by Bella Falls
Rags To Riches
Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries
Bella Falls
Evermore Press
Copyright © 2020 by Bella Falls
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author, except where permitted by law or for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
All song lyrics are original material written by the author. No part of the lyrics may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the author.
All Rights Reserved.
Created with Vellum
Contents
Also by Bella Falls
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Epilogue
Hextra Free Stories
Series Order
Series Order
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Bella Falls
Southern Relics Cozy Mysteries
Flea Market Magic
Rags To Witches
Pickup and Pirates
A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Series
Moonshine & Magic: Book 1
Lemonade & Love Potions (Southern Charms Cozy Short)
Fried Chicken & Fangs: Book 2
Sweet Tea & Spells: Book 3
Barbecue & Brooms: Book 4
Collards & Cauldrons: Book 5
Cornbread & Crossroads: Book 6 (Coming Soon)
*All audiobooks available are narrated by the wonderful and talented Johanna Parker
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Chapter One
Giggles gurgled up from my insides like the bubbles in my second glass of champagne. Cate and my cousin Dani joined me, cackling at Crystal trying on some paisley monstrosity from another decade.
“Ms. Robin, I just can’t believe you made this.” The bell sleeves of the blouse fluttered in the air like wings sprouting out of Crystal’s sides. “Or that anyone actually used to wear anything like it.”
“Hey, Robin Westwood Designs were worn by some of the biggest names at the time,” Cate defended. “We’re so lucky to have someone with her incredible talent anywhere close to us. I don’t think we could have afforded a big bridal trip to NYC.”
“Yeah, well, thank goodness she keeps up with the changes in style over time. Because this is just way too groovy for me.” Crystal busted out her best disco moves.
Watching her attempts at dancing cracked me up. My laugh mixed with a sneeze that rocked my entire body, and I fell off the couch, spilling the drink all over my sundress.
Tara, the wedding shop’s assistant and a new coven friend, dashed out of the dressing area at the sound of the commotion. “Oh my stars, are you okay?” When she noticed my wet front, she hurried off to find a towel for me.
The curtain pulled back from the smaller dressing room, and all three of my friends joined me in oohing over our friend Gloria stepping into view with the most gorgeous dress hugging her body. The violet hues of the delicate fabric accented her every move.
Crystal wolf whistled at our friend. “Girl, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look better.”
Dani nodded in agreement. “You’re definitely going to have a real shot at bagging one of the groomsmen that’s not your brother.”
“You think?” Gloria turned left and right, regarding her reflection. “The only time I can remember looking better was the night I finally caught Harrison’s attention. Remember that, Rue?”
Even with my head a little fuzzy, I would never forget my friend and former co-worker’s efforts to get our fellow bartender to stop seeing her as his best friend’s little sister and to drool over the hot woman she’d turned into.
“Ironically, that required you to have a whole lot less clothing on, whereas I think you look even hotter all dolled up.” I burped and giggled some more. Cupping my hands to my mouth, I lowered my voice, “If I didn’t know better, I’d swear Ms. Robin was a witch. She has to use magic when she sews.”
Crystal snatched the almost empty flute out of my grasp. “Why don’t you say it a little louder in a shop run by a mortal.” Offering me her hand, she helped me to my feet before smacking me upside the head.
“Huh. I thought I was whispering.” I blinked and asked the rest of our party, “Wasn’t I whispering?”
Tara returned with a towel for me to wipe off my dress and one to clean up the mess I’d created. Feeling a little guilty, I offered to wipe it up myself, but she waved me off. “I’ve got it.” She checked to see who was around and lowered her voice, “And you’re not the only one who thinks Ms. Robin has a special touch with her sewing. Even I spent my first month on the job trying to test her to see if she had any actual hidden powers. It’s ironic that today, she’s the only one in the place without any.”
Gloria, still busy gawking at her reflection in the mirror while listening to our conversation, ran her hands over her bridesmaid’s dress. “She definitely has a special talent with fabric though, turning it from strips of woven threads into beautiful creations. I think that’s its own magic.”
“Why, thank you, darling.” Ms. Robin stepped out of the bigger dressing room. Unlike her amazing creations surrounding us, the older lady wore her gray hair in a tight bun with escaped tendrils framing her face and a simple neutral-colored outfit made for comfort rather than fashion. “What a sweet compliment, although you have to give credit where it’s due. Gloria’s finishes on your dress are exceptional.”
Our fellow coven member and shop assistant blushed. “Thanks, Ms. Robin.”
“No, dear, thank you. With wedding season bearing down on us, I don’t know what I’d do without you.” The talented seamstress and designer turned to face the rest of us. “Now, who’s ready to see the bride?”
Forcing Cate and Dani to scooch over, I plopped down next to my friends on the couch and leaned forward in anticipation. Moving with care in her dress, Gloria perched on the arm of the couch to give her best friend the floor. We all clapped in anticipation and waited for the big reveal. Tara and Ms. Robin pulled back the velvet curtains and watched us for our reaction.
“Oh, Azalea. You look absolutely stunning,” Gloria gushed, sniffing to hold back tears.
The rest of us stared at the bride-to-be in silent appreciation. She approached us, holding a bouquet of fake flowers and wearing a delicate tiara with a gauzy veil attached to it.
Dani and I hummed the bridal march, and a beaming smile spread across Azalea’s face. “Do y’all really like it? I had to fight to get what I really wanted. If my mother had her way, I’d be in something as white as a snowy egret with poufy sleev
es and a ridiculously big skirt. Thank goodness Ms. Robin here helped me wrangle her so I could have this dress.”
“What did you do?” I queried.
The store owner shrugged. “What was absolutely needed. I reminded her mother that it was Azalea’s big day and not hers. That fashions have changed over time.” She raised a critical eyebrow at Crystal, still wearing the 70’s top. “And that if she wasn’t willing to get onboard, she could leave.”
Her statement caused our mouths to drop. “You kicked out the mother of the bride?” asked Dani, her eyes widened in awe.
“No, not really,” countered Azalea. “She’s aware of the design we came up with, but I wanted her to be surprised with everyone else on the actual day with everything finished. The only thing that might make them a little upset is the color.” Her eyes flashed to Ms. Robin’s. “Do you think the slight pink of the dress will upset them?”
Gloria approached her friend, took the fake bouquet away from her to hand off to Tara, and held her hands. “Anyone who knows you knows what your favorite color has always been. Heck, if you’d given into your mom and had a white dress made, I would have been right there with you to dye it pink myself.”
Azalea sighed, and her shoulders relaxed a little. “I knew you were my best friend for a reason. For your support and for setting me up with one of your exes.”
Gloria blew out a breath in dismissal. “Harrison was barely an ex. We had three dates and one kiss and knew immediately we had no real chemistry. But I knew he could show a girl a good time, which is why I encouraged you to go out with him. You know, to dust off the cobwebs from your dating life. It never occurred to me that you’d be the one to tame the tomcat right out of him. And look at you now.” She spread her friend’s arms wide. “The most beautiful bride in the world.”
“Give us a good runway walk,” I called out.
Azalea chuckled and slouched in a dramatic fashion, pouting in her best imitation of a model. She strutted back and forth in front of us.
Ms. Robin played along with pleasure. “Here we see our bride in a V-neck trumpet tulle wedding gown with cap sleeves. The blush hue compliments her skin tone and reminds us of her flowery personality while the fabric flows down her body like a lazy river, moving with fluidity every step she takes. The lace flowers of the structured bodice continue down the tulle skirt in cascades, accentuating the botanical theme of the entire wedding.”
Dani sighed with a goofy grin. “You look like a fairy princess.”
I gave the bride two thumbs up and a hiccup. “Harrison is going to lose it when he sees you walking down the aisle at your venue. The Wallace House will be the perfect place.”
To none of our surprise, Azalea had managed to pull off booking the best place in the whole area. She would get married in the gardens under a flower-covered trellis and then hold an amazing reception afterwards at tables that lined the backyard while the sun set over the Bogue Sound. As long as the weather stayed nice, it would be an amazing night for everyone there.
Tara cleared her throat, interrupting our gushes of admiration. “Excuse me, Ms. Robin, but I think maybe we should help these two ladies out of their dresses before anything happens to them.”
The older fashion designer dismissed her with a wave of her hand. “I suppose you’re right. Sometimes it’s nice to stop and admire one’s work when it turns out so well. This dress will go down as one of my greatest masterpieces.”
“You mean I’m not wearing one myself?” Crystal held up her arm to flutter the sleeves of the paisley top.
The seamstress scowled for a half-second before letting my friend off with a wink. “I’ll have you know that fashions go in and out of style all the time. Just you wait, that top will be a desired item again someday. In the meantime, be careful when you take it off,” she chided, pointing at the half-naked mannequin.
With care, Crystal peeled off the flowing fabric. “Come on, Ms. Robin. We’ve heard a few stories about when you were a famous designer all those years in New York before you walked away from it all and moved down here. I can’t believe you gave up the life of a rich and famous clothes designer.”
The lady clicked her tongue in dismissal. “All the fame and fortune in the world wouldn’t give me half of what my Buster did. All I needed was him and my sewing machine to live a happy life.” She turned to give her full attention to Azalea, stepping forward and cupping her chin. “Sweet child, the best thing I could wish for you is to be as lucky in love as Buster and I were in all of your future choices. It doesn’t take a pretty dress to be successful at that. Although it sure doesn’t hurt to start off your journey together looking as beautiful as you do.”
Azalea’s cheeks blushed to match the color of her dress. “Thanks, Ms. Robin. That’s a truly wonderful blessing and compliment.”
Multiple sniffs filled the air, and I dashed my knuckle under my eye to catch a stray tear. “If we’re this sentimental at a dress fitting, we’d better invest in boxes of tissues for the actual event.”
“Do you want me to assist you in getting Miss Azalea out of her dress?” Tara interrupted with a touch of impatience that snapped the rest of us out of our girly wedding haze.
The seamstress ignored her assistant’s tone with an easy smile. “Actually, we can do this quicker if a couple of you will help both of us. Then we can get Azalea and Gloria changed so you ladies can get on with the rest of your day.”
Positive I’d be all thumbs and rip something in my slightly inebriated state, I stayed out of the dressing area and helped to clean up our bridal group mess. Placing the fluted glasses on a tray, I relied on my old bartender skills to keep them steady as I carried them to the back room where they kept their cakes and other bottles of bubbly for customers tucked away.
After rinsing out the glasses and washing the last of the crumbs off the plates, I wiped my hands off with a nearby towel and went back out onto the showroom. With everyone else still occupied with helping the bride-to-be and her bridesmaid, I took my time walking around the room to admire the stitched handiwork. Tara was right to test Ms. Robin for any sense of her possessing magic. The woman had some serious talent in creating clothes.
A row of mannequins on the far side of the room showed off what must have been old fashion designs from the seamstress’s days up North. The ones in the front shop windows displayed gorgeous variations of formal dresses. A certain handsome vampire came to mind while I inspected the rows of hanging wedding dresses. I pictured what I’d look like standing next to Luke under a trellis full of flowers wearing each style. Would he like me in lace? Or maybe beads and sequins? One particular one with feathers adorning the entire skirt of the dress made me chortle, and I dismissed wanting to look like a swan when my day came with a shake of my head.
“By my estimation, you’d want something a little less edgy and more classic,” Ms. Robin said, interrupting my fantasies. “Has your boyfriend popped the question yet? He certainly spends a lot of money on his vintage cars. Surely he can throw a little at a diamond for you.”
If only she knew exactly how much wealth my vampire boyfriend had amassed over his centuries of living. Heck, he could probably buy me a thousand diamonds if he wanted to. Or maybe he owned a few expensive baubles wherever he hid his assets. Getting a ring wouldn’t be a problem. Having him actually give me one? Now, that would be my biggest challenge.
Ever since I’d tasted his blood to help defeat whatever evil lived inside the crystal ball I’d found, he’d stopped even teasing me with the possibility of marriage. An unknown chasm had opened between us, and despite my efforts, I hadn’t been able to figure out what had happened or how to close the gap that seemed to widen with each day.
My friends gathered around me in time to watch my face fall into a scowl. Dani hugged my shoulders and kissed my forehead. “Best not to ask that question, Ms. Robin. My cousin tends to get a little surly when you do.”
I pushed her off of me. “Do not,” I grumbled.
T
he rest of the ladies present laughed at my reaction that proved her point. Heat rose in my cheeks. “No, he hasn’t asked me.” Yet. Forcing myself to recover, I plastered a grin on my face. “But when he does, I’ll be sure to come shopping here for my dress.”
“Well, you’d better hope he asks you sooner rather than later. I have plans to close the shop at some point in the next year.” The older woman straightened a row of hanging dresses, avoiding the collective gasps.
“You didn’t tell me that,” Tara uttered, her eyes widened as much as my own.
Ms. Robin realized her slip up and glanced back at her assistant with regret. “I know we haven’t had that particular talk yet. We’ll definitely have more conversations about it, but I think you’re talented enough to get out there and start making it on your own. And you know you’ll have my recommendation to back you up on your journey.”
A cloud passed over Tara’s face, but she shook it off and attempted to recover. “Well, at least I’ve had the opportunity to train under you for the past year.”
Gloria stepped forward. “And if you’re responsible for my dress, then I have to say you’re going to make one heck of a designer on your own.”
Our friend’s compliment saved the day. “Thank you,” Tara murmured, leaving us and disappearing into the back room.
Ms. Robin grimaced. “I stepped my foot in it, but sometimes the mother hen has to kick the baby bird out of the nest, or something like that.” She escorted us to the door and patted Azalea’s arm. “Tara and I will arrive early to the bridal suite at the Wallace House to help you get dressed on your day. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
