Spells A La Carte (Mystic Cafe Series Book 3)

by Rose Pressey

  “It’s not Meredith, but it’s almost as bad.”

  Mary Jane frowned. “Who was it?”

  “Tom Owenton.”

  “Oh, no,” Grandma Imelda said.

  “Do you think he knows?” Mary Jane asked as she stopped at a red light.

  “Oh, he knows,” Grandma Imelda said.

  So much for making me feel better. “I bet Meredith called him right away,” I said.

  “You’re probably right,” Mary Jane said.

  “Why didn’t you answer it?” Grandma Imelda asked.

  “There is no way I want to talk with him right now,” I said.

  “You will have to answer sooner or later,” Mary Jane said.

  “True, but I don’t have to right now. I just need time to think of what to say.”

  “I suppose there’s not much we can say,” Mary Jane added.

  “We’ll tell him the truth,” Grandma Imelda said.

  I glanced back at her. “What? No, we can’t do that.”

  “We have to. What other choice do we have?” she said.

  Sadly, I knew she was right. But at least now I could tell Tom about the books.

  “Wait. I don’t know for sure that was why he was calling. I bet he was just checking in.”

  Mary Jane quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  We arrived back at the café without further incident. I had expected Meredith to possibly follow us. Even if she hadn’t followed us now, she’d probably be by soon enough to ask what we were up to. I knew I’d get a visit from Tom soon. I wished I could just hide, but Grandma Imelda needed my help. Plus, running from problems was never the answer. We hurried up to the café. It was as if we were just waiting for something bad to happen. I hated being on edge like that, but it couldn’t be avoided right now.

  Chapter 16

  Mary Jane was sitting at the counter.

  I stood on the other side of the counter in front of her. “I have an idea.”

  She quirked an eyebrow. “I hope this doesn’t involve sneaking in to anyplace.”

  I waved my hand. “No, nothing like that. It’s just that I think Rory might need pie.”

  “You want to give Rory a spell?” she asked.

  I grabbed a towel and wiped off the counter even though it didn’t need it. “I think it might help him. And it couldn’t hurt, right?” She grimaced. “Well… okay, as long as nothing goes wrong it couldn’t hurt.”

  “That’s a big if,” she said.

  “Well, I have to try.”

  Mary Jane nodded. “Yes, I agree, you have to try something.”

  I motioned for her to follow me. “Come on, let’s go find a spell for the pie.”

  Mary Jane and I entered the kitchen. Grandma Imelda was sorting through the spices.

  When she looked over at us, she said, “I heard what you have planned. What kind of spell do you want to try?”

  I grabbed the spellbook from the shelf. “What do you recommend?”

  Grandma Imelda wiped her hands on her apron and pulled the book over in front of her. She flipped through the book and then stopped on a page. “This one looks like it might be a good one.”

  I scanned the page and nodded. “I’ll get the ingredients.”

  “I’ll get the pie dish,” Mary Jane said.

  I was so glad to have Mary Jane and Grandma Imelda in my life. I knew that I could always count on them to help me with anything. Even if it got a little crazy at times. I placed the spices and other pie ingredients onto the island. Making the pie was the easy part, adding the spell was a lot more difficult. Grandma Imelda watched as I made the pie. Now it was time to add the spell.

  “Are you ready for this?” she asked.

  I nodded. “I think so.” I just hoped that Tom didn’t walk in and catch me. “Did you lock the front door?” I asked Mary Jane.

  She nodded. “Yes, when the last customer left.”

  Grandma Imelda patted my hand. “It’s okay. I’ll just tell him I made the pie.”

  I smiled. “Even though it would be coming from you, I still don’t think he would believe it.”

  She placed her hands on her hips. “Well, he’d better believe whatever I tell him.”

  I just smiled.

  I picked the first spice up from the line of bottles on the island. Grandma Imelda nodded and nudged me to continue. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous. I’d done this many times now. But I really wanted this to work, so the spell had to be just right. I sprinkled the spice over the top of the pie. It sparked a little, but it wasn’t much yet. The real magic wouldn’t happen until I added all of the spices for the spell. I sprinkled on another spice and that was when the light show started. Flashes of red and blue flew through the air.

  As I sprinkled the last of the spices, the wind picked up. The pots and pans hanging around the kitchen swayed and the spectacular performance looked like a mini-Fourth of July display. As I added the last of the spices, the wind settled and so did display of lights. Calm had returned.

  “Great job, Elly,” Grandma Imelda said.

  “Yes, that was fantastic,” Mary Jane added.

  “We’ll see how great it is when I give it to Rory,” I said.

  “How will he get it?” Mary Jane asked.

  I tapped my fingers against the counter. “I’ll just have to take it to him and hope for the best.”

  Mary Jane flashed a pitying smile. I knew she didn’t have confidence that he would eat it, but I didn’t know what else to do. Could we force him to eat the pie? No, definitely not. After baking the pie, Mary Jane and I set out to take Rory the pie. Of course I was full of anxiety.

  I waved to Grandma Imelda as we headed out the door. “I’ll see you at home, Grandma.”

  “Good luck, dear,” she said with confidence in her voice.

  I needed that confidence boost. I straightened my shoulders and marched out the door with the pie in my hands.

  “Do you think Rory will know what you’re up to with the pie?” Mary Jane asked.

  “He probably will, but I can try my best to convince him otherwise,” I said.

  “You can tell him it’s a new recipe and you need him to taste-test for you.”

  “Cherry pie is his favorite and he can’t resist usually… now I’m not so sure.”

  Mary Jane and I headed down the sidewalk. It felt as if someone was watching us. I stepped forward and immediately tumbled to the ground. The pie flew through the air and landed a few feet in front of me. Unfortunately it was smashed and cherries decorated the pavement.

  “Oh, no. Are you okay? What happened?” Mary Jane reached for my arm and helped me to my feet.

  I brushed the hair out of my eyes. “I’m okay. But look at the pie. It’s ruined.”

  Grandma Imelda ran out from the café. “What happened?”

  I gestured toward the pie. “I dropped the pie.”

  “Oh, dear. It’s okay.” She patted my arm.

  I still felt as if someone was watching us. I looked across the street and spotted Meredith. She was watching us and laughing.

  “She’s laughing at you,” Mary Jane said.

  “That’s not very nice,” Grandma Imelda said.

  “She’s not a nice person,” Mary Jane said.

  “Do you think she did it on purpose?” I asked.

  “I can’t help but think she did,” Grandma Imelda said.

  I reached down and picked up the pie. I scraped up the cherries and tried to clean up the mess.

  “Now what do I do?” I asked.

  “Should you make another pie?” Mary Jane asked.

  “I have a feeling that it would do no good. I doubt I would ever make it to his place with the pie.”

  We looked across the street again. Meredith was still chuckling.

  “I think you’re right, dear. I don’t think she will let you take him a pie.”

  We went back into the café. I wanted to ignore Meredith but it was hard to after what she had done. Once bac
k inside we gathered by the front window.

  “Is she still watching us?” Mary Jane asked.

  “I don’t see her… wait, there she is again.”

  “Do you think she can see us here by the window?” Mary Jane asked.

  “Well, I don’t care if she can. She’s not nice and if she can watch us then we can watch her.”

  Oh, no. The last thing I needed was a war with the neighbor across the street.

  Just then a brown delivery truck pulled up in front of the café, blocking our view of Meredith’s shop. Maybe that was for the best.

  I touched Grandma Imelda’s arm. “Come on, Grandma, we can just ignore her. Whatever she’s trying to do, we won’t let her succeed.”

  The delivery driver got out of the truck and headed toward the café.

  “Do you think he’s coming here?” Mary Jane asked.

  “It looks like it,” I said.

  The driver opened the café’s door and came inside. “I have a package for Elly Blair.”

  “That’s me.” I held my hand up. He walked over and handed me the package.

  I hadn’t ordered anything so I didn’t know what it could be. “Do I need to sign for this?” I asked.

  He shook his head. “Nope.” The man turned and walked out the door.

  “Where’s it from?” Mary Jane stepped closer.

  I looked at the box but couldn’t figure out where it had come from. “All it has is a post office box number from New York City.”

  That immediately made me think of my ex-boyfriend. I’d left him after he’d cheated on me. The timing had worked out because that was when Grandma Imelda had asked me to come back to Mystic Café. It was almost as if she’d known.

  The last thing I needed was something from him. Mary Jane and Grandma Imelda must have thought the same thing because they frowned at the same time.

  “Well, open it up and see what it is.” Grandma Imelda motioned toward the box.

  I pulled on the tape and opened the top of the box.

  “What’s inside?” Mary Jane asked.

  I reached inside the box and pulled out the tissue paper. Folded inside the wrapping was a pretty teal and pink scarf. “Oh, it looks like silk.”

  “Is it from Rory?”

  I looked inside the box again. “There’s no card or anything.”

  Mary Jane picked up the box and shook it. Still nothing fell out.

  “Maybe you forgot that you ordered it,” Grandma Imelda said.

  “I don’t think so. I never have a chance to wear anything this pretty.” I took the scarf from the tissue paper and wrapped it around my shoulders. “It’s so pretty, but I don’t know who would have sent it.”

  Mary Jane touched the fabric. “Maybe Tom sent it.”

  I looked at her. “You think?”

  She shrugged. “Since it doesn’t have a card with it. It sounds like something he would do. He wouldn’t want you to know it was from him.”

  “But why would he want to give me a gift?” I asked.

  Mary Jane placed her hands on her hips. “Gee, I wonder.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that someone had thought enough to send me a gift.

  “No!” Grandma Imelda yelled from across the room.

  I whipped around to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t think Tom or Rory sent you that scarf,” Grandma Imelda said.

  “What makes you say that?” I asked.

  “Meredith has a boutique and I saw scarves in her shop when we were there. I bet she sent that to you,” Grandma Imelda said.

  We stood in silence for a moment. I didn’t know what to do. Why would Meredith send me a gift? It sure as heck wasn’t because she liked me. I knew it wasn’t because she wanted to apologize.

  Grandma Imelda raced over to me. She yanked the scarf from my shoulders and tossed it onto the floor. Mary Jane and I stared at her wide-eyed.

  “What did you do that for, Grandma?” I asked as I reached down to pick it up.

  She grabbed my arm. “No, don’t touch it again. We need to remove it without directly touching it.”

  I backed away from the scarf. “What’s wrong with it?” If Grandma Imelda was freaking out this much then I knew I needed to stay away from the thing.

  “Don’t you see? Meredith wanted you to put that scarf on.” Grandma Imelda ran to the kitchen and then emerged with salad tongs and a plastic bag. She picked the scarf up with the tongs and placed it in the bag. She tied the bag. “There, that should do it. Now we need to toss the thing in the Dumpster.”

  The three of us marched the bag and box outside to the Dumpster. Just for good measure, we tossed the salad tongs into the trash too. I could pick up a new pair. I didn’t want anything that had touched Meredith’s magic.

  “Let’s go see if Meredith is still watching from her front window,” Grandma Imelda said.

  We rushed over to the window. Meredith wasn’t there.

  Grandma Imelda threw her hands up. “Sure, she’s gone now. She accomplished her mission. She made you drop your pie and she sent you that scarf with a magic spell.”

  I wasn’t sure that she had made me drop the pie, but I was thinking more and more that she was responsible for the scarf.

  “What do you think the spell was that she sent?” I asked.

  Grandma Imelda fidgeted as she continued to stare out the window across the street. “I just don’t know. I don’t know what her motive is.”

  That was a problem. Until we knew what she wanted it was hard to know how to stop her.

  “What will happen?” Mary Jane asked.

  Grandma Imelda turned to face us. “I don’t think anything will happen. Luckily Elly didn’t wear the scarf for long. I doubt it had time to do anything.”

  “But what if it did?” I asked.

  She waved her finger in my direction. “Now don’t even think that way. We will only have positive thoughts.”

  I nodded. She could say that, but on the inside I still had the negative ones getting through.

  I picked up my phone to call Tom. He answered on the first ring. “Did something happen?” His voice sounded strained.

  How did he know? Of course I was usually in some kind of trouble. That was the only reason I ever called him. Maybe I should have called him sometimes just to say hello. No, that was probably a bad idea too. Okay, now I was rambling. Back to the subject at hand.

  “Are you still there?” Tom asked.

  “Sorry. I’m still here,” I said. “You’re right. Something did happen.”

  ‘Should I come over there now?” Tom asked.

  I glanced out the window, but didn’t see Meredith anywhere. “No, I don’t think that is necessary. This might sound silly, but did you send me a scarf?”

  Silence filled the line. Finally, Tom said, “No, should I have?” He sounded confused. I didn’t blame him. I was confused too.

  “I received a scarf today. Grandma Imelda said the scarf had a magic spell attached to it,” I said.

  “Did you feel the magic?” Tom asked.

  I paced across the floor. “I don’t know. Maybe. I’m just a little freaked out right now.”

  “That’s understandable. Just try to stay calm and relax,” Tom said in his soothing voice.

  “Do you think Meredith sent the scarf with magic to harm me?” I asked.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. What did you do with the scarf?” Tom asked.

  “I threw it in the Dumpster.” I was proud of our swift action to get rid of the thing.

  “You got rid of it?” Tom asked. “That’s probably not the best idea.”

  What? Getting rid of it was a bad thing? How could that be? “We thought we did a good thing,” I said.

  “What did he say?” Grandma Imelda whispered.

  I moved the phone away from my mouth slightly. “He wants to know why we got rid of it.”

  “I understand why you got rid of it,” he said. “But I need you to get it back
. Can you do that?”

  “You want me to climb in there?” I scrunched my face in disgust.

  “Oh no,” Mary Jane said.

  It’s important for me to see it and then I can maybe figure out what spell is attached to it.”

  I could see where that would be important. I really didn’t want to have to get in that Dumpster. But how could I say no to Tom? After all, he was trying to help me.

  I released a deep breath and then said, “Okay. I’ll get it back.”

  “I can come by and get in the Dumpster, but it might be a while before I can get there.”

  I wasn’t even going to ask where he was. If it had something to do with the Organization I probably didn’t want to know.

  “I just don’t want the thing to get away before I can get there,” he said.

  “No, I think they come get the trash today. I’d better go get it,” I said.

  “Just be careful. I’ll come by and pick up the scarf,” Tom said.

  “What about touching it? We used salad tongs to get rid of it.”

  He chuckled. “Why didn’t you just use gloves?”

  “Hmm. I hadn’t thought of that. Okay, I’ll use gloves.”

  “I’ll see you soon.”

  I clicked off the call.

  “Let me guess. We have to get the scarf back?” Grandma Imelda said.

  “Yes, and I’d better hurry before the trash collector comes to clean out the Dumpster.”

  We raced to the back of the café. I grabbed disposable gloves from the kitchen on my way.

  We’d barely made it outside when I heard the truck coming. “I’ll stop it,” Grandma Imelda said. I hoped she did. I really didn’t want to be sent to the landfill today.

  “Can you get in the Dumpster?” Mary Jane asked.

  I placed one foot on the little ledge at the front of the container. “I guess we’ll see,” I said. I heaved my body up and placed my other foot on the same spot. I swung my leg over and then basically fell into the trash. Luckily, I had bags and boxes to cushion my fall. I really hoped that I didn’t have an encounter with a rat.

  “Did you find it?” Mary Jane yelled as if I was a million miles away.

  “It’s not here.” I shoved bags around. It had been right on top. We’d just gotten rid of it. Where could it be?

  “Elly, what’s going on in there?” Grandma Imelda called out.