“I don’t really know,” Maddie said. “I just wanted to get her something to make her feel better, and it’s not like there are a lot of shopping options in town. It was either this or a milkshake, and the milkshake would melt before I could get it home.”
“Well, the flowers aren’t doing much better in the heat,” Tara admitted. “How about a nice potted hydrangea? You can put it in the yard and they grow beautifully in the soil up here.”
“That sounds great,” Maddie said. “What colors do you have?”
“We have pretty much everything,” Tara said. “Keep in mind, the color doesn’t always stay the same. It depends on the soil it’s planted in.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” Maddie said. “That’s interesting. Well, give me a blue one for now. It will match Granny’s mood. If it changes color, I’ll tell her it’s like a mood ring.”
Tara giggled. “I just love your grandmother. She’s such a bundle of energy.”
“She is,” Maddie agreed. “Sometimes I wish she’d take a nap, though.”
“She was really sad after Olivia died,” Tara said carefully.
“I know. I should have come home sooner. It took me a few weeks to get everything in order so I could come back. It took longer than I would have liked.”
“Nick Winters spent a lot of time with her.” Tara was watching Maddie, waiting for a reaction.
“That sounds like him,” Maddie said, her face placid.
“People say you two were really close when you were growing up,” Tara said.
“We were.”
“People also say it’s only a matter of time until you’re really close in another way.”
Maddie pressed her lips together, considering. “People say a lot, don’t they?”
“Just for the record, you should know that Cassidy is one of my closest friends,” Tara said.
“Cassidy is a nice woman.”
“She is,” Tara agreed. “She’s been a little worked up about Nick lately.”
“That’s really none of my business,” Maddie said. “Nick’s relationships are his to deal with.”
“Cassidy is convinced that you’re trying to steal Nick from her,” Tara said. “Is that the truth?”
Maddie furrowed her brow. “I don’t want to get into this conversation. Rest assured, the last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt – especially Cassidy.”
“I thought she was overreacting,” Tara said. “The problem is, Nick is known for having a certain reputation in this town. Cassidy knew it when she started dating him. She knew he had a particular … schedule … he adhered to. She thought she would be the one to outlive the schedule.”
“Like I said, this is Nick’s … .”
Tara held up her hand to still Maddie. “Cassidy and I bonded because we were both outsiders,” Tara said. “I had ties to the town. Cassidy didn’t. I knew how insular everyone was here, but I always loved the town. Even when I visited as a teenager, you and Nick were something of an enigma.”
“People didn’t understand why we were so close,” Maddie said. “Nick was cool, and I wasn’t. That confused people.”
“I think people understood why you and Nick were so close,” Tara said, wrinkling her nose. “What they didn’t understand is why neither one of you acted on it.”
Maddie shifted uncomfortably. “I’m not sure why you’re telling me this now,” she said. “You were in my shop two days ago and you never brought any of this up.”
“That’s because Cassidy didn’t call me sobbing two days ago,” Tara said.
“Did she go to your house last night? She left and we couldn’t find her.”
“She didn’t come to my house,” Tara said. “We just talked on the phone for a few hours. She says that Nick is confused and that he’s going to make the biggest mistake of his life and throw her away so he can have you.”
Maddie didn’t reply.
“The thing is, I think Nick was going to throw Cassidy away before you even returned,” Tara said, her expression serious. “Your return confused him, and even messed him up a little bit, so he let things ride. Now he’s ready to get back on track, and Cassidy can’t see the reality of the situation.”
“And what reality is that?” Maddie asked.
“Nick was just waiting for you to come back,” Tara said. “He never let himself get close to anyone because they weren’t you. I’m not involved in the situation like Cassidy is, so I can see it for what it is.”
“I don’t want Cassidy to get hurt,” Maddie said. “I really don’t.”
“I believe you,” Tara said. “I just need you to know that, when this all goes down, I don’t hate you. I do have to be Cassidy’s friend, though. I have to take her side.”
“I understand that.”
“Good,” Tara said, exhaling heavily. “I’m glad we got this chance to talk. For a second, when I saw you at the door, I thought you were here to give me some bad news about my reading the other day.”
Maddie forced herself to remain calm. “What do you mean?”
“You just seemed to lose yourself a little during the reading,” Tara said, shrugging as she punched a few numbers into the cash register. “I know it’s silly, but I thought you might have seen something bad and then decided not to tell me.”
Maddie’s smile was watery. “I wouldn’t be a very good psychic if I kept something like that from you, would I?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” Tara said, pushing the potted hydrangea across the counter. “I would think a good psychic is also someone who doesn’t want to hurt anyone. Oh, well, it doesn’t matter now. Tell Maude I hope she beats Edna into the dirt.”
Maddie grinned. “Oh, trust me, that’s exactly what she has planned.”
“WHAT is that?” Maude eyed the hydrangea like it had eight legs and pinchers.
“It’s a plant to make you feel better,” Maddie replied, scanning the kitchen. “Is Irma still here?”
“She had to do some reconnaissance. What am I supposed to do with this plant? And why do you think I feel bad?”
“Actually, I just needed a reason to go into the flower shop,” Maddie admitted. “I wanted to talk to Tara Warner. Buying a plant for you was my excuse. What kind of reconnaissance?”
Maude ignored the question. “Oh, good. I was hoping you hadn’t lost your mind and thought a plant would really cheer me up. Can I kill it?”
“No. I’m going to plant it in the yard,” Maddie said. “Don’t you dare kill it.”
“So, did you get any information out of Tara?”
“No,” Maddie said. “I had a dream about her last night, though.”
“A dream, or a vision?”
“Vision.”
“And?”
“And at some point in the next few days, when the moon is full, she’s going to be walking downtown and someone is going to be following her,” Maddie said.
“Following her, or killing her?”
“I woke up when he grabbed her in the dream,” Maddie said. “I can’t be sure what happens after.”
“When you get these visions, do they always come true?”
“Unless I do something to stop them.”
“How many of them have you been able to stop?”
“A few,” Maddie said. “Not nearly enough.”
Maude patted Maddie’s arm. “You can only do what you can do, Maddie. Have you mentioned this to Nick?”
“I told him at the lake the other night,” Maddie replied. “He said he was going to try to talk to Tara, but that was before the whole Cassidy snafu. Did you know Cassidy and Tara were friends, by the way?”
Maude knit her eyebrows together. “Now that you mention it, I guess I did. You know how outsiders congregate together. Why? What happened?”
“It wasn’t anything bad,” Maddie said. “She just wanted me to know that she’s going to take Cassidy’s side when Nick breaks up with her.”
“Did Cassidy tell her Nick was going to break up with h
er?”
Maddie shrugged. “Tara said Cassidy called her in tears last night. It didn’t sound like Nick found her so he could break up with her, more that Cassidy suspected he was going to break up with her.”
“I can’t believe Nick hasn’t dumped her yet,” Maude grumbled. “It would be just like him to drag this out forever because he doesn’t want to be the bad guy.”
Maddie’s heart jolted. “Are you saying you think Nick isn’t going to break up with her?”
“No,” Maude said. “I’m saying I think Nick is the bravest emotional coward I’ve ever met. He’s going to break up with her. Of course, she’s going to keep hiding. It could take weeks at this rate.”
Maddie frowned. “You’re a ray of sunshine, Granny.”
“I’m sorry,” Maude said.
“It’s fine.” The bell over the front door of the store jangled, and Maddie moved from the kitchen to the front of the house. She was surprised to find Catherine Brooks, one of Maude’s cohorts, waiting for them. “Ms. Brooks.”
Maude pushed past Maddie and stormed into the store. “Did you hear?”
“I heard,” Catherine said.
“What are we going to do about it?”
“We’re going to figure it out.” Maddie had always liked Catherine. The woman was as calm as Maude was feisty. At least there was one member of Maude’s little group of boozehounds with a clear head on her shoulders to make sure no one did anything illegal.
“Do you two mind making your plans in the kitchen?” Maddie asked. “You’re going to scare off my customers.”
Maude stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry in Maddie’s direction. “Come on, Catherine.”
“Actually, I’m here to talk to Maddie,” Catherine said.
“You are?” Maddie was surprised.
“I am,” Catherine said. “In addition to being president of the Pink Lady Society, I am also the head of the Solstice Celebration Carnival Committee.”
Maddie wasn’t sure what to say. “Congratulations?” Blackstone Bay was a town of festivals. They had at least seven every summer, and another two in the fall. Oh, and there was the Winter Wonderland Festival around Christmas, too. When she was younger, Maddie had enjoyed each and every one. She’d actually forgotten the Solstice Celebration was almost upon them.
“I was hoping you would set up a booth at the fair this weekend,” Catherine said.
“What kind of booth?”
“A psychic booth.”
Maddie balked. “What? No. That’s a horrible idea.”
“Why?” Catherine asked, nonplussed. “Your mother used to do it.”
“She did?”
“She did.”
Maddie looked to Maude for confirmation. “Really?”
Maude nodded.
“But … a psychic booth? What would that entail?”
Catherine chuckled. “Nothing sinister. You just do tarot card readings for people. It’s all fun and games. Olivia used to turn a nice profit.”
“I don’t know,” Maddie said, stalling.
“Oh, come on, Maddie,” Maude prodded. “It will do you some good. You can’t hide in this house forever. Live a little.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” Maddie shot back. “Everyone won’t be looking at you.”
“They won’t be looking at you for anything but a good time,” Catherine said, patting Maddie’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine. You’re always such a worrywart. You should set up your booth tomorrow and have it ready by seven.”
“But … .”
Catherine started moving toward the door. “Oh, and Olivia used to dress up.”
“What?” Maddie was panicked.
“Don’t worry,” Maude said. “I’ve got a Wonder Woman costume you can borrow. You’ll just have to shave your legs – and your bikini region – to make sure you don’t scare people away.”
“I am not dressing up like Wonder Woman!”
Nine
Nick let himself in through the front door of Magicks, replacing the key under the ceramic turtle on the front porch before shutting and locking the door. Maddie and Maude weren’t expecting him, but he was too antsy to sit home alone.
He wasn’t surprised to find Maddie curled up with a book in the front window seat. Olivia had built the extended space specifically so Maddie and Nick would have a place to hang out in the store when she was working. It was Maddie’s favorite spot in the house, which made it Nick’s favorite spot, too.
“Hey,” Maddie said, surprise washing over her face. “What are you doing here?”
“I just didn’t feel like being alone,” Nick said, kicking off his shoes and climbing up next to her so he could recline against the mountain of pillows.
“What’s wrong?”
Nick brushed Maddie’s blonde hair away from her concerned face. “Cassidy is hiding from me.”
“Define hiding.”
“I sat outside of her house for two hours last night,” Nick said. “She didn’t come home.”
“Maybe she was already home.”
“I thought about that,” Nick said. “The idea made me … uncomfortable. The house was dark. If she was in there, she not only knew I was sitting in the driveway, but she was also sitting in dark so she didn’t have to face me.”
“I feel sorry for her,” Maddie said.
“Why?”
“Because … you know why.”
“I don’t until you tell me,” Nick prodded.
“I went into the flower shop today,” Maddie said, changing the subject.
Nick sighed. Now was not the time for a serious conversation. Delaying it was giving him an ulcer, though. “You went to see Tara?”
“Yeah. I told her I was looking for a gift for Maude because she was so upset about the Edna situation.”
“I’m almost afraid to ask,” Nick said. “What’s the Edna situation?”
“Apparently she wants to be a Pink Lady. I didn’t know about the Pink Lady Society until today, by the way. It seems I’ve been missing out.”
Nick grinned. “They’re very selective. I’m an honorary member.”
“You are not,” Maddie said, slapping his thigh playfully.
“I am. I helped Irma when she got a flat tire and she made me an honorary member,” Nick said. “They all voted and everything. They tried to make me drink tea with bourbon in it.”
“Did they make you dress in pink?”
“I’m far too manly to wear pink.”
“Oh, I think you’d look good in pink.”
Maddie’s face was bare, scrubbed clean before she turned in for the evening. Her clear blue eyes were fathomless pools as she regarded him. Coming here was a bad idea, Nick realized. All he could think about was kissing her. “I look good in everything,” Nick said. “And nothing.”
Maddie’s cheeks colored. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“No, you don’t. You got to see how good I looked up close and personal the other night.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open, scandalized. “I did not see you. I just … hugged you.”
“Oh, don’t lie, Mad,” Nick said, enjoying himself immensely. “I saw you peeking on the beach when you thought I wasn’t looking.”
“I did not!”
Nick tried to refrain from laughing, but he couldn’t. “You’re so easy.”
Maddie pinched his shoulder. “You’re so not funny.”
“I’m a little funny,” Nick said, gripping her hand tightly and pulling it up to his chest.
They rested like that for a few minutes before Maddie broke the silence. “Tara kind of gave me an earful about Cassidy.”
Nick shifted slightly. “They’re friends. I forgot about that. I should have warned you.”
“It was okay,” Maddie said. “She just kind of wanted to give me a warning.”
“A warning about what?”
“She seems aware of your intentions regarding Cassidy.”
“I think everyone in B
lackstone Bay is aware of my intentions regarding Cassidy,” Nick said. “I think Cassidy is aware, too, and that’s why she’s hiding. I stopped by her house twice today. I stopped by the school. She called in sick. She’s literally in hiding.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Mad. It’s mine.”
“If you don’t want to break up with her … .”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” Nick said. “I want to break up with her. I want … to move on. I’m stuck until I can see her in person.”
“Well, she’ll probably show up at the fair this weekend,” Maddie said.
“I’m hoping I can find her before the fair tomorrow. I’d really rather not break up with her in front of hundreds of people.”
“I understand.”
“If I have to break up with her in front of hundreds of people, though, I’m going to do it,” Nick added. “I’m just … done. I can’t keep doing this. She needs to move on with her life.”
“Well, you can hide here if you need to,” Maddie said. “Maude isn’t scared of pitchforks.”
Nick snickered, lifting his head when Maude noisily clomped into the room. “Speak of the devil.”
“You were talking about Edna Proctor?” Maude deadpanned.
“We were,” Nick said, playing along.
“Well, I have an idea about that,” Maude said, focusing on Maddie. “When she comes to your booth, and she will come because she knows it bugs me, I want you to tell her she’s going to die of the herpes.”
Maddie rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to tell her that. You don’t die from herpes.”
“How do you know?” Maude asked, narrowing her eyes.
“Yeah, Mad, how do you know that?” Nick teased.
Maddie poked him in the ribs. “You’re on thin ice, buddy.”
“Then tell her she’s going to die of Chlamydia,” Maude said. “I’m not particular.”
“First of all, I haven’t even decided if I’m going to run a booth,” Maddie argued.
“You told Catherine you would.”
“I did not,” Maddie said. “You two ambushed me and told me what I would be doing. I never agreed to it.”
“Well, you’re doing it,” Maude said. “I’ll look bad if you back out now.”
Grave Insight (A Maddie Graves Mystery Book 2) Page 6