Charming Blend

by Layne, Kennedy

  One problem down.

  Really? I’m pretty sure that last problem came with numerous steps.

  “Candy, why don’t we walk over to Mindy’s boutique?” I suggested, quickly making my way back around the counter to pat her on the back. “I’m sure she’s wondering what happened. This way, I can tell both of you at the same time.”

  It was my fault that Candy was in this predicament, and I needed to speak with Ted pronto. He was the only one who had the ability to obtain the ingredients I needed to stave off anymore infatuations gone wild. I’d already been closed for the last half hour, so a little longer wouldn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.

  I’ve seen that movie where infatuation turns into obsession. Boiled rabbit? No, thank you!

  Leo shuddered in revulsion, sending orange and black hairs flying into the air. I’d hate to see his reaction when he came to the same realization that I had in the last five minutes. You see, coincidence only went so far in situations like these.

  Realization? What realization? You can’t just walk out of here without explaining yourself, Cupid.

  I reached out in front of Candy, pushing open the door for her seeing as she was currently staring after the fire truck as it drove a block down to Monty’s hardware store. I breathed a sigh of relief upon not seeing any smoke to indicate the flames had gotten out of control. Hopefully, Chief Mason and his men were able to contain the fire as they had mine.

  Did you say coincidence? Raven, don’t you dare walk out of here—

  I escorted Candy outside, catching my breath when the bitter cold smacked me in the face. Mindy’s boutique was only two doors down, but I really should have grabbed my jacket. It was too late now, and I had things to do that couldn’t wait a second longer than necessary. I seriously contemplated closing the tea shop for the rest of the day. I’m sure everyone would understand given the circumstances.

  That wasn’t nice.

  Leo had done his vanishing act inside the tea shop and was currently somewhere in my vicinity, not content with the way I’d left things. I was just grateful that he remembered to remain invisible.

  Who in the world would be content with the way you left things? You cannot just leave in the middle of a conversation. I would have said your mother raised you better, but we both know that’s not the case.

  Candy was still enamored with the sight of Chief Mason jumping out of the fire truck and directing one of his men into Monty’s hardware store while the other began to unravel the hose. I had a feeling that they wouldn’t need something of that strength, and a simple fire extinguisher would probably do.

  Why would you think that? What’s going on?

  “Here we are,” I said, thankfully catching Candy’s attention. I once again reached out in front of her to open the door to Mindy’s boutique. Sure enough, Ted was standing in the corner admiring the mannequin. He was having a conversation with Mindy, but I’d have to cut his talk short. We were wasting time. “Inside you go, Candy.”

  Thankfully, the hairdresser went inside without any fanfare. I was able to say what was on my mind instead of Leo only getting jumbled thoughts that were more random theories than anything.

  You are giving me a headache. Unless it’s due to the leftover hangover from all the catnip.

  “Leo, I don’t think those fires are being set by a person.” I swallowed around the lump of panic that had formed in my throat as I continued to watch the scene in front of Monty’s hardware store. “I think my spell is sparking flames throughout the town. If we don’t hurry in reversing the charm enchantment, I’m afraid that my magic is going to burn Paramour Bay to the ground.”

  Chapter Three

  “Are you in the hospital or something?”

  “No, it’s worse,” I replied to Heidi’s question over the phone. A hand to my forehead didn’t help me consider my options any better, but at least I was back in my own shop. Mindy and Candy had bought my reason of cleaning up the floor for dragging Ted out of the boutique. “I think a charm spell I cast—and possibly have messed up—might be responsible for sparking fires all around Paramour Bay.”

  I’d expected silence, but was rewarded with a laugh. It might have been relief that she didn’t have to drive to the hospital. Just so you know, Heidi might have received a call or two when my accident-prone tendencies had gotten the best of me.

  If her laugh hadn’t been for that specific reason, then we might have a problem. Burning the small town of Paramour Bay to the ground wasn’t humorous to me in the least.

  “Raven, it can’t be all that bad or I would have heard from Jack…who would have received a call from Liam.”

  She was right. No one had gotten hurt, and the fires had all been minor flare-ups. A little bit of tension released from my shoulders. A best friend had a way of doing that, and I wish I could blink the next two months away.

  Me, too.

  In case you were wondering who Heidi Connolly was, that’s an easy answer. She was my best friend. Unfortunately, she currently resided in New York City, where she’d been born and raised. She was employed by one of the most prestigious accounting firms, and I was ninety-nine-point-nine percent sure that she was going to take over Beetle’s business after the tax season concluded.

  Oh, and she totally knew that I was a witch.

  It wouldn’t have been right to keep her in the dark when she already knew my deepest and darkest secrets.

  Going back to your math, adjust that ninety-nine-point-nine percent to one hundred percent. Heidi would never leave me here alone with you. It’s a full-time job, and I need breaks. I wonder what all-expense paid resort accepts cats?

  In case you hadn’t noticed, Leo fancied himself in love with Heidi. She was currently dating a state police detective by the name of Jack Swanson. They hadn’t been able to spend time with one another in a week or two due to Heidi’s work schedule, but it was nice to finally see her with someone who treated her with the respect she deserved.

  Oh, please. He has nothing on me. Once Heidi moves here, she’ll see the cat I am through the forest of men. Could we please get back to more important things than Detective Swanson? He’s a pretender to the throne. Besides, another fire could wipe out the diner and those cod filets Trixie is serving would be ruined.

  I technically shouldn’t have called Heidi at the office, but I needed something to take my mind off of the seconds torturously ticking by until Ted was able to gather the various obscure ingredients I needed to reverse the charm spell.

  “What did you do?” Heidi asked now that she’d gotten her laughter under control. “And what is a charm spell? Are we talking jewelry or love?”

  “Think of Pearl and Henry together,” I urged her, unable to stand behind the cash register any longer. I began to pace around the shop, mindful of the high-top tables. The last thing I needed to do was knock the delicate china teapots and teacups to the ground. “Dee was hoping to use the same tea blend I’d created before to reconnect with her husband. I must have accidentally charmed the container I was using to hold the tea leaves rather than the tea leaves themselves. Long story short, Beetle was unpacking the box, he set eyes on Wilma, and it was all over…but the ride in his VW.”

  Don’t forget to mention Ted and his mannequin. That’s a mess now, too.

  I shot Leo a frustrated glance, wishing he’d go see what was taking Ted so long in finding me those ingredients. We didn’t have a lot of time to waste.

  While you’re at it, you might as well tell her about Candy’s crush. I’m not talking about the game, either. You’ve certainly made a mess of things here.

  “Isn’t Wilma in her eighties?” Heidi asked in disbelief. “I thought those spells only worked on people who already had feelings for one another. At least, that’s what you said before.”

  “Heidi, you’re not helping me.” I was beginning to feel like Leo when he became stressed to the point his asthma kicked in. My chest had tightened to the point of pain. “Ted is currently gatheri
ng up the components I’m going to need to reverse the spell, but I’m more worried about these spontaneous fires.”

  “Start from the beginning,” Heidi advised, being the true friend she was and taking time out of her busy schedule. “After Beetle and Wilma got all gooey-eyed with one another, what happened?”

  “Smoke happened.” Was it hot in here or was it just me? Leo wasn’t complaining, so that alone told me the temperature in the shop wasn’t the problem. “Apparently, there was some minor fire in the back alley. Smoke seeped into the storage room and then eventually made its way through the fairy beads. I dialed 911 immediately.”

  “What did the firemen say started the fire?”

  “Possibly a cigarette.”

  “So, the fire may have had nothing to do with your charm spell.” Heidi paused, but I didn’t bother to fill in the silence. I was too busy keeping an eye on Leo. He’d been awfully quiet over on his heated bed in the display window. “Raven? Am I missing something?”

  She looks like an Easter egg with legs, I swear…

  I stared out the display window in horror as Candy ran down River Bay chasing after the fire truck. Trying to tell myself that I was still home in bed and this was nothing but a horrible nightmare didn’t make anything I was currently witnessing go away.

  Look at her run. Who would have thought it was possible?

  “Oh, this is bad,” I whispered to myself, unable to stop a coat of perspiration from breaking out all over my body. As a matter of fact, I was becoming quite a bit queasy. “Heidi, I need to call you back.”

  I let the phone slip away from my ear, unable to tear my eyes away from the disaster happening outside on the main thoroughfare. There was no doubt that I needed to put a stop to this disaster real quick.

  Hey, there’s Richard.

  Sure enough, the fireman named Richard who believed he was enamored with me after touching the heart-shaped container was hanging off the back of the firetruck as it drove by the shop. He was frantically waving at me through the display window with a big smile as if we were more than mere acquaintances.

  If I wasn’t worried about you being outed as a witch, having the coven descend upon us like a dreaded plague of locusts, and the world basically coming to an end as we know it…I would definitely be enjoying this.

  “Go find Ted,” I managed to say before my gaze landed on Liam. He was crossing the street holding two to-go cups of coffee. I sure hope he realized that they were both going to be mine. “I’m not going to be able to leave the shop, so Ted’s going to have to bring me the grimoire along with the components to reverse the spell.”

  It’s not wise to—

  One step was all it took for Leo to vanish into thin air.

  I didn’t have to be told that taking the grimoire from the protection of the house was a bad idea, but these were extreme circumstances. I couldn’t take the chance of anyone else touching the heart-shaped vessel that was currently enchanted with a charm spell. As it stood, I was lucky that Liam hadn’t called the crazy wagon for those prominent members acting as if they’d lost their mind.

  “What a weird day,” Liam muttered, having come through the glass door shaking his head in incredulity. “I’m sorry it took me so long to grab your coffee, Raven. Elsie cornered me in the diner to say that she thought Wilma needed an ambulance for her high blood pressure.”

  Liam didn’t release either coffee to my grabby hands. The black peacock skirt I was wearing had pockets, so I’d already slipped my cell phone inside the right one to allow me the luxury of a two-fisted grip.

  My handsome sheriff did one better.

  He took the time to come closer and lean down until his warm lips brushed against mine. Time stopped. The intimate moment had me regaining some balance, while somehow causing me to believe that all wasn’t lost. My panic slipped away as if by magic.

  “I’ve wanted to do that all morning.”

  It was well past morning now, but his meaning still warmed me in a way that coffee never could. I inhaled deeply, hoping to keep his intoxicating scent with me to alleviate my anxiety.

  “Um, about Wilma.” I was afraid to hear Liam’s answer for fear that I would be cast as a murderer. It would be my fault if Wilma’s heart gave out, and I wasn’t one to handle guilt very well. “Does she have high blood pressure?”

  Liam offered me one of the coffees, not knowing how desperately in need I was for both. I’d have to somehow find a way to convince him to leave the second cup. The rich beverage hitting my tongue was like dipping it into melted chocolate. My insides practically turned to goo.

  “Wilma is just fine,” Liam reassured me, though he didn’t seem totally convinced with his own statement. I understood why when he continued. “Dr. Jameson was having lunch at the counter. It was a bit unorthodox, but he checked Wilma over and decided that she must have had a minor reaction to the new hair dye that Candy had used on her this morning. Wilma even says she feels like a million bucks.”

  Having a veterinarian check over a human at the local diner was definitely unorthodox. Well, maybe with the exception of Paramour Bay. Worse, poor Candy was being blamed for something that I was solely responsible for.

  “It’s like something’s in the water today,” Liam shared with me in bewilderment, shifting so that he could look out the display window. “Chief Mason tried to get out of a conversation with Candy, who’s suddenly taken an immense liking to him.”

  “Well, that’s odd,” I said with a nervous laugh. I tried to cover it up with a sip of coffee, but I only ended up sucking the contents down the wrong pipe. Fifteen seconds of coughing and a few pats on the back had me right as rain. “Did Chief Mason happen to say anything else about the fires? I ran into Albert and Eugene, and they said there wasn’t much damage.”

  Liam sighed before taking his own drink out of the other cup, erasing any hope I had of siphoning a second serving.

  “I’m not happy about it, but I believe we might have a young arsonist with a fresh pack of matches on our hands.” Liam stretched his arm so that the cuff of his jacket wasn’t hindering the face of his watch. “Chief can’t determine how the fires are starting, but Billy Owen was seen running from the alleyway over on Oceanview.”

  “Isn’t Billy friends with Sam?” Now that I thought about it, what was Billy doing running around town at this time of the day? “And shouldn’t Billy be in school?”

  I’ll explain who Sam and Bill are in a minute.

  “Yes—to both of your questions, which is why I’m going to have to cut this short. I called Pete and Sarah, asking them if I could stop by the house.” Liam surprised me by running the back of his fingers down my cheek. His small smile caused my heart to skip a beat, but I was totally okay with that. “I wish I could stay and help you clean up this mess.”

  “It’s no problem,” I replied, dropping my gaze to his lips. I wouldn’t mind another kiss. “I’m sure you’ll get things straightened out with Billy’s parents.”

  It wasn’t very nice of me to hope that Liam’s investigation turned up that Billy and Sam were responsible for this little arson problem we seemed to be having today. With that said, I had hoped that my wayward craft hadn’t taken a nosedive.

  “I’ll touch base with you before closing time.”

  One more kiss that was too brief in my opinion, and Liam walked out the shop’s door to do his job of keeping Paramour Bay safe. He’d taken the second cup of coffee, but his opinion that Billy might be the cause of the fires had slowed my instant need for caffeine. You see, Billy was best friends with Sam…who worked at the malt shop next door. Could Sam have snuck Billy in the back for a quick smoke? Had it been an accident?

  Who am I kidding about my innate need for coffee slowing in light of the circumstances?

  I could always use more caffeine.

  What did I miss?

  Leo suddenly appeared on top of his pillow, looking a little worse for wear. Then again, that was par for the course. I sure was glad to see him,
though. His presence meant Ted was on the way to the shop with my ingredients and the Marigold family grimoire.

  “You missed a lot.” For the first time since this morning’s incident, my outlook wasn’t so dire. “Leo, I might not be the one causing all the fires around town. Liam mentioned that he thought Billy and Sam might be responsible for the damage. Billy is a year younger and should be in school right now, but someone said he was seen running out of the alleyway behind Monty’s hardware store.”

  Good. Then there’s nothing for us to do besides free Beetle, Wilma, Richard, and Candy of this charm spell gone wrong. Easy-peasy. I’ll be home smoking my catnip pipe by dinnertime tonight.

  “Not so fast,” I cautioned him, unable to just ignore what had taken place this morning. “Leo, a lot of us shop owners might have been out of business had those fires not been contained so quickly.”

  Don’t even think about it. I already told you that I have plans, didn’t I?

  “We’ve solved murders and even a kidnapping case. Helping Liam with an arson investigation isn’t that far out of our wheelhouse. We can even—”

  My suggestion of using magic to aid in the arson problem happening in Paramour Bay had been cut off due to the sirens of our one and only fire truck. The large red vehicle drove past the shop quickly with Richard once again smiling and waving from his place on the back bumper.

  What was even a worse sight was seeing Beetle and Wilma following close behind in his red VW bug as they chased the fire truck.

  Raven, you certainly do have a way of jinxing fate, don’t you?

  Chapter Four

  “There was no real damage done to Beetle’s house,” Liam said over the phone, the wind blowing against the mic making him somewhat hard to understand. I got the gist of what he was trying to relay to me, though. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later tonight.”