Sweet Tea & Spells

by Bella Falls

  “And yet, you seem to have made some headway with your cousin. Rayline would have liked that. So would your father.” Nana rubbed my back.

  “I know. Although…” I trailed off, not wanting to ruin the overall good mood with my lingering suspicions.

  “If you’re having thoughts that perhaps the little lady knew more than she let on, you’re not the only one,” confirmed my grandmother.

  I breathed out a sigh of relief. “I don’t want to think ill of her, not after we’ve finally made some sort of progress.”

  Nana took a bite of my cake. “You work on your relationship. Leave the worrying and watching to me.”

  “You’re gonna have a huge struggle on your hands to keep the high seat on the council. The scales of power will definitely tip their way,” I warned.

  My grandmother pinched my cheek and smoothed out the worry lines between my eyebrows. “Tonight’s celebration is too special for you to be this concerned. Try to enjoy it.”

  “I will,” I promised. Before she walked away, I grasped her arm. “Okay, it’s killin’ me. What did the Gray sisters tell you about me?”

  She stopped chewing. “You sure you want to know?”

  “Yes. No.” I thought about it. “Yes, with everything that’s happening tonight, I think I do want to know.”

  Nana shrugged. “Okay. This is what they said. You were going to have to suffer a storm, a fire, and darkness. If you made it through all that, then you would find your heart’s desire.”

  I stared at her. “That’s it? That could mean anything. And did they mean a literal storm, because we just had one.”

  Nana tweaked my nose. “I don’t know, Birdy. That’s the thing about prophecies and premonitions. They can mean practically anything.”

  “You shouldn’t have gone to them,” I scolded.

  She furrowed her brow. “They have their purpose.”

  Nana hadn’t filled me in completely about what she’d done when she was gone from Honeysuckle. I got the feeling she had gathered a few very powerful acquaintances together to figure things out, but she kept what happened to herself. For now, I trusted her decision. But I had absolutely no faith in the weird sisters’ prediction. It gave me the willies, and I wished I hadn’t asked about it.

  My friends gathered around me, joking and talking in their loud fashion. The normalcy of the chaos comforted me, and I listened with grateful ears.

  Lee held up his spell phone. “Y’all, check this out.” He stuck out his tongue and typed something in with his thumbs.

  Ben’s phone buzzed, and he flipped it open. The device sizzled, and a pimple popped out on the end of the advocate’s nose. “Holy unicorn horn!”

  “Ha,” snorted Lee. “That’ll get you back for the prank wars you ran back in the day. That Mosely kid taught me how to send a hex through texting. Someday, I’m gonna hire him. We’re already putting this through development and seeing if it’s something we can market it. He told me they call it hexting.”

  “I think I’m done with spells and magic for a while,” I declared. “So you better not be hexting me anytime soon.”

  “You can’t be finished with magic all together,” protested Blythe. “I heard you made one heck of a teacher for the spell permit course.”

  I saw a few of my students laughing together and smiled. They caught me looking at them and waved back. Helen rummaged in her purse and pulled out her permit, pointing to it and mouthing a thank you.

  “Yeah, I’ll admit it was kind of fun, although I don’t know how many of their parents were happy I used prank spells to teach them.” Every single one of the kids had passed their test, so maybe their parents could give me a break.

  “I think you might have a future as a teacher,” suggested Alison Kate.

  “If she has the time,” Lily said. “She’s gonna be pretty busy from here on out.”

  I blushed under all the attention being thrown at me. My girlfriends gave me hugs and uttered reassurances.

  Completely unaware, Lee pushed his way into our small group. “Ooh, hey. Have y’all heard that we’ve got a celebrity movin’ to Honeysuckle?”

  “Who?” asked Lavender.

  Lee beamed at all of us. “The Mud Dobber has bought a house here.”

  I looked around at my friends, and all of us shook our heads at each other. “Who is this Mud person?”

  Lee pushed his glasses up his nose and rolled his eyes. “Billy Ray Dobber. The Mud Dobber. Come on, you’ve never heard of him? He’s only one of the most legendary broom racers there’s ever been. And he’s retiring right here in our small town.”

  “Okay. Cool.” I tried to fake enthusiasm.

  Lee sighed. “Fine. I’ll be the excited one. I’m working on perfecting more brooms and their flying power. Maybe I can spellcast one he’d like to ride.”

  “As if you aren’t already busy enough with your new business and your upcoming wedding, whenever that will be,” I teased.

  Alison Kate kissed him on the cheek. “I like it when he gets all inspired. He usually comes home to me and—”

  “Say no more,” I stopped her. “I think I get the picture.”

  “Did you like flying on a broom?” Lee asked.

  “It was okay.” My personal struggle to stay afloat on the trainer didn’t bode well for my abilities to go very fast. “It’s gonna take some practice.”

  “I think you should stick to riding with someone who’s experienced,” Mason uttered from behind me.

  I leaned my body into his in acknowledgment. “That might be fun from time to time. But I think solo, I’ll stick to two wheels on the ground.”

  “That reminds me.” Lee snapped his fingers together. “I finally heard from Dash. He said he should be headin’ back soon and has found all the parts needed to fix up Ol’ Joe.” My friend yelped in pain when Alison Kate stepped on his foot.

  Mason’s body stiffened at the mention of the wolf shifter. So much change in such a little time would mean that Dash would be returning to a completely different playing field, and I was no longer sure I wanted to be a player on it. I liked a man who stayed and didn’t run away. Who stood beside me to weather the storm.

  Henry interrupted our conversation, and I almost kissed the older man in gratitude. “Y’all stop your jawin’ and come out here already. It’s time.” He beckoned everyone outside onto the sidewalk.

  I made my way to the front of the crowd and stood next to my brother. “Are you still sure this is a good idea?” I asked.

  “I wouldn’t be giving you the discount of free rent if I didn’t believe in you, Birdy.” He ruffled my hair.

  I slapped his hand away. “Don’t call me that.”

  Nana joined us. “You two behave.”

  “Well, get on with it,” grumbled Henry, winking at me.

  My grandmother pushed me out in front, and I turned to face everyone. “I guess I should have prepared something to say.” I swallowed hard. “Never in my wildest dreams did I think something like this was possible. But because all of you believed in me, I get to do something really special right now.”

  I looked out at all the faces, waiting for me to take the lead. Turning back around, I faced my future. With a wave of my hand and a flourish of my fingers, the big red bow hanging on the front window of the store unfurled and fell to the ground. Gold letters were etched on the glass. Painted sunflowers flanked the name of the business, Lost & Found, and underneath in smaller gold letters, it read:

  Charli Goodwin

  Tracking Services

  “I guess I’m officially open for business,” I declared, and a loud cheer erupted from my friends.

  I got passed from person to person, receiving hugs and offers of congratulations. In all the world, I didn’t think anyone else was so rich in support as I was in that moment.

  “Yeah, yeah, hugs later. First, get in there, boss.” Henry directed me to walk inside.

  The elder gentleman and I talked about his ideas of how the busines
s might be structured and run. He really did have a good head for it all, and it didn’t take me long to realize I needed him. Henry surprised me when he negotiated his position as my assistant with absolutely no pay until my business was in the black.

  I walked into the small space, which had been painted a seafoam green. Ms. Patty Lou had donated a couple of her personal watercolor paintings to hang on the walls. A desk that Henry would use sat right up front, and I had one a little further in the back. It would take me a while to figure everything out, but taking chances was better than being afraid.

  Everyone crowded in and out of the small space, oohing and ahhing over my huge achievement. Henry did a good job making sure nobody touched anything they shouldn’t and shooing them away when they spent too much time. After a while, he pushed everyone out, leaving me inside with Nana, Matt, and TJ.

  My grandmother handed me a wrapped present. “Here. This is from all of us.”

  Excited and embarrassed, I set it down on my desk and ripped open the paper. Pulling the box lid off, I gasped at its content.

  “It’s my favorite picture,” I uttered. Pulling out the beautiful frame, I held it up with absolute admiration.

  Mom and Dad sat on Nana’s porch with Matt and I sitting on the step in front of them. Someone must have said something silly, because all four of us were laughing with abandonment. Nana had captured that moment, and a faded version of the picture hung in her house.

  “You know they’re here with us right now,” my grandmother said, wiping a tear from my cheek.

  “I know,” I whispered. I held out my hand to my brother, and when he took it, I squeezed three times.

  “Me, too, Birdy.” He squeezed me back.

  “Ooh, I think Junior wants to get in on the action.” TJ clutched her belly.

  I touched her stomach and rubbed a circle over the moving mass three times. “Love you, too, kiddo.” One of her tiny limbs stretched and pressed against my hand. “I swear, my niece just high-fived me.”

  Henry opened the door. “If y’all are done being all sentimental and stuff, Steve’s invited everyone over to the Harvest Moon. He says he made those barbecue thingies you liked so much since that Shelby gave him the recipe. You better get a move on or I’m gonna eat them all,” he threatened.

  We followed him outside. Nana shook her head at the crotchety old guy. “You sure he’s the right choice for your assistant?”

  “He’ll be fine,” I assured her. “The worst that could happen is that he literally drags people in to bring me business.”

  “And he might do that,” Matt said, pointing at the man pushing Ben into the cafe.

  Mason waited off to the side, leaning against the brick of the building, and I told my family to save me a couple of the barbecue bites. Walking up to him, my stomach flipped when he smiled at me.

  “I didn’t want to take you away from them,” he said.

  “And yet you’re standin’ out here instead of with everyone else,” I noticed. “Why?”

  He nodded his head at my logo on the window. “You’re putting yourself out there. Do you think that’s safe?”

  I’d already spent hours and nights of contemplation about whether or not to put my information on the window for anyone to see. Damien had scared me into thinking someone might come after me. Knowing Duke had the information and having no clue what had been done with it was also daunting.

  “I’m tired of being afraid. I’m not gonna hide who I am or run away from it. This is me, embracing everything about me, and it feels fantastic.” I opened my arms wide. “If someone’s gonna come after me, then I’ll fight them off.”

  “They’ll have to go through me first,” growled Mason, stepping closer.

  I placed my hand on his chest. “Thank you for that. And thank you for standing with me.”

  He took one of my hands in his and lifted it to his mouth. Resting his lips on my skin, he gave me a quick kiss. His eyes lifted to mine. “Always.”

  I swallowed hard, not sure what should happen next. The laughter and voices from across the street called out to us. “We should go.”

  He offered me his arm, but I told him to go without me. I needed to turn off the lights inside the office. Inside my office. Dipping his head once, he winked and sauntered across to the cafe.

  I walked into the room and took a long gander at the space. It might be small in size, but my future inside of it would be limitless if I allowed it to be. I picked up the picture of my family and gazed at it. The little girl in the photo hadn’t gone through everything I had yet. She had no idea how lucky she was that she’d found a family that loved her hard. I would honor that little girl and my family by living to the absolute fullest.

  Flipping off the lights and locking the door, I walked toward the sound of those who would help me do both.

  Dear Reader -

  Thanks so much for reading Sweet Tea & Spells. If you enjoyed the book (as much as I did writing it), I hope you’ll consider leaving a review!

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  NEWSLETTER & FREE PREQUEL - to gain exclusive access to the prequel Chess Pie & Choices, CLICK HERE!

  Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Series

  Magic & Mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow…

  Suggested reading order:

  Chess Pie & Choices: A Southern Charms Cozy Prequel

  (Available exclusively to Newsletter Subscribers)

  Charli Goodwin is engaged to Tucker Hawthorne, the admired "prince" of Honeysuckle Hollow. Underneath the perfect surface of their union boils an ocean of doubt. If he's such a catch, then why does she feel like she's on the hook?

  When Charli's magical talents are put to the test to find something valuable to Tucker's family, she's set on a path that will test her love and show her where her true happy ever after may be.

  Moonshine & Magic: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 1

  Charli Goodwin doesn’t expect her homecoming to go without a hitch—after all, she skipped town, leaving her fiancé and family without a clue as to where she was going or why. Now that she’s ready to return home, she plans to lay low and sip some of her Nana’s sweet tea while the town gossips come out to play.

  Unfortunately, on her first night back, Charli discovers the body of her crazy great uncle (hey, everyone has one). She suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of Honeysuckle Hollow and the safety of every paranormal citizen in it—starting with Charlie herself.

  With the clock ticking, will Charli’s special magical talents be enough to save not only the town but her own life?

  Lemonade & Love Potions (in the anthology Hexes & Ohs)

  Charli Goodwin can’t help herself when it comes to helping out her friends, especially a failed cupid trying to earn his way back into the matchmaking ranks. A singles mingle in her small Southern town should be the perfect event, but trouble with a capital T shows up when someone attempts to boost the odds of love in their favor.

  Sweet honeysuckle iced tea, it’s gonna take more than lemonade and a little magic to help Charli find out what’s wrong, solve the mystery, and save Honeysuckle Hollow from disaster again.

  Fried Chicken & Fangs: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 2

  An upcoming election and some new visitors to Honeysuckle shake up the magical small Southern town. When a beloved family member of one of the candidates disappears, it’s up to Charli Goodwin and her special talents to get on the case.

  What starts as a simple search uncovers a darker layer of manipulation and sabotage. Will she be able to figure out who is pulling the strings before the foundations of the town are destroyed?

  Sweet Tea & Spells: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 3

  With her ex-fiancé’s wedding to her cousin on the horizon, Charli Goodwin has to be on her best behavior. But when an out
sider infiltrates Honeysuckle, another murder threatens to ruin more than just the future of the upcoming nuptials.

  At the same time, wolf shifter Dash Channing is gone and a changed Detective Mason Clairmont makes a new declaration. Will Charli be able to cast her personal feelings aside to break all the rules and help capture the real killer or will more trouble be heading to the small supernatural Southern town?

  Coming Soon:

  Barbecue & Brooms: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 4

  Acknowledgments

  There are many people I need to thank for helping me get this book out there:

  To my reader group, the Southern Charmers - Thank you for being so enthusiastic and wanting more Southern Charms. You’ve kept me going, knowing you were hungry for the next installment. Your dedication and support helped me write every word.

  To my editor, April - This Southern Girl appreciates your Southern expertise, your dedication to making my story the best it can be, and your absolute faith in my writing. Book 3 wouldn’t be here without you.

  To Melanie Summers - Without your willingness to pick up the phone and talk me through, I wouldn’t have a story to write. Thank you for being my friend and my plotting buddy!

  To my cheerleading squad of fellow writers - I don’t know what I would do without you pushing me for more words. Many drinks will be bought for you at the Tiki Bar this year in payment!

  To my family - You may find your names sprinkled throughout the stories, but it’s your love in my life that weaves its way into the words. Thank you.

  To my husband - This book will be extra special because of all the support you gave me in writing it. Even when the movers tried to pack me up to send me across the world, you helped me find a space to keep working. Thank you for your belief in me.

  About the Author

  Bella Falls grew up on the magic of sweet tea, barbecue, and hot and humid Southern days. She met her husband at college over an argument of how to properly pronounce the word pecan (for the record, it should be pea-cawn, and they taste amazing in a pie). Although she’s had the privilege of living all over the States and the world, her heart still beats to the rhythm of the cicadas on a hot summer’s evening.