Murder Under a Mystic Moon

by Yasmine Galenorn

  As the ambulance pulled out, we followed in Murrey’s truck. I wasn’t sure if I ever wanted to see Klickavail Valley again, and yet I knew I’d be back.

  WE RACED INTO the house. Jimbo was still stretched out on the sofa, with Horvald sitting next to him. Root-beer cans and chips littered the coffee table. Horvald motioned to the kitchen.

  “Kids are in there, having a snack. I cleaned up the kitchen for you. There was a bit of a mess on the floor but I made short work of it.”

  I thanked him and hurried into the kitchen with Murray right behind me. Randa and Kip were eating toasted cheese sandwiches and drinking big glasses of milk, their faces still registering shock. Neither one had ever even witnessed kittens being born, let alone a baby.

  “Mom, Mom, I helped Harlow have her baby!” She started to hug me, but stopped cold. “Ewww! You still stink, Mom. Worse than before. So do you, Aunt Murray.”

  I grabbed her and gave her a hug. “Never mind that. So you played the heroine today! What a wonderful gift to give Harlow.”

  “Gift?” She looked at me oddly. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, without you things would have been far more difficult. You helped her baby be born safely. And that, my dear, is the greatest gift you can give any new mother. Now, we’ll all go to the hospital just as soon as Murray and I take quick showers. How about that?”

  I took off for my shower upstairs while Murray availed herself of the downstairs bath. Nothing of mine except skirts and tank tops would fit her—she was far too tall for anything else I owned. Murray seldom ever wore dresses, seeing her in a gauzy broomstick skirt was almost more than Jimbo could bear.

  Still high on painkillers, he looked at her, his eyes shining. “I love you, Anna. You know that, don’t you? You know that I love you?”

  “I know,” she said, blushing. Then, with a cough, she gave us all a stern look. “Not a word about this to anybody, please. This is supposed to be a secret right now and you could really mess things up if you tell anybody about us.”

  Kip and Randa promised, scout’s honor, and Horvald gave his word as a gentleman that he wouldn’t spill the beans. As he searched through the kitchen for more root beer, Murray gave Jimbo a quick rundown on what had happened.

  I led the kids outside.

  “Mom, did you see it?” Kip asked.

  “See what?”

  “The monster!” He looked up at me, eyes shining, and I knew I was going to have to do the hardest thing I’d ever done. I was going to have to deliberately lie to my son.

  I took a deep breath. “Kip, there are some strange things out there, but no, I’m afraid the only monster we found was human.”

  And as I said it, I knew it was the truth. The lore-keeper was far from a monstrosity. Better he live on in legend as a dangerous fiend, though, to keep people away from the mountain. With the cave sealed, it would be a long time before anybody woke him up again. And maybe, someday when I was very old and the kids were grown and able to understand the situation better, maybe I’d tell them about the day I met the Klakatat Monster.

  Kip looked disappointed, but right at that moment, Murray came dashing out, sparing me from further explanation.

  When we reached the hospital, Murray and I ran a quick check on Deacon and Joe, both of whom were ready to leave. Deacon’s wound was, indeed, minor, and Joe was hobbling on crutches with a fractured ankle.

  After Deacon’s wife led him away, the rest of us headed toward Harlow’s room. The nurse started to give us a hard time but finally allowed us to go in as a group, provided we were very quiet and didn’t cause a ruckus. She balked about Kip’s age, but after Harlow reminded the nurse just how much money she had donated to the hospital, the squabbling stopped.

  Harlow was lying in bed, a tiny, perfect baby girl in her arms. Joe motioned for the kids to join him in the corner of the room where the nurse had brought in a couple of chairs, while Murray and I flanked the new mother.

  “How you doing, babe?” As I stared at the baby in Harlow’s arms, a lump rose in my throat. How many years had it been since I’d held someone that small? I glanced back at Kip and Miranda and smiled softly, grateful that they were healthy and growing into beautiful young adults.

  Harlow’s hair was slicked back, still damp from the labor. “Well, other than the fact that my daughter decided to be born on your kitchen floor, I’m fine. Doc said it was the fastest, easiest delivery any of his patients has had. Must be a touch of your magic.” She grinned at me and I beamed back.

  “Randa saved the day,” she continued. “When my water broke and I realized the baby wasn’t waiting for me to get to the hospital, I didn’t know what to do, but somehow Jimbo managed to talk both Randa and me through the birth, while Kip ran across the street. By the time he came back with Horvald, the baby had already poked her head into the world. Isn’t that right, baby girl?” She kissed her child on the forehead and gave us the most beatific smile I’d ever seen.

  Murray’s eyes were wet. “You look so happy, you and wonder-girl there. So, what’s her name? Or are you waiting till James gets back?”

  Harl shook her head. “No, and I think he’ll agree with me that my decision is the right one. Randa, would you come here, please?”

  Randa slowly approached the bed. “Yes?” she said, sounding painfully shy. I knew we were in for a long talk to help her cope with what she’d been through. Even though everything had worked out okay, helping birth a baby would have a profound impact on both of the kids.

  “What’s your middle name, hon?”

  “Eileen. Why?”

  Harlow just smiled. “And Kip—what’s your middle name?”

  “Eugene,” Kip said from his perch next to Joe.

  Harlow beamed. “That’s it then. My daughter’s name is Eileen Eugenia Rainmark. You two helped her make her way into this world, so I’m going to name her after the both of you.”

  Randa and Kip both broke into peals of laughter, obviously delighted. I leaned down and gazed at little Eileen. Her eyes were cornflower blue and it looked like her hair was going to match her mother’s, too. Her nose, though, and olive skin, were straight from James. She’d inherited plenty from her Native American heritage, there was no doubt about that.

  “You’re such a tiny girl,” I said, kissing her fingers. “Harlow… you’re going to make a wonderful mother.” And I knew she was.

  ON TUESDAY EVENING, Joe and I sat on my front porch, listening to the drone of the afternoon bees. He wouldn’t be going back to work for another week yet, and Jimbo was still off his feet for a few more days, so they were both camped out in my house—with Joe on the sofa and Jimbo in the guest room. The past two days had been loud and weird and a whole lot of fun, actually.

  When George had been released, he called me to give what was, for him, probably the hardest apology that he’d ever made. I hoped that the time in jail had helped him rethink his attitude. Cathy had sent me a big box of candy and had ordered several hundred dollars’ worth of china from my shop as a thank you. Whether we’d ever manage more than a civil “hello” remained to be seen, but at least we weren’t out for blood anymore.

  The phone rang and I ran inside to grab it.

  Murray’s voice was an odd mixture of sober and bubbly. “Em, you’ll never guess what happened!”

  “After the past few days, I’m not even going to hazard a guess. What?”

  “First things first.” Her voice softened. “You know Coughlan didn’t make it?”

  “Yeah.” Even though he’d been a jerk, I still felt bad when she told me that he’d died shortly after surgery. But the man had sown a life of stress and anger and it had caught up with him.

  “Well, today Tad Bonner called me into his office and he promoted me. He wants me to take over Coughlan’s job tomorrow.”

  Stunned, I stammered out, “Congrats, babe! How wonderful! Uh… how are the men taking it?”

  She coughed. “Well, tw
o have quit in protest, but everybody else seems to be rallying around me. I don’t know though.” She lowered her voice. “I haven’t accepted yet. I’ve got Jimmy to think about. If I took this job, we might have to split up and I don’t want to do that. I haven’t told him yet, so please, don’t say anything.”

  I reassured her I’d keep my mouth shut and wandered back out to the porch, wishing I had some way to make her decision easier. But there was nothing I could do.

  Joe glanced up. “Party plans?”

  I nodded, not wanting to break my promise to Murray. Friday was Randa’s birthday party and as I planned out the last-minute details, I tried to make sure that we hadn’t forgotten anything. Joe rested on the porch swing, folding his arms behind his neck. The kids were at the movies. A calm evening breeze played through the air, wafting the scent of late-summer flowers over from Horvald’s yard. Joe yawned and sat up as an old beater of a Honda pulled up in front of my house.

  “Is that her?” he asked.

  I squinted. A very pregnant woman with long brown hair, wearing a pair of maternity jeans and a tie-dyed peasant blouse, awkwardly stepped out from behind the wheel. “I think so.”

  “I’ll let you two talk,” he said, and hobbled into the house, using his cane. Together with the walking cast, it was keeping him on his feet, albeit clumsily and slower than a snail on a cold day.

  As the woman approached I sensed a flash of grief, but also the stirrings of new life, coming from her aura. I stood up to greet her as she climbed the stairs. “You must be Traci,” I said, holding out my hand.

  She hesitated a moment. “And you’re Emerald?”

  “That I am.” I escorted her to the porch swing, holding it still while she settled herself in it. “How are you doing? You don’t have long to wait, do you?”

  With a brief smile, she shook her head. “No, not long now. I just wish…” She paused, sniffing back tears. I put my hand on hers and we sat there quietly, until she was ready to continue. “I want to thank you. That’s why I called and asked if I could come over. I wanted to tell you how much it means to me that you found Scar’s murderer. I don’t think anybody would ever have known if it hadn’t been for Jimbo and you.” She gave me a radiant smile, and then I could see why Scar had loved this woman. There was something inherently sweet and loving about her, without an ounce of guile in her energy.

  “I’m happy we could help. So what will you be doing now?”

  Traci shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t want to leave the enclave, but I think my baby needs a stable home, now that he’s not going to have a papa. I’ve been thinking of going back to school to study environmental issues and become an activist. Thanks to you guys, I can afford to do that.”

  There had been a reward for finding the rest of the money from the robbery. Joe, Murray, and I had been offered the cash, split three ways. After a long talk, we signed it over to Traci. Scar’s baby would have a brighter future if his mother had a nest egg. I was glad to hear that Traci was planning on putting it to good use.

  “I think that’s a wonderful idea! Traci, if you ever need to talk, you know you can come to me,” I added as she readied herself to leave.

  “I can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. But, you know how much it means to me, don’t you?” Her voice was plaintive. I held out my arms and she fell into them, crying softly on my shoulder. “I miss him, I miss him so much.”

  “I know you do,” I said. “I know.” I smoothed her hair and gave her a kiss on the forehead, thinking that Scar and Traci had been a lucky pair. And even though we’d found out that Scar was a fugitive, I couldn’t help but wish that none of this had ever happened, that they had lived out their days together, raising their family, loving in the way that makes the world a better place. But life wasn’t always fair. Sometimes, we just had to do the best we could with the hand we were dealt.

  Traci glanced at me, almost as if she had read my mind. With a gentle good-bye, she headed back to her car, where she honked and waved before driving away. What would the future hold for Traci and her baby now? Whatever it was, the energy felt optimistic, and I whispered a prayer to the universe that the two would be protected from further mishap.

  When Joe returned, I told him about our talk. He gave me a peck on the cheek. “You are one of the most amazing women I’ve ever known. So, Ms. O’Brien, do you want to see what I’ve been up to?” The look on his face told me that he’d been up to some sort of mischief.

  “What did you do now?”

  “Bought something. Rather expensive, too.”

  I squinted at him. “What? A new truck? You haven’t even paid off your old one yet.” Joe had been talking about buying a new pickup ever since he saw one that had bigger and better wheels than his own. My boyfriend wasn’t immune to the testosterone monster, even if he was sensitive and sweet.

  “Come on, I’ll show you.” He hobbled down the stairs. I winced as I watched, remembering how painful my own knee injury had been. The doctor said he should heal up quickly, but still, it had to hurt like hell.

  We meandered down the driveway to the sidewalk, where he turned left. A few more feet and we were standing in front of the bramble-infested lot that bordered my own home. Joe stopped and waved his hand toward the towering blackberry bushes.

  “There.”

  “There what?” I asked, still not getting it.

  “That’s what I’m buying. I called the realtor and she brought the paperwork over today while you were down at the shop. When my ankle’s better, I’ll start clearing away the blackberries, neighbor.”

  Neighbor! I stared at him, not sure whether he was pulling my leg. “And just why are you buying a bramble-infested lot? Do you realize how much work it will be to get it ready for a house?”

  “No problem.” He slid his arm around my shoulders. “I figure that when we get married, I’ll just move into your house. Together with this lot, we’ll have plenty of room to plant gardens and make a little pond… whatever else we want.”

  It took a moment for what he’d said to fully dawn on me. When it did, I started to cough so hard he had to give me a good thump on the back.

  “When we get married? You want to marry me?”

  Joe leaned down and brushed the top of my head with his lips. “Ms. O’Brien, I have wanted to marry you since the first day we went out for coffee. I want to be a father to Kip and Miranda—as best as I can. I’m not going to ask you right now because I know you need time to get used to the idea. But come your birthday, you better plan on the fact that I’m going to get down on one knee with a bouquet of red roses and propose, and you’re going to say yes. At least,” he whispered, “I hope you will.”

  My heart racing, I stared at the brambles, trying to make sense of all that had happened over the past couple of weeks. “I’m… speechless. I don’t know what to say.”

  “Remember in the cave? You told me that we’d shared something incredible, something most couples never get to experience. Well, I thought about that and I realized that we share a lot more than that. We’re good together, Em. I knew we would be from the first moment we met. So, just say you love me. For now, that’s enough.” He flicked my nose playfully.

  I smiled up at him, melting into his embrace. “That, I can do.” As I stared at the sprawling brambles that had laid claim to the lot, everything hit me at once. I’d seen the Klakatat Monster and helped solve the murders of two men that the system would have otherwise ignored. Harlow had a little girl, and Murray was in love. And best of all—Joe wanted to marry me. He loved me enough to want to spend the rest of his life with me and my children.

  All my melancholy of the past few days slid away, and I threw back my head and laughed, my voice ringing out into the lazy afternoon. Autumn was on its way, my family was safe and happy and healthy, and everything felt alive again. Maybe even the most mundane of days had its miracles after all.

  Each Chintz ‘n China book contains a ch
arm for you to safely do. Turn the page to read on! And if you want to read the Behind-the-Scenes story on this book, just continue reading beyond the Charm.

  If you liked MURDER UNDER A MYSTIC MOON, don’t miss the rest of the Chintz ‘n China series:

  GHOST OF A CHANCE, LEGEND OF THE JADE DRAGON, A HARVEST OF BONES, ONE HEX OF A WEDDING, and the wrap up novella, HOLIDAY SPIRITS.

  Meet the wild and magical residents of Bedlam in my Bewitching Bedlam Series. Fun-loving witch Maddy Gallowglass, her smoking-hot vampire lover Aegis, and their crazed cjinn Bubba (part djinn, all cat) rock it out in Bedlam, a magical town on a magical island. BLOOD MUSIC, BEWITCHING BEDLAM, and MAUDLIN’S MAYHEM are currently available, and BLOOD VENGEANCE and TIGER TAILS are available for preorder. And more are on the way!

  If you prefer a grittier series, try my post-apocalyptic romance—the Fury Unbound Series: FURY RISING, FURY’S MAGIC, FURY AWAKENED, and FURY CALLING.

  The newest Otherworld book—MOON SHIMMERS—is available now, and the next, HARVEST SONG, will be available in May 2018.

  For information about all of my work, including upcoming releases, see the Bibliography at the end of this book, or check out my website at Galenorn.com and be sure and sign up for my newsletter to receive news about all my new releases.

  Mystic Moon Dreaming Pillows

  Sometimes, when we are in need of extra rest, or when we just want to reach a deeper sleep state, we can achieve this by the use of dreaming pillows—small sachet like pillows that we can tuck inside of our pillow cases. Depending on the herbs, the pillows can encourage vivid dreams, astral work, or restful sleep. This recipe is designed to help promote peaceful slumber, since so many of us don’t get enough time in bed in this fast-paced world.

  You will need:

  2 seven-inch squares of sturdy, purple material—linen works well