1 Moonshine & Magic

by Bella Falls

  Matt hugged TJ around the waist, his chin resting on her head. With an admiring nod to me, Patty Lou joined her husband Steve behind the tables of food. And Mason stood at the back, wearing a nice suit and tie. He winked at me, his eyes shining in approval. His presence gave me a strange sense of strength. He'd done so much for me, and yet, I'd never had the chance to thank him. Since the night at Tipper’s house, he’d never given me one.

  With a cough, I started again. “I’d like to thank you for your support. I couldn't have been here tonight without it.” I looked directly at the detective. “I owe y'all my life.”

  Mason looked down at the ground, slipping his hands into his pockets. I scanned the crowd but couldn't find Dash. The wolf shifter still hadn't forgiven me.

  “Charli,” my grandmother prompted.

  “I guess I should say, thanks a lot, and let's enjoy ourselves tonight.” Everyone whooped and hollered while the music resumed.

  After much food and drink filled our stomachs, we all got down to some serious dancing. It seemed like everyone wanted to make up for me missing the barn dance, and I got passed from partner to partner.

  My brother teased me during a slow song, and my friends and I stirred up the dirt during a rousing one. Sweat trickled down my brow and the back of my neck, and I couldn't be happier or more carefree. Tonight was the perfect way to celebrate my life, say a proper goodbye to Tipper, and get on with things.

  “May I have this dance?” Mason held out his hand to me. I placed mine in his and allowed him to lead me.

  “I meant what I said.” I leaned my head against his shoulder. “Thank you,” I murmured into his warm body.

  “My pleasure, ma'am,” he chuckled.

  “You seem to be picking up some of our customs, sir.”

  “What can I say? I'm starting to feel at home.”

  My heart picked up the pace. “Before long, you’ll be developing an accent,” I teased. “And a serious addiction to sweet tea.”

  He pulled back so he could look at me. “As long as it's sweetened with honeysuckle syrup, right?”

  With savvy moves, he twirled me out, showing off the movement of my mom’s dress. With a slight yank on my hand, he led me back to him and pulled me in close to his chest, rocking us back and forth.

  “May I cut in,” a deep voice rumbled behind me.

  Mason broke away from me, his jaw clenched. But he nodded once and handed me off to Dash.

  The wolf shifter rocked me back and forth, his steps awkward and not as coordinated. He wore a nice shirt and clean jeans, and his beard smelled like cologne.

  After the second time he stepped on my foot, he stopped. “I’m no good at this.”

  “You don't have to be,” I reassured him. “It's just a dance. Two people figuring out a way to move together through a song.

  “Yeah, well, I've never been good at moving with anybody,” he complained. “Would you mind if I showed you something?”

  I stopped dancing. “You're being very mysterious, Mr. Channing.”

  A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. “I thought you liked mysteries, Charli Bird.”

  “Only my closest friends and family use that nickname.”

  Taking my hand, he pulled me out of the crowd of my friends. Once we were out of sight of the others, he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “And what do I qualify as?”

  I still hadn’t come up with an answer to that question. “I’m not sure yet.”

  We made our way to the front of the house. Sitting beside the front porch steps was a shiny new bicycle.

  “What’s this?” I asked.

  Dash placed his hands in his pockets and kicked at the dirt. “I wanted to surprise you with Old Joe. But it seems that my temper tantrum did more damage than I thought. It's going to take some time to fix your father's bike.”

  I touched the handles and rang the little bell on it. “You do know that this is a bicycle, not a motorcycle, don't you?”

  He lifted an eyebrow at me. “You’ve seen what's in my garage. Of course, I know the difference. But I wanted you to have this to get around temporarily until I can fix Old Joe. And then, maybe you’d honor me by riding with me.”

  The thought of riding side-by-side on some road far away sounded tempting. Of course, if Dash asked me to, I’d ride behind him on his motorcycle any day.

  “So am I forgiven?” the wolf shifter asked in a quieter voice. “I shouldn’t have left.”

  “No. You shouldn’t have. You should have stayed and been there for me. That’s what friends do. They have each other’s backs.” A little bit of my frustration I’d bottled up came spilling out.

  He winced. “I know. I just figured that you’d be better off if I wasn’t around.”

  “You were wrong,” I said. “Because I almost didn’t make it.”

  His eyes flashed amber in the dark. “I would have killed that man if he hadn’t taken that privilege away from me. Seeing you under his hands…”

  “Trust me, it was no picnic for me,” I joked with a weak smile.

  Dash frowned. “I don’t ever want to see you like that again.”

  “Oh, you won’t. There are a bunch of people standing in my backyard that are determined to make sure I stay safe and out of trouble from here on out.” I jutted my thumb to the back of the house.

  “And yet, why do I get the feelin’ that trouble will come find you anyway, Charli Goodwin?” He managed a smile but stopped himself. “Listen, I would completely understand if you never wanted to talk to me again. I wouldn’t hold it against you.”

  “But I would hold it against me. I got a small glimpse of what life is like for those on the outside. And it can be a cold, lonely existence. Nobody deserves that, Dash. Especially you.”

  With a growl, he scooped me up and twirled me around.

  “What are you doing?” I huffed through my hysterical giggles.

  “I’m dancing.”

  “Put me down, you crazy man.” I slapped his back and kicked my feet.

  He dropped me with great care. When my feet hit the ground, my head stayed in the air, a little dizzy and confused.

  Nana appeared out of nowhere on the front porch. “Young lady, you've got guests to attend to. Get your behind back there. You too, Dashiel Thaddeus Channing.”

  The wolf shifter’s mouth dropped. “How did she find out?”

  I couldn’t hold back my mirth. “Small town. No secrets. And that woman has her ways.”

  “You Goodwin women,” he muttered under his breath.

  “Y’all movin’ your feet yet?” Nana called out.

  “Yes, ma'am,” the two of us replied in unison.

  My grandmother narrowed her eyes at us as we passed by, but her smile gave her amusement away.

  When we returned to the backyard, Dash squeezed my arm and left my side. He joined Steve behind the tables of food, choosing a private conversation rather than mixing with the noisy crowd.

  Mason stood on the other side of the yard, drinking sweet tea and watching me. He lifted his glass in the air and saluted me. I stood in the middle, not ready to make any big decisions tonight. Giving into the music and the call of my friends, I rejoined the party and left the next mystery for tomorrow.

  Dear Reader -

  Thanks so much for reading Moonshine & Magic. If you enjoyed the book (as much as I did writing it), I hope you’ll consider leaving a review!

  Fried Chicken & Fangs: Book 2 is ready to be one-clicked!

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  NEWSLETTER & FREE PREQUEL - to gain exclusive access to the prequel Chess Pie & Choices, CLICK HERE!

  Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Series

  Magic & Mystery are only part of the Southern Charms of Honeysuckle Hollow…

  Suggested reading order:

  Chess Pie & Choices: A Southern Charms Cozy Prequel

  (Available e
xclusively to Newsletter Subscribers)

  Charli Goodwin is engaged to Tucker Hawthorne, the admired "prince" of Honeysuckle Hollow. Underneath the perfect surface of their union boils an ocean of doubt. If he's such a catch, then why does she feel like she's on the hook?

  When Charli's magical talents are put to the test to find something valuable to Tucker's family, she's set on a path that will test her love and show her where her true happy ever after may be.

  Moonshine & Magic: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 1

  Charli Goodwin doesn’t expect her homecoming to go without a hitch—after all, she skipped town, leaving her fiancé and family without a clue as to where she was going or why. Now that she’s ready to return home, she plans to lay low and sip some of her Nana’s sweet tea while the town gossips come out to play.

  Unfortunately, on her first night back, Charli discovers the body of her crazy great uncle (hey, everyone has one). She suddenly finds herself at the center of a mystery that threatens the very foundations of Honeysuckle Hollow and the safety of every paranormal citizen in it—starting with Charlie herself.

  With the clock ticking, will Charli’s special magical talents be enough to save not only the town but her own life?

  Lemonade & Love Potions (in the anthology Hexes & Ohs)

  Charli Goodwin can’t help herself when it comes to helping out her friends, especially a failed cupid trying to earn his way back into the matchmaking ranks. A singles mingle in her small Southern town should be the perfect event, but trouble with a capital T shows up when someone attempts to boost the odds of love in their favor.

  Sweet honeysuckle iced tea, it’s gonna take more than lemonade and a little magic to help Charli find out what’s wrong, solve the mystery, and save Honeysuckle Hollow from disaster again.

  Fried Chicken & Fangs: A Southern Charms Cozy Mystery Book 2

  An upcoming election and some new visitors to Honeysuckle shake up the magical small Southern town. When a beloved family member of one of the candidates disappears, it’s up to Charli Goodwin and her special talents to get on the case.

  What starts as a simple search uncovers a darker layer of manipulation and sabotage. Will she be able to figure out who is pulling the strings before the foundations of the town are destroyed?

  Acknowledgments

  There are many I need to thank for the creation of this book and the series.

  For all the members in my Tiki Bar group, thank you for sharing your time, support, and knowledge with me.

  I couldn’t have entered the cozy mystery game without the help of some amazing authors! My many thanks go out to Amanda M. Lee, Annabel Chase, and ReGina Welling for allowing me to pick their brains on a regular basis. I also have to thank Sara Rosett, H.Y. Hanna, Leighann Dobbs, and Amy Boyles for their encouragement.

  To my longtime writing pals, Lisa, Boyd, and Mel, you got me started on the cozy path. I hope some day you’ll join me. In the meantime, thanks for the laughs, the kicks in the pants, and your unending belief in me.

  April, thanks for being my test reader. Your additional Southern expertise helped keep me grounded in my beloved setting.

  For my family, y’all are as much a part of this book as the words. Thank you for the love.

  Finally, I have to thank my very patient husband. You put up with repeated viewings of multiple cozy mystery series and movies, and helped me work out plot issues. You are part of why there is magic in the words.

  About the Author

  Bella Falls grew up on the magic of sweet tea, barbecue, and hot and humid Southern days. She met her husband at college over an argument of how to properly pronounce the word pecan (for the record, it should be pea-cawn, and they taste amazing in a pie). Although she’s had the privilege of living all over the States and the world, her heart still beats to the rhythm of the cicadas on a hot summer’s evening.

  Now, she’s taken her love of the South and woven it into a world where magic and mystery aren’t the only Charms.

  bellafallsbooks.com

  contact@bellafallsbooks.com

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