by Olivia Swift
“Thank goodness for that,” Mikey said. “Riding out here was bad enough for me. In comparison, rock climbing is a piece of cake.”
“I have masses of photos. My designs are going to be country oriented.” Jeremy looked around before they set off.
“Or maybe guns and Stetsons,” Magda said. “Remember, we have a wild west theme.”
“The material I have to run this story is enormous. I will lock myself away tonight and get it off to the boss. I’ve warned him about what was happening,” Bart added.
“When I finish this extension, I will definitely start the ghost diner. No reason to delay now,” Sam told Merle.
“When is this fancy dress opening?” Gina asked. “Dad and I will come back for that.”
“Well, Rula is having next weekend off. I think we go for the fancy dress the next week.”
“This has been some holiday. Best one I ever had.” Gina smiled at them.
Progress was steady and Merle never complained but they reached the ranch and Branston’s workers came and saw to the horses. Merle struggled to a soft seat and the others took their leave.
Alison was waiting to hear that everyone was alright although Magda had called ahead. The story had broken on local news that there was a manhunt underway and she was pleased to see them home safe.
“Trisha had justice at last,” Magda said. “I am glad about that. She was a lovely girl.”
“We did all actually see the gold miner, didn’t we?” Sam asked. “I know I’ve seen Pushkin but only Declan saw the miner in the beginning.”
“The man wanted to help. He liked the gold nuggets and he helped catch the crook. We definitely saw him. Katie will be furious that she wasn’t there. She will still have to draw him from what we tell her.
“And the cats are restful and not giving us any messages,” Alison said as she stroked Jezebelle.
Crystal looked at the cell phone and Magda sighed as it started to ring.
“What were you saying?” she asked. It was Branston saying that he had Merle at the hospital with two broken ribs. She was okay but needed to rest.
“Call if she needs anything,” Magda told him. Then Crystal knocked a paper to the floor. It showed an advertisement for wedding flowers.
“We’re already married, Crystal,” she laughed.
Epilogue
The next week passed with the speed of light as the extension was finished. The ghost town was recorded, and Bart got his scoop which was spread over several pages. Jeremy had items delivered. The extension was floored, had a serving area and the shelves were stocked. Magda was thrilled to pieces with the effect and the customers who came in and out as they put it together were almost as excited as the owners.
There were boxes of gold nuggets, apple pie truffles and blueberry Stetsons. Katie’s pictures were beautiful, and the gold miner drawing had a life about it that attracted buyers immediately. They had all read about the shooting on the ranch and were wildly interested in anything connected. Katie and Declan had to get to work and make more frames and copies of the design. The books about ghost towns arrived in boxes from Jeremy’s publisher.
Rula and Mikey left and said they would be back for the fancy-dress week on Monday. Magda closed up when everyone had gone and stood inside her new shop.
“Happy?” Sam’s voice asked from the doorway.
She went and put her arms around his waist.
“You are one clever man. I love it. Thank you.” The two of them turned to close the double doors as Pushkin stalked past them and then disappeared as usual.
As Sam and Magda drove home, they discussed everything that had happened and that it would be another busy day tomorrow and then Sunday off.
“I wonder when Alison’s furniture arrives?” Sam queried as they walked in the door.
“It’s taking another week,” was Alison’s reply to that question. “I can put the new curtains up and the new bed I treated myself to was delivered today. When they come up for the opening of the shop, Webster is going to put new security on the windows for me.”
“Ooh,” Magda said and twirled her around. “Busy tomorrow but I can come on Sunday and help with the curtains and stuff.”
They ate dinner and settled in for a quiet evening.
Saturday was busy but normal. Sam and Alison both came and helped in the café. Magda had made leaflets to advertise the grand opening and invited everyone to dress in old west style. Janey gave leaflets out in Mikey’s hiking shop next door as well. There was no word from the police and Magda and Katie actually started to plan Christmas truffles.
“We must be ahead of ourselves to be planning for Christmas,” Magda said. The shop was attracting a lot of interest and Magda wondered about Christmas stock in there as well. They closed up on Saturday evening for a day of blessed rest and worked in Alison’s house on Sunday. Sam treated them all to a meal out and they came back to find Crystal pushing magazines around on the coffee table.
“Gold jewelry,” Magda said. “That cat thinks I’m made of money.”
Monday morning came with excitement as they dressed in cowboy gear. Alison dressed in her elegant dress but no headdress. Magda started the coffee machine and looked at her watch. Not like Rula to be late. Customers started to trickle in, and Magda saw with relief that Rula and Mikey had arrived.
“A good weekend?” she asked, and they just stood there in the kitchen. Magda stopped what she was doing. “It wasn’t a good weekend. Is something wrong?”
Then Rula smiled and said that she was just scared to tell them the news. Magda glanced at her friend’s hand and then looked at her face.
“You didn’t?” she asked. Rula nodded.
“Forgive me for not telling you.”
“Oh, my goodness! Congratulations! That is just so wonderful. How on earth did you keep that to yourselves?”
“We didn’t want a fuss. Rula’s mom and my parents flew in. That was it.” Mikey told her. She hugged him.
“But it was a wonderful wedding. Just what we wanted,” Rula said as a few tears trickled down her cheeks. Katie handed her a tissue box and gave her a hug at the same time.
One of the regular ladies called from the counter that she had overheard, and it was wonderful. The news went around the café and Magda called Sam and Declan.
They stopped the work they were doing and came to join everyone. Then she called Merle and before long the whole gang was in the café. The customers found the atmosphere wonderful and a little later, Jeremy arrived, then Bart, Gina and Webster. They were all in cowboy gear of various sorts because that was planned, and the party went on for most of the day.
The sales in the shop were amazing. Jeremy signed copies of his book. Bart took hundreds of photos so that he could write up the grand opening of the new extension. The party spilled over into the hiking shop. Magda had Sam put up Just Married signs in both places.
Merle showed signs of being tired and Branston said they should go back to the ranch.
“But,” she said, “I can organize a celebration dinner at the restaurant. Can you all make it at seven- thirty?”
Branston winked at his cousin and whisked Merle away.
“What a wonderful opening for the shop,” Magda said. “Thanks everyone for the help and the enthusiasm.”
Pushkin did his disappearing trick as they locked up and then there was a rush to be home and change for the promised meal at the Panhandle Ranch restaurant. Crystal had found a picture of gold wedding rings and Magda laughed.
“I know about it now, clever kitten. Rula and Mikey are married.”
The restaurant had been divided off and they had an almost private room.
Magda nudged Sam who stood up.
“Mikey and Rula did not want a fuss and went off to have a lovely quiet wedding with their parents as witnesses.” He paused and grinned. “Fat chance of quiet. This is our wedding gift to you. We will all chip in and pay the bill. Eat, drink and be merry folks. Our best friends are marri
ed.” He raised his glass. “To true love and happily ever after.” Everyone repeated the toast and clinked glasses.
Merle’s staff pulled out all the stops. There were candles, flowers and even small gifts on the table. The meal was delicious and at the end they wheeled in a wedding cake. Rula and Mikey were absolutely stunned.
“Cut the cake, you two,” Magda called out and every person there pulled out a cell phone and took the iconic photo as the knife sliced into the cake.
“How on earth did you manage that?” Rula asked.
“My secret, but an arrangement with the local cake bakers for emergencies,” Merle told her.
They sat around the table with pieces of the cake and glasses of champagne. Gina suddenly touched Bart on the arm and pointed with her glass. “I haven’t had a lot to drink.”
“Me either,” Bart added. “I can see him - the miner that helped us catch the crooks.”
“I can see an orb. It is moving around Mikey and Rula,” Gina said.
“It feels that someone is much happier than they used to be. This man has a good feeling with him now,” Merle said.
“Hello, Mr. Gold Miner,” Magda said. “Thanks for your help.” Suddenly there was a light around the happy couple. It had a sort of a golden sheen to it. They all saw it. Bart tried to capture it on his cell phone, but it was only there very briefly. Gina pointed at the orb as it moved. The orb made a little sort of flash as it disappeared and something dropped on the table.
They all looked at it as Mikey picked it up. He turned it over in his hand and passed it to Rula.
“I think that might actually be gold.” Everyone gasped and inspected the piece one after the other.
“I don’t think,” Merle said as she handed the nugget to Rula, “that you could have a better gift and good wish for the future.”
“Don’t try and eat that one,” Magda laughed. “Happy ever after, my dearest friend. Happy ever after. I do love a happy ending.”
THE END … until next time!
Christmas Spirits
A Chocolate Magic Cozy Mystery - Book 5
Copyright © 2019 by Olivia Swift
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
1
Magda tied her bright plum-colored hair into a ponytail and popped on a white chef’s hat as she worked. Owning her wonderful chocolate café still felt like a wonderland to her although it was almost a year since it had opened. Her handmade truffles were legendary, and she was in the process of making Christmas ones for the upcoming festivities.
Katie, her assistant, was presiding over the huge chocolate vat which dominated the center of the kitchen, and her best friend, Rula, was firing up the coffee and hot chocolate machines before they opened for the day.
“I’ll make a few truffles in the shape of Christmas puddings, Christmas crackers and some Santa hat shapes. Then we can coat them and see how they taste,” Magda said.
“The hats need to have a red coating and a white pompom, the puddings a marzipan piece of holly and what about the crackers?” Katie added.
“I think two little marzipan bows should do the trick,” Magda said, and popped the ones she was working on into the chiller.
“We will have to keep supplies of the gold nuggets and the western-themed ones,” Rula called across. “That selection is really selling well.”
“Must admit, the blueberry flavor is turning into one of my favorites,” Magda added.
Rula served the customers who had ordered and then came over.
“You have that thoughtful look,” she told Magda. “What are you planning?”
Magda smiled and confessed that she was going to ask Sam if he could make a sort of shelf that ran above head height around the seating area. She was wondering if it was possible to run a miniature train around the whole place.
“It could be like the old western ones with cowcatchers and old-fashioned carriages. That would work with the western section, but we could make it Christmassy as well.”
“Wow. I love that,” Katie exclaimed.
“Go on,” Rula pressed her friend. “You have something else under that plum-rula colored hair.”
Magda smiled and stepped nearer the seating section of the café.
“I thought about an electric fire that looks like an old-fashioned woodstove and some seats to make it cozy.”
“And?” Rula pressed. Magda hesitated and then added that she thought that at various times there could be poems and maybe ghost stories read by the fire. The other two looked at her open-mouthed and then Katie giggled.
“It goes along with all of the stuff we like.”
“And our ghost cat. People think we are mad but seem to like it.” Rula looked across the kitchen but there was no sign of Pushkin, the black and white feline who often just appeared and disappeared through an imaginary doorway or walls.
“I really want the place to be fun for Jonno and Branna coming over from Ireland. They are arriving for the two weeks before Christmas week but going back to run the camping park for the holiday. People apparently like to spend their Christmas in a trailer,” Magda told them.
“I hope their business is going to do well,” Rula added.
“They are desperate to see what Merle and Branston do at the dude ranch because it is similar in a way,” Magda answered and then called her husband to ask if he could come in to look at her railway idea. He answered on the phone but stepped in the door at the same time. She looked up and laughed as he was standing right in front of her.
“I know from the tone, that you are going to find something for me to do,” he said. “And I only came to pick up some sandwiches.”
“I’ll make those, and Magda can ask you about her idea.” Rula knew exactly what fillings Sam and Declan, his friend and workmate, liked. Sam raised an eyebrow and waited. Magda explained her railway idea, the woodstove and the ghost stories. Sam walked around the café as he excused himself to the customers.
“My enterprising wife is contemplating Christmas,” he said.
“Cannot wait,” one of the regulars answered. “This place is like a second home to me now.”
“Well, thank you Elsie. Try a truffle and tell me what you think.” Magda handed a plate with a selection of the puddings, Santa hats and crackers.
“Oh, I love the Christmas hat,” Elsie said and bit into it. She closed her eyes. “It’s raspberry but also something else.”
“Redcurrant. Is it too sharp?” Magda asked. She had found her regulars were a good guide to what would be popular.
“No. Just a bit unusual. I like it,” Elsie told her and helped herself to a Christmas pudding as well. Her friend said that the cracker was fine but not as unusual as Magda’s normal flavors.
“I suppose,” Katie joined in, “that a cracker has a snap. Maybe it needs a shot of alcohol.” The customer agreed with her so Magda went to try injecting a shot of brandy into the next few to see if it worked. Elsie and her friend agreed it made a big difference.
“Thank you, my team of testers,” Magda smiled.
Sam came back to the kitchen with notes and measurements on a pad.
“I don’t see why your idea wouldn’t work. There wouldn’t be a lot of weight and there are plenty of electrical outlets.” He sighed, “I am guessing you would like it done immediately?”
“Why have a builder and architect as a husband and not make use of his talent?” She reached up and kissed his cheek. Magda always got what she wanted out of Sam.
“Have you seen these trains?” Rula asked and Magda nodded.
“I will get online and order the rails and everything. There are some lovely old-fashioned carriages. There are some Christmas ones as well.”
“We would need to put tiny Christmas lights all along the ed
ge of the shelf,” Katie observed. “They have really inexpensive ones in the mall. I can buy some on my way home if you like.”
“Thanks, Katie. Anything else that you see that might work as well. Mornin’ Mikey,” she finished as Mikey from the camping shop next door came in for his mid-morning drink. Rula filled the reusable mug she kept for the man who was now her husband.
“We are planning Christmas,” she said. He groaned.
“Just the usual tinsel next door at my shop.”
“We need people to come up with Christmas poems and stories that can be read out loud - not all of the time but at specified times. That way, customers can either enjoy them or avoid them if they don’t want to have their time disturbed.”
“We would need to be careful about content in case some customers have children with them,” Rula pointed out.
“Some of the children’s Christmas poems on the web are fantastic,” Magda said. “I have read a few over the last couple of days.”
“Would you need a small microphone system?” Mikey wondered.
“What would you need that for?” another man’s voice queried and Bart, the local newspaperman, came in and took his usual stool at the counter. “I’m your man there. Sound systems and electronics. Right down my alley.”
“Looks like you just got yourself saddled with a job there,” Sam laughed. “Magda has Christmas on her mind.”
“Why sound?” Bart queried and received a cluster of answers from all of them.
“But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.” Bart smiled at them. “Amazing that Clement Clarke Moore wrote it in eighteen hundred and twenty-three and it’s still good today.” Magda looked at him and grinned.
“Exactly. People will enjoy the coziness.”
“I love poetry,” Bart confessed. “Even write some when I’m in the mood.”
