by Cindy Stark
Today, instead of their normal morning walk, they’d decided to have tea instead. That was just fine with Hazel.
When Cora arrived, Hazel hugged her before claiming one of the turquoise metal chairs. Then, she eyed the bag Cora set on the bright table, hoping it held what she thought it did. “I see you’ve brought something with you. If those aren’t cherry macaroons, you’re not my best friend.”
Cora grinned and pushed the brown sack toward her. “Of course. I’m your bestie.”
Hazel opened the edges of the sack and smiled. She didn’t even have to look inside to see what she’d brought. She’d know that smell anywhere. “I think I love you.”
Cora chuckled and shook her head. “If only everyone was that easy to please.”
Hazel bit into the coconutty goodness and groaned with happiness.
“Fresh out of the oven.”
Hazel nodded in agreement. “They’ll go perfectly with this tea,” she said around a mouthful.
Cora pried up an edge of the plastic lid from her cup and sniffed. “Mmm… This is lovely. Something new for fall?”
She swallowed. “You guessed it. Even though it still feels like summer most days, I’m ready for warm tea and fall spices.”
Cora snorted. “Since when is cinnamon and nutmeg only allowed in the chilly months?”
Hazel looked at her as if she’d just solved all the world’s problems. “Right? Who started that nasty rumor in the first place?”
Cora snickered. “Probably a man.”
They both chuckled.
Her friend straightened and widened her eyes. “Oh, my gosh. Speaking of men, I have news. Peter’s and your engagement inspired me, and I’ve spent some time thinking about Lachlan. I decided he must like me.”
“Of course, he does. A guy doesn’t invest that much time in a woman if he’s not interested.”
“That’s what I figured. So, I took matters into my own hands and asked if he’s going to the upcoming Harvest Moon Festival.”
Hazel snorted. “I still can’t get over that name. You do know that it’s obviously reminiscent of a Lammas celebration.”
“Oh, yes. Most of us laugh at that fact. I’m not sure when the town first started the tradition, but it was a long time ago.”
“I’ll bet you anything some of the witches who lived in hiding here started it as a way to thumb their noses at the town. I wonder what the townsfolk would say if they realized they’re likely celebrating the first witch harvest festival of the year.”
Cora grinned. “They’d deny it.”
Hazel sat back with a smile. “Yeah. You’d think Timothy would have caught on after all his library studies on witches.”
“Honestly, Hazel. If the town stopped celebrating holidays that originated as Pagan celebrations, they’d have to give up most.”
She lifted her cup. “Very true.”
Then Cora waved away that line of conversation. “Anyway, apparently that was enough encouragement, and Lachlan took the lead and asked if I’d like to go with him.”
Hazel grinned. “Way to go, girl. That’s excellent news. Maybe we can have a double wedding.”
Cora snorted. “That might be moving things a little too fast. As it is, I don’t know how you and Peter expect to pull off an October wedding.”
She shrugged. “It will be a small event. Just close friends.”
Cora lifted her brows. “No family?”
“Peter’s not close with his, and I’m considering hiring the mafia to keep my mother away.”
Cora shook her head in mock disappointment, causing her ponytail to swing. “I hate it when family ties get so messy. Whatever happened to the perfect nuclear family?”
Hazel snuck a cherry macaroon from the bag. “I think it was all an illusion. People keeping secrets. No one wanted to say how unhappy their family is and look like the failure in the neighborhood. Nowadays, people are becoming more concerned with honoring what’s in their hearts than with what the neighbors will say, so it seems messier.”
“Maybe so.”
Movement down the quiet street caught Hazel’s attention, and she twisted to look in that direction. She narrowed her gaze as a woman on a bicycle rode toward them. She thought she recognized Liesl Goodman, but she’d never known the straight-laced woman to dye her hair an intense shade of red. “Is that…Liesl?”
Cora leaned out to look around Hazel. “What on earth?”
Hazel lifted a hand to wave, but Liesl made a swift turn down a side street, and Hazel wondered if she’d turned just to avoid Cora and her.
“Good morning to you, too,” Cora said under her breath.
Hazel twisted toward her friend with a questioning look. “What was that all about?”
Cora shrugged. “Liesl is usually super friendly. Maybe it had something to do with her hair?”
She covered her mouth to restrain a chuckle. “That seems so out of character for her, doesn’t it? Not that I don’t love bright red mermaid hair. I adore Fauna’s turquoise tips, too, but Liesl is one of the most reserved people I know.”
Cora lifted her cup but paused before sipping. “Totally out of character.”
Hazel considered that for a minute more.
Cora shifted in her seat, pulling Hazel back to the present. “Speaking of characters, Timothy Franklin was in the diner this morning.”
She lifted her brows in concern. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, except every time I see him, I worry he’s going to point a finger in my direction and yell for the town to lynch me.”
A chill raced over Hazel. “I have exactly the same response. Luckily, he doesn’t drink much tea.”
“You’re super lucky. He comes to the café at least once a week. If I see him and John Bartles or Samuel Canterbury acknowledge each other, it’s even worse.”
Both Sons of Stonebridge and both frightened her as well. “Is Samuel Canterbury back in town? I’ve never met the man,” she said in a quiet voice.
Cora shook her head. “Not yet. Thankfully. He spends his summers fishing in Alaska, but he’ll be back before long.”
“While Timothy was there, he let it be known that he’ll be out of town for a few days and needs volunteers to cover the library.”
Hazel widened her eyes and leaned closer. “Seriously? I didn’t think Timothy would ever let anyone rule over his prized books but him.”
Cora shrugged. “It’s rare. He usually only leaves town once a year when he goes to visit his mother in Florida.”
Hazel leaned back in her chair and chuckled. “I’m so volunteering for this.”
Cora looked at her like she was crazy. “Why?”
She returned the same look. “Hello? Free access to his secret, private books. A chance to read all the stuff he thinks he needs to monitor so closely.”
Cora’s shoulders dropped. “Oh, right. Problem is he locks them up while he’s away. No free access to anything but the public stuff.”
Hazel narrowed her eyes and dropped a thoughtful gaze to the golden orange chrysanthemums she’d recently potted for her outdoor tables. She didn’t like Cora’s answer at all.
She glanced up. “Does he lock them up in the library or somewhere else?”
Cora lifted a shoulder and let it drop. “Not sure. It’s not a question a person can ask without raising some suspicion.”
Hazel stole a strand of hair from her own ponytail and wound it between her fingers before dragging it across her lips. “I’m still going to volunteer. Timothy spends so much time in that building. Even if the books aren’t there, I bet he’s left something incriminating behind.”
“You don’t think he’d lock that up, too? Or burn it?”
She grinned. “He’s not the type to burn anything that might have historical value someday. Look how carefully he watches over documents from the past. I bet he’d love it if there’s a tome someday in the library that describes how he and his cronies eliminated the witches from Stonebridge.”
Cora nodded thoughtfully. “I think you’re right on that point.”
She curved her lips into a sly smile. “As for anything that’s locked up? Well, isn’t that what witchcraft is for?”
Cora lifted questioning brows. “Does that mean you’ve learned a spell to break locks?”
“Not yet. But I have Clarabelle’s book for reference. She seems to have known all the bad spells. I’ll see what I can find in there.”
If that proved pointless, she could also check Glenys’ spell book since she was in jail and no longer needed it. At some point, she might give it to Glenys’ replacement, if there would be one, but she or he hadn’t arrived in Stonebridge yet.
Yips and barks from down the street drew their attention. So much for a quiet morning.
Hazel stood when a gorgeous German shepherd with a bright blue collar sprinted past their table, obviously enjoying its freedom. “Isn’t that—?”
An adorable Jack Russell terrier barked furiously as it chased after the German shepherd.
Hazel turned to Cora with a puzzled look on her face. “Aren’t those Valerie Lindquist’s dogs?”
Before Cora could answer, a fluffy apricot poodle pranced down the cobblestone sidewalk toward them, with a barking border collie trying to herd it into the road or perhaps back home. Either way, the dog wasn’t having any luck.
Cora glanced up and down the street. “I believe they are. I wonder how they got out.”
Hazel sighed, remembering how hard of a time she’d had trying to catch the two poodles that she’d had growing up when they’d managed to escape. “Who knows, but someone needs to let Valerie know.”
Cora pulled out her phone. “I called her just last week to schedule an appointment for my hair. I have her number right…here.”
She tapped her phone and then lifted it to her ear.
Hazel held Cora’s gaze as they waited several long seconds. Finally, Cora tapped her phone again and set it down. “She’s not answering.”
Hazel nodded toward her teashop. “Gretta’s got the place covered. Why don’t you and I take a quick walk? She’s only a couple of blocks over.”
Cora sipped her tea and then stood. “Should have known we wouldn’t escape our morning walk.”
She snorted. “Yeah. Should have known.”
Hazel glanced at her friend. “This is worse than our regular walk. We’re practically running.”
Cora snorted. “I guess we should be grateful something got us off our bottoms, but I swear, this isn’t the first time someone has had to chase down her dogs. I doubt it will be the last.”
A determined chihuahua skittered toward Hazel and Cora as fast as its small legs would carry it. Hazel eyed it and prepared to scoop it up the second it came close enough. “Valerie sounds very irresponsible. If one of her dogs runs into the road at the wrong moment, it could easily be hit by a car.”
“Exactly. Some have petitioned the mayor’s office to enact a two-pet limit per household, but the mayor himself has three dogs, so he’s loath to do it. People here love their animals.”
Hazel grabbed Cora’s elbow and brought them to a stop. “Hang on a second. Let me see if I can catch this one.”
She crouched and waited for the little dog to approach. “Hey, puppy,” she said in a singsong voice.
It continued in their direction, it’s tiny tail wiggling as fast as its legs trotted.
Hazel held out a hand in greeting. The dog slowed long enough to sniff but didn’t seem inclined to stick around. She wrapped her hands around its belly and scooped it toward her chest. “Hey there, little fellow.”
The dog squirmed against her, now desperate to be free. The nails on its back feet dug into the underneath of her forearm, forcing her to drop it.
“Ow.”
“Careful,” Cora cautioned. She tried to catch the little dog, too, but it managed to evade her grasp. “If Valerie can’t round them up, Peter’s men or the county’s animal control might have to.”
Hazel twisted her wrist, looking for damage. She exposed a long red streak on the tender underside. At least it hadn’t broken the skin.
She sighed in disgust at the lack of care the dog’s owner showed. “She should pay for her irresponsibility. It’s only right.”
Cora sighed. “I agree. What they really need is have a law for irresponsible pet owners.”
Hazel nodded as they resumed their walk toward Valerie’s house. “I’ve talked with her a couple of times but don’t really know her. I tried to get an appointment with her when I first moved here, but she was all booked up, so I’ve been going to a stylist in Salem. But I’m wondering, if she’s that careless with her dogs, how do people in town trust her to do their hair?”
Cora began pumping her elbows like she usually did when they walked. “Not sure, but she does know her way around a good cut and color. She’s usually booked out at least six weeks. Most of the women in town go to her.”
She supposed everyone had her strengths and weaknesses.
They turned a corner, and Cora pointed down the street. “It’s the slate blue house on the left.”
Their feet crunched on the gravel drive as they approached. The grass needed to be mowed, and weeds grew amongst a riot of sunflowers. Even though everything wasn’t neat and tidy, her yard did have a wild loveliness to it. As if the plants and trees belonged more to the Blessed Mother than to any person.
The front door was closed, but Cora didn’t head in that direction. She chose the red brick path toward the side of the house. “The entrance to her shop is around this way.”
A six-foot tall chain-link fence stood just beyond the side door that led into the house. The gate was wide open. “I guess this is how they got out.”
Cora frowned. “She needs to make sure the latch is all the way down every time, and she doesn’t.”
Her friend knocked on the beauty salon door and then opened it. The ammonia scent of hair dye greeted them, and country music played from a speaker on the small desk that appeared to function as Valerie’s base of operations. An appointment book lay open near the speaker with most spaces filled in with names written in pencil. Many were first names only and no phone numbers.
A salon style sink and chair sat empty on the opposite side of the room. A couple of gray padded folding chairs had been placed along the edges, possibly for waiting clients or accompanying guests.
Hazel approved of the many green plants that flourished in the welcoming space and the gorgeous crystal vase of long-stemmed red roses that sat on a table near Valerie’s workstation. Hazel glanced at the card nestled in the middle of them. “Love B,” she muttered.
“Valerie?” Cora called out and moved farther into the room.
Hazel followed behind. As much as the area had been set with cheerful things, an ominous darkness hovered in the air. “Something’s wrong,” she whispered.
Cora nodded and quickened her footsteps. She opened another door that led into the rest of the house.
Hazel stepped into a small kitchen highlighted by creamy walls and dark cabinets. Sheer curtains covered the windows and fluttered with the slight morning breeze. Dirty breakfast dishes waited in the sink, and Hazel sensed Valerie was a busy woman who struggled to manage her life.
“Valerie?” Cora yelled louder this time.
No response.
A quick search of the house proved pointless. Cora led the way back to the kitchen. “I’m worried. It’s not like her to leave everything open and not have her dogs secured while she’s gone.”
“Maybe we should try calling her again.”
Cora drew her brows together in concern and nodded. She slipped the phone from her pocket, tapped the screen a few times, and held the phone to her ear.
Hazel met Cora’s gaze when she heard the ringing, but it took her a second to realize the sound came from the open window and not Cora’s phone.
Cora seemed to come to the same conclusion and lowered the phone from her ear. They both hurried toward th
e back door. Hazel flung it open, and they rushed down the steps into the yard.
Hazel stopped short when she spotted Valerie lying motionless beneath a large oak tree near the corner of the house. Cora gasped, and they strode forward.
Click here to read Book 7: Spellbound Seven
The End
Book List
TEAS & TEMPTATIONS COZY MYSTERIES (PG-Rated Fun):
Once Wicked
Twice Hexed
Three Times Charmed
Four Warned
The Fifth Curse
It’s All Sixes
Spellbound Seven
RETRIBUTION NOVELS (Sexy Romantic Suspense):
Branded
Hunted
Banished
Hijacked
Betrayed
BLACKWATER CANYON RANCH (Western Sexy Romance):
Caleb
Oliver
Justin
Piper
Jesse
ASPEN SERIES (Small Town Sexy Romance):
Wounded (Prequel)
Relentless
Lawless
Cowboys and Angels
Come Back To Me
Surrender
Reckless
Tempted
Crazy One More Time
I’m With You
Breathless
PINECONE VALLEY (Small Town Sexy Romance):
Love Me Again
Love Me Always
ARGENT SPRINGS (Small Town Sexy Romance):
Whispers
Secrets
OTHER TITLES:
Moonlight and Margaritas
Sweet Vengeance
About the Author
Award-winning author Cindy Stark lives with her family and a sweet Border Collie in a small town shadowed by the Rocky Mountains. She writes fun, witch cozy mysteries, emotional romantic suspense, and sexy contemporary romance. She loves to hear from readers!
