FUR FOR ALL, Book 5 in FIXED by Christine Warren

“You’re very sweet to offer, but if you want to help us with anyone, let it be Ava. We’ve been trying to find a way to deal with her for years, but no luck. I think Ava is beyond help.” Tess looked from the redhead to the tall, elegant woman in the tailored pantsuit and back toward the only face she recognized. “Missy? What are you doing here?”
    The petite blonde smiled and hurried over to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “You got me so curious last night that I had to come out to see your shop.
    I hope you don’t mind. Especially since I told a few friends about it this morning, and they insisted on coming to see you and your shop for themselves.” Tess’s eyes widened and she shifted uncomfortably. “Um, just so I understand, what exactly about last night did you tell your friends about?” Missy grinned and winked at her. “Why, that you own an herb and teashop and give a mean tarot reading, of course. What else would I tell them?” Those big, innocent brown eyes gazed back at Tess, twinkling so brightly that she instantly stopped wondering how this woman went about managing a man like Graham Winters. She clearly had the power to wrap him around her little finger without breaking a sweat. He probably thought his wife was sweet and innocent and malleable, too.
    She snorted.
    “I hope you’ve not too busy for us?” Missy asked.
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    Tess looked pointedly around the small shop, empty except for her and Missy’s friends. “Well, I think I can squeeze out a few minutes for you in between pressing nothings.”
    “Good. Then let me introduce you to my friends.” Missy smiled and turned toward the four other women. “Ladies, I’d like you to meet Tess Menzies. Tess, this is Regina Vidâme, Ava Markham, Danice Carter-Callahan and Corinne D’Alessandro.”
    Tess offered each woman a smile in turn and made mental notes to help her remember who was who. Regina was the one who had made the joke about Ava, and Ava seemed to be the tall, elegant woman with the silky dark hair and exotically shaped eyes. She was the sort that usually intimidated Tess, but at the moment, her expression looked perfectly pleasant, if a little remote. It was odd, actually, because while Tess would have to say Ava was more beautiful than Regina, something about Regina’s pale skin, auburn hair and Mona Lisa smile gave her a striking quality Tess couldn’t quite define. It niggled at the back of her mind while she turned to the other two women, quickly filing away that Danice had the gorgeous café-au-lait complexion and Corinne had the exotic, Mediterranean coloring and features.
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Tess finally said, nodding to them. “Did you all come in looking for something in particular?”
    Danice snorted. “You might say that…”
    Missy stepped in front of her friend and gestured to the shelves of huge amber jars that lined the walls of the shop. “I just wanted them to get an idea of the sort of things you have to offer. Maybe let them sample a few of your blends.”
    “Absolutely.” Tess never let curiosity keep her from making a sale, though she did look back at Missy and hoped she hadn’t misinterpreted the woman’s reassurances. “Let me put a kettle on and we’ll have some fun.” 82

    Fixed 5: Fur For All
    She kept an electric kettle on a shelf behind the counter, next to the sink and water cooler. Being able to brew up her wares for customers to sample made sense to her and had earned her a reputation for being friendly and accommodating. In the retail business, those qualities counted for a lot. Getting the kettle ready only took a second, and when she turned back to her customers, she found them watching her intently. She blinked and stifled the urge to touch her hair. If they were staring at her wild, strawberry-blonde curls, they’d just have to deal. Her hair didn’t do tame.
    “So what sorts of qualities were you looking for?” She began scanning her