Cinnamon and Sunshine

by Hollie Westring

  “It doesn’t matter. I’m not hung up on him. As a matter of fact, I was planning on going home and checking my online dating profile to see if I’ve missed out on any opportunities,” I announced, tossing my phone into my bag.

  “That sounds fun. Can we help?” Eliza asked, shooting Ivy a look that said she better stick around and help.

  I shrugged. “If you want to.”

  “Can I make scoring cards and rate the prospects based on hotness levels?” Ivy quizzed, seeming to perk up at the idea of helping me, her loser friend, try to find a date on the Internet.

  “Sure,” I agreed. “I’ll even make nachos.”

  “I’m in,” Ivy answered in a flash.

  Once we got to my cottage, I started on the nachos as Eliza played with Nutmeg and Marshmallow. Ivy was distracted by something on her phone.

  “I’ve got to run to the bathroom, but I’ll be right back,” I called out, letting the chicken simmer on the stove.

  So what if I snatched my phone out of my purse before I went into the bathroom? I was only human. I pressed the phone to my ear, sadly eager to hear Cruz’s voice.

  “Hey, Lexi. Can you give me a call back when you get a chance?”

  Well, there wasn’t much to read into on that message. His voice was level; he didn’t sound happy or sad. Hoping to get a better feel for what he wanted, I listened to the second message.

  “I’m guessing you probably forgot to charge your phone again.” He paused and sighed. “Lexi, some things have changed. We need to talk. Call me back, okay?”

  My stomach plummeted at the sound of his despondent voice, and in a desperate attempt to get away from that very sound, I dropped my phone … into the toilet.

  I didn’t need to call him back to know what he was going to say. I’d read it online. I’d seen the photos. I’d heard it in his voice on that message.

  We were through.

  Swallowing what was left of my pride, I fished my ruined phone from the toilet, tossed it in the trash can, and washed my hands with nearly scalding water. I took a deep breath, stared at my reflection in the mirror, and stiffened my spine. It was time to officially move on, so I flipped the pep switch to full blast.

  Joining the girls in the living room, I plopped down between them on the couch, reached for my laptop, and brought up the dating site I had used prior to my distraction as I now preferred to think about it. A delicious distraction, but whatever.

  “Time to shop for men,” I announced, scrolling through the profile photos and missed messages.

  “Wait! I’m not ready,” Ivy griped, grabbing a notebook and pen from the kitchen. “Aren’t you going to call Cruz back first?”

  “Can’t. My phone fell in the toilet,” I replied, pointing to a guy on the screen with black hair. “How about him?”

  “You can use my phone to call Cruz back,” Eliza offered, not even seeming surprised that my phone had fallen in the toilet.

  “Thanks, maybe later,” I said, shooting her a winning grin. “So? What do you think of this guy?” As I locked my eyes onto the screen, I could see Eliza and Ivy exchange glances out of my peripheral.

  “Uh, what does he like to do?” Eliza asked, accepting my answer and peering at the guy’s profile photo.

  “Doesn’t matter what he likes to do. Look at him. He’s ugly,” Ivy butted in, holding up a two with a frowny face. “I wanted to make a gagging face, but this is as close to it as I could come up with.” She lifted a shoulder. “Next.”

  “He’s cute,” Eliza said, pointing to another guy I’d missed a message from. Benjamin had asked to see if I wanted to meet up a few weeks ago, but I’d gotten busy with other stuff. I remembered he was a librarian, so we’d have a lot to talk about.

  “He kind of looks like a teddy bear, and he lives about forty miles away,” I said, pondering the possibilities with the blond.

  “He put down that he’s open minded. That’s a good sign,” Eliza added.

  “He looks boring,” Ivy countered. “No tats or piercings or fire lurking in his eyes.” Eliza and I both turned to her with raised brows. “What? I’ve read a few of your lovey-dovey books, Lex. I know about fire.”

  Benjamin looked nothing like Cruz. He appeared wholesome and a little chubby, but maybe he was sweet.

  “I’m sending him a message,” I decided, pressing the little envelope icon and sending the librarian a date and time for when I was free.

  CHAPTER 23

  “No way,” I said, laughing at Benjamin as he finished his burrito.

  “Way,” he replied, shaking his head in embarrassment. “How was I supposed to know the best friend of the author I was ragging on was sitting a few seats over at the book event?” He shrugged. “Anyway, it’s safe to say I am not on his good list.”

  Meeting Benjamin had turned out to be a great idea. He was cute, funny, smart, and loved to read. We’d been at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant he’d suggested for nearly two hours, and I had to admit he’d kept my attention with his ridiculous stories.

  “So, how about you? Ever meet any celebrities and embarrass yourself?” His comment caused my laughter to die off in a split second. He watched me with careful brown eyes before scooping up some rice with his fork.

  “Not much happens in Sage Springs,” I said nonchalantly, elbowing Cruz’s smirky face from the forefront of my mind.

  “You know, I like you, Lexi. You’re hot and sweet. You have a certain innocence about you, but I can’t help but notice the inquisitive part of your personality as well.” He set down his fork and ran his hand over his chin, as if thinking something over.

  I smiled across the table, basking in his compliments. “Thank you, Benjamin.”

  He nodded resolutely. “Yes, you’re exactly what we’ve been looking for.”

  “Excuse me? We?” I asked, my eyebrows inching up my forehead.

  Benjamin pulled out his phone and tapped the screen, seeming to ignore my question. “Here. What do you think?”

  I looked at the screen he had tilted my direction. Two women had their arms wrapped around Benjamin. One woman had bright red hair that fell past her shoulders and the other had spiky brown hair.

  “And these women are …” I trailed off as soon as I saw the women held each other’s hands and they were clasped over Benjamin’s heart … and he had his hands firmly cupping the women’s butts.

  “My wives,” Benjamin responded proudly, staring down at the screen. “Chelsea and Maya.”

  “Oh,” I said, my voice sounding flat as I reached for my purse. “I didn’t realize you were involved. When I saw your message on the dating site, I assumed you were single.” I took another peek at the screen before Benjamin pocketed the phone.

  “I’d like you to meet them,” Benjamin said, leaning across the table and reaching for my hand. He turned toward the bar and waved. Feeling panic work its way up the back of my neck, I froze as the women from the photo slowly made their way to our table.

  What in the heck is going on? Are they going to try to fight me or something? They can have him. It’s not like I knew he was taken. My babbling thoughts caused a switch to snap inside my brain, and I snatched my wrist out of Benjamin’s hand as Chelsea and Maya sidled up to the table.

  “She’s beautiful, Benjamin,” the dark-haired woman said as she studied me with coffee-colored eyes. “I’m Maya.” She wiggled her fingers at me in greeting. “And this is Chelsea.” She placed her small hand around the redhead’s shoulder and rubbed it.

  “She’s precisely what we’ve been looking for,” Chelsea said, brushing her red hair from her eyes before wrapping a long arm around Maya’s waist.

  Pinching my hand under the table, I yanked my eyes away from the women and shot a quick look at Benjamin, who was smiling from ear to ear.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about this. I didn’t know you, uh, were involved with him when I accepted the date,” I spit out, standing and sending the women an apologetic frown.

  “You haven�
�t explained yet?” Chelsea asked Benjamin sharply.

  “No, I wanted to get your opinions first,” Benjamin replied, continuing to talk as if I wasn’t standing right in front of them.

  “She gets a ten from me,” Maya said, running her eyes over me.

  “Same,” Chelsea agreed, leaning in to touch my hair.

  “Whoa, um, thank you for the compliment. I think? But, uh, I don’t know what’s going on, so I’m just going to …” With wild eyes, I took in the three of them before turning around.

  “Lexi, wait, you can be the fourth,” Maya called out, gaining the attention of a few restaurant patrons.

  “Excuse me?” I hissed, turning back around to refrain from drawing more attention.

  “We’re looking for a third woman in our relationship,” Chelsea said quietly.

  “Finally, the trifecta of perfection I’ve always dreamed of,” Benjamin mused, leaning down to kiss Maya on the forehead.

  Oh my word. What had I gotten myself into?

  Quickly shaking my head, I sprinted out the door and away from my date/first polygamy proposition.

  Wait until I told the ladies about this one at the next girl talk. Ivy would lose it, Eliza would probably insist on background checks from now on, and Aggie … well, Aggie would probably ask why I left so fast.

  The whole way home, every single failed date from this summer ran through my mind. By the time I pulled into my driveway, I was laughing so hard I was crying.

  “Why me?” I hiccuped, softly banging my forehead on my steering wheel.

  Honk!

  “Oops!” I giggled, exiting the car and unlocking my front door. Nutmeg bounded out into the yard, stopping for a fraction of a second to rub his head on my leg in greeting.

  “How did it go?” Dorothy asked, poofing up beside me.

  “Not good,” I snorted. “Let’s just say Benjamin has his hands full already.”

  Shooting me an expression dripping with confusion, Dorothy raised a nearly transparent shoulder. “You young people.”

  I shrugged out of my jacket and settled myself on a stool at the kitchen counter, reaching for the cookie jar. I needed positive reinforcements, and a few S’Mohr Crinkles would do the trick.

  “Lexi, what are the magical properties of the spring?” Dorothy asked, floating on the opposite side of the counter.

  I shot her a puzzled look as I bit into a cookie. “What?”

  “Humor me, dear. What are the magical properties of the spring?” She studied me with a no-nonsense expression.

  Continuing to chew my cookie, I decided to play her game. It wasn’t like I had anything better to do at the moment. A date turning into dates had a way of doing that to a person.

  “The spring can cause people to see spirits, and it can heal spirits if they are possessed by a dark entity or brought back to life,” I recited. Dorothy had drilled all the details into my head the last few months because there was no go-to guardian guide. The knowledge couldn’t be written down in case it fell into the wrong hands. “It hasn’t been tested on healing humans or animals from illnesses,” I added with a frown.

  “Why have Alamont women always been the keeper of the spring?” Dorothy shot off, tapping her fingers on the counter in a nonexistent beat.

  “Because Maci Alamont volunteered, and the tethering spell was conjured with Alamont blood, so we’re the strongest bonds.”

  “And if something should happen to you, who would be next in line?”

  I picked up a third cookie and sighed. “By the way things are looking on the dating front, I probably won’t have kids anytime soon. If I have a daughter, it’ll be her duty. If I die next week or before I have a daughter, the duty will fall to Eliza or Bianca.” Ivy was out of consideration since she had witch blood.

  “Very good,” Dorothy said with a nod. “And why is the spring kept secret?”

  “Because people like feeling important by keeping things on the lowdown,” I replied, joking.

  “Lexi,” Dorothy warned.

  “Just kidding, sheesh. Because if it fell into the wrong magical hands, it could be used as a weapon,” I answered.

  “And how do we know this?”

  “Can’t a girl eat her dating woes away without an inquisition?” I moaned. Dorothy crossed her arms and raised a brow, the same look I’d received when I was in pigtails and had tromped through her garden when my parents made a visit out here when I was younger. “Fine, we know this because the witch who cast the spell to hide it told the founding families that, so Maci tethered it to her essence to keep it hidden.”

  Dorothy nodded, watching as I ate another cookie. “You’re ready.”

  “Ready for bed? Possibly,” I agreed, wiping crumbs from my mouth. “It’s been a long night.”

  “No, dear. I can finally go on an adventure. I’m no longer bound to the area, and you know all there is to know should any situations arise,” she answered, coming to stand next to me. “I was bound to the spring for fifty-two years, dear.” She materialized her hand to pat me on the shoulder. “I’m ready to do some sightseeing—waterfalls, glaciers, cute men in kilts.” She winked at me and tittered. “I want to see some of the places I’ve read about, but don’t you worry. I’ll be back before long to check in.”

  “You’re going on a vacation?” I croaked, envisioning my frumpy ghost of a great-aunt floating along the beaches in Jamaica.

  “It’s now or never.” She giggled and flashed out only to flash right back in place. “Oh, and Lexi? You’ll make a fine guardian. You’re an Alamont through and through. Maci would be proud.” She smiled warmly and waved goodbye before disappearing again.

  “Looks like it’s just you and me, guys,” I sighed, scooping up Marshmallow as Nutmeg scratched at the back door, waiting to be let back in. “Just you and me.”

  CHAPTER 24

  “Eliza,” I called out the following evening as I bounced through Cedar Inn’s front door. By the looks of it, there weren’t any guests staying at the inn, and that could mean bad things for me if Aggie was feeling frisky. I stood frozen in the foyer, afraid of what I might see if I walked any farther. “Eliza?”

  “Hey!” she said, coming down the stairs while pulling her auburn hair into a ponytail. “Thanks for coming.”

  “Sure, it’s not like I had anything better to do,” I said with a shrug.

  “What? You’re not returning Benjamin’s calls?” she joked. I’d filled her in on the mishap earlier when she’d dropped by my place to ask me to come over and help her with wedding details this evening.

  “Not funny,” I replied with a grimace. “I mean, I’m all for living life and everything, but being asked to be a fourth in a relationship is a little much. Okay, a lot much.” I shook my head and followed Eliza toward the kitchen. “Are we the only ones here tonight?”

  “Yeah.” Eliza stopped abruptly outside the doorway to the kitchen and shot me an apologetic look. “I forgot the catalog with the invitations upstairs. Let me go get it. You go ahead and get settled.” She motioned toward the door with a flick of her wrist before she darted back through the hallway and into the foyer.

  “Grab your computer while you’re at it. We should preview some of the bands auditioning for your reception,” I called behind her. A soft click coming from the front door was all the reply I got. Weird. She must have left her laptop in her car.

  I wonder if Aggie has anything to eat. I could so use a—

  “What the heck?” I took one step into the kitchen before I took two steps in retreat.

  Eliza and I were definitely not alone in the house.

  “Hey, Sunshine,” Cruz said, his tone gentle and his eyes soft.

  “Cruz,” I returned politely, a thousand thoughts running through my mind. Where was Eliza? Why hadn’t she mentioned Cruz was here? What was Cruz doing here? Did that mean his girlfriend was also here? Why did he have to look so darn cute? Why did my heart start swelling at the sight of him?

  “How are you?” he as
ked as my gaze fluttered to the kitchen table that was set for two. Candle flames flickered and created romantic shadows against the walls. Oh my gosh. I’d just walked in on some amorous dinner for Cruz and his new flame. My eyes darted back to Cruz, who had an apron tied around his waist and a spatula in one hand.

  He was cooking for her.

  “I’m okay,” I croaked out, begging my eyes not to fill with tears. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. Eliza just went to grab something. I’ll go wait for her upstairs.” I only took one step before Cruz called out.

  “Wait a sec. Why would you be interrupting?” he asked, coming around the corner and stalking toward me. His spicy citrus scent hit me hard, and I gulped.

  I looked at him, not sure he could be any more dense. “Uh, well, you’ve obviously got plans with your girlfriend.” I raised a trembling hand and pointed to the table.

  Cruz took another step toward me and crooked his finger at me. “Come here.”

  Checking quickly to see if the redhead was around, I obliged. I wasn’t sure why I obliged, but I blamed my hormones. And his scent. His darn scent that was like a spiderweb—it drew me in so he could finish me off.

  “I did make this dinner for my girlfriend.” He dipped his head to meet my eyes, which were busy staring at his pecs that were prominently defined under his dark long-sleeved shirt. A girl could look, right? “But somehow I don’t think we’re on the same page. Why didn’t you call me back?”

  My eyes shot to his as a spark of disbelief flashed through me. “Me? Why didn’t I call you back? Why didn’t you text me back, huh?” I poked a pink fingernail into the very pec I’d been admiring seconds before. “Oh, that’s right. You were too busy moving on to the leggy redhead.” I pursed my lips and huffed indignantly as he grabbed the hand that was jabbing him in the chest and smoothed it out, opening my hand so it was resting on his heart.

  “Lexi, I tried calling. Have you ever been to rural Wyoming? It’s not exactly made for cell phone reception,” he said, placing his warm hand over mine as I felt the rhythmic thump of his heartbeat. “I called you as soon as I could. After the shoot in Wyoming, I had to do Ghost Fest.”