by Bella Falls
I accepted the help to get back up on my feet and rubbed my sore bottom. Facing down the culprit, I recognized the taller Mosely brother. “Try to have better aim next time,” I warned.
The embarrassed boy backed away from me. “Yes, ma'am.” He ran off after his friends.
“I’m not old enough to be ma’am-ed,” I grumbled under my breath.
“That's nothing,” Matt chimed in. “It seems that there are a lot of spell pranks going on. It's that time of year.”
My hand rubbed the spot that would bruise on my behind. “I guess. But they better not do anything when I'm teaching the spell permit course.”
“Ha! I knew Nana would convince you,” my brother teased. He strolled down the sidewalk until he stood in front of another abandoned business space. A faded painted sign declared it the last location of Mr. Steve's very first restaurant, the Honeysuckle Diner. Wooden boards blocked the windows.
“It's on a trial basis. If her dear friend hadn't had a family emergency and needed to leave right away, I would've had more time to tell Nana no.” I tried my best to peek through a small crack between the boards.
Matt lifted his eyebrows. “Would you have?”
I hung my head and sighed. “Probably not. What are we doing here?”
“There's something I didn't tell you because I haven't really told anyone. I wasn’t sure how you would take it.” He rubbed the back of his neck in awkward discomfort.
“Did you already find a new tenant for this space? Isn't this the old diner Mr. Steve started before he moved into the bigger place across the street? It would be an odd space to renovate for anything other than a restaurant of some sort.”
“Exactly,” Matt responded.
I waited for him to say more, still trying to find a way to look inside. When he didn't elaborate, the full truth dawned on me. “Is someone trying to open another restaurant here in Honeysuckle?” I shot a glance at the busy cafe on the corner. Who would want to compete against Mr. Steve?
Matt approached the door. “I think it would be better if you came in here and saw for yourself.” He gripped the metal handle and pulled. Walking inside felt like a betrayal to our friends and our town.
“Hurry up and get in,” hissed Matt. He reached for my wrist and yanked me inside, letting the door close behind him.
Our entry stirred the musty air. Dust covered most of the surfaces in a grimy gray. There were few signs of the former diner except a couple of broken tables and chairs stacked on the edges. The pass-through window to the kitchen resembled the one in the cafe. Dark stains outlined blank spaces on the wall where pictures used to hang.
“Remember the story Mom told us about her first date with Dad here?” I asked in a reverent tone.
Matt nodded. “He took her out for their first meal.”
“And Mom knocked the cup over, spilling vanilla milkshake all over her. In her panic to spellcast the ice cream off her blouse, she knocked over Dad’s shake into his lap,” I finished.
My brother reached out and held onto my hand. “He told me that was the first time he knew he loved her.”
We fell into a comfortable silence, sharing our memories of our parents. I tried to imagine them younger and sitting at a table in this room. The love from my brother helped ease the ache in my chest.
The door opened and sunlight streamed in. Hollis Hawthorne entered followed by a smiling Duke. My stomach turned when the fake chef spotted me and grinned like a lion who’d spotted its prey.
“What are they doing here?” I asked.
Hollis sniffed and stood up straighter in his impeccable suit. “We are here to sign the contract I trust your brother has had drawn up. Since you're such a champion of change and acceptance in our fair town, Miss Charlotte, I would think you would welcome a new business.”
Matt took out some folded papers from his back pocket and handed them to the banker. Tucker's father ignored my presence and focused on the contract, skimming it and analyzing its terms. “This all seems standard and acceptable. Do you have a pen?”
The possibility of Hollis backing the sham of a chef to help open a restaurant of all things slammed into me all at once. My brother held out the instrument to seal the deal, and I panicked.
Grabbing Matt by his arm, I yanked him away from the two men. “What do you think you're doing?”
“I’m renting an empty business.”
I shot a look of death at the other two. “But he's going to open a restaurant in direct competition with the cafe. You can't do that.”
“Do you think I like it anymore than you do?” My brother demanded. “Trust me, I went over every possible way to deny Mr. Hawthorne and Mr. Aikens. But Ben informed me that I might have legal problems if I turned them down as long as their financials checked out. Which they did.”
Why hadn’t Ben told me before he left out of town with Lee? Instead, he left it up to my brother to reveal our big betrayal. “How long have you and Ben been working on this?”
Matt sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Listen, Birdy—”
I held up a finger in front of me. “Don't call me that. Don't you dare call me that in this moment. If you let them sign a lease, then we’ll be branded as traitors.”
“And if I don't, then I'm making a decision based on how I feel rather than on rational business terms. I can't turn them down simply because you dislike them.” He acknowledged the awkward cough from Hollis and asked for one more moment.
I tugged on his sleeve. “Then why did you bring me here? You can't think I'm going to work with either one of them on any level.”
My brother quieted me with a heated gaze. “You signed on to manage the storefronts that I own. You can't pick and choose which ones you want to work with.” He blew out a long breath. “Seriously, Charli. I need you with me on this.”
It took me a hot minute to cool down, but I managed to force a smile on my lips. Snatching the pen from my brother's hand, I extended it out to Hollis. “Here you go,” I said with syrupy sweetness. He needed to sign fast before I changed my mind. Bless his heart. My fingers tingled to hex his arrogant hiney.
“I am cosigning this lease,” Hollis said. “But it will be Mr. Aikens and his employees that will be working on refurbishing the space and getting it ready for its new operation.” He handed the pen to Duke who signed underneath Hollis in all the right places.
Matt took a set of keys off of his own ring and handed them to the newcomer. “Good luck in your new venture.” His tone suggested that he wished the chef the exact opposite, but he’d finished the deal.
My brother’s spell phone chimed, and he checked the incoming text. “I need to go. TJ's wanting me to pick up some baked goods at Sweet Tooths and bring them over to the Harvest Moon.”
Normal politeness dictated for Hollis to ask Matt how his pregnant wife was doing. Tucker’s father ignored propriety. “I’ll follow you out, Deputy Goodwin.”
I needed to get out of the space, all good feelings from the memories of my parents’ first date fading with the presence of the man who made my skin crawl. “I’m coming, too.”
“Hold on there. I’d like to talk to someone about my plans for the space,” requested Duke.
Matt turned around and stopped me from walking out. “Come on, Charli. Please,” he pleaded.
I poked him in his chest. “I will stay one minute alone with him. That's it unless you come back. The guy bothers me.”
My brother kissed my cheek. “I’ll do my best to return as quick as possible. If you don’t make it that long, I’ll meet you at the cafe.” He mouthed a final thank you and left me standing alone in the same space as the fake chef.
Gripping my hands in fists, I swallowed my disgust and settled a mask of indifferent business on my face. “How may I help you?”
Duke sauntered toward me. “That's a good question to start with. I've been told that you have extraordinary talents that can be very…useful.” His eyes slithered up and down my body with slow deli
beration.
I shuddered at the thoughts that must be slithering around in his head. “I don't know what you're talking about.”
His creepy grin matched his leering gaze. “I heard from some associates I work with that there was a tracker in our area. An untrained one hidden somewhere in a small town. Imagine my utter delight to find you so close.”
Shock and awe outweighed my anger. I'd never taken any steps to hide my magic from the general population, but it sent cold shivers down my spine that he knew about me. Or that somebody he knew had also heard. I thought back to Damien's words and wondered if the vampire had gotten word out after all.
If he wanted to press my buttons, I could do the same and see if he would reveal his secret. “Is that the kind of information you write down in a book somewhere?” I batted my eyelashes in mock flirtation.
Duke lifted his eyebrows. “I do keep a record of things that will pay off in the future. As of right now, I've only heard tales of your talents. I have to see them in action in order to place a value on them.” He closed the distance between us, and I backed away until the wall pressed up against my back. He trapped me between his long arms.
Alarm bells blared in my head. I thrust my hands against his chest. “Back off,” I demanded.
He leaned his body closer, letting me know he had no intentions of obeying. “Not until I get what I want. And I always find ways to get what I want.”
“Last chance,” I warned. “Step away from me or else.”
The bold man scoffed. “I’ve heard that many times from girls like you. There is very little you can do to stop me.”
“Then you’ve never met a girl like me.” Power surged and sparked inside me, and I almost willed it to my fingertips. Instead, I grabbed him by the shoulders and held him while I lifted my knee with great force.
He wasn't worth expending any effort with my magic, and I stepped over his crumpled form on the floor, heading to the cafe to reward myself with a tall cool glass of sweet tea.
Chapter Five
Restless sleep wrestled with me all night, and I drifted in and out of stressful dreams. When the dawn's first light glowed behind my bedroom curtains, I gave up. I needed to clear my head of empty business spaces filled with new possibilities or threats from annoying men.
Peaches stretched at the foot of the bed and yawned. She turned three times and settled back into a tiny ball, keeping one eye on me as I changed out of my pajamas.
I scratched her little orange head. “Wanna go for a ride?”
She curled her tail around her body and buried her head in her paws.
Giving her one more nudge between her ears, I sighed. “Fine. Be that way.” I opened my bedroom door and headed downstairs to go for an early morning bike ride.
The sound of giggles stopped me at the bottom step. Low murmuring voices caught my attention, and I snuck around the corner to take a peek. My vampire roommate rested his open mouth on the nape of the neck of one of his favorite dalliances.
“Beau,” I called out in horror.
Startled, the vampire poofed into his bat form and fluttered about the parlor. Ms. Flossy clutched the ivory skin of her neck and attempted to say something to me.
Beau changed back to his regular form and placed a hand over his undead heart. “Charli, you scared me half to death.”
“Hard to do to a vampire. What were you doing to her?” I pointed a finger at his female friend.
She smoothed out her blouse. “Don't worry, Miss Charli. He was just whispering sweet nothings in my ear.” The elderly woman fanned herself with her hand.
“Uh-huh.” I made no attempt to hide my disbelief. “Beau?”
The vampire gathered his wits about him and held a finger up to me. He addressed his date. “Flossy, darlin', I'll be just one moment.” With a sigh of annoyance, he ushered me out of the doorway and into the foyer. “Charli,” he hissed. “You're ruinin’ my mojo.”
I placed my hands on my hips and squared off with him. “What did I tell you about bringing your dates here to the house?” Staring the vampire down, I gave him no room to wiggle out of my one steadfast rule.
“I know, I know,” he admitted. “But we couldn't go back to her place because she lives with her sister.”
“And?” I pushed.
My roommate tilted his head and scratched the bald spot on top. “And it would be awkward for me to woo her since not more than two nights ago, I was there. With her sister. I had no choice but to come back here.”
I pointed at the door and raised my voice. “You have lots of choices. The whole wide world was available to you. Anywhere else but here.” Poking him in the chest, I didn’t hold back. “I can't say this enough. There's gonna be no hankyin’ or pankyin’ in this household. And definitely no neck bitin’.”
Beau’s cheeks turned almost a regular flesh color with embarrassment. “I only act like I'm biting her. I don't actually break the skin. The effects it has on her is—”
“No!” I interrupted. “I don't need to hear any more.” I covered his fanged mouth with my hand.
He attempted a muffled reply underneath my palm, and I removed the obstacle in his way and asked him to repeat himself.
“Does she have to go home now?” he asked, his lip jutting out like a pouting schoolgirl.
He didn’t fool me for a second. “She shouldn't even be up right now. We witches don't typically keep the same hours as you vampires.”
“Unless she has reasons to stay awake.” Beau waved at Ms. Flossy, who giggled.
Unable to take anymore, I headed to the door and opened it. “Be a gentleman and escort your lady friend home. When I get back, I don't want to stumble on any more uncomfortable scenes.” I stepped out onto the porch and let the screen door slam shut. Thinking of how else my roommate might break the rules, I yelled at him from outside. “And absolutely positively no dates in your room.”
I hustled to get my bike, but Beau came out on the porch. “Hey, did you hear that really loud screeching last night?”
Cringing, I shook my head no. “Please tell me that it wasn’t coming from the two of you and…whatever you were doing together.” I filled my head with thoughts of butterflies and unicorns farting rainbows not to think about what activity that might be.
Beau rolled his eyes. “It wasn’t us. It sounded more like a loud shrieking of some sort. You really didn’t hear it?”
I remembered a loud noise in my dream lingering far longer than it should, but couldn’t place what might have made it. “Maybe it was an owl or something.”
“If an owl made that noise, then it was screaming before it died. Perhaps it was your wolf shifter friend finally home and howlin’ for you.” He smiled like his words would make me happy.
I swallowed hard. “Doubt it.” Dash would have texted me on my spell phone at least, right?
My roommate paused and dragged his feet on the creaking wood. “You sure I can’t let Flossy stay? It is morning, and the trip to her house would be so long. We can eat breakfast together.”
“You don’t eat regular food most of the time,” I accused.
He pouted again. “Then I’ll watch her eat. But she can stay?”
I wanted to get going and not be having the same conversation again. “Make sure you take her home eventually, please. One annoying roommate may be too many.”
Ignoring the clapping and cheering from Beau, I walked my bicycle across the field to the road. Summoning up a little of my energy, I flipped the switch that connected my magic. Placing my feet on the pedals, I let the wind dance with my hair as I took off.
A wilder part of me that I buried deep down inside yearned for the freedom of hopping on Dad's broken down motorcycle Old Joe. Or riding behind Dash on his rumbling bike. My thoughts drifted to the wolf shifter, and I indulged in memories mixed with emotions, allowing them to bubble to the surface.
Ever since Dashiel Channing entered my life at my grandmother's house, he’d become a major distraction. When h
e was around, my emotions changed like riding a roller coaster, building slowly up and up until I thought things were good between us. And then, bam, the bottom would drop out, and I would free fall into an abyss of confusion and hurt feelings. When things were good, they were really really good. When things got tough, the man disappeared. It had happened more than once, although he usually managed to return.
It didn't surprise me that my ride of freedom around town brought me to a house that I'd been to before. The lawn was covered with overgrown grass, and stacks of old Honeysuckle Hollers rested against the front door.
Dash’s house sat still and quiet with no signs of life. It stood in defiant silence much like the man who didn't answer any calls or send any word about how he was doing. For all I knew, he could be hurt from his fight with his old Red Ridge pack. Or maybe even worse.
I touched my stomach and willed the fear in my gut to ignore that last possibility. Wouldn’t I know if something had happened to him? At least, I thought we had forged a strong connection between us. He told me before he left that my scent would call him back home. Closing my eyes, I lifted my hands in the air and waited for a breeze to blow.
When a cool one picked up the tendrils of my hair, I made a quick wish. “Come home, Dash.” I willed the wind to carry it as far as it needed to go. Turning my bike around, I left his house in a mix of sadness and hope.
Not too far of a ride away, I found Mason's house just as empty. But the detective had made arrangements with somebody to take care of his lawn, his mail, and the newspaper deliveries while he was gone.
The modest home fit the organized detective to a T. Everything was neat and tidy. Nothing too fancy stood out, but it looked like it could weather any storm. Unlike with Dash, I didn't need to make a wish for Mason to return. I had no doubt he would come back. Even when things got tough, he always found a way to show up and be there for me, although sometimes I had to endure his disapproving scowls. I'd give anything to be the recipient of one right now.
A sharp caw from the sky above snapped me out of my fog of loneliness. A dark feathered figure hovered in the air high above me, and I waved my hand at the crow. “Hey, you old Biddy.”