tap . The knock was followed by a flashlight beam dancing around the window of the shop. Mr. Prince Charming darted around and pawed at the light as if it were a cicada.
“Who is it?” I rubbed my hands on my apron and looked up at the clock. It was well past ten pm.
“It’s Sheriff Lance,” the unfamiliar voice called out into the night. “Are you okay in there?”
I unlocked the door and pulled it open. The young officer that was with Gandalf earlier at Ever After Books stood on the other side.
“I’m fine, Sheriff.” I ran my hands through my bob. After fooling around with potions and bending over the cauldron, I was sure I was a mess. I noticed the light was still on at The Gathering Grove Tea Shoppe. Since Gerald was on my list of to-sees, I suddenly had a hankering for some sleepy time tea. All I had to do was get rid of Sheriff Lance. “Is something wrong?”
“Colton Lance.” Colton took his hat off, revealing a nice messy head of blond hair. He stuck his hand out. “I’m the Sheriff in training. We weren’t introduced properly in the bookstore.”
“You are the new sheriff in training?” There was something off about this whole situation. Who hired him? Oscar was going to come right back and claim his post as soon as I gave him the potion. “I’m June Heal, the Village President. Don’t you think I should know something about this officer in training thing?” I ran my pointer finger up and down.
“I guess you are going to have to ask Officer Gandolf about that.” He shrugged. His eyes glanced over my shoulder. “I’m patrolling at night to make sure that nothing funny is going on with the murder and all.”
I looked behind me to see exactly what had him mesmerized. There was smoke billowing out from behind the partition.
“Damn!” I dashed back to the cauldron. The potion had bubbled over, leaving the cauldron with very little potion left. I flipped off the cauldron switch and grabbed a roll of paper towels.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Colton had stepped just inside the shop with his hand on his holster as though he was going to be involved in a showdown.
“Yes!” I yelled from behind the counter. “I was making new inventory when you knocked and didn’t turn down the temperature.”
I lied. There was no new inventory or temperature controls on a cauldron. The ingredients and intention of the cure were all the cauldron needed to know to magically make the potion. Besides, he probably didn’t understand cauldrons or wouldn’t even know what I was talking about.
“Come on in. I’m sorry, I’ve lost my manners.” I blew my bangs out of my eyes and threw a fistful of paper towels in the trash.
Colton came on in like he had nothing else going on. His six-foot-three or so frame looked like it was in good shape, and his big brown eyes turned down just a tad at the corner, giving him that sweet puppy dog look. Much different from Oscar. In fact, he was much bigger in size – not in height, but more muscular than Oscar.
“Are you a Homeopathic Spiritualist?” He asked. The bottle he picked up was for menstrual cramps. I smiled.
“I am.” I walked over and tapped the bottle in his hand. “Unless you are a woman, I don’t think that is going to work for you.”
His laugh was deep, warm, and rich. I brought my hand up to stifle my giggle, but it was too late, literally. I couldn’t stop laughing because he was laughing.
Mr. Prince Charming danced around Colton’s feet doing his signature figure-eight move. Colton bent down and picked him up.
My jaw dropped. Mr. Prince Charming didn’t like any guy around me.
“Hey, buddy.” Colton bent down and found Mr. Prince Charming’s sweet spot right behind his ears, giving him a good scratch.
Purr, purr. I swear Mr. Prince Charming grinned. I gave him the stink eye.
“What a great cat.” He gave him a few more ear rubs before Mr. Prince Charming was ready to get down.
“He is.” Sarcasm dripped from my
“Who is it?” I rubbed my hands on my apron and looked up at the clock. It was well past ten pm.
“It’s Sheriff Lance,” the unfamiliar voice called out into the night. “Are you okay in there?”
I unlocked the door and pulled it open. The young officer that was with Gandalf earlier at Ever After Books stood on the other side.
“I’m fine, Sheriff.” I ran my hands through my bob. After fooling around with potions and bending over the cauldron, I was sure I was a mess. I noticed the light was still on at The Gathering Grove Tea Shoppe. Since Gerald was on my list of to-sees, I suddenly had a hankering for some sleepy time tea. All I had to do was get rid of Sheriff Lance. “Is something wrong?”
“Colton Lance.” Colton took his hat off, revealing a nice messy head of blond hair. He stuck his hand out. “I’m the Sheriff in training. We weren’t introduced properly in the bookstore.”
“You are the new sheriff in training?” There was something off about this whole situation. Who hired him? Oscar was going to come right back and claim his post as soon as I gave him the potion. “I’m June Heal, the Village President. Don’t you think I should know something about this officer in training thing?” I ran my pointer finger up and down.
“I guess you are going to have to ask Officer Gandolf about that.” He shrugged. His eyes glanced over my shoulder. “I’m patrolling at night to make sure that nothing funny is going on with the murder and all.”
I looked behind me to see exactly what had him mesmerized. There was smoke billowing out from behind the partition.
“Damn!” I dashed back to the cauldron. The potion had bubbled over, leaving the cauldron with very little potion left. I flipped off the cauldron switch and grabbed a roll of paper towels.
“Are you sure everything is okay?” Colton had stepped just inside the shop with his hand on his holster as though he was going to be involved in a showdown.
“Yes!” I yelled from behind the counter. “I was making new inventory when you knocked and didn’t turn down the temperature.”
I lied. There was no new inventory or temperature controls on a cauldron. The ingredients and intention of the cure were all the cauldron needed to know to magically make the potion. Besides, he probably didn’t understand cauldrons or wouldn’t even know what I was talking about.
“Come on in. I’m sorry, I’ve lost my manners.” I blew my bangs out of my eyes and threw a fistful of paper towels in the trash.
Colton came on in like he had nothing else going on. His six-foot-three or so frame looked like it was in good shape, and his big brown eyes turned down just a tad at the corner, giving him that sweet puppy dog look. Much different from Oscar. In fact, he was much bigger in size – not in height, but more muscular than Oscar.
“Are you a Homeopathic Spiritualist?” He asked. The bottle he picked up was for menstrual cramps. I smiled.
“I am.” I walked over and tapped the bottle in his hand. “Unless you are a woman, I don’t think that is going to work for you.”
His laugh was deep, warm, and rich. I brought my hand up to stifle my giggle, but it was too late, literally. I couldn’t stop laughing because he was laughing.
Mr. Prince Charming danced around Colton’s feet doing his signature figure-eight move. Colton bent down and picked him up.
My jaw dropped. Mr. Prince Charming didn’t like any guy around me.
“Hey, buddy.” Colton bent down and found Mr. Prince Charming’s sweet spot right behind his ears, giving him a good scratch.
Purr, purr. I swear Mr. Prince Charming grinned. I gave him the stink eye.
“What a great cat.” He gave him a few more ear rubs before Mr. Prince Charming was ready to get down.
“He is.” Sarcasm dripped from my
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