by Zoe Arden
"I-I can't leave," Polly said, taking a small step toward me. "I have to stay here. It's part of my parole. I have to rejoin the community. Prove I'm a valuable member of society. That sort of thing."
"Valuable?" Natalie laughed. "How are you going to prove that?"
"I'm going to be working in my aunt's bakery." She twiddled her thumbs together, looking uncertain. "You know, Sweets n' Treats."
Eleanor and Trixie exchanged a look. Rocky began to bark loudly.
"Wilma agreed to that?" Eleanor asked. Polly nodded.
Wilma Trueheart was Polly's aunt. She was the sister of Polly's deceased mother and had spent her first month in Sweetland Cove attempting to shut down The Mystic Cupcake. Instead of blaming Polly for the death of Anastasia Peacock, she had blamed me and my family. Things between us had all gotten sorted out since then, which was part of the reason I was surprised to learn that she'd agreed to take on Polly in her bakery.
"I've been assigned a parole officer," Polly said, her voice rising a whole note. Her cheeks were pink and I knew this must have been hard for her. "I have to check in with them every day, so I can't even get into trouble if I wanted to. Aunt Wilma knows that."
The door chimed again, and Eleanor let out an exasperated sigh. "Can't people stay out of here for a minute?" she shouted, her temper finally flaring. She blushed when she saw that it was her husband, Sheriff Zane Knoxx.
"That's the best greeting I've gotten all day," Sheriff Knoxx said, his voice deep. His brow was scrunched together but he was grinning. Eleanor and Sheriff Knoxx had only been married a few months, so they were still in the honeymoon phase. It didn't much matter what they said or did, they couldn't stop smiling whenever they were near each other.
"Sorry," Eleanor said, going to him and taking his hand. "I'm afraid I may lose my temper even worse in another minute or two."
"Why?" Sheriff Knoxx asked. His body was wide and tall. He had dark bushy eyebrows that he'd only begun trimming since going out with Eleanor. His mother had been pure witch but there was goblin on his father's side and it showed. Especially in his temper. "What's going on?"
Eleanor nodded in Polly's direction. It was amazing how everyone walked right past her as they came in. I didn't think I'd have missed her anywhere. She had moved to a corner of the room, trying to make herself as small as possible. A shadow cast itself across her face.
It took Sheriff Knoxx a moment to realize who he was looking at. When he finally did, he crossed the room in three long strides and pulled Polly out of her corner. She shrieked.
"I'm not doing anything!" she yelled.
"Zane!" Eleanor cried. "Let her go."
Rocky barked. Snowy and Tootsie both hissed.
"You have no business being here," Sheriff Knoxx roared. His voice was so rough and deep it made the room shake.
"I-I-I," Polly stammered.
Eleanor put one hand on the sheriff's shoulder. He gently shrugged her off but he let Polly go. She took a quick step away from him.
"I don't want to see you anywhere near this bakery," he growled. As protective as Snowball and Tootsie were of me, Sheriff Knoxx was ten times more protective of Eleanor.
Polly nodded. "I only came in to—"
"I'll be watching you every second that you're here," he said, cutting her off. "The moment you mess up." He took one finger and made a slicing motion across his neck. Eleanor gasped. My father's face turned pink then white. I couldn't believe that the sheriff meant what he'd just indicated. His goblin was getting the better of him.
"Are you threatening me?" Polly seemed to regain some of her strength. Her voice stopped shaking. Her face grew red as anger replaced fear.
"I'm just telling you how things are," he said.
"If you touch me," she said, a sly grin spreading across her face, "I'll sic Dean Lampton on you. He told me to let him know if anyone gives me trouble."
"Dean's a powerful wizard," Sheriff Knoxx said, leaning in close to her, "but I'm more powerful. And I don't have a whole council to answer to."
Polly gulped.
"Get out of here." Sheriff Knoxx’s voice cut through the air like a razor. "Now. And don't come back."
Polly didn't need another invitation to leave. She ran through the door without looking back.
"You didn't mean what you said to her," Eleanor asked, her face paler than usual. "Did you? You know, about the..." She made the same slicing motion across her neck as the sheriff had before placing her hand back on the sheriff's shoulder. This time, he took it and kissed it tenderly.
"I meant every word. I won't let her hurt you or your family. I'll do anything to make sure that doesn't happen. Anything."
>>> Find Out Now To See How The Story Ends <<<
Order of Book List
ALSO BY ZOE ARDEN
. . . . . . .
Standalone Novella : Cake Spell Disaster
LINK: Standalone Novella : Cake Spell Disaster
<< Sweetland Witch Women Sleuths Series >>
Book 1 : LINK >> #1 Witch Cake Murders
Book 2 : LINK >> #2 The Witching Flavor
Book 3 : LINK >> #3 A Drop of Witch
Book 4 : LINK >> #4 Sweet Murder Hex
Book 5 : LINK >> #5 Batter and Spells
Book 6 : LINK >> #6 Portion Disaster
Book 7 : LINK >> #7 Frosting Disaster
Book 8 : LINK >> #8 Witch Way To The Bakery
Book 9 : LINK >> #9 Royal Witch Curse
Book 10 : LINK >> #10 Witches, Recipes and Murder
Book 11 : LINK >> #11 Sugar Magic Murder
Book 12 : LINK >> #12 Espresso, Cake, and Murder
Book 13 : LINK >> #13 The Bakery Murder
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Publisher Notes
Copyright © 2019 by
ZOE ARDEN
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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