Southern Spells (Sweet Tea Witch Mysteries Book 2)

by Amy Boyles

  SEVENTEEN

  We sat in Axel’s kitchen. What was it with me seeing naked men this week? Crap! I’d forgotten all about helping Mayor Potion this morning. Hopefully, Grandma had dealt with it. Otherwise, this town was about to have a heart attack—their werewolf had run free (luckily no one knew) and their mayor was a drunk who wound up naked and downtown every morning.

  Sheesh. What a town Magnolia Cove was turning out to be.

  Axel had showered, dressed and was making a pot of coffee in his express Bunn machine. He dropped in some grounds, pressed a button and in about two seconds had a full pot of coffee.

  Wow. It was like a miracle or something.

  He was now also fully dressed in a long-sleeved black rib-hugging t-shirt and jeans that hung low on his hips.

  I nearly drooled onto the chair next to me.

  And yes, I did see him in the buff, but I tried really hard not to look and all I’ll say is he’s seriously built.

  Axel slid a cup of coffee over to me. I picked it up and inhaled deeply. “Thanks.”

  We both sipped our coffee. I cringed at the bitterness. Axel’s blue eyes dragged from my face. He reached for a glass jar and uncapped it. He pushed it over. Filled to the brim were colorful jelly beans.

  “What?” I said.

  He shrugged. “I thought you might like them.”

  My heart fluttered up to my mouth. I swallowed it as I tossed a few jelly beans in my cup. I stirred them in and drank.

  “Better,” I said.

  “You’re the only person I’ve ever met who sweetens drinks with jelly beans.”

  I flashed him a bright smile. “You’re the only person I’ve met who keeps them around for me.”

  His smile tightened as if I’d said something I shouldn’t. “Do you need to call Betty or your cousins?”

  I cringed. “Yes! I left my phone in the forest.”

  He handed me his. “Here you go.”

  I texted Amelia. I’m fine. Werewolf is contained. I’ll explain everything later.

  A minute passed before his phone dinged. It was Amelia. Whose phone are you texting from?

  I didn’t know what to say. I’ll explain but I’m okay.

  Axel came around the counter and sat in the chair next to me. His clean scent of pine trickled up my nose. His hair was slowly drying. The ends curled as the air hit it.

  “So now you know,” he said, not looking at me.

  “And knowing is half the battle.”

  He smirked. I had the feeling he wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “This isn’t GI Joe. This is real life.”

  I squirmed a little, not sure what to do, but then I tossed my hair back and figured, what the heck? Life is about living—I wasn’t going to let this little hiccup freak me out.

  “You kissed me yesterday,” I said.

  Axel raked his fingers through his hair. “I was going to tell you today. It wasn’t fair of me to keep it from you. But the way you found out—I didn’t want that, either. I didn’t want you to fear me.”

  I shook my head. “I’m not afraid of you.”

  His gaze dropped to the floor. “Pepper, I saw the look in your eyes when you realized it was me. You were horrified.”

  “That’s a strong word.”

  “But it’s the right one.”

  I inhaled a deep shot of air. “It’s not every day I see a werewolf shift, okay? It was surprising. But back in the hedges, after Rufus showed up, I looked at you and you didn’t attack me.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Rufus attacked you?”

  I gnawed the inside of my lip. “You don’t remember?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t remember anything when I’m in that state. That’s why Betty guards me. I can’t be trusted, Pepper. Not when I’m like that. I can’t be trusted around anyone. It doesn’t matter who they are.”

  I reached out and stroked his arm. He flinched. I pressed my fingers to him again. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. Something registered in your brain when I aimed the gun at you. You either realized it was me or you knew danger when you saw it, because you ran away.”

  His blue eyes darkened with anger. “And you followed me?”

  “Well, yeah. I had to make sure you weren’t going to hurt anyone.”

  He sank back in his chair. “And that’s the truth of it. I get locked up on full moons because I’m a danger to people.”

  “How long does the full moon last?”

  “For me, only one night. But when you look in the sky you’ll think about 3 nights.”

  “That’s only one night a month that you’re a werewolf.”

  “Sometimes two. When there’s a blue moon.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Are you serious? Rufus is out there playing vampire on people and you’ve got a complex about turning into a werewolf twelve times a year? I think you’re making this a bigger issue than it really is.”

  His jaw twitched as he shook his head. “You don’t know what it’s like.”

  I shrugged. “I know what a lot of things are like. I know what being irresponsible is like. I know what losing a loved one is like. I even know what putting your trust in the wrong person feels like. I know all those things and from the little I know about you, I believe that you’re one of the good guys. Someone worth putting faith in. Someone who’s not going to let me down unless it’s unavoidable, and someone who wouldn’t normally hurt me. You know when you shift. You can look it up on your phone, for Pete’s sake. So what are you getting your panties all up in a wad about?”

  Axel got off the stool and crossed to a window. He glanced out. Sunshine splashed across his face. The crinkles next to his eyes pinched as he stared out.

  “People judge me.”

  “People judge all of us. You live in the South. If you don’t go to church people either judge you or they try to get you to go with them. Some of the staunchest folks in that church will condemn you to an eternity in brimstone and fire if you don’t live the right way. Are you telling me that you, Axel Reign, private investigator and werewolf, are a little freaked out by what other people think?”

  He shook his head. “No. I don’t care about them. I care about you.”

  “You have a funny way of showing it. You’ve barely been around since Todd Turnkey tried to kill me.”

  “Not by choice.”

  Todd Turnkey was a past police officer in town who had killed his uncle, Ebenezer Goldmiser, though I had been suspected of the murder.

  As if.

  I didn’t go around killing people.

  I folded my arms. “By what then if not by your own choice? Some fear that I’ll discover you’re a big bad werewolf who’s going to kill me? You saved me tonight. If it hadn’t been for you, Rufus would’ve killed me. Or done whatever it is he wants with me— weird squirrelly guy that he is.”

  He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes. “I was going to tell you anyway. I made that decision when I kissed you.”

  I clicked my tongue. “Then what are we arguing about?”

  He turned to me. Deep, dark pain that must’ve been nearly as old as he was shone in his gaze. “People fear what they don’t understand, so they fear me. That’s why I sit at a table way in the back of the Spellin’ Skillet, to keep people from walking out.”

  I smiled at him. “If they knew you, they wouldn’t walk out at all. I’m not trying to blow sunshine up your butt or anything, but if it weren’t for you, we never would’ve found the cat that helped us solve Ebenezer Goldmiser’s murder. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have known that my powers can cause me serious harm if I don’t use them every once in a while. If it weren’t for you—well, I wouldn’t have experienced that awesome kiss yesterday.”

  His mouth ticked up a bit, curling into a crooked smile.

  “You’re not an evil monster, and whoever told you that wasn’t your friend. I’m your friend and I can see that you aren’t. So I think you should take that as gospel truth. Oh, and you’re welcome.”
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br />   He chuckled. “You know what I like about you?”

  “No, and I really think you need to tell me because I’ve blown my hand by telling you what I think of you.”

  He slowly crossed to me. Axel slid his fingers down my arms and took my hands. I stared into the shining blue ocean of his eyes. “I think you’re kind and brave.”

  I pulled back, laughing. “You’re kidding, right? Me, brave?”

  “You’re a fool if you don’t see that. You came to Magnolia Cove not knowing anyone. You embraced your shop and sneaked around trying to figure out who was a killer.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “I might call that more stupid than brave.”

  His eyes twinkled. “Ah, I see. You can give a compliment, but you can’t take one.”

  I bristled. “I can take a compliment.”

  “Then take the one I just gave you.”

  “Fine. Thank you for saying all those nice things about me.”

  He squeezed my hands. “There you go.”

  “Even if they’re not exactly true.”

  “Buzzkill. Right there.”

  Our gazes locked and we both laughed. He pulled me to him, wrapping me in a giant bear hug. Heat from his body wafted into me, warming me to the bone. I sighed. He drew away and brushed a strand of hair from my eyes. He dipped his head and our lips met. Sweet, hot fire spread along my neck, sending a tingle filtering through my body.

  I wanted to give in to it. Let him kiss me forever, but I was determined to keep my head screwed on straight and do everything I could exactly right. Magnolia Cove was my chance to start over.

  When our lips parted, I said, “I accept what you are. It doesn’t bother me. At all. I don’t want you to doubt that.”

  He nodded. “I know you just got out of something. How about we go slow?”

  “And how about if you have any more deep dark secrets, you trust me. I don’t judge books by their covers.”

  He nodded. “When I start eating baby goats I’ll let you know.”

  I poked his ribs. “That’s gross.”

  He shrugged. “It’s what most folks think.”

  I shot him a flirty smile. “I’m not most folks.”

  Axel rested his hands behind him on the low countertop. He dragged his gaze over me. Heat blazed in his eyes, making my stomach quiver. “You, Pepper Dunn, aren’t like anyone I’ve ever met before.”

  Since I wasn’t interested in becoming a puddle of mush on his floor, I cocked my chin and said, “And I’ve never met a werewolf before, either. But I sure do like the way you kiss.”

  He chuckled. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

  I stuffed my cast iron riding skillet in Axel’s truck, as it wouldn’t fit in the Mustang. We rolled through town and arrived at Betty’s house a few minutes later.

  Axel shut off the engine. “Wait.”

  He got out, crossed to my side and opened the door. “Thank you,” I said.

  We climbed the steps and entered the house. Betty sat in her rocker, facing the door. “Well, I see someone’s been kissing again.”

  My face flushed.

  “And I also see you discovered who the town werewolf is.”

  “She knows,” Axel confirmed.

  Betty spat into the fire. It hissed and crackled. Geez. I just realized that woman ran a fire no matter what time of year it was. Right now, it was late summer and she’d been running that thing ever since I arrived. But miraculously, it didn’t heat the house to inferno degrees.

  “It’s probably best that she found out,” Betty said.

  “Were Amelia and Cordelia very worried?” I said. “I sent Amelia a text.”

  “They were. When they came to and couldn’t find hide nor hair of you, they called me. ‘Course, I didn’t know where you were, but then Amelia said she’d heard from you.” She gave me a hard look. “You broke the only rule.”

  “Rufus showed up. Tried to take me.”

  Her eyes flared. “Well, he should be gone now. The spell that allowed him to enter finished.”

  “But that’s twice he came to me yesterday,” I said. “He was supposed to be under surveillance.”

  Betty frowned. “Somebody probably fell asleep on the job. Or he gave them the slip.”

  Axel shook his head. “No one was supposed to sleep. Extra precautions were supposed to be set.”

  “Rufus got by them,” I said. I rubbed my arms. “Do you think he’ll be able to sneak in?”

  Axel shook his head. “No. Several witches created the original spell. No way.”

  I nodded. “That makes me feel safer.”

  “But now,” Betty said, “we’ve got other things to worry about.”

  Fear spiked down my spine. “What?”

  Betty smacked her lips and said, “Your aunts called.”

  “So early?”

  Betty shook her head. “No. They called last night.”

  “What is it? Is everything okay?”

  “No everything’s not okay. They need you.”

  I cringed. What could they possibly need me for? Everywhere they went, trouble ensued. At first, I thought my grandmother and sisters were exaggerating, but now I knew they were right.

  I fiddled with the collar of my shirt. “What could they possibly need me for?”

  Betty’s hard stare made my knees liquify. “They want to take you shopping.”

  EIGHTEEN

  Mint and Licky picked me up at ten am. On the dot. Which scared me a little. Weren’t they supposed to be late and irresponsible?

  Apparently not when it came to taking their favorite new-in-town niece out for some fresh clothes and witchy things.

  Since it was Tuesday, Familiar Place was closed, as were a few other shops, though some bucked the regular off day and opened.

  “We wanted to apologize for getting you in trouble with Leona,” Mint said.

  “It wasn’t nice of us to make you get our food without telling the truth,” Licky said.

  “You got that right,” I grumbled.

  Mint put her hands on my shoulders. “Anyway, we’re going to take you to one of our favorite stores in town. It’s over by Spellin’ Skillet.”

  “What is it?” I said.

  Licky waved her hand dismissively. “Oh, you’ll love it.”

  The fact that they didn’t answer my question didn’t give me much confidence. But I was willing to try anything once. I got on my broom and followed them as we flew over the trees and houses of downtown, landing by the Spellin’ Skillet a few minutes later.

  I’d been over here a few times, and the words over the restaurant took so much of my attention, I hadn’t really noticed the fact that a couple of other stores were perched right beside it. The wooden porch wrapped over to the neighbor shops and the purple awning drooped, creating a cover.

  “Witch’s Wardrobe. So what do they sell?”

  Licky squeezed my hand. “Everything. Even wands.”

  “Wands? Do people use those?”

  Mint tossed her long hair over one shoulder. “Some do. Come on.”

  We entered the store. The inside was an explosion of color. There were tops and gowns, pants and skirts in all hues and patterns. Shoes and striped socks, pointy hats and attachable bat’s wings for when you felt like looking like a bat, I suppose. Everything top to bottom was either something a witch wore to look more like a witch, or it was perfectly normal so that you could fit into regular society.

  “Well, I declare,” came a voice from my right. “If it isn’t the new familiar matcher—Pepper Dunn.”

  I glanced into the smiling face of Idie Claire Hawker, the town’s local hair stylist and gossip. “Hey there, Idie,” I said.

  Idie fluffed her mountain of teased and sprayed hair. “Hey, yourself. I see you’ve brought your wonderful aunts. Hey, Mint! Hey, Licky!”

  My aunts waved as they scrolled through the racks of clothing.

  Idie sidled up to me. “Watch it with those two,” she said. “They’re trouble.�
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  I stifled a laugh. “You don’t have to tell me. They’ve already gotten me into a heap with Leona Doodle.”

  Idie’s mouth puckered into an o. “Really?” She glanced from side to side to make sure no one was listening. “Well, from what I’ve heard, Leona has her own troubles.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you know the festival is still going on, except not as bright as it normally is because of Melbalean’s death.”

  “Sure,” I said.

  “From what I understand, last night Leona acted really strangely. She attacked some people.”

  I shrugged. “I mean, she almost attacked me when she found out I was buying food for my aunts. Apparently, they’re on some Do Not Serve list.”

  Idie swallowed. “That’s not what I mean. What I’m saying is it was a full-fledged attack. Like she went after them with a spatula and had to be pulled off a man.”

  I tapped my lip. “Wow. That is weird.”

  She leaned forward. “Just between you and me, they’re saying she went feral.”

  I frowned. “Feral?”

  “Umm-hmm.” She smiled brightly. “Anyway, come in and see me sometime. I’d love to get my hands on that beautiful hair of yours. Give you a little snip snip and style it a bit. You have gorgeous locks.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I waved as she left.

  There was something strange about what she said. Leona had gone feral. A chicken had attacked Betty, Melbalean had been slashed to death, and even the birds at my store had attacked Rufus in almost a feral, unhinged manner.

  There was something there, but I wasn’t sure what.

  Mint grabbed my arm. “There’s something we want to show you.”

  “It’s the reason we came here,” Licky said.

  They dragged me to the back of the store where a seven-foot-tall oak wardrobe stood open. In it hung a black dress with sharp scalloped edges, making it look like a true witch outfit for Halloween.

  “What’s that?” I said.

  “This,” Mint said with authority, “is what’s called a Flutter Dress.”

  I quirked a brow. “Never heard of such a thing. Does it talk?”

  Licky trilled a light laugh. “No, sweetheart. It helps you do things. Like if you’re going to a dance, you’d wear this dress or another one with the same magic, and wear it. The gown would help you be a better dancer.”