Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Stormy Sky Magic
by
Sara Bourgeois
Chapter One
It was a dark and stormy night…
Okay, it was raining, and it was dark, but the stormy thing was a bit of an exaggeration. It had been raining for days in Coventry, and people were blaming the return of the unseasonably warm temperatures.
I was personally disappointed because if not for the increased temperatures, it would have been snow. We’d had a little bit of snow around Christmas, but it had warmed up again a couple of days later.
No one really expected spring to start in January, but that seemed to be what was happening. I figured there was plenty of time for it to get bitterly cold again by February, but I also thought that perhaps we’d just been blessed with a mild winter.
Either way, I had dinner in the oven, and Thorn was due back from work at any moment. Meri was curled up around his food bowl “patiently” waiting for his dinner.
Thorn finally came through the front door, and Meri jumped to attention. He seemed to think that Thorn coming home was the signal that it was time for his dinner, and I’d just gone with it.
I filled his bowl with flaked tuna and crumbled bacon on top. All the while, I could hear Thorn taking off his boots in the entryway.
“There are dry clothes for you folded on top of the dryer,” I called out when I heard him set down his second boot. “It’s sweats, socks, and your unmentionables.”
“Thank you so much,” he said. “I don’t think you understand how much that means to me right now.”
I wouldn’t have any idea what he meant until later when I went into the laundry room to wash his uniform. It was soaked through like he’d fallen in a lake, but I found out it was just from having to stand out in the rain. Well, actually help a nearby farmer get his cattle away from a swelling creek.
But, a couple of minutes after I told him about the dry clothes, Thorn appeared in the kitchen. He looked exhausted, and more than that, his mouth was set in a grim line.
“That smells delicious,” he said and managed a soft smile.
“Tater tot casserole,” I responded. “I hope you don’t mind. It’s a pretty simple recipe, but it’s good. Should warm you right up too. You look cold. Are we finally getting some real winter?”
“I thought you were all in tune with nature and stuff,” he teased.
“Lately, the only way for me to be in tune with nature is to tune into the Weather Channel. I haven’t done that since yesterday, so I didn’t know if we were expecting a temperature drop tonight,” I responded.
“I’m sorry,” Thorn said sheepishly. “I shouldn’t tease you about that stuff.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to walk on eggshells about it,” I said, but it had stung a little. Totally not his fault, though. My mood about our magical reset changed based on the day. Sometimes I was happy about it, and some days, like that day, I missed the little things like being so in tune with nature. “So, did we get a big drop in temperatures?”
“Not huge,” Thorn said. “It’s upper forties and lower fifties. Probably won’t freeze up overnight, but that rain just had me chilled to the bones.”
“Well, sit down. I’ll get you a beer and fix you a plate,” I said.
“I can get my own,” Thorn protested.
“Just sit down and let me fuss over you a little,” I said and pointed toward his usual chair at the kitchen table with the spatula in my hand.
“All right,” he relented with a chuckle.
“So, are we looking at significant flooding?” I asked as I got a beer out of the refrigerator.
“We might be, but since Coventry is on a slight elevation, I’m more worried about the surrounding area. We’ve got some cattle and horse farms that could be in trouble with their animals, and there are a few places that will be cut off.”
“Are people stocked up in case they have to hunker down for a few days?” I asked.
“That’s what I’ve been spending most of my time doing. The county doesn’t have the manpower to go to every farm in time, so my deputies and I have been going door to door making sure the people know. We’ve been telling people to get to town and stock up on what they need while they can and to bring their livestock back in close. I had to help one farmer get part of his herd out of danger. That’s how I got soaked.”
“Oh, my,” I said.
“But for the most part, these old farmers are ready. They don’t need anyone to tell them to be prepared for a rainy day,” he said.
“Well, it’s good that you’re checking on them anyway,” I said.
After dinner, Thorn did the dishes and I dried. We tried to watch a movie on the big screen television I’d installed over the fireplace just for him, but he fell asleep fifteen minutes in. Knowing that he was going to get up early and go running with Tangerine, I nudged him awake and told him to get his butt to bed.
While he was trudging up the stairs, I took Tangerine out back and we found the driest spot in the yard for her to do her business. The back yard wasn’t totally submerged, but there were a few huge puddles forming. I made a mental note to ask Thorn if he could build one of those little doggie shelters outside the back door. I wanted one with a roof to keep the rain and snow out and I’d seen ones with a gravel floor for drainage. I’d have to think about that part, but it probably would have helped.
Lightning flashed overhead and thunder rolled over us like a thousand stampeding horses. Tangerine let out a little yelp and made a beeline for the door.
“I agree,” I said and followed her back inside.
The next morning, Thorn was gone by the time I got up. I found Tangerine snoozing in the kitchen on a bed of towels. Apparently, they went running rain or shine.
I snapped my fingers to dry her off. I could still do that.
Or so I thought…
She instantly turned into a ball of floof. “Oh, my,” I said. “I might have to take you to a groomer.”
“Good going, lady,” Meri snarked as he sashayed into the kitchen for breakfast.
“Good morning to you too,” I retorted. “You’re in fine form this morning.”’
“You’re one to talk,” he sassed.
“Hey, I’m in charge of breakfast. You might want to be nice to me,” I said.
“Whatever,” was the response I got.
I turned my back so he wouldn’t see me smiling at his rude butt. He had to wait for his breakfast because I was frying up bacon and scrambled eggs for both of us. I made an egg for Tangerine too, but she couldn’t have any bacon. Once I plopped the egg down in her food dish, she didn’t seem to mind.
“Are we still going to stop and see Viv?” Meri asked as he finished his breakfast. He was already trying to angle for more bacon, but I’d come to expect it.
“If we have time,” I said noncommittally.
“Well, then you had better get going,” Meri said.
Just then, another huge flash of lightning lit up the sky and the light from it came flooding into the house. The simultaneous crack of thunder was enough to shake the house. Tangerine ran to my feet and whimpered. Surprisingly, she had to fight for real estate with Meri. Even he had gotten spooked.
“I guess I won’t be leaving you home today.” I bent to scratch Tangerine’s fluffy head. “You’re coming with us,” I concluded as I picked them both up and carri
ed them with me to the bedroom.
The house would take care of Tangerine while I was at work, but she seemed too scared to be left alone. Normally, I would have just asked Meri to stay behind and keep her company, but Meri didn’t let me go anywhere without him. He was still in hyper-protective mode until the baby was born.
“I’ve gotta take a shower,” I said as I set them both down on the bed. “Meri, please keep Tangerine company.”
“Do I have to?” he asked, but as Tangerine settled down on the bed, Meri curled up next to her.
“I think you’ll figure it out,” I said and left them to shower.
The good news was that I got most of the way through my shower before there was another loud crack of thunder and blinding flash of lightning. The bad news was that when the power went out, I still had shampoo in my hair. I hurried and rinsed it out before the water went cold.
“Come on, house. Really? Everything you can do, and the power is out?” As if it heard me, there was a brief flicker of the lights coming back on, but ultimately it sputtered out. “Thanks for trying,” I said as I stepped out of the shower.
Fortunately, there was enough light coming through the bathroom window to keep me from stumbling around in total darkness. When I opened the door to go back out into my bedroom and get dressed, I found Meri and Tangerine waiting. They must have practically had their noses pressed against the door.
“Come on, Meri,” I said as I stepped over them. “You obliterate demons with your powers, and you’re totally spooked by a storm?” On cue, the house shook as thunder rumbled through the sky above us. “Man, this storm must not be moving. That sounded just as close as before. I wonder if it’s stalled out over us.”
“Whatever it is, I hate it,” Meri groused.
“Well, let me get dressed really quick, and we’ll go see if the Brew Station and my shop have power,” I said. “I doubt there will be much business today, but I’d rather not hang out here without power all day.”
I dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. It was too warm for a sweater, but I was worried that if I wore short sleeves, the power would be off everywhere. I didn’t want to end up chilled to the bone.
After I put Tangerine’s harness on, I loaded Meri up in my bag and put on my boots. The black Doc Martins were my favorite part of the cold season. I may not have loved cold weather or tons of rain, but I did love my boots.
I practically sprinted to the car with Meri in the bag and Tangerine tucked under the other arm. While I did manage to splash through a couple of shallow puddles, I kept my furry friends dry. I didn’t bother going around to the passenger side but instead opened the driver’s door and leaned way in to deposit Tangerine and Meri in the passenger seat.
Thunder crashed overhead and made me jump as I tried to get behind the wheel. I used the app on my phone to start the car and turn on the seat warmers.
It started to pour twice as hard as I backed out of the driveway. The car’s sensors kicked the wipers up to full speed, and I worried that it wouldn’t be enough.
“We’ll make it as far as we can, but I might have to pull over,” I warned my companions as I began driving down the street.
“Use the autopilot,” Meri said. “I don’t know why you spent thousands of dollars on that if you’re not going to use it.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I feel more comfortable being in control, but maybe. I guess it’s better than sitting in the car on the side of the road.”
Fortunately, in my opinion, it never came to that. The heavy showers persisted, but the wipers were able to keep up enough for me to navigate the practically abandoned streets.
The space in front of the Brew Station was even open when I arrived, and that never happened. “Wait in the car,” I said to Meri. “No sense in you getting soaked. I’ll be right back.”
“Fine,” he said. “Just make sure she doesn’t forget my bacon.”
“Has she ever?” I asked but jumped out of the car and closed the door before he could answer.
It was a great day for there to not be a line out the door at Viv’s place, but everyone inside looked dreary and sad. They were used to a hopping morning full of hard work and happy customers. It had to be a total drag just standing around hoping the rain would stop.
Both girls behind the counter tried to step up when I came in the door, but Viv appeared from the back at the sound of the bell over the door announcing my arrival. “She’s mine, girls,” Viv told them. “Why don’t you guys go clean out the walk-in?”
They both groaned but still darted into the back. Nobody ever wanted to clean out the walk-in, but they were bored beyond belief. I looked around, and there was one elderly gentleman sipping coffee and reading the news on a laptop. He was probably dug in until the rain let up. Or until the Brew Station closed.
“Breakfast is on the house,” Viv said. “I’ve got a bunch of stuff prepped, and it doesn’t look like I’m going to sell it. You should take something for Reggie too. You think she’ll make it into work?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Jeremy bought her that new truck. I think that thing can drive through four or five feet of standing water.”
“Well, I might need her to come over here and rescue me if this keeps up,” Viv said. “You want your usual latte?”
“Yeah, and a raspberry mochaccino thing for Reggie,” I said. “Thanks. So, Thorn said that Coventry shouldn’t flood because of some sort of elevation. We’re on an rise here. But the surrounding area might get washed out. The creeks are swelling.”
“Well, that’s good for us, then,” Viv said.
I stood at the counter and watched the rain out the window while she made the coffees. She brought them over to me and then bagged up four croissant sandwiches with bacon, egg, and gruyere.
“I don’t have the fryer on in the back, so I hope four sandwiches is okay,” she said and slid it all across the counter to me. She normally used paper bags, but that day she doubled-bagged the entire affair in a plastic grocery bag.
“Thanks again,” I said. “Four free sandwiches is more than generous.”
“There’s twice the bacon in there for Meri, and I saw your little puppy through the window, so there’s some turkey lunch meat in there for her too,” she said.
“You’re the best,” I said. “I’ll probably come back over here for lunch. I doubt we’re going to get any business today either.”
“Turkey club sandwiches and all the chicken and wild rice soup you can handle. I got it started this morning in a moment of misplaced optimism. If you show up here again, expect to go home with at least one container of it,” she said with a chuckle. “I don’t think the girls working with me today will be able to eat it all, and they might call your husband on me if I try to make them.”
“Oh, that sounds delicious. We’ll definitely be back for lunch,” I said.
After that, we said a quick goodbye, and Viv went into the back to help the girls clean the cooler. I ran out to my car and dove in like I was made of sugar.
Meri and Tangerine sniffed the bag, and I wasn’t sure which one of them was more excited. “Pipe down, you two,” I said. “We’ll eat as soon as we get into the shop.”
I backed out of my space, shifted into drive, and did my best to baby the accelerator. That car went from zero to sixty in under four seconds, so you had to be careful. But, I wasn’t careful enough.
You would have thought I’d stomped on the pedal the way the car lurched forward and then fishtailed. “Whoa, lady!” Meri cried out as he dug his claws into the seat.
Tangerine fell over and rolled into him, but since Meri was anchored in place, they both managed to stay on the seat. I righted the car and drove as slowly as I could over to the other side of the square and parked next to Reggie’s truck.
I got out of the car, and Reggie must have seen me coming because she opened the door and held it. “Run for it,” she called out through the deluge.
For whatever reason, Meri and Tangerine
decided to heed her call. They bounded past me and out the driver’s door. Somehow, neither one of them managed to land in the puddle outside the door.
I reached back in the car and grabbed the food, coffee, and my bag. As I stood up, it became abundantly clear that I didn’t have my purse straps all the way over my arm, and it did fall right into the very puddle Meri and Tangerine avoided.
“Oh, no,” I said and snatched it up hard enough that I splashed water all over my thighs. “Great,” I murmured as I ran for the door with my soaked bag.
Once I got inside, I dumped my bag’s content out on the counter. Reggie ran in the back and grabbed a bunch of paper towels. We tried to dry everything as best we could. My phone was in one of the side pockets, so it avoided getting ruined.
Stormy Sky Magic (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 9) Page 1
