by Fiona Roarke
Ami’s friend Petra set a tray of coffee mugs next to the punch bowl. “Sorry, folks. We ran out of paper cups, but these work just as well.”
Several platters of food on the other end of the table were nearly empty. Apparently they’d misjudged the number of guests. Guilt niggled at him for not replying to the invitation, but if he had, that would have blown the whole incognito-checking-up-on-Lawton thing.
He got himself a drink then found a dark corner that provided a view of most of the room. The majority of the guests’ masks didn’t completely hide their identity. He didn’t see Lawton anywhere. Had Amethyst changed her mind about bringing the vampire as her date?
A tiny flicker of hope raised his spirits. Until Lawton walked in—sans mask—and headed straight for Amethyst. He kissed her cheek, and Ami blanched.
Dustin’s gut twisted. Watching the two of them together was going to be torture, but he had to do it. Keeping Amethyst safe was more important than his feelings.
“I think your spell worked,” a woman said.
He couldn’t place her voice, but it sounded vaguely familiar. Covertly glancing toward the woman, he tried to figure out who she was but the mask covering much of her face didn’t help. Standing next to Petra, the woman was shorter, and appeared to be a lot older than Petra. Curly brown hair, short and stocky. Maybe she was one of the hairdressers.
The pair leaned close and kept their voices low, but not low enough, since Dustin’s superhuman hearing was almost as good as his cat’s.
“I didn’t think so at first,” Petra said. “But Amethyst is here with the vampire, so maybe I finally got a spell right.”
What sort of spell had Petra done on Amethyst? They were supposed to be best friends.
Both women chuckled.
Dustin was anything but amused. Clearly, the pair was up to something.
“I don’t know how I can ever thank you for this, Petra.”
Dustin realized why the other woman’s voice was familiar. Another glimpse confirmed that she was Amethyst’s mother, Colleen.
Petra huffed. “Ami would kill me if she found out what I did. I really hate to interfere with my friends’ love lives, but I’ve got to admit, you were right. Amethyst was miserable before. I’m just glad I was able to help her get over Dustin.”
Anger seethed inside him. Scanning the room for Amethyst, he found her with Lawton, who seemed to be invading her space. His arm casually draped over the back of her chair. Amethyst was clearly uncomfortable. Her smile was forced, and she was leaning away from the vampire.
How could her mother and her best friend—people who were supposed to care about her—be laughing and patting themselves on the back when Ami was clearly unhappy with the situation?
The burger and fries he’d had at Mummy’s Diner a couple hours earlier felt like lead in his stomach. He’d planned to stay in the background tonight, but how could he remain silent for such a travesty, especially one that was so unfair to Amethyst?
“She needed to get over him,” Colleen said. “I know what’s good for my little girl, and Dustin wasn’t the right man.”
He couldn’t keep quiet for another second. Marching over to the women, he ripped off his mask and jabbed a finger at them. “What did you two do?”
Both women gasped in unison.
“What kind of spell did you put on Amethyst?” He didn’t care that other people could hear, or that the pair seemed afraid.
A worried expression passed between the women.
“Tell me,” he growled. Someone grabbed his arm. Dustin spun around and found Amethyst’s dad glowering at him.
“What’s going on here?” Mr. Powers demanded.
Dustin yanked back his arm. “Using magic to coerce people you’re supposed to love isn’t okay, sir.”
Mr. Powers darted his gaze between Dustin and the women. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. Colleen, what’s going on?”
Her throat twitched with a swallow. “We were just trying to help.”
“Help who?” he asked.
Petra stepped between the husband and wife. “Amethyst was such a sad sack after you and Colleen made her break up with Dustin. I was merely trying to make her feel better with my spell.”
Mr. Powers weaved around Petra and glared at his wife. “What’s she talking about, Colleen? I would never presume to tell either of my daughters who they could date.”
Colleen pulled off her mask and fisted her hands. “I was trying to help you.”
“Me? By using magic on our daughter?” He pinched the bridge of his nose then turned his anger on Petra. “What was the spell?”
She wrung her hands. “Well, I found one to make her forget Dustin.”
Dustin clenched his jaw.
“Because her mother asked you to do that?” Mr. Powers asked.
“Shhhhhh!” Colleen stage whispered. “You’re making a scene.”
“You bet I am.” He wiped sweat from his reddened forehead.
Amethyst rushed over, her face flushed. “What’s going on? I could hear you from across the salon.” She widened her eyes at Dustin. “I didn’t know you were coming.”
Petra took Amethyst’s hand. “Can you forgive me? I was only trying to make you feel better. That’s why I cast the spell.”
Amethyst squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “Tell me what the spell was, the exact words.”
“Let me think.” Petra held a fist to her mouth for several seconds. “Okay, I’ve got it. I call to the powers below and above, north, south, east, west. In the name of love, heal Amethyst’s heart, who is so dear. Heal all her pain, heal all her fear.” She stopped and scratched her head. “I know there’s more.” She nodded. “I remember. I send her power, a heart of gold. I send her light and love untold. To heal her heart, to make it bright. Make her stop loving Dustin tonight. So mote it be.” A big smile split her face, as if she’d just mastered a difficult task. But one look at her best friend and her smile withered. “Sorry, Ami.”
Amethyst buried her face in her hands. “How could you, Mom?”
“That’s what I’d like to know,” her father added.
Dustin put his arm around her, offering what comfort she’d accept. He understood all too well the anguish of a betrayal by your own parent.
“We need Lawton to invest in your inventions,” Colleen said. “And he took a shine to her the night he first met her.”
Her father shook his head. “What about Amethyst? What about how she felt?”
Amethyst met her mother’s stare. “I’ve always done as you asked. Even after you drove Emerald away. And now you’ve lost your other daughter.”
“Ami, please,” Colleen pleaded. “I did it for all of us.”
Dustin’s parents had told him the same thing, time and again. He tightened his grip on Amethyst. “Do you want to get out of here?”
Leaning against him, she nodded.
He led her under the mistletoe-covered archway, and heard creaking, like wood straining or cracking.
A moment later her mother ran after them. Grasping the metal on the side of the arch, she hooked Amethyst’s arm to stop her. “I was only watching out for your interests.”
“No, Mom. You were looking out for your own.” Shaking her mother off, she sighed.
Another creak, louder this time. He followed the source of the noise to the chandelier above the arch. Small cracks in the ceiling stretched in every direction from the fixture. And they were getting bigger.
Before he could react, the arch and the chandelier came crashing down, and with it, a chunk of drywall from the ceiling. People screamed, and scuttled away. He shoved Amethyst out of the way, but the debris hit her mother on the back of her head.
For a moment, a cloud of dust obscured the scene. When it cleared, the full scope of the accident came into view. The metal arch lay on its side with pieces of the chandelier and chunks of drywall scattered around the reception area.
“Mom!” Amethyst kneeled next to her
mother, who was partially buried under the debris, out cold.
Ami tried to move a huge piece of the ceiling off of her mom. “It’s too heavy.”
Dustin stepped around the mess, and grabbed the plaster, which still had most of the light attached. He easily moved everything aside then picked up Colleen and carried her to the sofa in the waiting area.
Aiden—an EMT and a Kachina healer—ran over and started checking Colleen over as Mr. Powers and Amethyst stood watching. The red gash on Colleen’s forehead faded under Aiden’s ministrations.
Lawton backed away, then mumbled something and left.
Good riddance.
Mallory hurried over and handed Dustin a wet towel. He wiped the dust and dirt off of Colleen’s face and neck.
“She’s coming to,” Aiden said.
Her eyes fluttered for a second before she opened them and peered into his. “You saved me.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it. Her face went pale, and her eyes glazed over. She appeared to be in some sort of trance for a moment. Then she gasped. “They’re back.”
“What is, Mom?” Amethyst sat on the edge of the couch.
“My psychic powers. They’re back.” Her expression changed to a calm serenity as she continued holding Dustin’s hand. “You’re going to make my daughter very happy. And she’ll do the same for you.”
Too stunned to speak, he just stared at Amethyst.
“I’m so sorry, Amethyst,” Colleen said. “I don’t know what came over me. I just pray that Petra can remove the spell.”
Amethyst smiled warmly at him. “Her spell didn’t work anyway. Maybe she jumbled the words. Who knows?”
Dustin pointed to a sprig of mistletoe still hanging from the ceiling over them. “Maybe the mistletoe’s magic was just stronger.” Shifting closer to her, Dustin cupped her cheek and brushed his lips over hers.
“Or perhaps it’s our magic,” Amethyst said. “I always suspected we had our own.”
Epilogue
One month later…
Spot jumped onto Dustin’s kitchen counter as Amethyst finished stowing the leftovers from dinner in a plastic container. “Sorry, girl. No more human food for you.” But with a glance over her shoulder at Dustin, who was washing the table, she retrieved the pouch of cat treats from the cabinet and slipped one to the feline.
“I saw that.” Dustin dropped the sponge at the sink then wrapped Amethyst in his strong arms and pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, setting off delicious sparks inside her. “We can’t both spoil her.”
She twisted around to face him. “Thank you for inviting my parents to dinner tonight. That meant a lot to me.”
“You mean a lot to me. Your folks are welcome here any time.”
Could she adore him any more? Staring up at his ridiculously handsome face, she couldn’t hold back a happy sigh. “Mom said that the only time she sees me lately is when she comes into the salon to get her hair or her nails done since I’m not staying at the garage apartment much.”
He tightened his arms around her. “Is that a complaint?”
Amethyst shook her head. “She’s been a lot easier to be around since she got hit on the head. I swear, it did more than just bring back her psychic gift. Her personality improved, too. Although I think that when she got hurt the first time—when she lost her psychic abilities—she became more abrasive. It just didn’t happen all at once, so we didn’t pick up on it. I wonder if that first whack on the head did something to make her ornery and super controlling.”
“I guess that’s possible.” He stepped back and took Amethyst’s hand. “I need to ask you a question.”
She swallowed. They’d only been back together for a month. He’d given her a key to his place since she was practically living there already. Granted, things were amazing between them, but she wanted to be sure before they took things to a long-term commitment level. “O-okay.”
“One of my venders asked me about the Cat Litter Master. He noticed it in my office when he came by this morning.”
She nodded, unsure why he wanted to discuss her father’s latest invention.
“He and his wife have five cats, and they’re always harping on their kids to scoop the cat box. Of course, seeing that your dad’s machine not only does that part, but also bags the mess, and replaces the litter, he was really excited. Said it would help keep the peace in their family if they had a couple of them.”
She certainly understood that. There was a lot to be said for peace. Now that her folks seemed to be getting along better, she was thrilled. Emerald had even come for a visit last week. “Maybe my dad can make another one or two for them. I’m sure he’d love to make a sale.”
His smile widened. “It’s better than that. The man owns a company that builds machines—mostly the kind that have some function in an auto shop, and he was so impressed by the design that he wants to speak to the inventor about manufacturing and distributing Cat Litter Masters.”
Amethyst cheered. “Oh my goodness. Why didn’t you tell my dad about it over dinner?”
He shrugged. “I thought I should run it past you first. I didn’t have time to do that since they were already here when I got home from work.”
Dustin really was an amazing guy. She’d never had anyone treat her with such respect and caring. “We should call him. He’ll be thrilled.” The fact that he got along so well with her folks meant the world to her. She understood how hurt he was over the way his parents had treated him, but it still bothered her that they barely communicated. “Can I ask you a question now?”
“Sure.”
Biting her lip, she sat him down at the table. “Family’s important.”
His brows angled to a V. “And?”
“Would you think about something, for me?”
He folded his arms over his chest. “What’d you have in mind?”
She went to the fridge and grabbed a water bottle, taking a sip as she sat back down. “I’d like for us to take a vacation this fall, maybe head north to see the leaves change in New England.
“Why there? We have fall foliage here.”
She squeezed his hand. “Maybe it’s time to mend fences with your family.”
His lips flattened. Tension cut lines across his forehead. “I don’t know.”
“All I’m asking is that you mull it over. It’s six or seven months away. What do you think?” She crossed her fingers.
“I think you’re a beautiful, persuasive woman.” He stood, pulling her into his arms as he did. “And I think that I love you very much. I’ll give it some thought.”
“Thank you.” She couldn’t ask for more. The man made her toes curl. Heck, her life was getting better every day since Dustin had come back into it.
“Who knows? We might have some news by the fall.”
“News?”
He rubbed his thumb along her left ring finger, the only one on which she didn’t wear any rings. “Maybe a new piece of jewelry.”
Her heart fluttered. Barely able to suck in a breath, she gave him a kiss then started toward his bedroom, holding out her hand to him. “I love you, too.”
His eyes darkened with desire. “I guess that call to your dad can wait a little while.”
“Mm hmm.” She waggled her eyebrows at him as he mated his fingers with hers. “Or a little longer than that.”
The End
The Psychics Say I Do
by Candace Colt
Chapter One
Two-step out of here? Or stay and apologize?
Guillermo’s restaurant was closed for a private party. The longer Brianna Putnam stood outside the main dining room, the harder her heart pounded. She was sure it was louder than the overhead music and female laughter wafting her way.
Artful decorations covered the tables, color-coordinated in soft pinks, touches of gold, and rustic wood hues. Her cousin’s wedding shower was well underway.
She had a good reason to be late. But she could count on one hand the number in this roo
m who would give a flying fig.
She’d been in Atlanta almost a month with the love of her life, Connor Ford. He’d intended to get them back to Nocturne Falls hours ago so Brianna could change into something appropriate for an afternoon ladies’ event. Not that she had a tea party dress anyway. Not her style.
But a last-minute meeting of the Ford Financial Group executive committee had run long, and not something Connor could afford to miss.
The delay had been worth every extra minute. Connor had spent weeks convincing the old guard that he was capable of leading FFG. Today he’d been officially elected Chairman of the Board of the company his late father founded.
No small feat. He was by decades the youngest man in the room. He’d stood toe-to-toe with the most elite falcon shifters in the southeast. He’d held his own, and prevented a corporate take-over that would have ruined the Ford family.
Brianna could not have been prouder of her man if he’d won the US Presidential election.
Anxious to share the details with his brother, Connor had dropped Brianna off with a promise to pick her up after the shower.
That had sounded like a good plan. Until now. Every woman in the room was elegantly dressed. And here stood Brianna in her cropped ripped jeans and Atlanta Falcons sweatshirt. She squeezed her shower gift to her chest. The gift table was only a few feet away. She could sidle into the room, drop it off and be gone before anyone noticed.
Then later explain to her cousin, Jess Callahan.
Poised to make her run for the table, Brianna was startled by the touch of someone’s hand on her back.
Busted.
“Oh, good. You made it after all.” From behind, Delaney Ellingham’s voice caught Brianna’s ear.
“Uh. Hi, Delaney. We just got back. I was going to drop this off. I’m not dressed for the party.”
