn’t possibly be Mary, could it?
That question led her to ask Abby if she had a Ouija board and if she could borrow it.
Abby didn’t have one, but her Aunt Sheila did. She couldn’t drop everything and leave the store the day before Christmas, so she met Abby at Sheila’s house much later to borrow the board.
She’d also stopped off at the liquor store because there was no way she was going to try to contact a dead woman—relative to Adam or not—without some alcohol in her system.
Sheila had told her that it would be difficult to summon Mary—that the Ouija Board was more for fun and entertainment, but Bethany still wanted to try.
When she returned to her cottage, she’d immediately set up the Ouija Board, lit candles around her living room, and got to work.
She’d called out to Mary over and over, trying to summon her, but the darn planchette never moved. The initial fear running through her turned into frustration, which led to her drinking straight from the wine bottle.
She was grateful that Adam came over when he did because she realized getting drunk alone on Christmas Eve was just sad. His warming up dinner for her was so thoughtful. Although, tossing it back up practically in front of him wasn’t her finest moment.
Had he tried to kiss her again before she’d fled to the bathroom? That part was still fuzzy. Maybe she’d imagined his lips closing in on hers.
She remembered blurting out “Mary,” ready to confess everything. He had mistakenly interpreted it as her wishing him a Merry Christmas and stepped back.
It was probably for the better that she couldn’t fully remember.
She’d thought about accepting his invitation to have Christmas dinner at his mom’s but wasn’t sure she was ready to face him. She left her cottage from the side door as not to be seen and took a long walk that brought her to the Christmas Corner, where she’d spent the morning discounting merchandise for tomorrow’s After Christmas sale.
And the holiday alone wasn’t so bad. She’d turned on some festive music and had pulled out a tray of cookies she’d purchased earlier in the week, making some peppermint hot chocolate to go with them. It was the second-best thing to being with her parents.
Now, she was enjoying a stroll outside, rather enjoying being out in the crisp air.
She pulled her iPhone out and checked the time. It was almost 2:00 p.m. She needed to journey home so she could log in for their Skype call.
She came upon a family in the park building a snowman, a boy and girl all bundled up while the mother and father attempted to pack the snow. With a quick wave, she passed by wishing them a “Merry Christmas” and crossed the street.
It really was okay that she was alone today. Of course she missed her mom and dad, but she accomplished so much, and at the end of the day, she’d done the one thing she’d never thought she’d be able to do. She’d successfully ran the shop all by herself. They would celebrate another profitable holiday season when her parents returned either at the Lakeside Inn or the little farm-to-table bistro a couple towns over that her parents really loved.
She stopped short of the empty space next to the firehouse, peering in. It wasn’t quite as big as the Christmas Corner but slightly larger than Rachel’s flower shop.
Adam was right. It would make an awesome photography studio. She could easily set up a photo shoot room and still have a back office twice the size of what she had now. She dug in her purse for a pen and something to write the number on, pulling out an old receipt. If Adam was serious about his proposed New Year’s goals for both of them, maybe she could give the realtor a call. It wouldn’t hurt to ask some questions. She jotted down the number and placed the receipt and pen back in her purse.
Zipping her purse, she kept walking down the street, noticing she wasn’t the only resident enjoying the winter scenery. “Emma.” She greeted her friend who was sitting on a bench outside the Star Lite.
Emma looked up and smiled. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas. What are you doing here?”
“Just waiting for the bus.”
Bethany looked over her shoulder at the bus stop across the street. “I didn’t know Jason went out of town.”
“He didn’t. He’s at my mother’s trying to beat her at cards, but I needed to be here.”
“Really? Why?”
“Every Sunday I wait for the 2:00 p.m. bus.” Emma tightened her pretty pink scarf around her neck. “Even on holidays.”
“You do?” Bethany asked, more than perplexed why Emma would make waiting for a bus a weekly routine.
“Yeah.” She pointed behind her. “I’m usually in the Star Lite, sitting at that table. There’s only one Sunday since I was thirteen that I didn’t sit there, and it was only because Jason had my seat and refused to give it up.”
Bethany laughed. “Was that your cute meet?”
“You could say that. Although, I remember wishing I had the power to turn him into a frog.” She giggled, adding, “But I did think he was pretty handsome even then.” She patted the space next to her. “Would you like to join me and wait?”
“Sure.” Bethany took a seat next to Emma. It shouldn’t take her that long to get home to make her Skype call. Maybe she could ask Emma for a ride.
“How is your Christmas?”
“Low-key. My parents are in the Bahamas, so it’s just me.”
“Do you have plans for tomorrow night? Jason and I are getting together with Abby and Brandon. Josh and Caitlin will be there, too.”
Bethany smiled at her friend. Emma Stevens was always thoughtful. It would be fun to hang out with them. “I’ll be running the store tomorrow, but I could come by after work.”
“Fantastic. Oh, and Adam should be there, too. Would you mind inviting him?”
Why should Adam be there? “Sure.” Her cheeks warmed at the thought of her spending the evening with Adam. She could always blame what she was sure were rosy cheeks on the cold air. “So why do you come here every Sunday?” she asked, changing the subject.
“It’s pretty silly, really. I overhead my mother talking to my Aunt Jackie when I was a teenager and thought my father would be returning on the 2:00 p.m. bus on a Sunday. He never did.” She sighed. “And my mom’s premonition was a little different than my young imagination heard. I still come here, though, hanging on to all that hope I once had that he’ll return.”
Bethany didn’t quite know what to say. She knew the story of Emma’s dad skipping out on her and her mother—the whole town did. “Well, I think that’s wonderful. Hope is a good thing to have.”
“Yes, it is.” Emma touched her neck and pulled out a necklace that had been hidden. “And Jason asked me to marry him.”
Bethany stared at the beautiful diamond that dangled on a thin gold chain. “Emma! Congratulations, that’s wonderful.”
“Thank you.”
“When did it happen?”
“Last night.”
“Why aren’t you wearing the ring? You did say yes, didn’t you?”
“Not yet, but I will, and Jason knows that.” She smiled. “I’m glad we ran into each other because I think you’re the only person who will understand why I didn’t say yes.”
“I will?” Bethany sat back. Why would Emma think she was the only person who would understand? Wouldn’t Abby be the one?
“It has to do with the hope chest.” Emma turned to face Bethany. “Can I ask you something?
When you opened it and put Mary’s dress on, did you feel like there was something you must do in it?”
Bethany looked away. She’d already confessed her feelings for Adam to Abby. There was no reason not to believe that Emma could keep the secret, too. “I wanted to kiss Adam.” Wow. And just like that, there it was. Out in the open.
Emma gave her an encouraging smile. “And did you?”
“Yes. I mean, I’ve always wanted to kiss him, but in the dress . . . The feeling was overwhelming. I needed it to happen right then.”
“I had the same feeling.”
Bethany raised a playful eyebrow. “That you wanted to kiss Adam?”
“No.” Emma grinned. “I’m very much in love with my handsome reporter. When I put on the dress, I found I wanted my father to see me in it before walking me down the aisle.”
“Emma.” Bethany touched her heart.
“Jason found him.”
“Your dad?”
“Yes. He’s been living in a small town in Texas called Sweet Ridge.” She paused and blew out a breath. “We’re flying out there the day after tomorrow.”
“Wow.”
“Tell me about it.” Emma shoved her hands in her pockets. “It may not be the outcome I’m hoping for, but at least I’ve got to try.” She motioned to the bus arriving. “I know he’s not on there, but I can’t give up hope.” She sighed. “I guess it’s what defines me.”
“And what we all love and admire about you.” Bethany reached for Emma’s hand and squeezed, knowing her friend felt the hope and faith she shared with her. They waited in silence as the passengers stepped off the bus. There wasn’t a middle-aged man in the bunch.
Chapter 13
“I think Mary wants me to open a pizzeria,” Adam said to Josh, and leaned against the Lakeside Inn bar.
It was the day after Christmas. Bethany had sent him a text earlier saying that Emma had arranged a small get-together at Brandon’s inn and asked if he’d like to join her.
Of course he said yes without hesitation and offered to drive. Truth be told, Caitlin had already invited him when he stopped over for some coffee and to drop off his presents for the triplets. He’d replied back that he’d love to extend their Holiday Hook Up, which she responded with a smiley face emoji.