magical cures 07 - a charming fatality (13 page)

“I love it, KJ!” I threw my arms around his neck, knowing he wouldn’t reciprocate. When I pulled away, he had a faint smile on his lips. “It’s our first wedding gift.”

“I hope you enjoy.” He nodded.

“I have two favors.” I felt like a schoolgirl inside with my first request. “Oscar and I would be honored if you would marry us on All Hallows Eve here in The Gathering Rock space.”

It was request I knew Oscar wouldn’t mind if I handled on my own. We didn’t have anyone to marry us and KJ was the perfect choice for our spiritualist wedding.

“I would be honored.” He bowed, his headdress fanning me.

“I know I’m not Native American and neither is Oscar, but we would love to have the ceremony.” I had been to a couple since I was a spiritualist and we loved them. It was two families coming together and there was not a more beautiful ceremony than a Native American marriage.

“You be sure you bring the vase.” KJ’s arms extended down to his side. “What else can I do for you?”

“I need to get my hands on some wisteria vine oil.” I glanced down the hill toward the village. Everything was still asleep and quiet. “Darla was the only person I knew who had extracted oil from a vine and I just can’t figure it out.”

“You must take a vine to the graveyard and tell the maker what you seek for I do not have the vine nor the oil for you.” KJ turned and darted off into the woods.

“Tell the maker?” I questioned into the wind.

“The maker,” the wind called back.

“June,” Oscar and Mr. Prince Charming were climbing the hill. “Are you okay?”

“I’m good. I just needed some fresh air.” Though I knew Oscar didn’t believe me, he didn’t ask me anything else.

“I woke up and you weren’t next to me.” He drew me in from behind and wrapped his arms around me, resting his face on my shoulder. Both of us looking down the hill. “Isn’t the village beautiful?”

“Yes. And the stars.” I swallowed hard and bit back tears. There was something deep within me churning and I couldn’t put my finger on it.

“Baby, what’s wrong?” Oscar turned me around.

“I don’t know why I’m so emotional.” I swallowed hard. “I’m thinking it’s getting married without any of our parents, plus the fact someone stole the last of Darla’s vine oil. It was the only herb I had left that was part of her. And to think it was probably because of some silly national deal.”

“Don’t worry.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and pulled my chin up to look at him. “Sonny will figure out who stole it if it’s related to Burt Rossen’s death and we will get it back.”

“You are too good to me, Oscar Park.” I placed my hand on the back of his neck and drew him down to me. His lips parted mine in a soul-reaching kiss. “I can’t wait to say I do on All Hallows Eve.”

“So is that the date?” he asked. I nodded. He threw back his head and let out a great peal of laughter. “I love you June Heal Park.”

Chapter Eighteen

Luckily with no dreams or nightmares, I was able to get some sleep, but I knew I had a full day of work ahead. Before Oscar and I headed home we had cleaned up the shop and refilled the potion bottles enough to open. I would make a few special cures while customers where milling around and have Faith watch the shop while I went to see my parents.

KJ’s words were the first thing that popped into my head.

The cauldron was good and clean when I flipped it on. I ran my hand down the shelf of ingredients behind me. I grabbed the geranium, beeswax, rosewater, coconut oil and pinched or poured a few drops into the cauldron.

“Now.” I brushed my hands above the cauldron. “I’ll let you simmer.”

The clock said it was time to flip the sign and get ready for the day.

“I’ll be right with you,” I called after I had turned the sign to open and gone back to the counter hiding behind the partition where my cauldron was coming to a boil. The glowing liquid was exactly what it was supposed to look like before I put in the wisteria vine oil. The sapphire color swirled counter-clockwise until it reached a state of ruby globules.

“June?” The voice called out from underneath the dinging bell above the door. “It’s Pearl and Josh!”

“Pearl. Josh?” I stuck my head around the corner and saw them standing in the doorway of the shop. Both of them glancing around.

“What kind of store is this?” Pearl had a box in her hand.

“It’s like a mini Head To Toe Works, only cuter stuff.” Josh picked up a long thin glass bottle with wire wrapping coiled around it. Evenly spaced glass beads were held tight to the bottle by the wire. The cork lid had a little silver fairy sitting on top of it. “Sleep aid?” He read the label before putting it back down.

“Welcome.” I wiped my hands down my apron and greeted them. “Why aren’t you at work?”

“Tiffany came in and shut us down.” Pearl put the box on the ground. “I took these and thought you might want them back.”

“How did you know where to find me?” I asked and pointed to the small table near the front where I had some hot apple cider from The Gathering Grove simmering in a crock-pot for my customers.

“Tiffany put the bottles out at the dumpster.” Josh picked up another bottle and read the label. “Seriously, why on earth would you want to sell your product through Head To Toe?”

“It was the national thing.” I wasn’t going to lie. “I care about my customers and if a large chain like Head To Toe Works can get my product in the hands of the American people, I was all for it.”

Pearl wasn’t as interested in the shop as Josh was. She just stood by the door with her hands clasped in front of her.

“We only came to drop off the bottles. There are more in the car.” Pearl opened the door and walked out.

“Is she okay?” I asked Josh.

“No, dude. She’s mad. We are both mad as hell.” He popped off the lid of one of the sleeping aids and took a whiff. “But she’s already got a new job taking care of some old lady.”

“Are you having a hard time sleeping?” I asked, ignoring Pearl putting another box in the shop.

“Nah, just curious about all of this.”  Josh pointed to the boxes of bottles. “It didn’t seem right to keep those by the dumpster.”

“Thanks, Josh and Pearl.” I wasn’t really sure what to say. It was their only job and I felt bad for them.  “Do either of you know who would want to kill Burt?” I just couldn’t do what Oscar asked me to do. I had to get to the bottom of it.

“Nope. He was a jerk, but he was the boss and I needed my job.” Josh shrugged and looked over at Pearl.

“Don’t look at me,” Pearl quipped. “I kept my head down and did my job. I’ve got mouths to feed.”

“You did get in a little tiff with him the other day.” I recalled her talking about the different conveyor belt with the bottles I had provided.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t give me reason to kill the man.” Her eyes narrowed, creases formed between her eyes. “I don’t think we are welcome here anymore.”

“Pearl, I didn’t mean to. . .,” my voice lowered after they rushed out of the shop, “to insult you.”

I stood out on the front stoop of A Charming Cure waving my arms trying to get them to stop so I could make a quick apology, but they just zoomed down the streets toward Locust Grove.

“Who was that?” Faith asked. She was walking up the street with two cups of coffee in her hand.

“No one,” I said. “Please tell me one of those is for me.”

“It is.” She walked up the steps and handed me one. Our fingers grazed. Her head tilted. Her eyes went blank and in a stare that led over my shoulder. “One of them knows about the break-in.”

“What?” I asked.

“One of those people who were just here knows something about the shop break-in.” Her head turned in the direction of Josh and Pearl speeding out of town. She shook her head, her blond hair fell behind her shoulder. “Something told me you needed me today.”

“Tell me what you know about the two who were just here.” There was no way I was going to let her get away with just saying they knew about it. “Did they break in? What do you mean they know about it?”

“The voices whisper.” Her eyes darted around the open morning air. “There are rumblings. Nothing real specific yet. Only they know something and they came here to tell you or give you clues for you to put together.”

“They didn’t say much.” I opened the door. Mr. Prince Charming darted out and headed toward Glorybee. He loved going there in the morning when Petunia was feeding the animals. He loved to sit in the live tree in the store and visit with his animal friends. I held the door open for Faith.

“Did they mention your shop?” she asked.

“Pearl didn’t say much. She brought me my bottles back. Josh said she found them by the dumpster.” I shut the door behind us and walked back to the cauldron.

The only thing that really stuck with me was when Josh said he didn’t understand why I would give Head To Toe Works my lotion when I had a shop here. Of course I told him to help customers, but I really wanted to do my share to help the economy in Whispering Falls since it was our few shops that kept us going.

“Congratulations by the way.” Faith and I shared a smile.

I knew she was talking about me finally setting a wedding date.

“The air told me.” She waved her hand in the air.

Hear ye, hear ye! The bells will be ringing on All Hallows Eve. Wedding bells, that is for our very own June Heal and Sheriff Oscar Park. KJ will be performing the marriage ceremony using a traditional Native American celebration complete with the wedding vase he and his family made for the Parks as a wedding gift. This means All Hallows Eve will be a big celebration full of spiritual happenings and fun. We will still host our annual open house, so start planning your shop’s festival activities today! It will be here before you know it. This article is sponsored by Mystic Lights. Be sure to see Isadora Solstice for all your magic ball tune-ups and needs.

In other news, be sure to lock your doors. Sheriff Lance and Sheriff Park are still on the lookout for the person who ransacked and stole potions from A Charming Cure. If your gift is telling you any details or if you saw something out of place the night of the break-in, please contact the Whispering Falls’ Sheriff Department.

Be sure to stop by Glorybee Pet Shop to take advantage of the 25% off food for your beloved pets and hair care needs. Remember to have a spiritual day!

The last line of the Whispering Falls Gazette was barely over when the door flung open; Aunt Helena and Eloise shoving each other out of the way to see who could get in first.

“She’s my niece!” Aunt Helena raised a finger to Eloise, her eyes staring down it.

I rushed over and pulled it out of the air. Her finger was powerful.

“I just got this place put back together.” I huffed and tugged on the tablecloth on one of the display tables next to us.

I didn’t have time to wash all the ones that were soaked from the all the broken lotions and cures so I had to dig deep in the storage room for the old ones Darla had used. They were a little musty, but it wasn’t anything a few sprits of air freshener wouldn’t take care of. I had hoped the wrinkles would fall out, but they didn’t.

“You need new coverings.” Aunt Helena walked around the shop, touching each table and taking out all the wrinkles.

“Enough of this chit-chat,” Eloise said softly, her eyes narrowing. “I’m. . .”

Ahem
, Aunt Helena cleared her throat and drummed her fingers together.

“
We
,” Eloise emphasized
we
, “are thrilled you and Oscar have agreed to get married on All Hallows Eve since everyone will be here for the festivities, but we are concerned about KJ.”

“Not that he isn’t capable, but he’s a Native American spiritualist and you are not.” Aunt Helena couldn’t keep her mouth shut long enough for Eloise to get it out. “We,” she gestured between the two, “were hoping you would have the Marys do it since it’s sort of a royal affair for our families.”

“I appreciate all your concern and
we
,” I emphasized
we
like Eloise did. “Oscar and I are very happy with our choice. Now,” I rushed back to the bubbling cauldron and turned it down.

I ran my finger down the line of potion bottles that were empty and lightly touched each one until the clear cracked liter bottle lit up; which meant it was the perfect bottle for the stress free lotion I was making—minus Darla’s wisteria vine oil.

“If you two will excuse me, Faith is going to run the shop while I run some errands.” I dipped the ladle into the cauldron and scooped up the yellow mixture, pouring it into the bottle. The yellow liquid turned creamy white as it dripped down into the bottle turning into the lotion.

I grabbed my bag off the chair and stuck the bottle and Madame Torres inside.

“Oscar and I will let you know if we need anything.” My brows lifted when I passed them.

“June!” Aunt Helena’s voice boomed out, catching my attention. We faced each other. She stuck her hand in her cloak and pulled out a white lace dress. “Since the date is set, I thought you might want this.”

“Is that?” I didn’t need to ask whom it belonged to. My eyes teared up, my throat dried. I tried to swallow back the lump in my throat. I ran my finger over my engagement ring. My heart warmed. “I had no idea you had Darla’s dress.”

“I’ve been waiting until you had a date.” She held it out from the hanger.

The ivory cream lace dress was going to be perfect. The ivory lace material lay perfect over the cream silk sheath underneath. The long lace ivory sleeves would be perfect for the cool night weather on All Hallows Eve.

I reached out and ran my hand along the silk collar that ended in the back in a petite silk stiff bow. The zipper up the back ended in keyhole hook and eye closure.

“It’s perfect.” I even loved the knee length. “Mom was stylish even then.” I was afraid to get too close in fear my tears would stain the beautiful dress.

“You are going to look so beautiful.” Eloise clasped her hands in front of her face. Her lids were lined with tears. Even Aunt Helena looked choked up.