Lizzy flinched. “Oh, Eli. You didn’t!”
“Honestly, I’d planned to do it. Until I got to know Sam and to like her.” Explaining what he’d done hadn’t gotten any easier with repetition or the passage of time. “I did steal it, but I put it in a safe place where only she could retrieve it. And then I turned myself in.”
Her face fell. After a long silence, she spoke. “Will you go to prison?”
Taking her hands, he met her stare. “I spent a week in jail. Then my lawyer cut a deal for me. I’ll have to testify against some pretty scary dudes, but in exchange, I got probation. Every time I visit you for the next two years, I’ll have to get prior authorization, like I did for this trip. Unfortunately, they only allow me one day, so I’ll be heading back to Florida in a couple of hours.”
“And the young lady?” Lizzy asked. “Will she forgive you?”
Just the mention of Sam stirred up so many emotions and unresolved issues. “I’m praying she will, but only time will tell.”
Sam waved to a young couple as they left after their session with Emma. “Enjoy the rest of your day,” Sam said.
Aunt Emma had been back from vacation for a week and a half, and every day she’d had at least five or six readings while Sam took care of customers out front. Even Sam’s artwork business had been brisk: she’d sold five of her paintings, but she’d taken one down. She planned to keep the portrait of her father, now that she’d decided to sell the sapphire to the museum.
When her stomach growled, she checked the clock. It was just past one, and the only thing she’d eaten for breakfast was a Moon Pie. “Want lunch, Aunt Emma?” she called.
“Hmm?” her aunt mumbled. Seconds later, she stood in the doorway, yawning and rubbing her eyes. “Sure. Would you pick up something sweet for me from the cafe?” She fished a twenty-dollar bill out of her cleavage and handed it to Sam. “And whatever you’d like.”
Even though Aunt Emma tried to treat her to lunch every day, Sam was able to buy her own and had even paid for Emma’s a couple of times. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Sam told her.
Luna greeted Sam at the café with a quick hug. “Emma’s new man seems sweet. She brought him in for breakfast on Sunday.”
“Yeah, I like him. And he makes my aunt happier than I’ve ever seen her.” Sam was thrilled for Aunt Emma, but being around people who were obviously in love made Sam lonelier for Eli. She’d have to face the fact that he was probably gone from her life forever.
As Sam waited for her order, she glanced into the cat playroom and saw Jordan holding a Siamese kitty. The blonde appeared to be having a conversation with the feline. Sam chuckled. “Jordan has quite a way with the cats.”
Luna nodded as she rang up Sam’s order. Winking at Sam, she said, “Jordan has such a gift for communicating with animals. She’s amazing.”
She certainly was. The town was chock full of residents with wonderful supernatural gifts—but not Sam.
When Sam returned to the herb shop, she set the food on the table in the back room then strode to the bathroom to wash her hands. The front door chimed while she was in there. Knowing that her aunt was there to handle the customer, Sam took her time.
“I’ve heard about a couple of the herbal remedies you concocted in my absence,” Aunt Emma said from the main room of the store. “Sounds as if you’ve got a talent for that.”
Sam dried her hands. Who was Emma talking to? The only person who’d mixed any herbs and oils while Emma had been away was….
The man chuckled, and Sam froze. Could it be…? Heart tattooing a wild beat, Sam ventured a few feet into the other room.
Eli met her stare, and his expression instantly shifted from friendly to contrite. His Adam’s apple slid up and then down his throat. “Sam.”
Her feet were lead. A gasp slipped from her lips.
Time ceased to exist. He was at her side, wrapping her in the arms she’d longed for. Touching the small bandage on her forehead, he winced. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Words stuck in her mouth. She nodded and buried her face against Eli’s chest, breathing in the scent she’d missed so much. Letting go of him, she went to get her sketchpad and opened it to the new portrait of Eli she’d been working on the past couple of days. “I made this for you.”
His brow creased. “It’s not the same one as before.”
No need to tell him that she’d destroyed that one. “I like this one better.”
He narrowed his eyes at it. “I don’t know how you do it, but I swear, you’ve captured…a piece of me in that drawing.”
Aunt Emma squeezed Sam’s shoulder. “That’s her magic.”
Sam twisted around to look at her aunt. “What do you mean?”
“We’ve all got a gift, child. That’s yours. You somehow portray the essence of everyone you draw.” Emma gave Sam a sweet smile. “You’re a lucky young lady to have such a talent.”
“I think so, too,” Eli said.
Sam swallowed past the lump in her throat. “You mean that?”
Taking her face between his hands, Eli kissed her softly. “I swear I’ll never lie to you again.”
But there was only one way to be sure. Centering a hand on his chest, she eased him away then hurried into the back room.
“Where are you going?” he asked.
Her aunt stood next to the safe. Sam hadn’t even noticed her leaving the front. Their gazes locked, and Sam knew they’d had the same thought.
Emma opened the safe and handed the pouch containing the sapphire brooch to Sam. “Think carefully, child. And trust your heart.”
“I have to be sure.” Sam took out the jewel and returned to Eli.
He questioned her with his eyes until she opened her palm and showed him the sapphire, the most vibrant ultramarine she’d ever seen.
“Would you answer a couple questions for me?” she asked him.
“Definitely.” Without hesitation, he took the gemstone.
Nervous excitement washed over her. “Were you really forced to steal the sapphire from me?”
“Yes.” The pain in his eyes was real, palpable. “I swear to you, Sam—”
Something inside her ached, but that betrayal was in the past. She touched her index finger to his lips, stopping him. “You don’t have to. I believe you.” Extending her hand for the gem, she waited.
He held the brooch to his heart. “Diaz threatened me. I didn’t think I had any other choice but to do what he told me. Hurting you was the last thing I wanted, and I promise you, I’ll never betray you again.” Tiny muscles around his jaw ticked. “I need you to be sure about me.”
She returned the jewelry to the pouch. “I already am.”
Scooping her into his embrace, he kissed her with a passion she’d never before experienced.
“I love you, Sam.” He cupped her face, rubbing his thumb over her cheek.
“Me, too.” There was no doubt in her mind—nor in her heart.
Epilogue
Three months later…
Eli turned into the driveway of the house he’d rented in Cat’s Paw Cove and smiled when he saw Sam’s car was already there. She’d moved in two weeks ago, yet he still had to remind himself at least a dozen times a day that this wasn’t a dream. Life was good, and getting better with each moment he spent with her.
The instant he opened the door, wonderful aromas filled the air—curry, ginger, and something he couldn’t identify.
Sam stood with her back to him at the stove. “How’d your afternoon go?”
He’d been volunteering at the local nursing home for the past few weeks, and he loved every moment of it. And since he’d moved his sister there last month, he now got to see her even more often. “Really well. Lizzy says hi.”
Dropping his keys onto the counter, he moved closer to Sam and wrapped his arms around her. He moved aside her damp hair to kiss the back of her neck and inhaled the scent of her shampoo. “I love it when it’s your turn to cook. But I can’t de
cide which smells better—you or the food.”
“We’re having Indian tonight, a new recipe I found on the internet.” She turned around to face him wearing a smile that took his breath away. She grabbed a spoon from the drawer and scooped some vegetables and chicken out of the pan. “Taste this. I thought I’d make it next week when Aunt Emma and Phillip come over for dinner.” She blew on the food then fed Eli a bite.
He realized the smell he’d been unable to identify was coconut. “Delicious. Your aunt and Phillip are getting serious.” Now that he was working at the herb store, spending hours every day with Emma, he was her new confidante.
Sam nodded. “She called me this afternoon and said something about cutting back her hours at the store soon. Now that she has you running things, she can slow down and do some traveling. She never took any vacations when I was a kid, never had anyone she could trust with the business. I’m so glad that she’s finally taking time for herself.”
He dropped the spoon into the sink. “Tell me about your day.”
“Oh my gosh. I stopped by the cat café after school. Jordan introduced me to this cat.” She steepled her fingers. “Will you go there with me tomorrow. I want you to meet him.”
“A cat?”
“Not just any cat.” She grabbed a piece of paper from the counter and showed him a black and white sketch of a tuxedo cat. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”
Eli resisted a chuckle. “I gather that we’ll be adopting him tomorrow?”
Sam giggled. “Only if you like him as much as I do. Jordan said he wants to come live with me.”
“I’ll bet she said that.”
Whacking him with a dishtowel, she huffed. “Jordan knows these things.” Sam gasped. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She padded to the table, picked up a large postcard, and handed it to him. “We’re invited to the gala at the museum for the unveiling of the brooch.”
The photo showed the jewel on a velvet platform. Eli pulled Sam into his arms. “I love that we can visit the brooch any time we want.”
“What I love is that it brought you and me together.”
“I’ve always told you how smart you are. See how you nailed that one?” He threaded his fingers through her hair and reeled her in for another kiss. The sapphire’s magic might be all about honesty, but for him, the jewel had transformed his life and brought him to the woman of his dreams.
The End
Also from Cat’s Paw Cove
A WITCH IN TIME
By Catherine Kean and Wynter Daniels
In a violent storm in 1645, Colin Wilshire’s Barbados-bound ship is swept off course. He’s sure he and his pregnant bride are fated to drown when he’s tossed into the sea. He wakes in a strange land and is saved by a blue-haired angel.
Twenty-first-century witch and cat rescuer Luna Halpern has fallen for more than her share of unsuitable guys—including one with a long-distance fiancé, and another who was more interested in other dudes than in Luna. Finally, a safe, drama-free guy is interested in her, and she’s confident that she’ll muster up an attraction to him. When she stumbles upon a handsome, mysterious man who speaks oddly, seems not to know where he is, or even what century it is, her first instinct is to help him.
Certain he’s either stuck in a crazy dream or in limbo between life and death, Colin stays close to Luna. As his feelings for her grow, he’s forced to choose between his obligations in the past and his hopes for the future.
HER HOMERUN HOTTIE
By Wynter Daniels
Event Planner and earthly Cupid Tori Sutherland enjoys nothing more than playing matchmaker for lonely hearts. Too bad Tori will never find her own happy-ever-after because the only guy she ever loved moved on years ago.
Heath Castillo managed to escape his dysfunctional family for a career in major-league baseball. His only regret was not acting upon his desire for his best friend. When an injury threatens his livelihood, Heath has no choice but to face the ghosts of his past.
When long-buried passions ignite, Heath and Tori consider taking a chance on love. But will the forces that kept them apart in high school destroy their budding romance before it even begins?
GAMBLING ON THE ARTIST
By Wynter Daniels
Artist Samantha Cartwright arrives in Cat’s Paw Cove for a visit with her great Aunt Emma, hoping to get clarity about Emma’s cryptic prediction. Instead, Sam finds out she must mind her aunt’s metaphysical shop while Emma is away on vacation. The temporary job proves impossible for Sam because unlike Emma, Sam possesses no magical powers. Lucky for her, tall, dark, and handsome help enters the shop just in the nick of time.
Eli Kincaid managed to get on the bad side of a ruthless loan shark. Now his life depends upon his ability to con an innocent woman out of the only thing of value she owns—a precious jewel she inherited. If he can get close to Sam, maybe he can figure out where she’s keeping the gem. What he hadn’t counted on was falling for his mark. Can he escape the web of deception and protect Sam as sinister forces close in on both of them?
HOT MAGIC
By Catherine Kean
While clearing out her late mother’s home in Cat’s Paw Cove, Florida, Molly Hendrickson finds an unusual antique necklace. Wearing it makes her feel confident and sexy—things she hasn’t felt since her ex broke off their engagement or, really, ever. She decides to keep the jewel but takes other items to Black Cat Antiquities, the local antique store, to have them appraised.
Lucian Lord, a reincarnated 12th century knight, moved to Cat’s Paw Cove after a scandal in which he revealed his magical abilities to his former girlfriend. Demoted by his superiors, he’s running the antiques shop while his grandfather is on vacation. But, when Molly brings in artifacts tainted by dark magic, Lucian is duty-bound to find and contain the dangerous energy before it wreaks havoc not only on the town, but the world.
Living by the knightly code of honor, Lucian vows to help Molly, especially when he realizes the necklace is the source of the ancient magic he’s hunting. He’s determined to save his headstrong damsel and redeem his tarnished reputation—but first, things will get very, very hot.
MEOWS & MISTLETOE – A CAT’S PAW COVE HOLIDAY ANTHOLOGY
Eight holiday tales in the magical town of Cat’s Paw Cove:
FAMILIAR BLESSINGS by Candace Colt
To repay an old man who brought him out of war's dark shadow, a former Army Ranger delivers a cryptic letter to a gifted medium in Cat's Paw Cove. If what the letter says is true, the reluctant medium and skeptical Ranger must travel back to 1720 to save a young boy from the gallows.
CHRISTMAS AT MOON MIST MANOR by Kerry Evelyn
Lanie and Matt Saunders return to Cat's Paw Cove two years after their first disastrous Christmas there. When a mysterious kitten leads Matt back in time, can he right the wrongs of the past and give his expectant wife the perfect Christmas?
CHARLOTTE REDBIRD: GHOST COACH by Sharon Buchbinder
With the help of hunky real estate agent, Dylan Graham, life coach Charly Redbird and her new kitten have found the perfect home next to a cemetery. Charly gets a new client right away, who happens to be her neighbor—and a ghost. What could possibly go wrong?
GNOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Kristal Hollis
When an empath who’s failed at every relationship impulsively kisses an enchanted garden gnome, he magically turns into a real man. Together they must find his one true love and end the curse by Christmas or he’ll be forever alone and trapped within his stone prison.
RING MA BELL by Debra Jess
In 1979, Michael Bell fell in love with high seas radio technician Dvorah Levi's voice as she guided him to safety, but their marriage was cut short by a bullet. Forty years later, Dvorah still mourns him. Can a special holiday and a magical Sherwood cat bring him back?
PURRFECTLY CHRISTMAS by Mia Ellas
Faerie Sormey Johnson moved to Cat's Paw Cove to live a quiet life as a human until a sexy werewolf deputy needs her help tracking down a murderous mon
ster. When Sormey offers herself as bait, the cost may be more than she bargained for.
COLLYWOBBLES FOR CHRISTMAS by Sue-Ellen Welfonder
The fate of star-crossed lovers falls into the magical paws of a time-traveling kitten determined to right an ancient wrong and claim the greatest Christmas gift of all - love.
NEW YEAR’S KISS by Darcy Devlon
In order to overcome a family curse, Griffin Brooks, the town's hotshot assistant fire chief, must earn his true love's trust. Trina Lancaster knows she can release Griffin's curse, but will her magical family baggage be a deal breaker?
About Wynter Daniels
Wynter Daniels has authored more than three dozen romances, including contemporary, romantic suspense, and paranormal romance books for several publishers including Entangled Publishing and Carina Press, as well as for Kristen Painter’s Nocturne Falls Universe. Along with author Catherine Kean, she launched the Cat’s Paw Cove series in 2019. She lives in sunny Florida with her family and a very spoiled cat named Chloe. After careers in marketing and the salon industry, Wynter’s wicked prose begged to be set free. You can find her on the web on Facebook, Twitter, and her website.
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