Better Haunts and Garden Gnomes: A Cozy Paranormal Mystery - A Happily Everlasting World Novel ((Un)Lucky Valley Book 1)

by Michelle M. Pillow

  “I didn’t mean any harm. I just needed a place to sleep.” A woman stepped out from behind the old bars of the jail cell where she’d been hiding in the shadows. Her hands lifted in front of her in a defensive gesture. She looked young, maybe early twenties. She was pretty, with a heart-shaped face, dark hair and brown eyes. Her hair was pulled back from her face into a ponytail, and there were remnants of faded red lipstick staining her lips.

  Lily stepped into the room and moved to get a better view inside the cell. A red sleeping bag was laid out on the floor next to a hiking pack and various other camping items. “What are you doing in here?”

  “I thought this was abandoned.” The woman began gathering her belongings. “I’m sorry. I’ll go. I didn’t mean to trespass.”

  “Wait, who are you? Are you a hiker? Are you lost? I didn’t see any other cars.” Lily kept her distance from the stranger.

  “Oh, sorry, Mara Edison.” The woman gave a small smile as she rolled her sleeping bag.

  “Lily Goode,” Lily said.

  “Lily?” Nolan called. “Lily, where are you? What happened?”

  Lily stepped out of the jail. “I’m fine. Mara startled me.”

  “Mara?” He glanced over her shoulder. He looked as if he’d partially shifted to run to get to her and the fur was receding into his flesh. His eyes still carried a little bit of a glow.

  “A hiker.” Lily turned just in time to see Mara come up beside her. She watched to see if Nolan’s shift had frightened her, but the woman didn’t seem to notice it. Mara pulled the straps of her pack over her shoulders.

  “Squatter, actually,” Mara said. “I didn’t have anywhere else to stay, and I didn’t think anyone would care. I mean, the lady at the diner said no one ever comes out to Unlucky Valley. I thought it’d be all right, and better than sleeping out in the open.”

  “It’s fine, you’re not in trouble.” Lily glanced around. “Actually, it’s not fine. You can’t live out here.”

  “I understand. I’ll be on my way.” Mara nodded before moving to leave.

  Lily shared a look with Nolan before calling, “Are you hungry? We have an obscene amount of food.”

  Mara turned and looked interested. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

  “No bother. Trust me. My aunt would love it if you joined us. Please.” Lily gestured for the woman to follow them. “Come get something to eat.”

  “Lily, you don’t know anything about this woman,” Nolan whispered.

  “Look at her. She’s homeless. She probably hasn’t eaten.” Lily tugged at his arm to get him to walk with her. “She clearly needs help.”

  “When are you going to comprehend that Lucky Valley is not like other places?” He kept his voice low. “Nothing here is what it appears to be. That sweet innocent girl you’re trying to save, yes, she could be human, or a bunnyshifter, or have some cute little trick where she can change the temperature of a room by a few degrees at will. Or that poor, starving homeless woman could be a big catshifter and you just found her den, or a vampire—”

  “It’s daylight,” Lily dismissed.

  “That proves my point. You don’t even know that all vampires aren’t allergic to sunlight. There are different kinds of vampires—psychics, dream feeders, night stalkers—”

  “Not a vampire. Just a glow stick. I light up like a nightlight,” Mara called from behind them. “And I have really great hearing, but that’s not a supernatural genetic trait so much as a me trait.”

  “See, she’s fine,” Lily said.

  “I am homeless and starving, though,” Mara walked faster, catching up to them. “That part you got right. I haven’t had a decent meal in months. There are some wild wood strawberries nearby though. They’re small, but not bad. And prickly pear cactus.”

  “Are you from around here?” Lily asked. “I mean, you said you have superpowers.”

  “Glowing is not a superpower,” Mara said. “Do you know how hard it is to find a boyfriend who’s afraid of the dark and doesn’t mind me glowing when I’m having nightmares?”

  “I’ve never seen you in town. Where are you from?” Nolan’s voice was a little gruff, and she wondered why Mara had put him on edge.

  “Albuquerque,” Mara answered.

  “What are you doing here?” Nolan sounded more like an interrogator.

  If Mara noticed his tone, she didn’t let on. “I heard rumors that there were freaks like me, and I came to check it out. It’s not a surprise that no one really likes to talk about the supernatural.”

  “How long are you staying?”

  “Don’t know.” Mara adjusted her backpack. “How do you like being a shifter? I mean, that’s what you are, right? I saw the fur and the fangs and the glowy eyes.”

  “I like the glowy eyes,” Lily inserted, trying to lighten the conversation.

  “It’s fine.” Nolan placed his hand on the back of Lily’s arm and walked faster, forcing her to quicken her pace. “Polly will be worried about us.”

  “For an abandoned town, this sure is a busy place today,” Mara said. “Truck’s coming.”

  Nolan frowned. “You can hear that?”

  Mara shrugged. “I told you, I have great hearing.”

  Lily looked behind them. “Hear what? I don’t hear anything.”

  “Tow truck is close.” Nolan lifted his hand and waved toward where Polly sat on the hood of Lily’s car, her face toward the sunlight. “Polly, we have a hungry traveler passing through.”

  Polly slid off the car. She turned, dusting her skirt. The smile fell a little as she looked at Mara. “Hello.”

  “Hi.” Mara lifted her hand in a quick greeting. Her lips pressed together as she glanced around the area.

  “Lily, sugar bee, be a dear and get my basket. There should be a sandwich left in there,” Polly said.

  Mara shrugged out of her pack and propped it against a rock.

  Lily chuckled as she went to open the basket’s lid. “Don’t be silly. I’m sure there’s more than a sand…wich.”

  She was wrong. In the basket that should have been overflowing with leftovers rested a single sandwich wrapped in plastic. It wasn’t even an amazing sandwich, like she’d expect inside Polly’s basket, but two pieces of sliced bread with a thin layer of meat and cheese inside.

  She reached in to grab it. “I guess I was wrong. We just have a sandwich left.”

  “Turkey,” Polly said.

  “Oh, ah, thanks.” Mara reached to take it but didn’t open it like a woman who hadn’t eaten in a while. “Actually, I’m allergic to turkey, so thank you anyway, but…” She handed the sandwich back.

  Dust lifted in the distance, announcing the arrival of the tow truck.

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Polly said. “Well, I’m sure the tow truck driver can give you a lift into town. There’s food there.”

  Lily crossed to her aunt and took her by the arm. She pulled her aside and whispered, “Polly, what’s wrong with you? Where did all the food go? Why won’t you give her something to eat? The poor girl is starving.”

  “I offered food. She didn’t want it.”

  Lily gripped the plain sandwich so tightly that the bread smashed in the plastic. She held it up. “Why won’t you give her something to eat that won’t throw her into anaphylactic shock? I know we haven’t known each other for long, but this doesn’t seem—”

  “You think too much,” Polly said. “You should feel more.”

  “Feel what? Empathy for a hungry girl who is alone in the world, trying to take care of herself? Trust me, I know what that’s like. I wish someone would have stopped to offer me food.” Lily forced Polly to meet her gaze. “Is she a paranormal threat? Is she a face melting creature? Or a troll-goblin hybrid?”

  “Well, no…”

  “Okay, so as long as she’s not posing any kind of supernatural danger, I think we should check your basket again. Maybe I missed something.”

  Polly sighed and nodded. “Yeah, maybe there
’s some leftover cheeseburger pickle pie.”

  “Polly!” Lily scolded at the horrible suggestion.

  “I mean a hamburger,” Polly said.

  “Thank you.” Lily went back to the basket and opened it. She dropped the squished sandwich inside and pulled out a foil-wrapped burger. “I must have missed this. Can you have hamburgers?”

  “Oh, yes, my favorite.” Mara reached for it an unwrapped it. She bit into and said with a mouthful, “Mm, mank mou.”

  “You’re welcome,” Lily answered. She arched a brow at Nolan and Polly. What the heck was wrong with them? They were acting weird. She might be the only non-supernatural in the group, but Lily knew to trust her instincts when it came to judging people. Her intuition had served her well in the past. Mara reminded Lily of her younger self. People had been inclined not to like Lily when she was Mara’s age. She’d also been a little rough around the edges, but understandably so since she’d carried so much distrust and fear.

  “Excuse me. I’m going for a stroll. I need to talk to the flowers.” Polly didn’t wait for an answer as she left, but her steps lost their usual pep.

  “Should I go?” Mara asked, wiping her mouth on the back of her hand. “I didn’t mean to upset anyone.”

  “It’s not you. Polly is just... different.” Lily tried to excuse the behavior.

  The arrival of the tow truck interrupted the awkward situation. The words “Taylor Towing” were spelled out in bright green paint on the door.

  Nolan went to greet the man who stepped out of the truck. “Hey, Colt, the family finally rope you into the business or did you flunk out of medical school?”

  “Is it true you tried to drive yourself off a cliff?” Colt looked as if he’d been body-jacked from a tropical island and transplanted in Colorado. His dark hair wound into dreadlocks, falling to his shoulders. He wore a t-shirt and jeans with work boots, but somehow, she pictured him with a Hawaiian shirt on a beach.

  “Who’s the hottie?” Mara whispered.

  As if hearing her, Colt grinned in their direction.

  “Colt, this is Lily Goode, and…” Nolan motioned at Mara as if he didn’t remember her name.

  “Mara Edison, drifter,” Mara filled in.

  Lily furrowed her brow at Nolan. Why was he being so rude? There was definitely something up. Maybe Nolan and Polly needed an after-picnic nap.

  “Mara is staying with us at our new bed and breakfast,” Lily blurted, not knowing why she’d said it. She touched Mara’s arm, but the woman stiffened in surprise and pulled away as if on reflex.

  “Where’s the truck?” Colt asked. Nolan pointed toward the cliff and they walked in that direction. “There’s a new bed and breakfast?”

  “No. Well, maybe.” Lily followed them. “I’m considering changing the Goode house into one. I might as well make something useful out of my inheritance.”

  Colt’s head fell back, and he laughed before realizing Lily was serious. The sound stopped as quickly as it started. “You want people to visit the Goode house? Willingly? And sleep there?”

  “Why not?” Lily asked.

  “It’s the Goode house.” Colt looked at Nolan for support.

  “There’s plenty of room,” Nolan answered. “Tourism would be good for town businesses.”

  “Is that a truck down there? What the hell happened?” Mara exclaimed.

  “Stolen,” Lily answered.

  “Bad brakes,” Nolan said at the same time.

  “Okay,” Mara drawled, clearly not believing them.

  Lily shot Nolan a questioning look.

  “It’s not a lie. The brakes didn’t work when Stan…” He let his words trail off so as not to reveal too much.

  Colt knelt and placed his hand on the ground for balance as he studied the situation. “I’ll give you one thing, Nolan, when you mess up, you mess up real good.”

  “I do what I can.” Nolan widened his stance as he looked over the edge.

  “Wait, are you the lady Patrick and Luke chased up a tree?” Colt asked. Lily’s expression must have answered for her because he whistled softly and shook his head. “When they said a new Goode was in town, I was expecting…”

  “Warts and broomstick?” Lily asked.

  “Something like that.” Colt grinned. It was obvious the man was a charmer, and she couldn’t help but return the smile. “You’re not old and warty at all.”

  “Aren’t you scared of me?” Lily challenged.

  “Should I be?”

  “I’m told Goodes are scary. We steal souls and bring about bad luck.”

  Colt stepped closer. “I’ll let you steal anything you want from me.”

  Lily heard Nolan clear his throat, and she blinked in surprise, realizing she’d been flirting. Flirting? She didn’t flirt. Her head felt a little fuzzy, and she closed her eyes.

  “You going to get this truck out of the quarry or do we need to call one of your brothers to help you?” Nolan asked, stepping between Lily and Colt. She frowned at his back.

  “So, is that Nolan guy like your boyfriend?” Mara asked.

  “No,” Lily denied. “I mean, he’s a boy and we’re friends and—”

  Mara laughed. “Okay, if you say so, but I think someone should probably let him know if you’re not together.” She took another bite of her burger, finishing it, and wadded the foil into a ball.

  When Mara lifted her arm to throw her trash into the quarry, Lily held her hand to block her from littering. “Let me take care of that for you.”

  Mara tossed the foil at her instead.

  The sound of the tow truck prompted her to move out of the way as Colt backed toward the edge. Nolan ran behind the truck and directed Colt into place before yelling, “Stop.”

  “Did you mean what you said about me staying with you?” Mara asked.

  Lily kept her eyes on the tow truck, watching as the men climbed on the back and began discussing how they were going to solve the problem of hooking the vehicle so they could pull it up.

  “Sure. We’re in construction, but there’s plenty of space and it’s better than that old jail cell.” Lily didn’t really think of her response. “You’ll at least have a bed and people to talk to.”

  “I can’t pay,” Mara insisted.

  Lily glanced at the woman. Her brown eyes seemed wary, even as she kept a neutral expression. “I’m not asking you to.”

  “I’m not charity.”

  “Then help out while you’re there.” Lily wasn’t worried about it.

  Nolan and Colt were having an animated conversation about how to proceed, which included them acting out their plans.

  “I don’t understand why you’re being nice to me,” Mara’s voice was soft compared to the men’s.

  Nolan touched his waist and then dove his hands up and over as if to indicate he would be lowered over the edge. Lily’s breath caught at the idea and she rushed forward to stop it.

  “Can’t we just fish it out like a hook on a string?” She motioned toward the giant boom attached to the back of the tow truck.

  Both men looked at her like she was crazy.

  “What fun is that?” Colt shook his head.

  “So if we tie off a rope, I can lower myself down and hook the—” Nolan began.

  “No. I’ll lower myself—” Colt interrupted.

  “It’s my truck.”

  “It’s my hook.”

  “Never mind,” Lily muttered backing away. “Don’t come yelling for me when you’re falling down the side of a cliff.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I can’t talk now. You need to stop calling.” Nolan said into his phone, keeping his voice low. He stood in the mudroom by the back door and considered taking his call into the basement as not to be overheard. “It’s not a good time.”

  “Don’t speak, just listen.” Councilman Rana’s tone held authority. He’d been in a position of power in Lucky Valley since Nolan was a kid. “The evacuation plan is not coming along as quickly as we had
hoped. Do I need to remind you that we are on a time limit? If they stay in that house for too long, they city will not be able to consider it abandoned property. The countdown clock will reset, and we’ll have to wait another five years before we can legally seize it and knock it down. It’s time the city of Lucky Valley moved past its tragic history with the Goode and Crawford families.”

  Nolan glanced into the kitchen to see if anyone was coming.

  “There is some concern that you’ve been compromised by the witches,” Rana said.

  “I have not,” Nolan stated.

  “Them prove it. Stop playing house and get—”

  “I have to go,” Nolan interrupted in a rush before he disconnected the call. His sense of duty to the town warred with how he felt about Lily Goode. Was he under her spell? He had a hard time believing she was such a great actress that she hid evilness from him. Then again, a siren could make someone do whatever they wanted by invoking feelings of love and security.

  Nolan gripped his hammer as he moved to look out the back window at the fallen barn. Someone had taken the gnomes and lined them up to spell the word “ours.” He’d about had it with those stupid statues, always popping up when he was trying to work, tripping him, staring at him with those beady eyes and forever happy smiles.

  “I’ve thought about doing the same thing,” Lily said, joining him, “but trust me, you don’t want to bring down Aunt Polly’s wrath if you smash her gnome friends with a hammer. She loves playing with those things. They’re like her dolls.”

  Lily wore an eighties rock band t-shirt and was in the process of pulling her hair back into a bun.

  “I never see her move them. Do you think she’s using magic?” Nolan wasn’t completely familiar with the rules of magic, but after seeing the unscientifically large picnic come out of a small basket, he wouldn’t be surprised by Polly’s abilities.

  “You’re asking the wrong Goode. Apparently, I couldn’t find my powers if they jumped up and bit me in the hindquarters.” She gave a small laugh.

  “Do you want to find them?” He tapped the end of the hammer against the wood frame of the windowsill without causing any damage. It was more of a nervous tick.