by Rose Pressey
“That’s actually pretty devious and an impressive plan,” I said.
Tom gestured toward the group. “I just need to talk with the Organization real quick. I’ll be right back.”
I smiled. “Okay, thanks again.”
Tom stared for a moment and then walked over to the cars. Now I was alone with Rory, something that hadn’t happened for a while. I still had a lot of unanswered questions. I didn’t even know where to begin. I had to know why Rory had acted the way that he had. He was watching me and I knew he was thinking the same thing.
“Did you get my message about when you saw me at the hotel with Tom?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes, I got your message and I believe you.”
That was a relief. I knew that Rory trusted me though.
Rory looked down at his shoes. “I guess you’re wondering what happened to me?”
“Yes, I would like to know.”
Rory looked up and touched my arm. “I didn’t want you to get hurt. Meredith and Ron told me that if I didn’t help them get the book from you that they would hurt you and Grandma Imelda. Plus, they hit me with magic. That made it almost impossible to say no to whatever they demanded.” I saw the pain on Rory’s face. “I tried to go to the police, but they were always there. I figured the best thing to do was to go along with everything they asked. I tried to meet you in the park to tell you what was happening, but Ron showed up again.”
So Rory had been magically mind-controlled into helping Meredith. That explained why he’d drunkenly stumbled out of her shop. It had been a magic effect.
“Is Meredith really your cousin?” I asked.
“No, she just told me to say that.”
I reached out and hugged him. “Thank you. I knew that something was wrong, and I just couldn’t believe that you would willingly try to hurt us.”
He touched my cheek with his hand. “I would never hurt you, Elly.”
When I glanced over, I saw that Tom was watching us. I was torn and didn’t know what to feel. Why did this have to be so difficult?
“I guess we should get back to the café and check on Grandma Imelda and Mary Jane,” I said.
Rory nodded. “At least I got my truck back.”
Yes, it looked as if everything had worked out… except for when I looked at Tom.
Chapter 31
The next morning I was in the kitchen at the café. I was ready for the breakfast crowd. I had just slipped the biscuits into the oven. I looked over at the shelf and the book was in its spot, safe and sound where it was supposed to be.
Grandma Imelda was at the other side of the kitchen making a pie. She had decided to stay for one more day. I guessed she needed time to recuperate before traveling back to Florida. That was fine with me because I loved having her here. She smiled when she spotted me watching her.
Mary Jane was in front preparing the tables. I stepped out to check on her.
“How’s it going?”
She shoved more sugar packets into the container. “I’m almost ready. I have a feeling that today is going to be a good day.”
I smiled. “I know what you mean.”
Anything would be good compared to what we’d just been through. I couldn’t wait to get back to my cooking and the spells that made people around town so happy. The bell over the door jingled and I looked up to see Tom coming through the door. My stomach danced at the sight of him.
I knew that my feelings were something I couldn’t ignore any longer. But Tom would be leaving again soon. Yes, it wasn’t in the cards for us. Our lives were too different. He traveled and I was happy at home here in Mystic Hollow.
The Organization group was with Tom. I figured he’d come by to tell me that he was leaving town again. I’d hoped to see him last night, but I guessed he’d been busy wrapping up the investigation. By the smiles on their faces though, they seemed happy that they were leaving.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
The group walked up to me. The woman stretched out her hand. She was holding the plaque. “Elly Blair, we’d like to present you with this award.”
I smiled. “Are you serious?”
She nodded. “You’ve earned it. Not only has your magic been phenomenal, but you tracked down the books and saved the town from losing its magic.”
I couldn’t stop my smile. I took the award. “This means so much to me. Thank you.”
Grandma Imelda came out from the kitchen and I showed her the award. She winked. “You deserve it.”
Did this mean that I wouldn’t have to deal with the Organization again? They finally trusted me with magic?
“Congratulations again, Elly,” the woman said.
“We’ll see you soon, Tom.” The man waved.
“Thank you,” I said.
I watched as they walked out the door. I admired my plaque. I wasn’t sure where to hang it. Probably in the kitchen so that I could see it every time I baked up a batch of magic.
“That will look nice hanging on the wall,” Grandma Imelda said.
It was silly of me to be so excited over an award like this, but I really thought I’d come a long way since I first took over the café. I was glad that others were seeing that too. Were things back to normal? I sure hoped so. Everyone had gotten their spellbooks back and things would be back to normal in Mystic Hollow. Well, as normal as they could ever be around here. Our version of normal. I liked our version of normal.
Tom waved his hand in front of my face. “Are you still with us?”
I snapped to attention. “Sorry, I guess I was lost in thought for a minute.”
“I found out a lot of the missing information,” Tom said.
“Really? Did you find out about the book? Was the book she had way back in high school a spellbook?” I was full of questions.
Tom ran his hand through his hair. “As a matter of fact, yes, it was. You were right about that. The problem was she couldn’t cast the spells that she wanted and then she lost the book.”
“Did anyone know what she was doing? The teachers? The Organization?” I asked.
“No, I don’t think the teachers or parents knew. The Organization found out when she lost the book. She got in trouble for that, which made her even angrier,” Tom said.
Wow, it was a good thing I didn’t get mad every time I got in trouble with the Organization. I would spend way too much time being angry if that was the case.
“So what about the others? Was I correct? Did they go to the same high school too? The names were different, but I know I recognized their pictures.”
Tom nodded. “Yes, you were right about that too. I see you are happy about that.”
“Me? Yes, I am, as a matter of fact. It feels good to be right. Why did they do it?” I asked.
“For the same reasons as Meredith, I guess. They wanted to help her seek revenge. I guess they felt the same way in high school.”
“I was made fun of in high school too. But at some point you just have to let it go. Sure, it was bad then, but it’s nothing to dwell on now.”
“I was bullied in school too,” Tom said.
My eyes widened. “You?”
“Don’t look so surprised.”
“Why were you bullied?”
He shrugged. “I guess I was the mysterious type.”
“You still are,” I said. “So what about the lost book? Did she ever find it?”
Tom ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t think the book was ever recovered. Basically Meredith thought you took the book.”
“So that was why she wanted to take my spellbook? She wanted to pay me back for taking her book?”
Tom nodded. “I suppose that is the reason, yes.”
“I didn’t even know about magic back then. How could I take the book?”
“That’s something you’d have to get her to tell you. It doesn’t seem logical, but I don’t think she was being very logical.”
“Obviously not,” I said. “What about Reagan and Ron
?”
“Reagan was asked to pretend to be with the Organization too.”
“I don’t remember seeing her photo in the yearbook.”
“Reagan had only known Meredith for a short time. Apparently they met at a club for magic practitioners. Meredith forced Reagan to come to the café and try to get the spellbook. She was pretty mad when Reagan didn’t get the book.”
“It doesn’t seem like they had a well-thought-out plan,” I said.
Tom smiled. “No, obviously it didn’t work out as they’d planned. Thanks to you,” he said.
“What about Ron?” I asked.
“Meredith and Ron had been dating, so naturally he was going along with her plan. He would do whatever she asked him to do. I thought I recognized him, but I wasn’t sure. He’s been in trouble with the organization before down in Nashville.”
“They must have had a twisted relationship,” I said. “Why did Meredith wait so long to come back to Mystic Café?”
“I guess she came when she found out that you were doing magic and had taken over the café,” Tom said. “It really set her off when she found out about you and the café.”
“Apparently she didn’t hear about my bad spells.” I chuckled.
Even though I didn’t have all the answers that I’d wanted, I was just glad that this was over.
“Thanks for all the work you did to find out about Meredith,” I said.
“Me? You were the one who figured it out,” Tom said.
I pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “I didn’t do much really.”
“Now you’re just being modest. You’re a great detective and a great person.” Tom touched my hand and my skin tingled. I tried to ignore the feeling, but it wasn’t easy.
He took my hand in his and I knew what this meant. I couldn’t hide my sadness.
“I guess you know I have to leave.”
I nodded. “I kind of figured it was that time. Are you sure you don’t want a job working at Mystic Café? Mary Jane really needs help with the tables.”
She smiled and nodded. “I do need help.”
“That’s tempting, but I think you could do without all the broken dishes I would cause,” Tom said with a smile.
He couldn’t be any worse than me. I broke at least two a day.
“There is one thing I need to talk to you about.” Tom’s expression turned serious.
Oh, no. What had I done now? And I’d thought I was doing so much better. I’d even gotten the award. Though I supposed I shouldn’t jump to conclusions just yet. He hadn’t even told me what this was about yet.
“I’m listening,” I said.
He stared for a beat and then released a deep breath. “Okay, here’s the thing. I kind of need you to come with me.”
The crash of a plate rang through the air. Mary Jane had dropped the dish. I’d known she’d been eavesdropping.
I stared at him. “You want me to come with you?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“Why?” I asked.
I wasn’t sure if I was prepared for the answer. I hadn’t seen this coming at all. Tom remained silent for a moment as if he was trying to think of what to say.
“You see, here’s the deal. I really need you to help me with this next investigation.”
I quirked an eyebrow. I wasn’t sure if I believed him, but I’d give him the benefit of the doubt.
“What’s the investigation about? Why would you need my help?” I asked.
“The investigation is at a café. And I need help with making sure they are doing the spells with the food correctly.”
Hmm. Well, I supposed that did make sense. “Isn’t there someone more qualified than me to do this?” I asked.
“I think you’re the most qualified person I know,” Tom said, staring at me with his serious expression.
I looked around. Mary Jane motioned for me to do it.
“I have the café,” I said.
Grandma Imelda popped her head out the kitchen door. “I’m here and can stay until you get back.”
It was good to know that everyone was listening to our conversation.
“Thank you, Grandma,” I said.
“See, there you go. Everything will work out great.”
“Where is this investigation?” I asked.
“Los Angeles.”
“Wow, that’s a long way from Kentucky.” But I had always wanted to go. I pushed the hair out of my eyes. “I need some time to think about it, okay?”
He nodded. “Sure, I understand. Listen, if you want to go, then meet me tonight at the park. If you’re not going, then I will understand.”
How would I ever make this decision?
I was pretty sure that Rory wouldn’t understand why I needed to go away with Tom. And who was I kidding? I knew I had feelings for Tom. Being alone with him for that long wouldn’t help that. I would have to decide once and for all which man I wanted to date. Then again, Tom had never said he wanted to date me. Maybe he was just being flirtatious.
“I hope to see you tonight.” Tom squeezed my hand and then walked out the door.
Mary Jane raced over and Grandma Imelda popped out the door.
“What will you do?” Mary Jane asked.
“I think you have to go,” Grandma Imelda said with excitement. I was sure she just liked the idea of being whisked away by Tom.
“What about Rory?” I asked.
Mary Jane frowned. “Oh, yeah. He’s a great guy. And he loves you.”
I sat on the stool by the counter. “I don’t know that he loves me.”
“It’s in his eyes,” Mary Jane said.
“I’m sure he would understand. The investigation would just be for a short time. You’d be back soon,” Grandma Imelda said. It seemed as though she’d already made up her mind.
I needed to talk with Rory. What would I say? How would I tell him Tom wanted me to go on an investigation? Would he believe that? Did I even believe it? Rory and Tom seemed to have gotten friendlier since the incident. I wondered what they’d said to each other. I had so many questions right now and I was more confused than ever. I had a feeling that Rory would be supportive whatever decision I made. Well, maybe not with whatever, but he would be supportive of my decision. He was just that kind of guy. But it wouldn’t be fair to him for me to go with Tom.
***
The café had been busy all day. Spells had been successfully added to the food and the customers were happy. The spellbook was secure on the shelf along with all the magical spices, herbs, and potions. Things were back to usual. I wouldn’t say normal because they were never normal in Mystic Hollow. At least it had helped keep my mind off my decision.
Night had fallen and I stepped out onto the sidewalk. I locked the café door behind me. Grandma Imelda had already left. They’d supported me with whatever I decided. And now it was time for me to go through with it. I headed down the sidewalk, wondering if I made the right choice.
After the short walk, I stepped into the magical surroundings. The lights twinkled like they always had. At least now I didn’t have that feeling of dread here, like I’d had when Reagan had been missing. Though I did have apprehension for what was about to happen.
I headed toward the gazebo. I’d wait for Tom there. He’d know where to find me. The smell of honeysuckle and roses carried across the night air. It was a beautiful evening, perfect to spend in the park. Stars filled the sky with not a cloud in sight. After I reached the gazebo, I moved up to the bench and took a seat.
I stared out into the night sky. I tapped my fingers against the bench and then looked at my watch. Tom had said he would be here at ten. It was now ten minutes after. He was never late. Now thoughts raced through my mind. Was he not coming? Had something happened to him? After everything that had happened I guessed it was understandable that I would be paranoid. Though it had only been ten minutes. I needed to calm down.
Maybe he had second-guessed his decision to ask me to come along on the inves
tigation. I really couldn’t blame him if he had. After all, I really didn’t think I was the best pick for a partner on any investigation. There had to be someone else out there who would do a better job. What made Tom think I could do it? Just because I’d recently gotten a few spells right? Maybe I was being hard on myself, but I had to be honest with myself. All my thoughts led back to me wondering if I had made the right decision. When would I stop thinking this way?
I looked at my watch again. Should I try his cell phone? No, if he didn’t plan on coming, then it would be an awkward phone call. Though he probably wouldn’t answer if that was the case.
That owl hooted from a nearby tree and I jumped. Okay, so I was still a little on edge. As beautiful as it was, the park could still be a spooky place at night, especially when I was here all alone. The bushes near the gazebo rustled and I scooted down the bench away from them. If there was something in there ready to jump out, I didn’t want to be too close.
The wind picked up, stirring the leaves on the nearby trees. I hadn’t sensed any magic yet. Usually I did when Tom was nearby. The thought had barely left my mind when a tickle of something carried across the air. Was it just my imagination?
I’d just looked at my watch again when the magic carried across the breeze. It traveled up the path and whispered across my skin. It stirred through the air, as powerful and as strong as ever.
When I looked up, I spotted Tom walking down the path toward me. Butterflies danced in my stomach. He smiled widely as the twinkling lights lit up his handsome face. I stood and moved closer down the path to meet him.
Tom had shown up after all. I had almost convinced myself that he wasn’t coming. He looked more handsome than ever. Maybe it was the magical settings or just the beautiful night impairing my judgment. Though I’d always thought Tom was gorgeous. Tonight even more so than usual.
Tom stepped in front of me. He was standing so close that his spicy scent encircled me. His presence made my whole body tingle. His hand felt so right wrapped around mine.
“You came,” he said.
I smiled. “Yes, I came.”
“I was hoping that you would come, but I really didn’t think it would happen. I’m just glad that you’re here.” Tom studied my face. “You look wonderful.”
