A Charming Christmas

by Tonya Kappes

  Patience stood up ramrod straight like the nutcrackers on the steps of Ever After Books that weren’t stolen, like a good soldier in Arabella’s army.

  “Listen,” I planted my hands on my hips. “I know Oscar and Colton are working hard on trying to figure out who has done all of this. So it really is best that you go back to your shop, open it up and help the economy.”

  It was true. The more she protested the longer her shop was closed. As for Patience, well, I wasn’t sure how busy the funeral business was and it gave me the creeps to even think about it, but she had Constance to hold down the death fort.

  “Sounds good to me. I’m hungry.” Patience took a step away from the door and quickly took the step back after Arabella shot her a look of death.

  There was no way they were going to let me through to talk to Oscar. I leaned up against the carriage light in front of the station, next to Patience’s ostrich, who was tied up to it. I reached in my bag and pulled out my June’s Gem.

  The taste of the chocolaty treat would be exactly what I needed to figure out how to break the picket line and not get knocked down. I could already taste the deliciousness before I could even get a taste.

  In a New York minute, the ostrich grabbed my Gem with his sharp beak.

  “Give me that!” I jumped in the air trying to grab the treat from the beak jutting high in the sky, his long neck extended just above my reach. “Give it to me!”

  Patience and Arabella cackled, neither helping me.

  “Really?” I gave them the death stare and grabbed the neck of the darn bird to pull him down a little.

  My engagement ring got caught on something and I pulled it away. Out of the corner of my eye, something fell off the bird into what was left of a snow pile next to the light post. I bent down to get it but not before stepping on a slippery piece of icy snow. My arms twirled around and around, trying to reach for anything I could grab. Unfortunately it was the lead of the ostrich that kept the unruly bird tied to the light post, unleashing the bird.

  “My baby!” Patience threw the sign on the ground and ran in the direction of the crazy critter.

  “Great! Now there is only one person who cares about catching this thief.” Arabella groaned putting a hand out to help me up.

  Before I took her gesture, I reached over in the snow pile and grabbed the big jingle bell that had fallen off the ostrich’s collar.

  “No.” I shook my head and squeezed my hand around the bell. “I care about catching the Whispering Falls Grinch.”

  I didn’t bother telling Arabella what I had just found out, nor did I let her help me up. Quicker than a jackrabbit, I was running after Patience and her feathery bird deep into the woods.

  Finally I found Patience trying to corner the bird up against a wall of trees that was too thick to run through. He was cornered, but angry. His beady black eyes watched her every move, his neck darted forward at Patience, trying to peck her.

  “This is where he comes every time he gets loose. Which is a lot.” Patience’s arms were out to her sides like she was creating a fortress around her in case the bird darted out.

  There was a shiny ribbon sticking out from underneath the roots of the large trees.

  “You said he comes here a lot?” I asked putting two and two together.

  “Yes. I’m not sure why.” She crept forward, finally braving the pecks she was receiving and grabbing his collar. “Bad, bad birdie,” she said in a sweet voice and kissed it on the beak.

  “Can you hold him still?” I asked and tiptoed to the underbrush of the trees. I put my hand in and pulled out all the ribbons and decorations, minus the greenery. I held it up in the air. “I guess I know who is the Whispering Falls Grinch and why he comes here.”

  “Oh my God.” Patience broke out into tears. “You!” She rubbed her hand down the bird. “You stole all this stuff?”

  “I think he ate all the stuff.” I giggled. “I guess we can’t be too mad at him.” I gathered the rest of the items in my arms. “We better get back to town and let everyone know who ate all the decorations.”

  Chapter Eleven

  Patience, the ostrich, and I stopped into each shop the bird had stolen the garland and flowers from and returned all the ornaments and ribbons he hadn’t bothered eating. Patience was so sweet, apologizing to everyone and promising to keep a better grip on the bird.

  Even Arabella laughed and happily helped restore the decorations that had been destroyed. Even my window boxes and wisteria vine was back to being festive.

  Faith had done a fabulous job of keeping the shop running, as I knew she would.

  “Thank you so much.” I hung my cape up on the hook inside the shop, happy to see she had turned the sign to closed.

  “You are welcome and I heard through the grapevine that you figured out who stole all the decorations.” There was a twinkle of laughter in her eyes.

  “Can you believe it?” I shook my head and grabbed a bottle with the economy potion in it. It was going to be the perfect ingredient needed for the smudging of the tree.

  “Yes. Actually I can. See you soon.” She waved ’bye before heading out the door.

  Quickly I grabbed everything I needed: smudge stick, lighter, the bottle, my bag, and cape.

  Mewl, mewl. Mr. Prince Charming sat at the door waiting for me to open it. His tail dotted the air, giving a little jingle. I opened the door and he darted out.

  The tree had been placed in the middle of The Gathering Rock up the hill near my cottage. It was the perfect location for the tree to be illuminated for all the village people to see. I walked around the tree sprinkling the contents of the bottle, not leaving any spot untouched. I could feel the tide of the economy turning. My intuition was in check and I knew everything was going to turn out a-okay. I lit the smudge stick and walked around the tree several times moving the smoke up and down, filling the tree with goodness and light. Like magic, the tree came to life.

  "I am protected by your might. O gracious Goddess, day and night. Thrice around the circle's bound. Evil sink into the ground,” I whispered into the air sending up good vibes to the Universe.

  “Yoo-hoo! Yoo-hoo! June!” The shrill voice of Tiffany broke my train of thought.

  I looked down at the pink dot climbing the hill with Oscar, Mr. Prince Charming, and a bald-headed man in a long black overcoat dragging behind him.

  “I’ve been looking all over for you.” Tiffany’s chest heaved up and down. She might be willowy thin, but she was for sure out of shape. I had a cure for that. “Burt, this is June Heal. June, this is Burt my husband.”

  Burt was much shorter than Tiffany. Bald as a baby’s butt and dressed with the finest Italian clothes. I could smell the richness from a mile away, plus my intuition told me they were filthy rich.

  “Hi,” I smiled. “Nice to meet you. I hate that you were snowed in our village, but I hope you enjoyed your stay.”

  “Yes I did, thanks to you.” He put his arm around his wife and hugged her close. “You have made my wife happy. This is the first time I have seen her relaxed going into a holiday season ever.”

  “I told him about that special homeopathic cure you gave me.” She walked her fingernails up his chest, ending with a pinch to his chin. “Amethyst even gave me a cooking class to making those darn eggs. It’s not so hard.” She winked. “And Eloise fixed my bells.” She shook her head, causing the fur hat to jingle, jangle.

  “Great. It’s what I do. Did Faith give you the bottles and gift cards for your friends?” I asked.

  “She did and now I have an offer for you.” She used her finger to poke her husband in the ribs.

  “Yes.” He cleared his throat.

  The sound of others was coming up the hill and I looked at the villagers making their way to the tree lighting along with tourists. It was part of the bazaar the village council had been promoting. Afterward, The Gathering Grove and Wicked Good had teamed up to offer a little reception with Santa.

  “Hurry.” T
iffany rushed her husband. “She’s a busy woman.”

  “I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Head To Toe Works.”

  “I have.” I recall many times going into the fancy bath and health product store when I was a kid. Darla would never let me buy anything because it was so expensive. I loved going there and trying all the lotions and bathing in their smells.

  “We own the company and we’d like—” Burt was cut off by Tiffany.

  “We want to carry your stress product in all of our stores!” Tiffany clapped her hands together, her voice full of giddiness.

  “You what?” My jaw dropped. Oscar moved next to me and hugged me.

  “Isn’t this wonderful?” he asked, kissing me on the forehead. “You are going to be famous.”

  “Famous?” I laughed. “Hardly.”

  “Well? Do we have a deal?” Burt put his hand out wanting me to give the good ole gentleman’s handshake.

  I hesitated for a second to let my intuition take in what I was hearing. There was no gut feeling or anything telling me not to go for it.

  “Deal.” I gripped his hand and gave a good shake.

  “Great.” He put his arm back around Tiffany. “We are going to get out of here before the next snowfall, but you will be hearing from me after the new year.”

  “Wonderful. Thank you.” I couldn’t stop smiling.

  “No. Thank you. Anyone who can make her happy. . .” He didn’t have to finish his sentence for me to know what he meant.

  I watched them make their way back down the hill while the last few people come up the hill. I looked up in the sky. My intuition told me my mother and father were very proud. I said a secret little prayer to Darla, thanking her for giving me the gift of creating homeopathic cures from scratch before I even knew my spiritual gift.

  Meow, meow. Mr. Prince Charming did figure eights around my ankles. I picked him up and snuggled him up to me.

  Oscar put his arms around us and led us over to the tree that was now lit.

  “We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas,” everyone sang, echoing into the dark, cool night sky. The full moon and the lit Christmas tree illuminated Whispering Falls.

  I glanced around the people who I had come to love as my family. Everyone had a smile on their face and a sparkle in their eyes, as we held hands and swayed around the illuminated Christmas tree.

  “And a happy New Year!”

  Merry Christmas from Tonya Kappes and the gang from Whispering Falls. We hope you find the joy and magic of the season.

  About the Author

  Tonya has written over 40 novels and 4 novellas, all of which have graced numerous bestseller lists including USA Today. Best known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two very spoiled schnauzers and grew up in the small southern Kentucky town of Nicholasville. Now that her four boys are grown boys, Tonya writes fulltime.

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  Also by Tonya Kappes

  A Killer Coffee Mystery

  Magical Cures Mystery Series

  A Ghostly Southern Mystery Series

  Spies and Spells Mystery Series

  Kenni Lowry Mystery Series

  A Laurel London Mystery Series

  A Divorced Diva Beading Mystery Series

  Olivia Davis Paranormal Mystery Series

  Bluegrass Romance Series

  Women’s Fiction

  Young Adult

  Grandberry Falls Series

  Copyright

  This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2014 by Tonya Kappes. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address Author Tonya Kappes, P.O. Box 176988, Ft. Mitchell, Ky. 41017