“Test?” Rayne asked, looking over my shoulder.
I nodded. “Day after tomorrow.”
“So…Viola Hunter. I’ve heard so much about you,” Cassidy said then.
Rayne passed Cassidy a glance but said nothing.
“Have you?” I asked, then looked at Rayne. “Do tell. What have you heard? I’d love to hear what Rayne has to say about me.”
“Well, you are definitely as pretty as he said.”
A massive butterfly spiraled through my stomach. “So, you think I’m pretty?” I asked Rayne playfully.
“A goddess,” he replied with a wink.
“This is a great restaurant,” Cassidy said then. “The water wheel outside is perfect. Just look at this place. Your family…the Blushing Grape people, right?”
I nodded. In most cases, being a Hunter was either a really good thing or a really bad thing. In the case of Cassidy, however, I heard no emotion at all in the statement. That alone warmed me toward her.
“I love your dessert wines,” she said wistfully.
I smiled, a proud feeling swelling in my chest. I’d had a hand in developing most of the flavors for those wines. “Thank you. So, you teach?”
She nodded. “Some dance, I teach the little ones tap, ballet, and run mommy and me classes. Mostly I teach yoga though. At night I teach the older girls. I have a great class this year. Some real talents.”
“How long have you been in Chancellor?”
“Oh, a bit. I just float with the wind. I started working at the studio last summer, helped with the choreography for their summer show. They put on The Little Mermaid.”
I nodded. “I saw that show.”
“You did? That’s so cool. Yeah, it was fun. Twyla was Ariel in that production,” Cassidy told Rayne.
“Here we go,” Rick said then, setting down four plates in front of Rayne and Cassidy. “Let me get the coffees,” he said then moved off.
I couldn’t help but notice how Cassidy moved from eyeing over the desserts to eyeing over the bartender. He was definitely a dessert in and of himself, if one were so inclined. That was, of course, why I’d hired him, in addition to his mixology certificate. It never hurt to have some eye candy behind the bar. But I never expected that eye candy would fix his own eyes on me.
Cassidy nodded to herself, like she’d decided something, then turned her attention to the crème brulee. She tapped the crystalized sugar coating with the back of her spoon then scooped up a bite. She closed her eyes, sighing heavily as she ate, then said, “You have to try this.” She scooped up a bite and practically shoved it into Rayne’s mouth before he could protest.
“Perfect,” he said between bites.
Their little exchange made that weird feeling gnaw at my stomach again. I suddenly felt captive. I couldn’t escape the scene, and as much as I wanted to not care what my friend was up to, and with whom, I did. A lot.
“How’s Alice?” I asked Rayne then, shifting the conversation, shifting my attention away from the jealous feeling racking me. Stupid. What right did I have?
“Okay,” Rayne said, suddenly looking a bit sad. “We talked after you left. He wasn’t right for her. She knows it. She just wasn’t expecting to get dumped like that. I don’t know if she’s really going to go to the ball. Well, not unless I find someone for her to go with.”
“We’ll both look. She needs someone fabulous,” I replied.
“What about him?” Cassidy asked quietly, motioning with her spoon toward Rick. “He single? He’s hot as hell. Fix her up with him.”
Rayne fixed Rick with an assessing look then turned to me. “What do you think?”
“Yeah, I…I think he has someone else on his mind right now,” I stammered.
“Too bad,” Cassidy said with a sigh then stuck her spoon in the cherry dessert.
“Someone else on his mind, eh?” Rayne asked, his twinkly green eyes searching my face. I knew from the expression thereon that he realized I was talking about me.
“Seems like everyone has big eyes these days,” I said softly then lifted a questioning eyebrow at Cassidy who was so enamored with the cherry dessert that she’d turned and started talking about it to the elderly couple sitting down the bar from us.
Rayne shook his head. “She’s a friend, that’s all. And what about you, Miss Hunter, and your hunky bartender? Hiring all the hot guys these days?”
“What, you looking for a job?”
He chuckled.
I shook my head. “No, he’s just a friend.”
“Someone quoted me a great line today: ‘all things have their season.’ Do you agree?” Rayne asked, setting his hand on my back, gently stroking me between my shoulder blades.
His touch felt like lightning. An intense sensation shot down to my toes, and I felt like my hair was standing on end. I looked up at him, meeting those sparkling eyes. I inhaled deeply. I caught the light honey scent that always seemed to effervesce off him. How many times had I wondered how his kiss might taste? Would it be as sweet as he smelled?
“Here we go,” Rick said then, setting down the cups of coffee. I saw his eyes flick toward Rayne’s hand. Rick looked away, quickly turning his attention toward Cassidy. “So, how are they?”
“Oh my god, to die for. Is the chef still here? Tell him they’re awesome. Someone has some talented hands.”
“Indeed,” I whispered, shooting a flirty glance at Rayne.
He smiled gently at me, stroked the length of my hair.
“Okay,” Cassidy said then, turning back to Rayne. “Let’s chug this coffee and head out. I still need to get my van from your place. I’ve got sunrise yoga at the beach tomorrow morning.”
“What? And leave your desserts?” Rayne asked.
“Hell no,” Cassidy said, scooping up the list bite of the crème brulee. “Almost done. Just give me a sec.” She then turned serious as she got to work on the last of the desserts.
Once again, jealousy shot through me. Why was her vehicle at his farm? Where had they been?
Rayne sipped his coffee and looked over my scattered mess of books and notes. “So after your degree, then what?”
“Assuming I finish, we’ll see. I need to pass this test first,” I replied, looking back at my book. I was also mindful of the note lying to the side of my papers about Monsieur Beaumont, yet another duty I still had to attend to.
“You’ll be fine. I’ve never seen you fail at anything.”
“Well, the harder I work, the luckier I get. And I do tend to get what I want.”
“Of course you do. You’ve got beauty, brains, and you’re a hard worker. And besides, who could ever resist those eyes of yours?”
“Me? I’m not the one with the sparkle.”
“You have plenty of sparkle.”
“Done!” Cassidy announced.
Rayne chuckled then pulled out his wallet.
“On the house,” I told him, setting my hand on his.
He shook his head. “Don’t want to set a precedent. By the way, that crème brulee really needed some organic honey, don’t you think?” he said, turning to Cassidy as he set a bill on the bar.
“Definitely. But otherwise, it was kinda like the food of the gods.”
I nodded to Rayne. “I’ll be sure to order some. Need to find a reputable vendor first, not some kooky hippie.”
“Of course not. Don’t want those types around,” Rayne said with a good-natured laugh then slipped off his seat. “Catch you tomorrow?”
I smiled. “Hope so. I’m packed up with stuff, but I’m sure I’ll see you around,” I said, knowing full well that seeing Rayne was something I always managed to juggle into my schedule, not that he needed to know that. I turned to his friend. “Nice to meet you, Cassidy.”
“You too,” she said then turned to Rick. “Night!”
From the glass washing stand, he nodded to them. “Goodnight.”
Rayne shot me the softest of smiles, winked at me, then headed out behind Cassidy.
A few minutes later, I heard the click of a glass on the bar in front of me. I looked back to realize Rick had set out two shot glasses, one for him and one for me. Wordlessly, he poured us both a whiskey. He lifted the glass and motioned for me to do the same.
“Here’s to sizing up the competition,” he said with a wink.
I couldn’t help by laugh. Indeed. I couldn’t tell if Cassidy was really my competition or not, but she sure seemed to know more about Rayne than I did. And I hated it. And I hated that I hated it. I suspected that Rick was feeling the same way about Rayne that I was feeling about Cassidy, about which I felt very sorry. But what could I do? After all, Rayne hadn’t actually taken anything beyond flirtation and a vibe. You couldn’t count on a vibe. I sighed then lifted my glass. “Cheers,” I said then, clicking glasses with him.
At that, we both drank. And as the warm liquid slid down my throat, I couldn’t help but close my eyes once more and dream about honey-sweetened kisses.
Chapter 7: Rayne
The bees hummed softly as I approached the row of straw bee skeps sitting alongside the back wall of my barn.
“Good morning,” I called to them.
A few of the workers buzzed around me excitedly. While we faeries looked like humans, we had skills beyond the reach of most mortals. Speaking to the natural world came quite easily. Even when I was a young boy, I had a special affinity for speaking with winged creatures: bees, butterflies, birds, dragonflies. As it turned out, the bees and I understood one another best.
I chuckled good-naturedly then listened.
“In Chancellor?” I asked as they told me about a man they had spotted who had a glow that matched Alice’s. The bees could see each person’s aura, the colorful magnetic hue that surrounded people, and every person had a vibrational match. Finally, they’d spotted someone who was right for my girl.
I nodded as they shared their last bit of intel: “Lavender Fields Bed and Breakfast. Well, then I guess it’s time to make a call on Genevieve. Surely her guests need some honey with their morning tea. Have anything for me?”
The bees rushed off to one of the skeps that was positively glowing with golden light.
“Pardon me,” I said politely as I set my hand on the little straw dome.
With that, the bees left the straw hive, flying like a torrent out of the little straw skep. The queen was the last to exit.
“Your majesty,” I said, inclining my head. “I’ll be just a moment.”
She turned and flew off to join the others.
I gently lifted the straw skep. Pulling an old bone tool from my back pocket, I removed the honey-laden combs, setting them into a well-worn wooden collecting tray. When I was done, I returned the skep to its upright position.
Most of the bees had gone back to work in the apple orchard. I gazed at the trees. The orchard was a beautiful sight, row after row of apple trees loaded in pink and white blossoms. Dandelions, forget-me-nots, and new violets sprang up like a watercolor patchwork under the lovely canopy. I loved spring in Chancellor. I hoped Ziggy was right, that when my work was done, I would be able to stay. And not just for the view.
“All done. Bright blessings and many thanks to you,” I called to the bees, then went to the barn with the honeycombs.
Once inside, I grabbed my wooden uncapping tool. Working quickly, I uncapped the wax, revealing the amber-colored honey underneath. Dabbing the honey with my finger, I took a taste. The sweet flavor filled my mouth. I could taste an undertone of apple in the honey. Once all the combs were uncapped, I dropped them into the honey extractor and turned it on. In no time, the honey was ready. I filled up a dozen jars, mindful to slip some fresh honeycomb into the old mason jars as Genevieve preferred. She wanted her guests to know they had authentic honey on their breakfast table. I then washed up and got ready to go.
I was filled with excitement. Finally, a guy for Alice. The bees didn’t know who the man was, only that he’d only arrived in Chancellor that morning. But they did have one other interesting bit of information. He’d come to the bed and breakfast in a car owned by Blushing Grape Vineyards. It seemed that everywhere I turned, Viola’s family was in my life. Surely, that meant something.
What mattered most, however, was Alice’s happiness. And for the first time in a long time, we were on to something. All things had their season. Finally, it was Alice’s time.
I pulled my old truck into the parking lot of Lavender Fields Bed and Breakfast just after lunch. It was warm for a spring day, and I saw that the first of Genevieve’s lavenders were blooming. The field next to the Victorian mansion, which was painted the same hue as the flower whose name it bore, was alive with purplish blue flowers. The owner of the bed and breakfast was on the porch watering hanging baskets.
I grabbed the box of honey off the seat. The cardboard box from Tess’ shop was still sitting there. I needed to remember to take it into the house. Lord knows what other treasures Cassidy had missed, and I needed to get those tools cleaned up.
“Hey, Rayne,” Genevieve called from the front porch. Setting down her watering can, she wiped her hands on her apron. In her early fifties, Genevieve had moved to Chancellor around the same time I’d arrived. She was unique, capturing my interest from the start. Most women at least noticed my faerie sparkle, but she barely looked at me. The reason, however, was far from magical. Over time, she’d opened up to me just a little, telling me of a bad marriage which had an even worse end. She’d seen the old Victorian for sale online and decided to come to Chancellor to start a new life. Each time I saw her, I could see her heart was slowly stitching itself back together. But she was still a wounded thing. It was strange what humans did to one another. Faeries never treated each other so roughly, especially not in matters of the heart. Maybe it’s because we knew what delicate organs hearts really were, both physically and energetically. It saddened me to see her in such a state, a perpetually broken thing. Many times I wondered where her fairy godparent was. Next time I saw Ziggy, I would ask about Genevieve.
“Thought you might be running low,” I told her as I carried the box up the stairs.
“Good guess. It’s getting busy. Spring is here again, and with the lavender starting to bloom, I’m booking up early. Come on in,” she said.
Genevieve had restored the Victorian mansion back to its original splendor. Brocade wallpaper, elaborate moulding, shimmering wood floors covered with ornate Turkish rugs, and period furniture decorated the place. A massive wooden staircase at the center of the house divided the space in half. On the left was a lovely parlor painted in pale purple and decorated with charming period chaises, sofas, and even an elaborate birdcage from which two sparrows called to me.
Hello. Hello.
I whistled back to them.
Genevieve smiled. “How do they always know it’s you?”
“The honey. I must smell good,” I replied, following her to the right where a second parlor, which had been turned into a dining room, adjoined the more formal dining space.
“If you say so, but they only do that with you. How odd. So, how many do you have?” she asked, looking into the crate.
“Dozen.”
She nodded. “I’ll go grab some cash if you’d like to grab the empties off the tables,” she said then headed back to the kitchen.
There were two couples finishing up lunch and a single gentleman sipping tea while he read over some papers. I set about picking up the old jars of honey while I assessed the options. Both couples were older and very much coupled. No luck there. The young man sitting with his papers, however, seemed like a good bet. And there was something about him, a certain shine, which told me he was the one. My gut confirmed it, urging me to say hello. It was the same feeling I’d experienced the day I’d met Horatio’s would-be girlfriend, Julie. I’d seen Julie walking down the street among a busy crowd and in that singular moment, I knew there was something special about her.
And there was. For one, she turned out to be a pretty talented hearth witch. And for two, she was my best friend’s true love. I’d learned along the way, that when it came to patching up couples, I had good instincts.
“Pardon me?” I said politely as I approached the man. “May I take that jar if you are finished with it?”
The man looked up at me from over the rim of his glasses. I could see I had distracted him from his thoughts. He wasn’t upset, just surprised. I eyed him over. He had wavy reddish-brown hair and brown eyes. Surely handsome enough for Alice.
“Je m'excuse,” he said politely. “Sorry. Excuse me. I was distracted. Of course.”
French. He was French? While his English was perfect, there was no missing the accent.
I nodded and carefully lifted the jar as I glanced at his papers. Thereon, I saw a number of equations and charts. “In town on business?”
The man nodded and gave me a friendly smiled. “Oui. There is a conference at the college tomorrow. Just, eh, familiarizing, myself with my presentation.”
“Your first time in Chancellor?” I asked, trying to amp up some of my faerie sparkle.
He nodded. “In Chancellor, yes. You’re from here? Please…” he said, motioning to the seat across from him.
Bingo. “Thanks,” I said, joining him. “I’m just waiting on Genevieve,” I added, tapping the empty jar.
“The honey? Very nice. It has a very sweet aroma. You must have apples.”
“How did you know?”
The man tapped his nose. “Trained. I’m Luc,” he said then, reaching out to shake my hand.
“Rayne,” I replied, returning the gesture. “Trained?”
“My family…perfumers. We have factories near the lavender fields in Provence. As I was telling Miss Harper,” he said, referring to Genevieve. “I feel right at home here,” he said with a smile.
The Chancellor Fairy Tales Boxed Set: Books 1-3 Page 17
