Luigi adjusted the grocery bag on his hip and scowled at her. “Nothing. I mean, it’s not like I had a falling out with them or anything. You know, not everyone can cast top-notch spells or master enchantments of the elements, and not everyone wants to go around handing down dire sentences and prosecuting others. Sure, I know order must be kept and all, but some of us have other goals in life.” He glanced into the grocery bag. “Besides, the committee doesn’t want to be bothered with small stuff. They have bigger happenings on their minds.”
“They do?” Maybe there was more to Luigi’s presence in Silver Hollow than Issy and her cousins had thought.
“Sort of. Well, anyway. Enough said. Don’t go thinking that just because I’m not focusing my full attention on finding whoever summoned it that you can hide the fact that there’s a demon around, and don’t go thinking I won’t have to make sure the appropriate punishment gets handed down if things start to fall apart.”
Pulse thudding loudly in her ears, Issy swallowed hard.
Luigi narrowed his gaze. “Okay there, Isolde?”
He was the only person who called her by her full name, and it always set her teeth on edge. She took a calming breath and smoothed her hands down the front of her jean shorts. “Yes. Fine, thanks.”
Then a large black 1970s-style sedan drove down the road, and what little decorum Issy had managed to muster evaporated. She’d never expected to see that car again, let alone its driver. Time seemed to slow as she squinted inside to see Dex Nolan behind the wheel.
Darn it all.
“Um, it was nice talking with you again, Luigi, but I’ve got to get back to my store.” She rushed off without waiting for his reply, her only goal getting the heck out of sight before Dex spotted her and decided to stop for a chat.
After rushing back inside Enchanted Pets and sending her assistant home for the rest of the day, Issy played with Bella then tried working on her store tagline again. Working with words always relaxed her, and she needed all the Zen she could get at that moment.
“Yip!” Bella pawed at her leg. The little dog seemed excited, as though she wanted to tell her something.
“What is it? You can send thoughts to me. Go ahead.” Issy screwed her eyes shut, ready to receive the telepathic transmission from her dog.
Inside her chest, a warm, fuzzy feeling started to emerge. Hope. Love. Tall. Wait, Tall? Was Bella trying to tell her that Luigi was coming?
The bells above the front door jangled, and she jerked her head in that direction, the warm, trance-like feeling of the bond between her and Bella broken.
“Yip!”
Dex Nolan was standing inside the entrance, scanning her shop. Her heart tumbled to her toes. Most of the time, she was able to rationalize away her previous reactions to the guy. After all, no one could be as gorgeous as she’d remembered him being, right?
But now, with him back in town, back in her shop, there was no denying it.
Dex Nolan was every inch as handsome as she’d remembered.
Every inch as dangerous to her heart too.
Bella must have had similar thoughts about him, but without all the reservations, because she bounded over and practically kissed his gray running shoes.
“Issy. Great to see you again.” He bent down and rubbed Bella’s stomach while the dog shamelessly wriggled on her back. “And you too, Bella.”
“Hi,” Issy said. At least he’d remembered the dog’s name. That was a point in his favor.
He sauntered over, all lean muscled lines and sexy grin, and Issy steeled herself against his charms. He was the enemy. He worked for the FBPI. He’d been sent to spy on her and the other paranormals in Silver Hollow. Getting involved with him would be a huge mistake. The sooner she remembered that, the better.
Now, if someone would tell that to her rioting hormones, she’d be all set.
“Hi, Dex.” She tucked her strawberry-blond curls behind her ear and gave him a small smile. “What brings you back to Silver Hollow?”
“Well,” he said, leaning against her counter and looking entirely too masculine and sexy. “Not sure if you’ve heard, but I’m now a resident of your fair town.”
Oh yeah. I’ve heard.
“How nice for you,” she said instead. “Silver Hollow’s a great place to make a home.”
“Yeah, I really like it so far. My house feels a bit empty, though.” He glanced at her, his gaze flicking to her lips before returning to her eyes. And darn if her mouth didn’t still tingle from his not-that-long-ago kiss. Not good. Not good at all.
Thankfully, he turned away to face her shop again before she did something ridiculous, like leap over the counter and smooch him silly.
“I remembered your store and decided to come in and get myself a pet,” he said.
“Great.” Her tone said the exact opposite. Not that Dex wouldn’t make an excellent pet parent, but his adopting a buddy from her store meant she’d probably be seeing a lot more of him. “Take a look around, and let me know when you find someone you like.”
“Sure.” He wandered down a few aisles, stopping to coo at a few occupants here and there, then lingered before the large vivarium to Issy’s left. “What about this guy? He seems friendly.”
Sure enough, Gordon, the bearded dragon, stood and waved to Dex from his perch. Flustered, Issy stumbled over her words. “Oh, well, he’s kind of a special order.”
“Too bad.” Dex leaned closer and waved back. “He seems to really like me.”
Darn it all if it wasn’t true too. She’d expected Gordon to bond with one of the town’s paranormals, not with an FBPI agent. Still, if the way the tiny dragon was waving and puffing out his beard was any indication, he wanted to go with Dex.
She wasn’t ready to give up Gordon without a fight, though. She felt he was meant for a powerful witch, and what if she gave him to Dex and then that powerful witch showed up? Best to try to persuade Dex to take another animal. She did her best to steer him toward some of her less-exotic offerings near the back of the store. “What made you decide to move to Silver Hollow?”
“Eh, you know.” He shrugged and followed her down the narrow aisle toward the cages at the back of the store. “Not much family left where I was back in Ohio, and the bureau really needed people in this area. I’d been here on the Drummond case and liked the town, so I figured why not?”
“Where are you staying?” She showed him several salamanders and toads and even a gecko, but it seemed Dex had his heart set on Gordon.
“Renting a bungalow over on the north end of town,” he said then headed back to the vivarium. “Nope. I want him.”
Resigned, Issy returned to the counter. “Okay.”
She rang him up—he bought not only Gordon, but also the vivarium and enough food and toys to last a year, plus a spiffy blue leash to walk him. As much as she hated to admit it, Issy was impressed. He seemed genuinely concerned about taking the best care of his new pet, which was always a good sign. Maybe Gordon had chosen his best owner after all.
With a final wave, Dex headed for the exit with his arms laden with the glass tank, Gordon, and all of his supplies.
“Sure you don’t need help?” she called.
“Nope.” He gave her a grin and wink over the top of Gordon’s vivarium. “I got it.”
Gordon gave Issy a final wave, and the two guys disappeared down the sidewalk outside.
She stared after them, shaking her head. Dex was right. He most certainly did have “it.”
No matter how Issy might wish otherwise.
9
Dex walked the short distance to his car and loaded the supplies in the trunk then placed Gordon carefully on the passenger seat, taking special precautions to buckle his enclosure in to prevent him from sliding off the seat.
As he climbed behind the wheel and slid on his sunglasses, he couldn’t help remembering how great Issy had looked. He started the engine then signaled and pulled out into the late-afternoon traffic. His memories were of h
er being pretty and sort of fairylike, for lack of a better term, with her bouncy light-red curls and sparkling sea-green eyes. Those remembrances didn’t do her justice, however.
Not to mention the fact that seeing her in person again made him feel all giddy inside. And for a guy like him, who always kept all his angles covered, it was more than a little unsettling.
Truth was, he wasn’t entirely sure why he’d decided to move to Silver Hollow. He flicked on his signal again then made a right toward the northeastern part of town. Oh, he’d been truthful about not having much family left and nothing to really keep him in the Buckeye State. But the honest answer was, he could’ve lived anywhere. The FBPI had branches all over the country.
Honestly, he’d not been able to stop thinking about that kiss between him and Issy that day in the forest behind Louella Drummond’s place. And when the bureau had posted a job for an agent to live full-time in Silver Hollow, well, he’d figured it might as well be him.
His old partner, Stan, of course, had thought differently.
Ugh. The thought of Stan setting foot again anywhere around here made him ill.
Stan would’ve tried to bring all these nice folks into Area 59, claiming they were paranormals or some such nonsense. Dex chuckled and made another turn, left this time. There wasn’t any such thing as a paranormal anything. And, yeah, that fact might make his job cushy and redundant and just a tad boring, but hey… someone had to do it, right?
Besides, paranormal-craziness aside, he loved sinking his teeth into a good murder case. And this town in particular seemed prone to those. Take this new dishwasher killing, for instance. Whoever had done the deed had tried to throw law enforcement off their scent by leaving behind that weird little voodoo doll, but Dex refused to be deterred. The thought of tracking down the person responsible for the homicide had his blood zinging with adrenaline and excitement.
He needed to be quick about it, though, if he wanted to prevent anyone else from getting hurt on his watch. Familiar trepidation washed over him like sludge. He’d waited too long all those years ago with that kid, the one who’d been kidnapped. If only he’d worked harder, faster, better, maybe he could’ve stopped what happened.
Dex shook off his anxiety and glanced over at Gordon. The lizard had his paw on the glass now, as if raising it in solidarity to Dex’s cause. Dex smiled and fist-bumped his new pet.
This time he wouldn’t fail, because he couldn’t fail.
Not again. Never again.
And really, in the end, that was also why he was here, and why he’d taken the job with the FBPI to begin with. To prove he could protect those entrusted to him, whether they called themselves paranormals or not. Except somehow Dex got the feeling that instead of protecting them from bad guys, he might end up protecting them from his own people.
As if on cue, his phone blared, and he looked to see that it was Stan. He pressed the hands-free button on the new gizmo he’d installed on the dash.
“Nolan. That you?” Stan’s abrasive voice filled the car.
“Yes, Stan. You called my phone, so it’s me.”
“Right. I just wanted to check in. I’ve heard some rumblings about paranormal activity in Silver Hollow.”
Dex glanced down at Gordon, who was puffing out his beard. “Really?”
“That’s the buzz on the network of underground informants. Have you noticed anything going on out there?”
“Well, there was a murder. A dishwasher behind a restaurant.”
“That’s what I heard. The dishwasher dumpster murder.” Dex could hear the excitement in Stan’s voice. “It always starts with a murder. And murder is great because that gives us an excuse to detain suspects and bring them in. I’ll pack my bags and get out there right away.”
Dex’s chest tightened. “No. No. Hold on. I can handle it for now. It could be a false alarm. You know how the underground can be unreliable.” The last thing Dex wanted was Stan out here, breathing down his neck. The guy was annoying. And creepy. “Besides, I heard you were on the Cincinnati Stabber case, and your skills are vital for that. I don’t think anyone else can do that job as good as you, right?”
“Well… I don’t know if I’d say that.” Stan’s voice was filled with pride, and Dex could picture him with his chest puffed out, his head inflating with a large dose of ego. “But if you think you’ll be okay out there…”
“I’ll be okay for now. I might need your help later on, though, so be prepared.” Dex’s lips curled into a smile. Stan was so easy to figure out.
“Well, if you’re sure. But word is that pet store owner that we suspected last time might be in the middle of things. That Quinn girl.”
“You don’t say.”
“If I were you, I’d keep her under close surveillance.”
“Close surveillance. No problem.”
“Okay, then, I’ll send the appropriate message to the sheriff out there so that you can get official clearance for the case.”
“Perfect.” This call was working out better than he’d hoped when he’d first seen Stan’s name. Dex couldn’t wait to dig into the murder officially.
“Ten-four. And Dex…”
“Yeah.”
“Try not to get distracted by that hot deputy, Clawson. She’s a real tiger but totally out of your league.”
Dex hung up. Stan had the hots for Clawson? Dex barely remembered what the deputy looked like. But with Issy around, any other girl was sure to be forgettable.
He made a right into his residential neighborhood, and several people waved to him as they walked their dogs or pushed their babies in strollers. Dex took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, releasing some of his inner tension. His assignment here was to pretend he worked for the regular FBI. Insinuate into cases when it was warranted while all the time blending in, getting to know the townsfolk. Once they let him into their circles, then he had a duty to report back on any paranormal activity.
The idea of “reporting in” on his neighbors didn’t sit well with Dex, and normally he would never accept any such job. But, in this case, it was all good. There would be nothing to report since he doubted his neighbors had these mystical paranormal abilities that Dex was pretty sure didn’t even exist. No harm, no foul.
Two blocks later, he pulled into the driveway of his white bungalow with the dark-green shutters. He hadn’t had time to properly unpack his stuff yet, so the place was still littered with boxes everywhere. At least he had his bed set up and a couple of folding chairs, a coffee pot that worked, and cable TV. Hey, a man had to have his priorities.
Dex unloaded the supplies from the trunk then came around to get Gordon unbuckled and carry his vivarium inside. Funny, but the minute he brought his new bearded dragon companion inside, the place felt more like home. After getting the vivarium situated on the kitchen counter, he promptly filled Gordon’s food and water bowls.
Pet settled, Dex leaned on the counter and watched the little guy eat, a tug of affection pulling at his heart. Hard to believe after such a short time, but he felt oddly connected to this town and these people, to the point of being oddly protective of them. Seeing Issy again was just a bonus. Now that he had a pet, he’d have an excuse to see her more often too. And even better, the FBI wanted him to keep an eye on her, so he’d just be doing his job.
Win-win all around.
Especially if it led to another fiery kiss.
10
Issy was just getting back into the groove of writing her slogan after Dex left when the bells above the door rang again.
“Was that Dex Nolan I saw leaving?” Ember raced into the store with her basket over her arm, Endora’s and Bellatrix’s eager faces peering out at Issy over the rim. “If so, you need to spill the beans.”
Patiently, Issy set her supplies aside again and smiled. “Yes, it was Dex. No, nothing happened. Well, except he bought a pet. Gordon, my bearded dragon.”
“Huh.” Ember took the kittens out and put them on the floor to play with Bella,
who yipped excitedly around her feet. “Interesting.”
“There’s nothing interesting about it. The guy’s probably lonely, living in a house all by himself.”
“Right.” Raine came through the front door to join them. “We all live by ourselves, but you don’t see us moving halfway across the country to live near someone we kissed once in the woods.”
“It was one kiss, and it was no big deal, okay?” She never should’ve told her cousins about that stupid interlude with Dex. “Forget about it.”
“We will when you do, cuz.” Raine leaned over the counter with a grin. “Where’s he living?”
“He said he’s renting a bungalow on the north side of town.”
“Huh.” Ember exchanged a mischievous look with Raine then pulled a box of chocolates from her basket. Ember’s shop, Divine Cravings, lived up to its name, touting the best candies and chocolates in the area. Not to mention that she dropped a secret enchantment into the recipe every once in a while. “Maybe we should make a Welcome Wagon house call.”
Issy eyed the box suspiciously. “Or not.”
It had only been a few weeks since the Drummond case, and her cousins had hinted at setting her up with Dex, and she wouldn’t put it past them now to slip her and Dex some sort of love potion amidst a few milk-chocolate-covered caramels to help things along. Never mind that it was against their credo—they’d justify it somehow by saying they knew she really wanted it.
Issy knew her cousins only wanted the best for her. She was mad at herself for being so transparent that they’d noticed there was an attraction in the first place. And when she’d told them about the kiss, she’d thought Dex was gone for good. She had to admit, her heart had beaten a little faster when she’d found out he’d moved here, but she couldn’t pursue it. She’d seen human-witch relationships fall apart before, and with Dex being part of the FBPI, there was no way things would work out. And she didn’t want to start something with him that she knew would end in heartache. It wouldn’t be wise.
Spell Disaster (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 2) Page 5
