FUR FOR ALL, Book 5 in FIXED by Christine Warren Page A
Authors: Christine Warren
Tags: Contemporary/Fantasy
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shelves and pulling down jars, placing them on the counter. “I need to know if I have the right stuff.”
She thought she heard a choking sound coming from one of Missy’s friends, but when she looked up, they all wore suspiciously bland expressions.
“Oh, we’re sure you do,” Missy said. “It’s just a matter of getting you to show us.”
Now that sounded significantly odd. Tess shook her head and pulled out a mesh tea basket. “Okay, let’s try it this way. Who are we aiming to please here?” This time she was watching closely enough that she saw Danice’s shoulders jerk and her hand come up to cover her mouth.
“Sorry,” the woman said, looking not at Tess but at Missy. “Allergies.”
“Well, that’s a good place to start.” Tess forged right through the odd energy in the room and reached for a jar of mullein. “Do you have high blood pressure?” Danice gave a puzzled laugh. “Only when my husband is giving me grief.
Why?”
“If you did, I’d be blending up a different formula. No Ma Huang with high blood pressure.” Tess dragged out her small electronic scale. She laid a creased square of parchment paper on it and zeroed it out. “Does that cough ever go anywhere? Ever bring anything up, or is it usually dry like that?” 83
Christine Warren
“Dry.”
“And it ends up irritating your throat after a while, doesn’t it?” Danice’s eyes widened and she stepped up to the counter to watch Tess more closely as she dipped into several jars, weighing each addition to the parchment with precise care. “Yeah, especially at night. I used to just blame it on the cigars the senior partners smoke in the lounge at work, but since they instituted the no smoking policy it hasn’t really gotten any better.”
“It will, but smoke is a stubborn irritant. It’ll take a bit for your lungs to recover from a long period of exposure.”
“And in the meantime?”
“Well, if you like this tea, I’ll make up a batch for you to take home. But try these, too.” Reaching under the counter, Tess withdrew an opaque plastic bag that rattled slightly when she set it on the counter. She smiled at Danice’s curious expression. “Horehound candies. They taste pretty darn good, and they’ll make your throat feel better and soothe your bronchus. Give ‘em a try.” Tess automatically poured her herbal mix into a small pan, added water and set it on a portable burner, but her eyes were on Danice. The other woman broke the seal on the bag and shook out one of the small lozenges, examining the rather unappealing brown candy with its powdery coating. Tess grinned.
“They’re better than they look, I promise. The dust is powdered sugar. It keeps them from sticking together in the bag.” Giving her a doubtful look, Danice took a deep breath and popped the small candy into her mouth. She sucked for a moment before her eyes widened. “Hey!
These are pretty good. They taste sort of…mapley.”
“I add extract to the syrup when I make them. The horehound itself doesn’t taste all that bad, but it’s not exactly exciting, either. Take the bag. They really will help your throat.”
84
Fixed 5: Fur For All
“How much?”
Tess shook her head as Danice reached for her purse. “On the house.”
“That’s no way to run a business.”
“Don’t worry about it. If you like them, you can buy the next batch.” She grinned. “Besides, I can always over-charge you for the tea.” Regina laughed. “Now I know why Missy likes you so much. You’ve definitely got the goods to handle…whatever crosses your path.” She cleared her throat. “You got anything behind that counter to help a woman deal with a ridiculously Alpha male husband?”
“Sorry, but I don’t think so. Well, not unless you want to try some damiana.” Reggie leaned her forearms on the counter and watched as Tess filled the tea basket with loose, black leaves and set it in a ceramic pot. “What’s damiana do?”
“He’ll be
She thought she heard a choking sound coming from one of Missy’s friends, but when she looked up, they all wore suspiciously bland expressions.
“Oh, we’re sure you do,” Missy said. “It’s just a matter of getting you to show us.”
Now that sounded significantly odd. Tess shook her head and pulled out a mesh tea basket. “Okay, let’s try it this way. Who are we aiming to please here?” This time she was watching closely enough that she saw Danice’s shoulders jerk and her hand come up to cover her mouth.
“Sorry,” the woman said, looking not at Tess but at Missy. “Allergies.”
“Well, that’s a good place to start.” Tess forged right through the odd energy in the room and reached for a jar of mullein. “Do you have high blood pressure?” Danice gave a puzzled laugh. “Only when my husband is giving me grief.
Why?”
“If you did, I’d be blending up a different formula. No Ma Huang with high blood pressure.” Tess dragged out her small electronic scale. She laid a creased square of parchment paper on it and zeroed it out. “Does that cough ever go anywhere? Ever bring anything up, or is it usually dry like that?” 83
Christine Warren
“Dry.”
“And it ends up irritating your throat after a while, doesn’t it?” Danice’s eyes widened and she stepped up to the counter to watch Tess more closely as she dipped into several jars, weighing each addition to the parchment with precise care. “Yeah, especially at night. I used to just blame it on the cigars the senior partners smoke in the lounge at work, but since they instituted the no smoking policy it hasn’t really gotten any better.”
“It will, but smoke is a stubborn irritant. It’ll take a bit for your lungs to recover from a long period of exposure.”
“And in the meantime?”
“Well, if you like this tea, I’ll make up a batch for you to take home. But try these, too.” Reaching under the counter, Tess withdrew an opaque plastic bag that rattled slightly when she set it on the counter. She smiled at Danice’s curious expression. “Horehound candies. They taste pretty darn good, and they’ll make your throat feel better and soothe your bronchus. Give ‘em a try.” Tess automatically poured her herbal mix into a small pan, added water and set it on a portable burner, but her eyes were on Danice. The other woman broke the seal on the bag and shook out one of the small lozenges, examining the rather unappealing brown candy with its powdery coating. Tess grinned.
“They’re better than they look, I promise. The dust is powdered sugar. It keeps them from sticking together in the bag.” Giving her a doubtful look, Danice took a deep breath and popped the small candy into her mouth. She sucked for a moment before her eyes widened. “Hey!
These are pretty good. They taste sort of…mapley.”
“I add extract to the syrup when I make them. The horehound itself doesn’t taste all that bad, but it’s not exactly exciting, either. Take the bag. They really will help your throat.”
84
Fixed 5: Fur For All
“How much?”
Tess shook her head as Danice reached for her purse. “On the house.”
“That’s no way to run a business.”
“Don’t worry about it. If you like them, you can buy the next batch.” She grinned. “Besides, I can always over-charge you for the tea.” Regina laughed. “Now I know why Missy likes you so much. You’ve definitely got the goods to handle…whatever crosses your path.” She cleared her throat. “You got anything behind that counter to help a woman deal with a ridiculously Alpha male husband?”
“Sorry, but I don’t think so. Well, not unless you want to try some damiana.” Reggie leaned her forearms on the counter and watched as Tess filled the tea basket with loose, black leaves and set it in a ceramic pot. “What’s damiana do?”
“He’ll be
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