A Southern Charms Cozy Potluck Box Set Page 29

  “I spilled some perfume before, and guess I didn’t get it all off. What are you doing here?” My diversion question came out sharper than I had intended.

  “I think someone needs to have some fun, and I've heard there's a place nearby where you can let loose a little.” He pointed out into the darkness of the yard.

  “Where?” I didn’t have the energy to pull myself together and make an effort.

  Dash touched the frown lines on my forehead and attempted to smoothe them out. “Stop your fussin’. I promise you’ll have fun. And it’s within walking distance.”

  I appreciated the wolf shifter’s efforts to cheer me up, but the heavy tiredness of depression still clung to me. “Not tonight,” I refused. “But thanks anyway.”

  “If you don't come with me now, there will be a group of invaders that will descend upon your house and drag you out. Which is scarier?” To make me laugh, he pulled his animal to the surface, his eyes glowing amber, and fangs growing in his toothy grin, sharp and long. “Of course, I could always kidnap you myself,” he rasped, his voice teetering between man and beast.

  I conjured up a tiny ball of crackling energy in my hand and tossed it at him in play. It whizzed right by his head, almost scorching off some of his beard. The magic sizzled and went out in the darkness of night. “Careful. I can be scary, too.”

  “I like a challenge.” Dash wiggled his eyebrows, a smug smile still spread on his lips.

  I found myself chuckling despite my bad mood. “You're not going to leave me alone, are you?”

  He shook his head. “Surrender or be taken. Those are your options.”

  While I contemplated my options, Dash scooped me up and threw me over his shoulder. “Took too long,” he declared.

  I thrashed about in his grasp, and he swatted my behind. “Behave, or you might get yourself hurt.”

  Conjuring up an easy hex I used to use on Matt, I aimed my magic at the wolf shifter’s firm backside and let loose.

  “Ow,” he cried out, setting me down on the ground and rubbing the offended area. “That hurt.”

  “Told you. I can be fierce when I want to be.”

  “Duly noted.”

  No longer being carried by a shifter with better night vision than me, I couldn't tell which way to go. Dash took my hand in his and led the way. A whinnying sound and the bucking against a wooden door alerted me to our proximity to the barn.

  “They’re noisy tonight,” I exclaimed.

  “They can sense me,” said Dash. “Horses and wolves don't necessarily make the best friends. They're smart enough to sense the danger, unlike some girls who seem not to get enough.” He squeezed my hand.

  I gulped, and let the implication of his words float into the night air, joining the chirping of the cicadas.

  As we reached the edge of the property, light from inside the shed ahead lit a small area around it. Laughter and voices from inside beckoned us. When we got closer, I pulled my hand away from Dash’s, unwilling to deal with any questions or teasing. I immediately missed his warm touch.

  “Finally,” Blythe huffed in a dramatic fashion. “We were getting ready to storm the castle.”

  An orange object blurred past me and pounced into the middle of the room. Peaches had followed us from the house, thrilled to have playmates in the old shed. She rubbed herself on everyone's legs and got down to the serious business of chasing shadows and dust mice.

  “Now that we’re all here, I can pass out the party favors.” Lee placed a small device in each of our hands except Dash’s.

  “You don't get one?” I asked him.

  He dug something out of his pocket and pulled out a similar looking rectangle. “I already have one.”

  “Is this what Mrs. K was talking about in her crazy rant?” asked Lily.

  “Yes,” replied Lee. “Although I got on Daddy’s back for talkin’ about it out in public, especially since I haven't perfected it yet.”

  “I know what they are,” I said. “They're called mobile phones.”

  In my experience in the world outside of Honeysuckle, most of the magical community stayed away from human technology. Although there were spells to protect any devices from frying when used, magic and the more intricate electronics of today's devices didn't mix well. Unless they lived in a large city with a massive contingency of humans and magical beings living in tandem, most magic wielders avoided human technology. It surprised me that Lee wanted to mess with it.

  “Dash and I found a huge stash of these on one of our last runs,” Lee explained.

  The two friends liked to go scrapping for parts all over. According to the shifter, he was still searching for a replacement part for my dad's old motorcycle.

  With breathy excitement, Lee displayed his treasure. “These phones seem to be out of date with current human technology, but I think they’ll work just fine for us.” The tech genius flipped the top piece of plastic to reveal a keypad underneath.

  Dash took a similar gadget out of his pocket. “To be honest, they’re a bit on the ancient side. I miss the one I got rid of when I moved here because the dang thing wouldn’t work. Shifters don’t have problems with human tech like you witches do.” After an alarming noise rang out, he flipped the device open, pressed the button in the center, and held it up to his ear. “Hey, Lee.”

  Ben glanced between the two guys. “So it's a communication device? But how are you powering it without blowing its circuits with your magic?”

  “Are those already spelled?” I asked, remembering the phones the last tracker I worked with had used.

  Lee pushed his glasses up his nose. “I think I figured out a different way to make them operate in Honeysuckle. They tap into the same magic that protects our town. For now, they won't function outside of here, but within our borders, they’ll give us a way to communicate with each other faster. If you scroll through the menu, you'll see that I've already programmed all of your numbers so that all you have to do is scroll and select who you want to call.” He launched into a more detailed explanation, and we followed along, trying to keep up.

  “So instead of cell phones, you've created spell phones,” I announced. “Leland Chalmers, Jr., has anyone told you lately that you're brilliant?”

  Alison Kate grabbed him by his cheeks and planted a quick kiss on his lips. “I have,” she gushed.

  We spent the next half-hour calling each other back and forth until we understood how to use the devices.

  “Right now, the only ones that work are here in this room,” Lee declared. “But if y'all can help me test things out and make improvements, I may be able to make them work for our entire community.” Our friend accepted all of the heaps of praises and congratulations for his idea in embarrassed humility.

  “I think it's awesome, Lee, but I have one more question. How come Alison Kate has a sparkly purple one while the rest of us have these drab gray or black ones?” I teased.

  Lavender agreed, pouting and plotting how to decorate hers with flowers.

  Dash leaned his muscled body into me. “I’ll scrounge whatever color you want.”

  His intense sincerity shut down any playful question of doubt that rested on the tip of my tongue. I swallowed hard and nodded.

  “I can't believe Mrs. K would disapprove of an idea like this,” exclaimed Ben, holding up his phone.

  “I know, but that's only part of what makes her death weird. I want to get Charli's opinion,” Lily added. “What do you think about Mrs. Kettlefields?”

  Clearly, I had arrived in the middle of an ongoing discussion. Whatever I said next, I needed to avoid letting them know about my excursion to her room at the retirement home.

  “Don't you think it's strange that she would be against the election?” asked Lavender. “I wasn't close enough to read her aura, but something seemed off.”

  “Has your grandmother told you anything?” Alison Kate pressed.

  I attempted to placate some of their questions and hold them off. “Nana has
a lot on her plate right now. Between the dead body on the one hand and those who want the election on the other, she's caught in the middle, trying to figure out what to do.” None of my friends needed to know that the leader of our town was struggling to keep things together. “But I'm sure if she thinks the election should continue, then everything will work out as it should.”

  “Said like a true politician. All words and no answers,” Ben teased. “But what do you really think?”

  Blythe narrowed her eyes at me. “She knows something. I just know it,” she accused.

  “Fine,” I breathed out. “But this goes no further than these four walls. Witch’s honor, y’all.” I pointed around the room at each one of them.

  “What about me?” Dash challenged. “I’m no witch.”

  “True, but you're a man of honor,” I said.

  He scoffed. “Or so I have you fooled.”

  I pointed a finger in the shifter’s face. “Then swear to me in any manner you want that you won't share what I'm about to tell you.”

  The corners of Dash’s lips curled in amusement. “You mean something like, cross my heart and hope to die. Stick a needle in my eye?” He traced an X over his heart as he said the words.

  The rest of my friends laughed at his attempt.

  “Try this.” I conjured another crackling ball of energy in my hand. “Repeat after me. I swear on this ball so shiny, if I tell what’s said here, you'll hex my hiney.”

  “Seriously?” growled Dash.

  “Or I could zap you right here, right now,” I offered.

  He gave in, and repeated the words, adding a cross of his heart for good measure.

  I filled everyone in on my infiltration of Mrs. K's room. They agreed with me it was more likely she had been attacked there rather than at the library.

  “Do you think the wardens are close to figuring out who did it?” Ben asked.

  I shook my head. “I don't think so. Right now, their biggest suspect is also the least likely.”

  “That hasn't stopped my little sister from implicating Horatio.” Lily frowned at the mention of Linsey.

  “And the detective’s not asking for your help?” Blythe pushed.

  Dash scowled at the floor. “Perhaps he thinks she should stay away from a possible murder.”

  “But I can help,” I whined in protest.

  Continuing, we went through the possibilities of who might have wanted to hurt our old teacher. Even though each of us had stories about her, we couldn't think of a reason why a former student would have waited to take their revenge now.

  “What about one of the other candidates? I’d bet all the money I don’t actually have, placing the body in the library was meant to throw suspicion on Horatio,” Lily surmised.

  “And Juniper’s his girlfriend. I can't imagine her being capable of even hurting a flea,” I said. “Flint is too sensible. Now, Raif?”

  Everyone agreed that my least favorite vampire was the one in most opposition to Mrs. K’s points.

  I blew out a breath. “The problem with her death is that it's weird.”

  Ben scoffed. “I don't think I've ever heard a murder described that way in all my time as an advocate. But Charli’s right. None of it makes sense, and the fact that there isn't a clear suspect is troublesome.”

  Dash jumped into the conversation. “It means that anyone involved in the investigation could put themselves at risk.”

  I turned to take him head-on. “And maybe the risk is worth taking if it means keeping friends from being hurt.”

  “At what expense, Charli?” The wolf shifter raised his voice. “You just got your life back not too long ago. Now you're willing to put it on the line again?”

  “If that's what it takes to keep the wrong person from being accused, then yes,” I countered.

  Dash cocked an eyebrow at me. “I thought you said the troll was taken out of consideration. If that’s true, then there’s nothing for you to do but stay out of things.”

  “For the time being, he’s not arrested. But if I can help find the actual culprit, then everything can get back to normal. Isn’t that worth a little risk?” I glanced around for support from my friends, and they all seemed busy with their new phones.

  “Not if it means your life,” shouted Dash. His irritation grew with the volume of his voice.

  The air in the room sizzled with the shifter’s magic, and the rest of my friends scrambled to their feet. Peaches scurried to plant herself in front of the shifter and hissed at him, her back bowed and her tail all fluffed out in irritation.

  “Party’s over,” declared Lee, pushing his shifter friend out the door first.

  After quick hugs outside, everyone left except Alison Kate who waited for Lee to finish calming Dash down.

  “I’m fine,” the wolf shifter bellowed.

  Lee tapped his chest with his finger. “Make sure you stay that way. Charli, you want us to walk you back?” he offered.

  Dash’s amber eyes flashed in the dark. “I’ll do it.”

  Lee waited for my response. “Charli?”

  Not one particle of me wanted to hear any more lectures from a man telling me what I should or should not do. First, Mason cut me off with accusations that working together would be dangerous to me as well as to our whatever-we-were relationship. And now, Dash and his overprotective instincts threatened to tick me off.

  Picking up my cat, I pulled her in tight to my chest. “I can make it on my own,” I announced into the night air, and stomped off, bumping the shifter’s arm with my own on purpose.

  Dash followed a few steps behind me all the way back to my house in silence. By the time I climbed the porch steps and let Peaches out of my arms, I was ready for the night to be over.

  “Charli, hold on a minute,” he called out, stopping me from going inside.

  I walked to the edge of the top step. “What?” I asked in exasperation.

  “I didn't mean to tell you what to do. But I don't like it when you seem to run toward danger instead of fleeing from it.”

  “Not always,” I protested.

  “But if your instincts were wired the right way, then you would know better than to hang out with someone like me.” Despite his words trying to push me away, he took a step closer.

  A ball of nerves bounced around in my stomach at the spoken truth. “I like being with you.”

  “My point exactly.” Dash closed the distance between us. “And if I were a stronger man, I would be able to stay away. But I like being around you, too.” He closed the distance between us and pulled me down a step until his face was level with mine.

  I didn't need any moonlight to sense his intense gaze. He lifted his hand and brushed my hair behind my ear, his finger stroking my cheek. “You’re a trouble magnet, Charli Goodwin.”

  “I am who I am.” I tried to convey so much in those simple words, but feared I failed.

  He cupped my cheek. “I wouldn't have it any other way,” he breathed.

  My nerves tingled down to my toes in expectation. He leaned in, his hot breath blowing against my lips. I closed my eyes in sweet anticipation.

  A fire alarm screeched into the air, and I squealed. My new spell phone lit up. Dash closed his eyes and backed away, giving me space.

  Reading the name on the screen, I cursed Blythe under my breath. The heated moment fizzled and faded as I flipped the phone open and hit the button with a groan.

  “I truly hate you.”

  Chapter Ten

  Sitting on the stiff parlor sofa, I waited for Juniper to show me how much she would charge to help with the house. Numbers and figures sparkled in the air as she twirled her finger, figuring out the math.

  “It's a big job, Charli. It might take my whole crew if you want it done fast. Or I can assign one or two of my girls to it, but it will take much longer. However, either way you want to do it, I think this is my assessment.” She produced her wand and waved it, and a scroll rolled out of midair and floated into my hands.<
br />
  “That's more than fair,” I agreed.

  With confidence, the fairy gave me her breakdown. “Based on what you told me, you want us to collect any obvious paperwork and organize it to give you an opportunity to go through it. All objects will be sorted by size and functionality, including grouping them down into piles of broken or not.”

  “About going through the paperwork, will you be one of the ones sorting?” I asked.

  She quivered her wings and shook her head. “My schedule is just so full right now with the election and the other jobs I’ve scheduled. Why?”

  I explained the nature of what I was looking for and requested her utmost secrecy.

  “For a job like that, I highly recommend Moss. She used to work in an office building in another city, and might know what she's looking at in a glance,” said Juniper.

  “But do you trust her?” I didn't know the fairy well, and giving her full access to my house went against my gut.

  “She's been working with me for over a year, and I have nothing but compliments about her thoroughness. If you want, I can provide recommendations.” Juniper hovered in slight impatience. “I wish I could promise that I could do the job myself, but I'm doing my best not to spread myself too thin.”

  After a pause, I signed off on the estimate, and the scroll rolled up again, tying a binding red ribbon around itself. It would be a relief to have a more organized way to sift through the last of Tipper’s life and begin to make the house my own. I trusted Juniper and her judgment. Plus, she promised she would be around to check in on her employees from time to time.

  “How's Horatio doing?” I'd waited to ask the question I really wanted to.

  Her wings trembled in agitation. “Not well. He attempts to keep his troubles away from me, but I know how hard he’s struggling. It's taken him centuries to build his life away from his family and his kind. He's not welcome with them, and now he questions how long he'll be able to stay here in Honeysuckle after all of this.”

  “Will he be dropping out of the election?” I asked.

  Juniper sniffed and wiped a tear away. “He doesn't think he has a choice. He may not be under arrest, but the damage has been done. I want to quit, too.”