Dear Reader,
Cat’s Paw Cove is a magical town dreamed up by Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean, a charming seaside paradise where cats are king, and anything is possible. We are so excited to bring you not only our own stories, but also contributions from an incredibly talented group of Guest Authors. With paranormal and mystery romance, time travel, and more, there’s something for everyone.
We hope you’ll enjoy reading the series as much as we enjoy writing it. For more information about the Cat’s Paw Cove series, please visit http://CatsPawCoveRomance.com.
Happy reading!
Wynter Daniels & Catherine Kean
A Witch in Time
Welcome to Cat’s Paw Cove, Florida—an enchanting seaside town and favorite tourist destination. But there’s something unusual about the locals, both human and feline. The popular Shipwreck Museum might just take you back in time, and the historic Sherwood House holds secrets, old and new.
Adopt a furever friend at the Cove Cat Café, treat yourself to a psychic reading at Eye of Newt metaphysical shop, pick up a special trinket from Black Cat Antiquities. And don’t be surprised if you find your heart in the magic of Cat’s Paw Cove.
In a violent storm in 1645, Colin Wilshire’s Barbados-bound ship is swept off course. He’s sure he and his pregnant bride are fated to drown when he’s tossed into the sea. He wakes in a strange land and is saved by a blue-haired angel.
Twenty-first-century witch and cat rescuer Luna Halpern has fallen for more than her share of unsuitable guys—including one with a long-distance fiancé, and another who was more interested in other dudes than in Luna. Finally, a safe, drama-free guy is interested in her, and she’s confident that she’ll muster up an attraction to him. When she stumbles upon a handsome, mysterious man who speaks oddly, seems not to know where he is, or even what century it is, her first instinct is to help him.
Certain he’s either stuck in a crazy dream or in limbo between life and death, Colin stays close to Luna. As his feelings for her grow, he’s forced to choose between his obligations in the past and his hopes for the future.
A WITCH IN TIME
A Cat’s Paw Cove Story
Copyright © 2019 by Wynter Daniels & Catherine Kean
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the authors.
This book is a work of fiction. All characters, events, scenes, plots and associated elements remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of Wynter Daniels, Catherine Kean, and CPC Publishing LLC and their affiliates or licensors.
Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the authors or CPC Publishing LLC.
Published in the United States of America.
Cover designed by Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
About the Authors
Chapter One
Luna opened her eyes and gazed up at an ominously black sky. Shivering against the damp wind, she tried to get her bearings.
Where am I?
And why was the ground moving? Not moving exactly, more like rocking. She inhaled and detected the salty smell of the sea. Propping herself up on her elbows, she scanned the surroundings. She was alone on the deck of an old-fashioned ship, like the one they’d raised from the harbor—which had been turned into the Shipwreck Museum.
The floorboards creaked nearby. Then she saw him—a man, leaning on the railing, facing the water. In the darkness, she could only make out his silhouette—a little taller than her brother Leo, and more broad-shouldered. The man’s long hair blew around his face and neck, and his loose white shirt billowed in the wind. Gripping the railing, he turned his head her way.
Luna gulped, but knew immediately that he didn’t see her. Still, she couldn’t stop staring at him. He was…ridiculously handsome.
Only in my dreams….
She studied his strong jaw, chin, and cheekbones. His dark brows knotted. Until his eyes found Luna’s, and his gaze trailed down her body, heating her skin as if he’d actually touched her.
Tendrils of desire spread through her.
Ding, ding, ding.
The unwelcome noise yanked her from the dream.
No! She hadn’t even gotten to kiss him.
Ding, ding, ding.
She grabbed her phone from the nightstand and shut off the alarm. Squeezing her eyes closed, she tried to return to the ship, to the man.
A rough, wet tongue licked her chin.
“Meow?”
Luna groaned. “You’re a poor substitute for my dream guy, Hecate.”
The white cat with facial markings like a black mask around the eyes climbed onto Luna’s chest and purred. And she knew from experience that Hecate wouldn’t leave her alone until Luna fed her.
“Okay, fine.” Luna eased Hecate off of her as she sat up in bed. It was almost 4:30, and she had to be at the café in half an hour to start the morning baking.
After pouring food into Hecate’s bowl, she stumbled into the shower. Before she left for work, she knocked on the guest room door to wake her brother, who was staying with her after an epic fight with his girlfriend of the month. “Time to get up, Leo.”
He grumbled something unintelligible.
“See you at seven,” she said. “I fed Hecate. Don’t believe her if she acts like she’s hungry. And remember, Jordan and I will be leaving the café before nine for the Founders’ Day event, so don’t be late.”
“Mm-hmm,” he mumbled.
Founders’ Day, ugh! It was going to be a long day, as it always was. But this year, aside from the crowds, period re-enactors, and all the vendors at the park to commemorate the seventeenth-century shipwreck that had led to the founding of Cat’s Paw Cove, there was the additional draw of the preliminary opening of the Shipwreck Museum. Luckily, Cove Cat Café was only a ten-minute bike ride from her cottage near the beach—a little less at this time when the streets were virtually deserted. As she pedaled past Wilshire Park, the clock in the tower struck five.
She turned off of Whiskers Road into Calico Court then locked her bike on the rack next to the café door and let herself inside. When she switched on the lights, she glanced through the large window that separated the coffee shop from the cat room. A grey tabby yawned before returning to his nap. None of the other cats stirred.
Luna got right to work, baking enough cookies, pastries and miniature quiches for both the café and their Founders’ Day booth. Three and a half hours flew past.
By the time Luna parked the work van behind their booth at Boardwalk Park, most of the other vendors were already set up. Good thing she had Jordan there to help her this year. Luna had a feeling that her very talkative friend and employee would make the day fly past.
The blonde chirped about her boyfriend, Sawyer. “…And he made the most amazing dinner last night.” Jordan sighed. “I feel like the luckiest woman on the planet.”
“That’s great, sweetie.” Luna climbed out of the van.
Jordan met her at the back of the vehicle. “My first Founders’ Day.” She helped Luna transfer cats from small carriers into the large pen at their booth on the boardwalk. “And the fact that it’s such a special one—with the opening of the S
hipwreck Museum—makes it even better! I’m so excited.”
“Mm-hmm.” Luna wished that she shared her friend’s exuberance for the annual event. She probably should have asked her brother to handle the Cove Cat Café’s vendor booth at the celebration, but Luna had always been the one to do it. Besides, she really was looking forward to the time with Jordan. In the short time she’d known the young woman, they’d become close friends. And Jordan’s gift of communicating with animals had made the cat adoption part of the café run so much smoother. Hopefully, Jordan’s bubbly personality would save Luna from having to engage with everyone who wanted to play with the cats, or hopefully, adopt one or two. Luna’s naturally shy nature wasn’t suited to working crowded festivals.
Who am I kidding?
The real reason she now hated Founders’ Day had nothing to do with the hard work and long hours. But this year she had a plan. This morning she had cast a spell of protection around herself before she’d left the café. Too bad she hadn’t thought to do that in years past. She’d have saved herself a whole lot of misery.
“Are you worried about the café?” Jordan asked. “I doubt it’ll be busy today. Most of the town will be here. Leo can handle things there.”
“I know.” Luna had every confidence that her brother would be fine running the place by himself. So why was her stomach tied up in knots? Twice in the past three years, she’d met guys she’d ended up dating at Cat’s Paw Cove’s biggest yearly event. Both of those relationships had ended badly. But how could she have known that Glen had had a fiancé in New York? He certainly hadn’t shared that information with her at any point in the four months he and Luna had dated. Until the woman had shown up at his door sporting a suitcase and a canary diamond.
Then at last year’s Founders’ Day, Tim had approached the Cove Cat Café’s booth and played with every cat in the pen. By the end of the day, he’d convinced Luna to go out with him, against her better judgment. He’d been so handsome and sweet. She should have known that he’d been too good to be true. The jerk had strung her along for three months before admitting that he preferred men. He’d merely been “trying to be straight” for his very-conservative parents.
Yeah, she had a knack for choosing the most unavailable guys. But this year she was safe. She was taken, sort of. As soon as she really gave herself over to the idea of dating Chuck, everything would be fine.
If only she could shake off that witchy premonition that something was going to happen today that would rock her world. No, it was probably just the fact that she hadn’t slept enough. She couldn’t get that strange dream of being on an old-fashioned ship off her mind. And that insanely hot guy she’d seen there. Must have been because of that news story she’d seen on CPC-TV last night. Several members of the Historical Society had spoken about the restoration of the Guinevere. Luna had paid closer attention because the reporter had interviewed one of Luna’s regulars from the café, Roberta Millingham.
The sheriff approached the booth and smiled at Luna. “Good morning,” he said. “Hi, Jordan.”
“Hey, RJ,” Jordan replied.
The sheriff stepped closer and lowered his voice. “I’m speaking to all the vendors before the festival kicks into high gear. I’d like you to let me know if anyone asks a lot of questions about the museum.”
“What’s going on, RJ?” Luna asked.
His lips flattened to a tight line. “I’m sure you’ve both heard the rumors that there’s a secret treasure hidden somewhere on the ship. And believe me, I’m sure it isn’t true. The restoration team has been all over that vessel. Ninety percent of it is completely restored. If there were any treasure to be found, they’d have come across it by now. But, there are still folks out there who think they can find what everyone else has missed.”
“We’ll call you if we hear or see anything suspicious.” Jordan set a basket of cat toys for sale next to the bakery case chock full of Luna’s homemade pastries and cookies. “How about a coffee, on the house?” She nudged Luna. “I’m sure my boss is down with that.”
Luna grabbed a paper cup. “Absolutely. No sugar, extra cream, right?”
“You know me, Luna. Thanks.” Sheriff Higgins grinned. “I hope you’ve got enough supplies for an army. I heard that ticket sales for today surpassed last year by more than fifty percent.”
“Oh, great.” Not! As she handed the sheriff his coffee, she glimpsed a crowd of festival-goers, some dressed up as pirates, headed her way. Swallowing, she mentally reinforced the protective shield around herself.
Atlantic Ocean, near St. Augustine, Florida
1645
“They’re moving away,” the ship’s captain said, his spyglass trained on the vessel on the horizon.
Standing on the deck of the Guinevere beside the captain, Colin Wilshire released a sigh of relief, but the sound was snatched by the wind. The gentle sighing of the breeze had increased to an eerie whistling a short while ago when storm clouds had blackened the mid-afternoon sky.
Lightning flashed in the distance, accompanied by peals of thunder that were growing louder. The tempest was headed straight for them.
The storm must have convinced the other vessel—the captain believed it was a pirate ship—to change course.
Still frowning, the captain lowered his spyglass. Glancing over his shoulder, he shouted orders to his crew already working to adjust the sails. Other crewmembers on deck were tying ropes around barrels and nets to secure them.
Fifteen years older than Colin and with graying brown hair, the captain had made the journey from England to Barbados and back again four times. Before leaving the Port of London, he’d gathered all of the passengers together and had warned them of the risk of being attacked by buccaneers. Since families with young children were booked on the sailing, he’d felt an even greater responsibility to deliver the warning.
With Spanish galleons weighed down by riches traveling the waters, and the British also eager to claim a share of the New World’s treasures, pirate attacks were a constant threat. The captain had offered to refund passengers’ money if they decided they’d rather not make the sea journey, but no one had accepted the offer.
“It’s good news, surely, that the pirates turned away?” Colin curled his right hand on the weathered rail and fought to keep his balance as the Guinevere rolled upon strong waves.
The captain shook his head. “Once the tempest is over, the pirates will be back.”
“Perhaps their ship will be damaged in the storm. They might no longer be able to attack.”
“It’s possible.” As Colin’s hopes lifted a fraction, the captain added grimly, “Unfortunately, the marauders know these waters better than my crew and I. They know the islands and protected coves where they can drop anchor and wait out the storm. They know the reefs that can pierce a ship’s hull. They’ll let the wind and sea batter us. Then they will come for us.”
Crikey. The situation couldn’t possibly be so dire. “Can’t we also seek shelter at one of those islands or coves?”
“And make it easy for the pirates to entrap us or force us aground? You must not have heard what pirates do to their captives.”
Colin had indeed heard some harrowing tales. His cousin, Matthew Wilshire, who’d invested in a small shipping fleet that sailed from London to the Caribbean, had told him the stories after Colin had confided that he was going to leave England. “I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you or your lovely wife,” Matthew had said, his unusual, pale blue eyes lit with concern. “If I were you, I’d stay in England. I beg you, think about it.”
Colin had, over many sleepless nights. Kept awake by his racing mind, he’d sat at the desk in his late father’s study and had put quill and ink to parchment—rather ironic, when his sire had always considered Colin’s creative pursuits a waste of time. Colin had finished the drawings of his latest invention; sketches he’d intended to show investors. He needed funds to not only make the wheeled contrapti
on, but begin paying off his late father’s secret, outstanding gambling debts. Colin had inherited them along with the bankrupt family estate and letters bearing King Charles I’s official seal that demanded immediate payment of overdue taxes.
While Matthew had offered to loan Colin some money if he’d stay in the country, Colin couldn’t accept. His cousin’s finances were already at risk from investing in the fleet. Colin’s sense of pride also wouldn’t let him become indebted to anyone else, especially a widow with a limited income—his reason for refusing Evelyn’s plea to borrow money from her mother. In the end, Colin had decided his only option was to use the savings he’d reserved for his inventions and flee. Perhaps in Barbados, once he and Evelyn were settled, he could look for investors.
In truth, Colin was already a hostage: of his late sire’s financial ruin. Could being a prisoner of pirates really be as bad—or worse—than what he’d been facing in England?
As though following Colin’s thoughts, the captain’s scowl deepened. “The lucky captives of pirates are ransomed. The unlucky ones are sold as slaves or tortured for any bit of information that can be bartered for the buccaneers’ gain. And the women….”
Colin thought of Evelyn in their cabin below deck.
“The women are used day and night until the pirates grow bored of them. Then they are sold or slain. Not, I vow, a fate you’d wish upon any of the fairer sex, let alone your wife who is carrying your babe.”
“No.” Imagining Evelyn facing such horrors made Colin’s gut clench. While they hadn’t wed for love—their fathers had arranged a marriage between them—he’d known her since they were children, and he cared about her. He had a responsibility to her, and he’d honor it until his dying breath.
If pirates did end up attacking the ship, he’d do all he could to protect her. Guilt grazed his heart, because it was, after all, his fault they were sailing to Barbados. His fault they were on the run and practically penniless. His fault she was lonely and miserable, as she’d reminded him every day since they’d left port.
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