They arrived home from the play to find Gladys Nocella on their doorstep with a large bag looped over her shoulder. Their neighbor looked beautiful in a black sweater and houndstooth trousers. A silver statement necklace sparkled around her neck. Kate didn’t want to say that widowhood agreed with the older woman, but wow.
“I didn’t realize you were out,” Gladys said. “I saw the Land Rover in the driveway.”
“We have a new set of family wheels,” Lucas said.
“I’m sorry to intrude on family time,” Gladys said.
“Don’t be silly. We’re glad to see you.” Kate ushered her into the house. “Were you able to sort everything out with your accounts?”
“Oh, yes. Thank you so much, dear. I’ve come to pay you back and then some.” Gladys retrieved an envelope and a laptop from the bag. She handed the envelope to Kate and opened the laptop on the island. “Turns out I’m a very wealthy woman. I had no idea my husband was so cheap.” She shook her head. “Rest his sweet soul.”
Kate wasn’t sure why Gladys needed the laptop. Did she want to show off her account balance?
“Once I got access to my accounts, I set up new logins and passwords and I had that nice boy from the club give me a tutorial on internet use.”
“Do you mean Libbie’s son?”
“Yes, Josh. He’s a doll.”
Kate agreed. Josh was a wonderful kid.
“I was on the YouTube and saw some of the comments about your Thanksgiving video. Not sure what I was doing wrong, but I couldn’t find it.”
Kate cringed. “Ah, right. That video was removed. There were some...technical issues with it.”
“Well, I saw that you lost some of your advertisers and I couldn’t believe it. Don’t they know what they’re missing? Anyway, Josh told me about this thing called Patreon, where you can have people donate directly to an account to get access to your content.” She beamed. “So I had him help me set one up for you. Once you get enough money, you won’t need to rely on finicky advertisers.”
Kate’s heart swelled at Gladys’s kindness. “Thank you. That’s very sweet of you.”
Gladys logged into the account. “I kicked things off, of course. I told you I’m a wealthy woman now. That seemed to do the trick. Once there was a chunk of change in there, the money came rolling in.” She shifted the laptop screen to give Kate an unobstructed view.
Kate’s jaw unhinged when she saw the dollar amount. “Wait. What? That’s...for me?”
“That’s right, dear. For access to your videos. You don’t even need to stay on the YouTube if you’d rather not.” She shrugged. “Or do both. Exclusive content for your Patreon supporters and something else for the masses.”
“Gladys, this is incredible,” Lucas said, coming over to peek at the screen.
“It’s been a fun project,” Gladys said. “Who knew the internet was such a big place? I just think it would be nice if you had the option to forgo corporate sponsors. You maintain your independence, if you want.”
Kate understood the appeal. Gladys had relied on her husband to take care of her and it had thrown her for a massive loop after his death.
“This is amazing, Gladys. I can’t thank you enough.”
“We need to change the account link so it goes to your bank instead of mine,” Gladys continued. “I can help you with that. I’m practically an expert now.”
Kate gazed at the older woman. “How would you feel about taking on another project?”
Gladys smiled. “I’d be delighted. In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve got nothing but time.”
Chapter Seventeen
Kate stood in her kitchen and studied the recipes on her list. “I need more sandalwood.”
“Got it.” Libbie handed her an open container.
Julie inhaled the scent. “I love the smell. What’s it for?”
“Inspiration, wisdom, and wishes,” Kate said.
Rebecca nodded. “Seems appropriate.”
Julie eyed Kate. “Did you ever figure out what the magic in your original cocktail was?”
“According to my research, it was the power of success,” Kate said. “Obviously it worked out, but I don’t understand how. Libbie’s magic helped people. Why was mine such a shit show?”
Rebecca pinched her cheek. “Because you, my darling Kate, have been helping people your entire life. The magic you experienced was about helping you for a change.”
“By dragging me through the wringer.” Kate mixed the first cocktail, paying careful attention to the measurements. If she wanted to give these women their best shot at success, that meant not screwing up the recipe.
“Hey, your wart is gone, isn’t it?” Libbie asked good-naturedly.
Rebecca splayed her hands on the island. “The universe had to get your attention somehow.”
Kate smiled wryly. “I think it worked.”
Lucas pirouetted into the kitchen wearing a red curly wig and fairy wings. “I don’t know who I’m supposed to be.”
Kate laughed. “Ava will tell you. She likes to make up her own characters.” He reached for a cube of cheese and she smacked his hand away. “These are for my guests.”
“You would deprive your husband of a single piece of cheese?” He clucked his tongue.
Kate picked up the cube and tossed it so that he caught it in his mouth.
“I think what you’re doing is great,” Lucas said.
She arched an eyebrow. “Even though there’s no money involved?”
“There’s money involved,” he said. “We’re just donating it instead of earning it. We’re sharing the wealth.”
“I’m sharing more than wealth,” Kate said. She was sharing herself—her authentic self and all her experiences. Not just the ones that made her successful, but also the ones that made her scared and vulnerable.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to take the kids out?” Lucas asked.
“No, they’ll be good. Just try to keep your shenanigans upstairs.”
He smirked. “What? You don’t think the ladies will want a glimpse of your fairy husband?” He flapped his sparkling green wings.
“I’m sure they’d find you very appealing.”
The other women laughed.
“Britney!” Ava yelled from upstairs. “Can you come back now? I found a skirt for you.”
Kate laughed. “I guess she decided on a name for you.”
“Duty calls.” He leaned across the counter and kissed Kate on the lips before dancing out of the kitchen.
“Still a hunk after all these years,” Libbie said.
Kate’s chest tightened with emotion as she watched him disappear around the corner. She was so relieved they were back on track as a couple. The whole family would benefit from a strong marriage, although Ava’s costumes seemed to be benefitting the most right now.
By the time the doorbell rang, Kate felt ready. She smoothed the front of her dress and crossed the foyer to greet her guests. They were arriving together on a shuttle arranged by the organization.
“Welcome. I’m so pleased you could all make it.” Kate ushered the group of women inside.
Gladys slipped in among them. “Thought I’d wait until I saw everyone arrive.”
Kate smiled. “You could’ve come sooner. The girls are already here.”
“Your home is gorgeous,” a woman named Sally said. Her head was swiveling left to right so fast that Kate worried it would snap off.
Kate guided them to the formal living room where she’d set up platters of nibbles and, of course, a cocktail station.
“Help yourselves,” Kate said. “My house is your house tonight, ladies. We’re going to get to know each other and, by the time you leave here, not only will you have a plan to tackle at least one problem area in your life, you’re also going to be excited about implementing it.”
A white-haired woman named Dottie came to stand beside Kate. “Do you have anything else to drink? Cocktails are off the menu for me.” She held
a small object in the palm of her hand that Kate realized was a sobriety coin.
Kate offered a smile. “Congratulations, Dottie. That’s great work.”
“Thank you. Work is the key word in that sentence.”
“As it happens, I have a non-alcoholic version of my special drink,” Kate said, “It’s the one I’m drinking tonight.”
“Wonderful,” Dottie said. “Honestly, I feel inspired just being here. I don’t think you even need to make a speech, dear.”
“Everyone’s going to make a speech tonight,” Kate said. “This isn’t only about me. It’s about all of you. I want to learn your stories.”
Dottie made a dismissive sound. “Nobody wants to hear my story unless they like hearing about one woman’s persistent failures.”
“Only through failure can we recognize success,” Kate said.
Dottie wagged a finger at her. “You should think about writing fortune cookies. I bet you can make money doing that. Sell them to all the restaurants.”
“I’ll keep it in mind.”
Kate tended bar and made sure each woman received a cocktail or a mocktail, depending on their choice. She gave others the chance to speak instead of dominating the conversation. Her friends circulated, too. As Rebecca pointed out, they were in a room filled with potential witches, waiting to be created.
Kate limited her speech to ten minutes so each woman would get a chance to share her story as well. She hoped to set the tone and allow the guests to feel comfortable and safe enough to reveal themselves.
“I like this,” Julie said, after the third woman’s speech. “It feels like we’re a coven of witches at our monthly meeting.”
Kate took a sip of her mocktail. “It really does, doesn’t it?”
Kate observed Gladys talking to two women, offering to teach them how to use accounting software. Talk about a fast learner. Gladys truly was an inspiration.
The evening ran smoothly and Kate felt energized by the buzz of conversation. Her friends lingered afterward, enjoying a final drink of the evening.
“The sweet smell of success was everywhere tonight,” Rebecca said.
“I sure hope so.”
“Speaking of success...” Libbie opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a rectangular plate.
“What’s that?” Kate hadn’t noticed it earlier.
“I snuck it in from my car during the meeting,” Libbie said. She set the plate on the island and Kate saw it was a cake in the shape of a book. Written in purple icing were the words F*ck It, I’m Over 40.
Her chest tightened with emotion. “Libbie, you made this?”
Libbie shrugged. “I’m still more of a chef than a baker, but I’m getting better every day.”
“It’s cake,” Julie said. “Mix me some eggs, flour, and sugar, and I’m a willing participant.”
“Thank you.” Tears glistened in Kate’s eyes as she looked at her trio of friends. “You’re such amazing friends, I might even mention you in my book.”
They laughed and Rebecca handed Kate another mocktail. “This probably won’t taste as good as yours, but here you go.”
“Practice makes perfect,” Libbie said.
“Bah! Nobody’s perfect,” Julie interjected.
Kate’s face softened. “No, they’re not,” she agreed.
And nobody has to be.
Don’t miss Vintage Spirits, the next book in the series!
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Special thanks to Deranged Doctor for the amazing cover, Andrea Fenton for editing, and Linda Franklin for lending an extra set of eyes.
Bewitching Bitters Page 17