“To what?”
“To the sisterhood, of course. We are the witches of Chancellor, and this is our grove. Welcome, my dear, to the coven.”
Chapter 17: Julie
“Coven?” the word tumbled out of my mouth with more shock attached to it than I had intended.
“Julie, you’re a hearth witch at heart. Haven’t you always been good with herbs and spices? Don’t you understand how to make magic with ingredients? Emma Jane was the best hearth witch we’ve ever seen. We are, of course, good witches,” Violet said then began pointing to the others. “Stitch witch,” she said, pointing to Tootie, “soap witch,” she said, pointing to Betty, “And I’m not so bad at healing. We practice good magic, and clearly, you belong with us.”
I looked at the broom I was holding. The handle, much like the broom in Mrs. Aster’s house, was engraved.
“It’s too much for her to take in right now,” Dr. Franklin said. “She should just watch tonight then decide on her own. Let’s not put any pressure on her.”
“Agreed,” another woman, Mrs. Bradley, said. She’d given me a brochure for makeup sales at the meeting. “Let her come to it in her own time, Tootie. We loved Emma Jane, but she isn’t Emma Jane. We have to remember that…forget-me-not and all.”
Tootie nodded. “Of course. Well, how about you have a seat and watch then, dear?” Tootie said, motioning for me to take a stump. “Do you mind?”
“N…no,” I stammered, not sure if I should laugh, run off in fear, or hoist my broom and join them. I always ran pagan, but witchcraft? That was a new one even for me.
“Okay, girls,” Tootie said, “let’s have at it.”
The women came to stand in a circle around the reflection pool.
“Sacred Grove, we witches of Chancellor gather under your limbs and offer you our love and protection,” Betty called.
“Let no axe fall thee,” Violet added.
“Let no machine shake thee,” Dr. Franklin intoned.
“Let no man touch thee,” Mrs. Bradley said.
“We sweep mankind’s coveting eye away,” Tootie added then nodded to the girls.
“Forever protected may you be,” called the ladies as they began moving in a circle around the pool, sweeping the ground as they walked. “With love and magic, we protect these trees! With magic we entwine. With magic we enwind. With magic we bring here. Let no foulness enter here! So mote it be. Thank ye!”
And just like that, the women’s auxiliary of Chancellor, who were, apparently a secret coven, finished casting what appeared to be a protection spell on the little grove.
I sat there in stunned silence.
A moment later, the ladies relaxed and began clasping one another, hugging, offering kisses, and chatting about their next get-together.
Several ladies stopped to say good-bye, leaving one by one, until Violet, Tootie, and Betty remained.
“You see, nothing to it,” Tootie said.
“But who are you praying to? God? A witch goddess? The devil?”
At the last part, all three of them laughed. “The universe, my dear, is infinite in its love. We pray to love, to compassion, to gratitude. We evoke the mystery of love and magic, which is all. You should join us. You have the gift. Thank you again for the cupcakes. They worked splendidly,” she said, and with a wave, left me standing in the grove, alone once more.
Not wanting to see what might show up next under those trees, I headed across the street toward my new home. I went inside, flipping on the lights, then locked the door behind me.
“Honey, I’m home,” I called, jokingly, once more.
I was startled, however, when a stiff breeze blew in from the greenhouse, fluttering the cards in the recipe box which sat open on the counter. One of the cards jumped out and danced—as if a hand was pushing it—across the floor where it landed at my feet.
I bent to pick up the card.
Reading over the ingredients and the spell, I grinned. “Emma Jane, you’re a genius,” I called into the ether then headed into the kitchen.
Chapter 18: Horatio
“Stop fidgeting,” Viola chided. “Everything looks great.”
She was right. The lobby of the old theater had never looked more beautiful. Flower arrangements filled the place with the sweet scents of roses, carnations, and lilies. The brass on the bar glistened. The bartender served the well-dressed guests glass after glass of Blushing Grape wine. The aromas of butter and garlic filled the room. The chefs were preparing hors d'oeuvres for after the ceremony. A sweets display, which featured a cute little sign noting it was a “preview” of the reopening of Green Earth Apothecary and SerendipiTEA Gardens, was garnering a lot of attention. Town socialites and theater bugs munched on Julie’s sweets while we all waited for the ceremony to begin.
“It’s not that,” I said, distracted. I checked my watch again. No Julie. No Dad. Where was everyone? Clearly, Julie had been by, but where was she? My need for her to be there, for her strong presence, for her support, weighed on me. How was it someone I was just getting to know suddenly meant so much to me, occupied so much of my headspace?
“She’ll be back,” Viola whispered.
Of course Viola would figure it out. I grinned at her.
The door opened. It was the mayor. Great, now we’d definitely have to get started. He paused, shaking hands and chatting with everyone as he worked his way toward the theater doors.
“Here, let me fix your tie,” Viola said, turning me. Just like Mom might have done, Viola straightened my tie with a stiff jerk then adjusted the little grape leaf and purple rose corsage on my lapel.
“Easy,” I said lightly, but I noticed then that my voice seemed to echo over the crowd. The room had become silent.
We turned to find Dad standing in the doorway.
I hadn’t spoken to him since the night of The Grove meeting.
“Dad,” Viola called cheerfully. Passing me a knowing don’t get into it with him now look, Viola crossed the room and linked her arm in his.
Seeing that my dad wasn’t there to make a scene, the others started talking again.
“Hey,” someone said lightly, setting a soft hand on my shoulder.
I turned to find Julie standing there. She was wearing a stunning black dress, her hair pulled up into a loose bun at the back, her dreads wound loosely. She looked so beautiful.
“You look amazing,” I gasped.
She laughed. “You too. How long before you get started?”
I was just about to answer her when the theater lights dimmed. “Um, now.”
Julie nodded. “Okay, I’ll catch you after then,” she said then headed toward her sweets display. As I watched her go, I had to be mindful I was about to stand on stage in front of a hundred people. Admiring Julie’s curvy body even a second more could prove embarrassing for me.
“Ready dear?” Professor Lane asked then, looping her arm in mine. “When was the last time you were on this stage?”
“Peter Pan.”
“Oh, yes. You made a very convincing pirate.”
“I didn’t have any lines,” I replied.
Professor Lane laughed. “Really?”
“I was Tinker Bell,” Viola said from behind us. I looked back to see Viola gently guiding Dad into the theater. Maybe it was just my imagination, but he looked pale and thinner. The last few days, it seemed, had been hard on him. Viola said he hadn’t come into the office nor had he been by the restaurant. He just stayed at home. No one had even seen him.
“And you were stunning,” Professor Lane said, smiling at her. “We do need to get you back on the stage, my dear. Don’t you think so, Aaron? Viola always took after her mother. She’s a natural.”
My dad muttered something incomprehensible in assent.
“Let’s get you into place, shall we?” Professor Lane said. With that, she led me toward the stage. How many times had I sat beside my mother in those old theater seats as she directed work, watched a performance, or simply prov
ided her expertise? Now I was there to honor her memory, and nothing made me feel sadder and more proud in the very same moment.
Chapter 19: Julie
I watched as the crowd entered the theater, the ushers shutting the doors behind them, then got to work.
A phone call to Viola had done the trick and soon I had the greenlight to put my plan in action. Working quickly and quietly, I set up my display. First, I set out the cupcake stands and strung the display with blue lights and grape vines. I then worked quickly pulling out the massive box of cupcakes I’d made that morning. The cupcakes, made from Blushing Grape Vineyard’s ice wine, Frozen Kisses, and sweetened with apricots, had turned out perfectly.
The bartender had already started setting out wine stands all around the room as the caterer prepared the rich feast of hors d’oeuvres that would follow the renaming ceremony. The chefs, who I soon discovered were students from the culinary school, worked at stations preparing bacon-wrapped scallops, duck foie gras, shrimp ceviche, stuffed squash blossoms, and a myriad of other culinary delights. With a little arm wrestling, my cupcakes were now the singular dessert at the event—and with reason. If I could get Aaron Hunter to taste one, everything in Horatio’s world had a chance to go back to right.
My cupcakes, the white frosting sprinkled with crystal sugar and topped with a sugared grape, looked perfect. Emma Jane’s recipe for the wine cupcakes, and its corresponding spell, would work. If only I could get all the Hunters to cooperate.
I turned to my display.
“Do your work,” I whispered to the little cupcakes then repeated the spell that was on the recipe card once more:
Let all that’s frozen come to pass
And sugar thaw that heart at last
Where broken hearts have torn away
And shattered love one autumn’s day
Let butter enlighten and renew
And eggs rebirth a heart now true
The heart that’s frozen passing grim
And be like love born again.
I was ready.
A half an hour later, the doors opened, and the crowd entered the lobby. I lifted the tray on which I’d set three perfect cupcakes and three glasses of Frozen Kisses ice wine. Moving carefully, I made my way through the crowd toward Viola, Horatio, and Aaron.
“Hi, Julie,” Viola said sweetly, but I could see her eyes were red and puffy.
I was suddenly very sorry I’d missed Horatio’s speech.
I turned and smiled at him. His eyes too were wet with tears. How special their mom must have been to them. As the thought struck me, I considered my feelings toward my own mother, buried under the hurricane of events that currently surrounded me. Bittersweet, more than anything, described the lingering feelings I felt toward her. I took a deep breath and refocused on the Hunters before I got pulled too deeply down the well of my own thoughts.
“They’re serving Frozen Kisses,” I said, handing a wine flute to each of them. Without looking up, Mr. Hunter took the glass from me.
“Mom’s favorite,” Viola said softly.
“And, I made something special,” I added, pressing the silver platter forward. On the platter were the three perfect cupcakes. “I prepared these with the ice wine. I paired it with apricots. I think the marriage came out perfectly, but you’re the experts. Mind trying and let me know how I did?”
Horatio was the first to take a taste. A small bit of frosting clung to the corner of his mouth. I had to restrain myself from wanting to lick it off. Instead, I dabbed it quickly with my fingertips. From the look in his eyes, I could see Horatio’s mind had drifted to the same place mine had.
“Perfect,” he said. “It really does taste like the wine. Try it, Vi.”
“I just cut carbs this morning,” she said, but her eyes sparkled as she eyed the cupcake.
“Just one bite?” I said nicely. “Just a taste to see if I’ve got it right?”
Looking like all she wanted was someone to give her a good reason, Viola tasted the confection, sighing deeply as she did so. “God, Julie. You’re going to make everyone in Chancellor fat.”
I laughed. “Well, these are the first official Green Earth Apothecary and SerendipiTEA brand cupcakes. I’ve named this one the Eleonora.”
I was about to try to convince Mr. Hunter to take a bite when Viola turned to her dad and practically shoved the cupcake into his mouth.
“Try it,” she said.
He smiled politely as he chewed.
“No hard feelings, Mr. Hunter. You’re welcome to use my parking lot in the evening after I close the shop, by the way. So tell me, how did I do? Do you like the cupcake?”
Aaron Hunter stared at me with his steely blue eyes like he was considering whether or not I was trying to be an ass or if I was actually attempting to be nice. But then, I saw it. A kind of sparkle passed his gaze, a momentary iridescence glimmering over the eye and then it was gone. And a second later, his face softened. And his eyes…well, the color suddenly looked different. Warmer. Like the ice had, indeed, melted.
“It’s delicious, Julie. My wife would have loved it,” he said. He paused for a moment, sipped the wine, then said, “And thank you for the offer. I…I’m sorry for how I acted. I’m not myself these days,” he added, then his face twisted. “Horatio,” he said then, turning to his son. But he seemed at a loss for words.
Wordlessly, I took the wine flutes from their hands then stood and watched in delighted awe as father embraced his son.
“I’m sorry,” I heard Aaron whisper. “I’m so proud of you. I’m sorry. I love you.”
“I love you too,” Horatio replied.
Now my eyes were watering. It had worked. I closed my eyes. Thank you, Emma Jane.
Before I knew what had happened, I felt arms wrap around me, and I was drowned in Horatio’s heavenly cologne. I cast an eye at Viola and Aaron who were hugging, whispering softly to one another.
“You,” Horatio whispered, but that was all he said. He had no way to know what I had done, not really, but that you was both caring and appreciative all in one breath. “Thank you for coming here tonight.”
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be,” I replied softly.
After a moment, he let me go.
“I have to thank everyone for coming. Can I stop by tonight after the party?”
I nodded.
“Save me another one of those cupcakes,” he said, winking to me, then went to work the room.
The whole lobby shimmered with golden light, and I could feel love and joy emanating from everyone. It seemed, at least for the moment, that there was nothing a magical cupcake couldn’t set to right.
It was close to midnight when the Mercedes SUV pulled up outside. Soft music pulsed out from the speakers attached to my phone, and I had everything ready…candles, champagne, strawberries, and two more of the magical cupcakes.
I opened the door before he even knocked.
“Hi,” I said softly, closing the door behind him.
“Wow, look at this place,” Horatio breathed. The whole shop was bathed in candlelight, the warm glow making the place feel magical. “Julie,” he began, turning to me, but before he could say another word, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his. They were soft, warm, and held the lingering tastes of wine and sugar. I kissed him hard, my tongue roving inside his mouth, wanting to absorb his sweetness. We kissed for what felt like forever. Finally seeing stars, I pulled away and giggled, steadying myself.
“I have spots in front of my eyes. I don’t know if it is the wine, the cupcakes, or just…you. But something about this night has just seemed…”
“Magical?” I offered.
“That’s the perfect word.”
“How about I bewitch you just a little more,” I replied as I gazed into his eyes.
Pulling me close, Horatio kissed my neck. “You smell like vanilla,” he whispered, “and taste sweet,” he said, kissing me. “And salty,” he added after another kiss, “
and…”
“And?”
“And I can’t get enough,” he whispered in my ear.
“Then you’re not trying hard enough,” I said.
With that, Horatio gently lifted me. I wrapped my legs around his waist. Without another word, he carried me to the back where we fell into one another, at the very witching hour of night, in the sweetest of rapture.
Epilogue
“Thanks so much! enjoy them,” I called as a mother guided her daughter out the front door. The little girl was carrying a crinkly brown paper wrapper full of the freshly toasted sugared walnuts I had warming in a repurposed antique popcorn machine. It was the week of my grand opening, and the Chancellor Christmas bazaar, and the shop was packed. I’d completely outdone myself decorating for Christmas. I’d managed to fit seven fully-decorated Christmas trees in the small shop, and the greenhouse was loaded with amazing pink, peppermint striped, and ruby-red poinsettias. Violet’s granddaughter, Lacey, a student at the college, had started working with me the week before, and was doing an amazing job. I watched in quiet satisfaction as she raced back and forth from the kitchen to the tea garden in the greenhouse serving egg nog, frosted sugar cookies, peppermint or cranberry tea, and gallons of hot chocolate. The tea house was a hit.
“Julie,” my dad said. “I think this dip might be bad. It tastes weird,” he added as he looked from his pretzel to the jar in his hand.
“That’s because it’s lemon peel face cream,” I replied with a laugh.
“Face cream?” my dad said, looking puzzled.
“Don’t worry. It’s organic,” I replied.
My dad laughed out loud and set the jar down.
Just then the bell above the door rang and Alice, Rayne, and Horatio entered. Everyone was bundled up and covered in a light dusting of snow.
The Chancellor Fairy Tales Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 13
