by Amy Boyles
“Mama! Okay, I’m going to admit it’s strange that all of y’all have shown up right now. Not sure how that happened.”
“I just had a feeling,” Mama said, “that you would be here and that you needed me.”
I had to thank Hildegarde for that one, I suspect. For a seer who seemed so seriously loopy, the woman might actually have had some sense after all.
As I reached to hug Mama, she extended her palm to cut me off. “What was that with the magic vanishing?”
“It’s my fault,” Eugene admitted sheepishly. “I forced Charming to take my gift.”
“And magic disappeared,” Mama snapped. Before I could respond, she waved her hand. “I know it’s back. I know it only vanished for a moment, but still. Hildegarde could have told us the situation would be temporary. But leave it to a swamp witch to get drunk off boiled peanuts and leave out the important parts of a prophecy.”
I pointed to Vic. “Can we please focus on this situation? You’ve been released and we’ve found Frankie’s killer.”
Thorne cocked his head toward Vic. “If you release him from these um, flames, I’ll take him in.”
I cringed. “Oh. Well. I don’t know how to do that.”
Mama scoffed. “Really, Charming. Just point your finger at him.”
I aimed my index finger at him and said without much conviction, “Flame go away?”
The fire disappeared. Thorne pulled a set of magical handcuffs from his waist and locked them on Vic. The vampire tugged Vic toward him. “You can tell me your whole story when we get down to the jail.”
“She’s lying,” Vic shouted. “She’s a liar. An absolute liar! Don’t believe anything she says. I didn’t kill Frankie. I didn’t admit it.”
Vic continued yelling as Thorne pulled him through the doorway.
“I’m innocent!”
Mama clapped her hands, and his voice cut off. “Thank goodness. He was about to give me a headache, and I already have enough of one of those. For goodness’ sake, what a pain in the rear end.”
She looked at me and sighed. Then Mama opened her arms for me to hug her, which I did. “Charming, I’m so glad you weren’t hurt.”
I frowned so hard I felt a line wedge between my brows. “What do you mean?”
“When the magic blew out for a moment. I was worried something happened to you.”
I gently unfolded myself from her grasp. “So you weren’t really worried that magic would disappear?”
“Of course I was,” she sniffed. “But I was also worried something would happen to my daughter. I lost a husband once; I don’t want to lose you, too.”
A tear welled in my eye. I knuckled it away. “You never talk about Dad.”
Mama’s voice caught. “Because some things are too difficult to discuss. Sometime I will tell you about his research. What he was doing. I’ll tell you everything I know.”
A genuine smile spread across my face. “I would like that.”
And I would. It would bond my mother and I closer together, make us the mother/daughter team we were meant to be.
Rose’s head suddenly popped into view. “Charming! What happened to you?”
“Rose!” My hands flew to my cheeks in surprise. “I’m so sorry! I forgot about you. I got attacked by Vic Blass.”
Disbelief dripped from her voice. “The announcer?”
“Yes! He killed Frankie; he tried to kill me. In order to save my life, Eugene latched on to me. Magic died but it came right on back.” I smirked. “Hildegarde forgot to mention that part to us.”
“Oh.” Rose fluffed her hair. “Well, all that sounds good, but what am I supposed to do with him?”
She tugged Watts into view. Rose still had water ropes tied around him.
I glanced at Vic’s phone. “Let me just call Thorne and get him back here.”
“Nonsense,” Mama said. “I’ll magic him to the jail.” She clapped her hands and Watts disappeared.
She brushed her palms. “Now. I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready for some peace and quiet. Who wants to return to the house and have a nice hot cup of cocoa?”
Rose smiled. “That sounds wonderful, but Pig actually likes her hot chocolate the frozen kind.”
I bit back a laugh as Pig pranced into view. “Of course she does,” I said, happiness bubbling inside me. “Of course she does.”
With that, Mama whisked us back to the house where we spent the rest of the night in peace and harmony.
Chapter 25
A week later Thorne and I were finishing up a date in which he’d taken me horseback riding.
It didn’t sound like much, but it was better than sitting in a stuffy restaurant where I was pretty much the only person who ate.
Surprisingly, Thorne enjoyed outdoor activities. I guess it wasn’t that surprising, really. I mean he had a lot of time on his hands. It made sense that he’d spend it keeping himself busy.
I slid off the saddle and walked my mount into a barn. The inside smelled of hay, horses and freshly cut grass.
A stable man took the reins from me. Thorne slid up beside me and took my hand.
“Thanks for coming out here. I know it’s a different kind of date.”
I smiled up at him. “Thanks for asking me.”
We stepped outside. Thorne ran his fingers through his hair. “Listen, about the other day when we kissed.”
Fear spiked in my chest. “You’re not going to say you regret it, are you?”
He wasn’t going to say that, was he? That he regretted kissing me? How horrible. I couldn’t even imagine if that was true.
“No,” Thorne said quickly. “Absolutely not. I don’t regret it. I just wanted to let you know that I was afraid you’d think I was trying to take advantage of you.”
“You mean because I was practically naked?”
His cheeks burned bright red.
“Are you blushing?”
Thorne glanced away. “I don’t blush.”
“Are you sure? Because that’s what it looks like,” I teased. “That you’re blushing. Surely you’re not blushing.”
“I’m not blushing. Vampires don’t blush.”
“Looks like it to me.” I shrugged. “Anyway, if you say so.”
“I say so,” he growled.
“Touchy, touchy.”
We studied each other before laughter bubbled up in both of us.
“It’s okay to blush around me,” I said shyly. “I won’t tell anyone your secret.”
We’d reached Thorne’s Jaguar. He stopped and took my hands. “The one thing I don’t want us to have with each other are secrets.”
His words speared my heart to my spine. I inhaled sharply. Thorne spoke about us as if we were a thing—a vampire/witch thing.
“You…” I couldn’t complete a coherent sentence.
Thorne cupped my cheek. “Do I think this is going somewhere? Yes. Do I think you and I might kill each other before it gets anywhere interesting? Another possible yes.”
I scowled. He laughed at me. “But don’t worry,” he said. “If it’s up to me, I’ll try to keep the peace as long as I can.”
“That’s reassuring,” I mumbled.
Then without asking, Thorne dipped down and kissed me. I felt it all the way to my toes. I wrapped my arms around him and enjoyed the warmth that seeped into me.
Boy, did Thorne know how to kiss.
When we parted, he smiled down at me. “Want to get some food?”
I nodded. “Sounds great.”
We headed into town as the sun burned down the sky. Pinks and blues smeared across the atmosphere, and I bit my bottom lip, excited about this new development in my relationship with Thorne.
We were a thing—sort of officially. Or unofficially. Or whatever it was that we were.
We paused at a stop sign to watch a caravan of trucks with tarps across their cargo areas rumble past.
“Is the National Guard here?” I murmured.
Thorne smirked
, showing off the dimple on his left cheek. “No, that’s not what it is.”
“What is it?”
Thorne stopped the car, he was about to explain it when Mayor Dixon waddled up with India trailing behind, a notebook cradled in her arms.
It was Saturday. Why was the mayor working? She rapped on Thorne’s window. He pressed the button and it hummed down.
The mayor flattened her palm to her chest in relief. “Oh, thank goodness the two of y’all are here.”
I dipped my head to get a good look at her. The mayor’s cheeks were red, and she looked flustered as all get-out. “Why? What’s going on?”
Winnifred Dixon shuddered. “Witch’s Forge has just received a mummy exhibition.”
My eyebrows arched high with interest. “Oh? That sounds fun.”
“Charming, I need you to match the main archaeologist.”
“Er, I just matched Frankie and she wound up dead.” Seriously, this wasn’t something I was into. “Maybe we can just let the mummy exhibit be the mummy exhibit.”
The mayor shook her head. “I don’t think so. See, I’ve already promised you’d match him. And maybe you can even take a glimpse at the mummy’s soul mate.”
I recoiled. “What? It’s a mummy. It’s Egyptian. It’s dead.”
The mayor smiled with enthusiasm. “Doesn’t mean it didn’t at one point have a true love.”
I hedged. “Okay, maybe.”
Winnifred pointed to the locks. “Well, come on. Thorne, get her out of there. We’re going to meet the archaeologist right now. This is so exciting for our community and for the future of Witch’s Forge.”
I shot a look to Thorne, who unclipped his seat belt. “Okay. Let’s go meet this guy and see who his mummy is in love with.”
I suppressed a giggle as my gaze locked with Thorne’s. He winked and I knew that I might be working but our date was still on. The chemistry between us ignited my core.
I pulled my belt off and smiled at the mayor. “Okay, let’s go meet this professor and his two-thousand-year-old mummy.”
Thorne took my hand and led me across the street where the exhibit was being set up. A large pyramid rose into the sky. Dust filled the air. I felt like I was standing before one of the great pyramids of Egypt.
Thorne’s silvery gaze shifted to the mayor. “All right, Mayor. Introduce us to this archeologist.”
The mayor waddled on past us. “Better yet,” she called over her shoulder, “why don’t I introduce you to the mummy?”
I swallowed a knot in my throat. The mayor turned back and smiled. “I’m kidding. Joking. Come along. Let’s make introductions.”
I shot Thorne a panicked look. He wrapped a hand around my shoulder. “Don’t forget,” he whispered, “this guy’s dead. The mummy, I mean. How much trouble could he be?”
I shook my head. “You never know,” I murmured. “You never know.”
As it turned out, the mummy became a huge problem. But that’s a story for another book. The next book maybe. Yep, the next book when I tell you all about the mummy that rose from the dead and the murder that followed.
Fun times, y’all.
Fun times.
Chapter 26
THANK Y’ALL!
Charming’s adventures continue in SOME PIG AND A MUMMY DIG. When an archeological dig arrives in Witch’s Forge, it looks like the mummy has risen from the dead. Worse, it appears the mummy has committed murder! Can Charming and Thorne get to the bottom of this mystery? Click HERE to order.
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If you haven’t read any of my other series, consider picking up SPELLS AND SPIRITS, a cozy mystery sampler. It’s full of laughs and zany characters that you’re going to love! You can order it HERE.
And…I love to hear from you! Please feel free to drop me a line anytime. You can email me [email protected].
Also by Amy Boyles
SWEET TEA WITCH MYSTERIES
SOUTHERN MAGIC
SOUTHERN SPELLS
SOUTHERN MYTHS
SOUTHERN SORCERY
SOUTHERN CURSES
SOUTHERN KARMA
SOUTHERN MAGIC THANKSGIVING
SOUTHERN MAGIC CHRISTMAS
SOUTHERN POTIONS
SOUTHERN FORTUNES
SOUTHERN HAUNTINGS
SOUTHERN WANDS
* * *
SOUTHERN GHOST WRANGLER MYSTERIES
SOUL FOOD SPIRITS
HONEYSUCKLE HAUNTING
THE GHOST WHO ATE GRITS
BACKWOODS BANSHEE
* * *
BLESS YOUR WITCH SERIES
SCARED WITCHLESS
KISS MY WITCH
QUEEN WITCH
QUIT YOUR WITCHIN'
FOR WITCH'S SAKE
DON'T GIVE A WITCH
WITCH MY GRITS
FRIED GREEN WITCH
SOUTHERN WITCHING
Y’ALL WITCHES
HOLD YOUR WITCHES
* * *
SOUTHERN SINGLE MOM PARANORMAL MYSTERIES
The Witch’s Handbook to Hunting Vampires
The Witch’s Handbook to Catching Werewolves
The Witch’s Handbook to Trapping Demons
About the Author
Hey, I’m Amy,
I write books for folks who crave laugh-out-loud paranormal mysteries. I help bring humor into readers’ lives. I’ve got a Pharm D in pharmacy, a BA in Creative Writing and a Masters in Life.
And when I’m not writing or chasing around two small children (one of which is four going on thirteen), I can be found antique shopping for a great deal, getting my roots touched up (because that’s an every four week job) and figuring out when I can get back to Disney World.
If you’re dying to know more about my wacky life, here are three things you don’t know about me.
—In college I spent a semester at Marvel Comics working in the X-Men office.
—I worked at Carnegie Hall.
—I grew up in a barbecue restaurant—literally. My parents owned one.
If you want to reach out to me—and I love to hear from readers—you can email me at [email protected].
Happy reading!
