Haven Witches

by Emma Watts

  “You’re just like your mother.”

  I stopped in my tracks and turned. “What did you say?”

  “I think you heard me. It was a compliment.”

  “You knew my mother?”

  “And your father.”

  I swallowed hard. How could this be? I racked my brain trying to make sense of it. I looked up towards the house. What had Jamie not told me? Who was this person?

  “Who are you?” I asked.

  “I told you. Ivy Finkle, owner of…”

  “Afterlife Antiques and Books. Yeah, yeah, I get that part. I mean… who are you?”

  “All in good time, Kelly. First, we need to do something about those wounds of yours.”

  “Wounds?”

  “The deepest wounds, Kelly, aren’t always the ones others can see. Listen, tomorrow I will give you a tour around this little fishing town,” Ivy offered reaching down and picking up a sea shell. “There is a lot to learn about this town if you are going to be of use to it. I will need to bring you up to speed. Dark forces are at work and well, I didn’t realize how damaged you were.”

  “Damaged. Dark forces? Okay, what on earth are you on about?”

  “To many questions. The answers will come soon enough but I must ask you something first. I have to gauge where we are at. Have you noticed anything strange about your life?”

  “You mean the fact I don’t have a good man, or a good job, and I’m now living with my younger brother? Oh no, nothing strange.”

  “Do you ever hear voices? See things that are there one minute, gone the next?”

  “Are you sure you are not a psychologist? As this all sounds like a lot of psychobabble to me.”

  Ivy sucked air between her teeth. “Yep, we have a lot of work to do. Meet me tomorrow. We will go for lunch and begin there.”

  Before I could protest or even get a word in edgeways, Ivy took off down the beach. “Ivy!”

  “Midday, my dear. Midday. Lots of work to be done. Not sure if you’re ready. I have to go see someone now. This is very concerning. Very concerning, indeed.”

  I stood there as the tide came in to kiss the shore, utterly perplexed by this woman who reminded me of Yoda. I clenched my jaw together. Out of all the people in the town that my brother could have introduced me to, and I ended up with the town lunatic. It seemed nice to have moved to a small town but now I was beginning to think that perhaps it wasn’t a good idea.

  I headed back up to the house just looking to get some peace and quiet. Jamie must have seen that I was disturbed as he called out to me and I waited for him to catch up. I mean, I wasn’t upset, so to speak, just a little turned off by the whole incident. Who was this woman?

  “I just met Ivy Finkle.”

  “You did? I didn’t even know she was here,” he said casting his gaze around looking for her.

  “She blindsided me out on the beach.”

  “Oh great. How did it go?”

  “Who is she, Jamie? She knew our mother and father. Did you know that?”

  He frowned. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Are you sure? Because she seemed to know.”

  He put a hand on my shoulder and led me through into a back room where it was quieter. When we entered he closed the doors behind him. Inside was a game room. There was a large pool table in the middle of the room, a dart board at the far end and a massive flat-screen TV with multiple sofas positioned on tiers to give it that cinema experience. Nothing about his home was average or below par. He had gone all out and bought the best.

  “She approached me. We started chatting and before I knew it, I had told her about you going through a divorce. It just came out of me. In fact I wasn’t even thinking about you at the time. One second I was talking about my life, the next I had the idea to have you come and stay out here.”

  “Did she suggest it?”

  “No. I mean, maybe. I can’t remember. The whole conversation is a bit of a blur, come to think of it.”

  My eyebrow arched, and I leaned back against the pool table. “Well, it seems a little odd that she would know our mother and father. Did you recall telling her about them?”

  “No.”

  “And you’d never had a conversation with her before?”

  “Nope.”

  I walked around the table contemplating it all. Maybe I was overthinking it. Perhaps Jamie was in a dazed state at the time. Having had one too many and he couldn’t remember dropping our family name.

  “Anyway, did you accept her offer?”

  “No, I didn’t. She wants to take me out for lunch tomorrow. Give me a tour of the island.”

  “Oh that’s nice.”

  “Jamie.”

  “Okay, maybe not. Look, you’ve got to know I just had your best interests at heart. I can’t be held responsible for the oddballs and weirdos you might meet in this town. Look, I’ve got to get back to the party. Come on, I’ll introduce you to a few other folks who are less than strange.”

  “Actually I think I should go and unpack. I’m still pretty tired after the journey.”

  He nodded and walked over and gave me a hug. “It’s good to have you here, sis. Anything you need, just ask. Okay? Make yourself at home. Mi casa es su casa.”

  “When did you take up Spanish?”

  “I didn’t, but it works real well with the ladies,” he said flashing a smile and heading out. I remained there for a few more minutes before heading off to unpack my belongings.

  Chapter 3

  My eyes fluttered as I woke the next morning inside the fresh bed to the sound of the ocean and a warm breeze blowing in through the partially open window. It had been the best sleep I’d had in years. Perhaps it was the fresh air? I remained there for a few minutes just taking in the sight of the room and finding comfort in the new life before me. At least it felt that way. Then, like a bad memory, the strange encounter I’d had with Ivy washed over me and I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. If I was honest, I really didn’t want to go gallivanting around the town and getting the old woman’s hopes up that I would take on her store. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a storeowner, let alone stay in Haven. In many ways I’d seen this move as a means to start afresh, head west and visit a few of the cities up and down the coast.

  I glanced over at the boxes that I still hadn’t got around to unpacking. There were just too many. Most of it would remain in boxes as it was décor from my old home, the rest was clothing and being as I was unsure how long I would stay; I didn’t know if it was worth lugging it all out only to have to put it all back again.

  On top of a box was a framed photo, I remembered the picture that was inside. The one of my wedding to Brian. My marriage had been good at one time. It wasn’t like he had cheated on me or anything like that. We had simply grown apart. He’d become interested in going out all the time, I was more of a homebody that preferred to tinker around the house, read, watch shows and occasionally go on a vacation. But it wasn’t that which had torn us apart, it was… well, I couldn’t even put my finger on it. All I could remember was the arguments. Arguing all the time. Eventually I couldn’t deal with it any longer and though I would have remained with him, he finally got the gumption to pack his bags and tell me that it was over. From there on out things just got worse. What should have been an amicable divorce turned into a nasty battle over who got what in the house and so on.

  I slipped out of bed at the sound of my phone ringing. One look at the caller ID and it brought a smile to my face. It was Madison Warren, my one and only true friend. That was probably the hardest part about leaving New Jersey. Madison was married and had two kids so it wasn’t like she could up and move, however, had she been single she would have gone with me in a heartbeat. In many ways our relationship was a lot like the movie Thelma and Louise. We were tight-knit and if hadn’t been for her; I wasn’t sure I would have navigated the waters of divorce.

  “Hello darlin’,” Madison said. “So, did you arrive in one piece?�
��

  “I did, but the car didn’t.”

  She chuckled. “I told you, you should have rented.”

  “Costs too much money,” we both said together.

  “So what’s it like?”

  I cast my eyes around the room and got up and headed over to the veranda. A seagull wheeled overhead screeching. “It’s beautiful, Madison. Really. And you should see Jamie’s home.”

  “I already have.”

  “Oh right, you tune into him.”

  “He’s a hoot. Is he there? I was hoping to speak to him.”

  “I don’t think Nigel would like that.”

  Nigel was her husband of six years. He was an accountant by trade. I honestly couldn’t understand what Madison saw in him. He was everything she was not. They were complete opposites but Madison said that’s why their relationship worked.

  “Ah, he can put a sock in it.”

  I eyed Jamie down at the beach running along with Winnie. They both had abundant energy. More energy than I did. Who on earth went running at… I glanced at my watch. “Nine in the morning?”

  “What?” Madison said.

  “It’s already nine.”

  “Don’t tell me you just rolled out of bed.”

  I leaned against the railing and looked down to see Henry standing near the pool with a towel in hand for a young, leggy blonde that was getting out. Jamie had obviously had fun last night. At least one of us did.

  “Look, I have to get cracking on this day. I have a madwoman who wants to see me at noon, a job to find and well… Hollywood moguls to schmooze,” I said before breaking into a chuckle.

  “Well you be sure to tell Tom Cruise my bed is always open to him if he’s ever in my neck of the woods.”

  I laughed. Madison had this thing for Tom. Not the Tom of today, the one from the ’80s. Top Gun Tom, she called him. That uniform. Those aviator glasses. She would drift off into a daydream just talking about him. Who was I to say she didn’t stand a chance?

  “I will do. Call you tonight.”

  “Yeah, remember, just because you’re out there it doesn’t mean we can’t chat. Get on Skype. I want to see your face. I’m not going to have you pulling the wool over my eyes.”

  “I will, gotta go.”

  I hung up. Wool over her eyes. I chuckled. Madison was more concerned about my life than her own. Though it was good to hear her voice again.

  After taking a shower and getting dressed, I joined Jamie for breakfast after he’d sent his younger female companion home. He’d never been for dating anyone his own age. They always had to be a few years younger. That morning Jamie was quieter than usual. I could tell his mind was occupied with everything he had to get done that day. I attempted to start a conversation but got the sense that he didn’t usually spend his morning chatting while he had breakfast. Every few seconds he would tap the Bluetooth device on his ear and start talking away. Technology seemed to be taking over everyone’s lives. That was one thing I had hoped the small town wasn’t consumed by. Back in Jersey, you couldn’t go a few yards down the road without bumping into the modern-day zombie. Everyone was constantly gazing at their phones. People couldn’t be that busy? Most weren’t. They were just updating their social media with the latest selfie. The world had turned into a narcissistic cesspool. Perhaps it had always been that way, just now people had the means to express it.

  I sat in silence chewing away at my toast and sipping on fresh coffee that Henry had brought in. I brought up the local real estate companies and began scouring to see what I would have to pay to get a one-bedroom apartment. My eyes widened at the cost of homes near the ocean. Of course there were apartments but many of them were dank, dreary-looking abodes that I wouldn’t have let a dog sleep in.

  For the rest of the morning I went about unpacking my belongings and counting down to when I would meet Ivy. Jamie stuck his head inside the bedroom door.

  “Hey, I have to nip out. I just wanted to let you know that you can take one of the cars with you if you like.”

  “One?”

  “A man can’t have too many vehicles.”

  “I think he can.”

  “Anyway, Henry will give you keys to a vehicle. I will see you this evening, okay?”

  I nodded and smiled.

  “Hey Kelly. Are you sure you don’t want me to take you around the town? I can phone this Ivy woman and tell her you’re not interested, that you had some other offer come up, if you want?”

  I waved him off. “No, I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, I would like to know how she knows our parents.”

  “Yes, I’m coming,” he said. And just like that, he was back on the phone again. He waved and disappeared out of the room. After placing the final piece of clothing in the closet, I heaved a sigh and stepped outside onto the veranda just in time to see Jamie peel away in a jet-black Ferrari.

  * * *

  Ivy devoured a cream cake in two bites. I mean, seriously, this woman could put away pastry like it was going out of business. After I arrived outside her store, she’d taken me a few blocks down the road to a little café called Logan’s Café. It was at the heart of a town square which was surrounded by rows of businesses. The square also was used as a marketplace, park and place for arts and crafts.

  “Not bad, eh?” Ivy said reaching for her third pastry.

  “The cakes or the eye candy?” I said, glancing at the beefcake behind the counter. Logan Carter wore a ball cap, a plaid shirt and a white V-neck. He had this handsome, rugged, boyish charm to him that seemed to capture the attention of several of the females in the café. The café itself was spacious and located at the corner of Main and Wellington. It had huge windows that let lots of natural light flood in. The café itself had a ’50s theme to it. Red leather seating with booths near the windows and a counter that stretched from one end of the café to the other. Ivy glanced over to him.

  “Oh, Logan. Rumor has it he’s just come out of a relationship.” She grinned. For the past hour she had taken me on a tour of the town, led me into different stores and introduced me to everyone and their uncle. I’d shaken hands with more people than I had in my entire life. I downed the remainder of my coffee and pushed a crumb-filled plate away from me.

  “I can’t eat another bite.”

  “Get used to it. Homes here might be expensive but the food isn’t.”

  She raised a hand to a young girl with long dark hair who looked to be about nineteen. According to Ivy, her name was Sylvia.

  “Check please.”

  Sylvia nodded and told her that she’d be right there.

  “So I still need to know. How do you know my parents?”

  “Your mother Diana, we attended the same college together. Lovely woman.”

  “And my father?”

  “I was there for their wedding. You were only a little tot back then, so I doubt you’d remember me.”

  I made a hmm sound and tried to recall her but it was tough. My mother and father had waited a long time to get married. Both Jamie and I had been born long before they decided to tie the knot. While her account of knowing my parents didn’t seem believable, who else could I ask? I didn’t have any grandparents and I’d never really got to know either side of the family. Unlike other families that got together at least once a year, our family had kept to themselves, living out a modest existence in a suburb in New Jersey. My father had worked in construction and my mother was a librarian. Nothing about our life was extraordinary. In many ways we were as ordinary as could be.

  “Come on, I’ll show you around some more.”

  “You already have.”

  I got up and Logan tossed a tea towel over his shoulder and eyed me. “Nice to have met you, Kelly. Drop in again sometime.”

  “I’ll be sure to do that.”

  He smiled as he returned to wiping down the counter. As we headed out into the square, a guy playing a fiddle had drawn a crowd. He had it hooked up to a small amp and was tearing up and down the fretboar
d like a pro. Ivy tossed in a few coins and dragged me away before I even had a chance to enjoy the music. Over the next ten minutes she led me through the town pointing out different stores and providing a backstory on each. She told me which people to stay away from and those that were trustworthy as long as you were good to them.

  “You’ll come to see this town is full of secrets, Kelly. People live one way in the day and go a little crazy at night. Parties are common but don’t be fooled into thinking that what you see on the surface is what is actually going on. It’s all smoke and mirrors. This town has a rich history.”

  “Founding families?”

  “No. I mean, of course every town has a core group of families that were here from the start but there’s nothing I can tell you that you won’t eventually find out. If you decide to take on the store.”

  I stopped walking and grimaced. “About that. Ivy, you’re a nice person and I appreciate you taking me out for lunch and giving me the tour but I’ve given it a lot of thought and I think it would be best if I found a regular job here in town.” I turned back towards Logan’s Café. “In fact I saw a ‘We’re Hiring’ sign in Logan’s window. I thought that might be a nice place to work.”

  Ivy laughed and curled her arm around mine. “That sign has been in that window for three years. He’s not hiring. I mean, he is hiring but you won’t get hired there.”

  “And why not? I know how to make a cup of coffee.”

  “Because he’s very picky. Sure, he has abs for miles and will make you go weak in the knees with those ocean-blue eyes, but he is not the man you want to work for. Nope. Get your coffee and pastries from there but that’s it. Now come along, I want to show you the store before you make a decision.”

  I went to say something, but she cut me off by pointing out a few more places like a local bar that sold the best fish and chips meals, and a store that was great for home décor and another that would give her the best deal on clothes. As we continued walking down towards the ocean, I could see why anyone could fall in love with the town. It had that old-school charm that made you feel like more than a face in the crowd. Pedestrians filling up the streets waved to Ivy, and she called out a few names and asked how they were doing. It seemed almost too perfect. A breeze made its way up to my nostrils, carrying the smell of salt and fish. In the distance I could see fishermen hauling in their catch for the day. Ivy said that all the fish consumed in the town was fresh. That was one of the many pros of living by the ocean. Several boats bobbed up and down on the glassy waters as a bright sun shone down. In the distance I could see a white lighthouse with a red top.