Spells A La Carte (Mystic Cafe Series Book 3) (9 page)

As I stood there leafing through the book, Grandma Imelda called out, “She’s back.”

Without thinking, I flung the book out of my hands. It landed on the floor. Grandma Imelda and Mary Jane rushed into the house and slammed the door.

“What are you doing? If she’s back then we need to get out of here,” I said with panic in my voice.

“We can’t go out the front door. She’s right there in the driveway. She’ll see us.” Grandma Imelda was leaning with her back against the door as if that would stop Meredith from coming inside.

“What do we do?” I knew my voice revealed my panic.

Mary Jane waved her hands. “Okay. Stay calm. We’ll go out the back door. There has to be a back door, right?”

“Yes, there probably is, but with Meredith, I’m worried what kind of surprise we’ll find once we step out the door. She could have booby traps back there.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, she didn’t have any at the front door.”

Okay, Mary Jane was right about that.

Grandma Imelda peeked out the little side window at the door. “She’s coming up the path. Run.”

We took off across the hall. Our footfalls against the hardwood floors echoed through the house. We sounded like a bunch of horses racing.

“The door is probably off the kitchen,” Grandma Imelda said.

“Yes, but where is the kitchen?” I said.

We raced through the living room, weaving around the sofa and chairs. Next we dashed through the dining room. The china cabinet clinked as we moved through the room. The kitchen was attached to the dining room. The sound of the front door opening came all the way back to where we were. If we didn’t get out of there soon she would catch us.

I looked to my right at the open door leading to a small room. I froze when I saw what was inside.

Mary Jane grabbed my arm and pulled. “What are you doing?”

“Look.” I pointed at the room. Spellbooks lined the shelves. “It’s the books.”

Grandma Imelda looked back, but didn’t stop. “We don’t have time to look,” she said over her shoulder.

I forced myself to move, even though I wanted a better look at the room. So that was where she had moved the books. Now I could tell Tom. Or maybe not. How would I explain being in her house?

That would be tough to explain. Grandma Imelda was waiting for us at the back door. She motioned for us to hurry. I stumbled as I rushed out, but caught myself before falling on my face. We ran around the house. I glanced back and thankfully didn’t see Meredith. There was a small white fence that separated the back yard from the front yard. I panicked even more when I saw it. Climbing over it wouldn’t be too difficult, but it would definitely slow us down. There was a gate, but would it be unlocked?

Grandma Imelda opened the gate with ease. I released a sigh of relief and hurried through the open gate. I didn’t bother to close it behind me. That would take too much time. At least we could see the car from this spot. We ran across the lawn and reached the street. I didn’t want to look back, but I knew I had to take a quick peek. When I glanced over my shoulder, I spotted Meredith standing at the front door, watching us. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at me. So much for not getting caught. She wasn’t coming after us, but I had a feeling she had something much more sinister planned.

We slipped into the car.

“Oh, there she is.” Grandma Imelda had just spotted Meredith.

“I think it’s safe to say that she knows we were in her house.”

Mary Jane started the car and pulled away from the curb. Meredith’s stare was focused on us the whole time. As we drove away, I stopped looking over at her. It was just too awkward.

“What do you think she’ll do?” Mary Jane asked.

“I don’t know, but I have a feeling that it won’t be good,” I said.

“She can’t prove we were in the house and we didn’t take anything,” Grandma Imelda said.

Grandma Imelda always had a way of making me feel better. She was right. Meredith didn’t know for sure that we were in her house. It would be her word against ours.

My cell rang, making me jump. I was a little on edge. I pulled the phone from my pocket, hoping that it would be Rory. I wasn’t expecting the call to be from Tom. There was no way I was going to answer his call right now.

“Aren’t you going to answer the call?” Grandma Imelda said.

I touched the screen and dismissed the call so that it would go to my voicemail.

“It wasn’t Meredith, was it?” Mary Jane asked as she steered the car.

“It’s not Meredith, but it’s almost as bad.”

Mary Jane frowned. “Who was it?”

“Tom Owenton.”

“Oh, no,” Grandma Imelda said.

“Do you think he knows?” Mary Jane asked as she stopped at a red light.

“Oh, he knows,” Grandma Imelda said.

So much for making me feel better. “I bet Meredith called him right away,” I said.

“You’re probably right,” Mary Jane said.

“Why didn’t you answer it?” Grandma Imelda asked.

“There is no way I want to talk with him right now,” I said.

“You will have to answer sooner or later,” Mary Jane said.

“True, but I don’t have to right now. I just need time to think of what to say.”

“I suppose there’s not much we can say,” Mary Jane added.

“We’ll tell him the truth,” Grandma Imelda said.

I glanced back at her. “What? No, we can’t do that.”

“We have to. What other choice do we have?” she said.

Sadly, I knew she was right. But at least now I could tell Tom about the books.

“Wait. I don’t know for sure that was why he was calling. I bet he was just checking in.”

Mary Jane quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah, that’s it.”

We arrived back at the café without further incident. I had expected Meredith to possibly follow us. Even if she hadn’t followed us now, she’d probably be by soon enough to ask what we were up to. I knew I’d get a visit from Tom soon. I wished I could just hide, but Grandma Imelda needed my help. Plus, running from problems was never the answer. We hurried up to the café. It was as if we were just waiting for something bad to happen. I hated being on edge like that, but it couldn’t be avoided right now.

Mary Jane was sitting at the counter.

I stood on the other side of the counter in front of her. “I have an idea.”

She quirked an eyebrow. “I hope this doesn’t involve sneaking in to anyplace.”

I waved my hand. “No, nothing like that. It’s just that I think Rory might need pie.”

“You want to give Rory a spell?” she asked.

I grabbed a towel and wiped off the counter even though it didn’t need it. “I think it might help him. And it couldn’t hurt, right?” She grimaced. “Well… okay, as long as nothing goes wrong it couldn’t hurt.” 

“That’s a big if,” she said.

“Well, I have to try.”

Mary Jane nodded. “Yes, I agree, you have to try something.”

I motioned for her to follow me. “Come on, let’s go find a spell for the pie.”

Mary Jane and I entered the kitchen. Grandma Imelda was sorting through the spices.

When she looked over at us, she said, “I heard what you have planned. What kind of spell do you want to try?”

I grabbed the spellbook from the shelf. “What do you recommend?”

Grandma Imelda wiped her hands on her apron and pulled the book over in front of her. She flipped through the book and then stopped on a page. “This one looks like it might be a good one.”

I scanned the page and nodded. “I’ll get the ingredients.”

“I’ll get the pie dish,” Mary Jane said.

I was so glad to have Mary Jane and Grandma Imelda in my life. I knew that I could always count on them to help me with anything. Even if it got a little crazy at times. I placed the spices and other pie ingredients onto the island. Making the pie was the easy part, adding the spell was a lot more difficult. Grandma Imelda watched as I made the pie. Now it was time to add the spell.

“Are you ready for this?” she asked.

I nodded. “I think so.” I just hoped that Tom didn’t walk in and catch me. “Did you lock the front door?” I asked Mary Jane.

She nodded. “Yes, when the last customer left.”

Grandma Imelda patted my hand. “It’s okay. I’ll just tell him I made the pie.”

I smiled. “Even though it would be coming from you, I still don’t think he would believe it.” 

She placed her hands on her hips. “Well, he’d better believe whatever I tell him.”

I just smiled. 

I picked the first spice up from the line of bottles on the island. Grandma Imelda nodded and nudged me to continue. I wasn’t sure why I was so nervous. I’d done this many times now. But I really wanted this to work, so the spell had to be just right. I sprinkled the spice over the top of the pie. It sparked a little, but it wasn’t much yet. The real magic wouldn’t happen until I added all of the spices for the spell. I sprinkled on another spice and that was when the light show started. Flashes of red and blue flew through the air.

As I sprinkled the last of the spices, the wind picked up. The pots and pans hanging around the kitchen swayed and the spectacular performance looked like a mini-Fourth of July display. As I added the last of the spices, the wind settled and so did display of lights. Calm had returned.

“Great job, Elly,” Grandma Imelda said.

“Yes, that was fantastic,” Mary Jane added.

“We’ll see how great it is when I give it to Rory,” I said.

“How will he get it?” Mary Jane asked.

I tapped my fingers against the counter. “I’ll just have to take it to him and hope for the best.” 

Mary Jane flashed a pitying smile. I knew she didn’t have confidence that he would eat it, but I didn’t know what else to do. Could we force him to eat the pie? No, definitely not. After baking the pie, Mary Jane and I set out to take Rory the pie. Of course I was full of anxiety.

I waved to Grandma Imelda as we headed out the door. “I’ll see you at home, Grandma.”

“Good luck, dear,” she said with confidence in her voice.

I needed that confidence boost. I straightened my shoulders and marched out the door with the pie in my hands.

“Do you think Rory will know what you’re up to with the pie?” Mary Jane asked.

“He probably will, but I can try my best to convince him otherwise,” I said.

“You can tell him it’s a new recipe and you need him to taste-test for you.”

“Cherry pie is his favorite and he can’t resist usually… now I’m not so sure.”

Mary Jane and I headed down the sidewalk. It felt as if someone was watching us. I stepped forward and immediately tumbled to the ground. The pie flew through the air and landed a few feet in front of me. Unfortunately it was smashed and cherries decorated the pavement.

“Oh, no. Are you okay? What happened?” Mary Jane reached for my arm and helped me to my feet.

I brushed the hair out of my eyes. “I’m okay. But look at the pie. It’s ruined.”

Grandma Imelda ran out from the café. “What happened?”

I gestured toward the pie. “I dropped the pie.”

“Oh, dear. It’s okay.” She patted my arm.

I still felt as if someone was watching us. I looked across the street and spotted Meredith. She was watching us and laughing.

“She’s laughing at you,” Mary Jane said. 

“That’s not very nice,” Grandma Imelda said.

“She’s not a nice person,” Mary Jane said.

“Do you think she did it on purpose?” I asked.

“I can’t help but think she did,” Grandma Imelda said.

I reached down and picked up the pie. I scraped up the cherries and tried to clean up the mess.

“Now what do I do?” I asked.

“Should you make another pie?” Mary Jane asked.

“I have a feeling that it would do no good. I doubt I would ever make it to his place with the pie.”

We looked across the street again. Meredith was still chuckling.

“I think you’re right, dear. I don’t think she will let you take him a pie.”

We went back into the café. I wanted to ignore Meredith but it was hard to after what she had done. Once back inside we gathered by the front window.

“Is she still watching us?” Mary Jane asked.

“I don’t see her… wait, there she is again.”

“Do you think she can see us here by the window?” Mary Jane asked.

“Well, I don’t care if she can. She’s not nice and if she can watch us then we can watch her.”

Oh, no. The last thing I needed was a war with the neighbor across the street.

Just then a brown delivery truck pulled up in front of the café, blocking our view of Meredith’s shop. Maybe that was for the best.

I touched Grandma Imelda’s arm. “Come on, Grandma, we can just ignore her. Whatever she’s trying to do, we won’t let her succeed.”

The delivery driver got out of the truck and headed toward the café.

“Do you think he’s coming here?” Mary Jane asked.

“It looks like it,” I said.

The driver opened the café’s door and came inside. “I have a package for Elly Blair.”

“That’s me.” I held my hand up. He walked over and handed me the package.

I hadn’t ordered anything so I didn’t know what it could be. “Do I need to sign for this?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Nope.” The man turned and walked out the door.

“Where’s it from?” Mary Jane stepped closer.

I looked at the box but couldn’t figure out where it had come from. “All it has is a post office box number from New York City.”

That immediately made me think of my ex-boyfriend. I’d left him after he’d cheated on me. The timing had worked out because that was when Grandma Imelda had asked me to come back to Mystic Café. It was almost as if she’d known.

The last thing I needed was something from him. Mary Jane and Grandma Imelda must have thought the same thing because they frowned at the same time.

“Well, open it up and see what it is.” Grandma Imelda motioned toward the box.

I pulled on the tape and opened the top of the box.

“What’s inside?” Mary Jane asked.

I reached inside the box and pulled out the tissue paper. Folded inside the wrapping was a pretty teal and pink scarf. “Oh, it looks like silk.”

“Is it from Rory?”

I looked inside the box again. “There’s no card or anything.”

Mary Jane picked up the box and shook it. Still nothing fell out.

“Maybe you forgot that you ordered it,” Grandma Imelda said.

“I don’t think so. I never have a chance to wear anything this pretty.” I took the scarf from the tissue paper and wrapped it around my shoulders. “It’s so pretty, but I don’t know who would have sent it.”

Mary Jane touched the fabric. “Maybe Tom sent it.”

I looked at her. “You think?”

She shrugged. “Since it doesn’t have a card with it. It sounds like something he would do. He wouldn’t want you to know it was from him.”

“But why would he want to give me a gift?” I asked.

Mary Jane placed her hands on her hips. “Gee, I wonder.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that someone had thought enough to send me a gift. 

“No!” Grandma Imelda yelled from across the room.

I whipped around to look at her. “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t think Tom or Rory sent you that scarf,” Grandma Imelda said.

“What makes you say that?” I asked.

“Meredith has a boutique and I saw scarves in her shop when we were there. I bet she sent that to you,” Grandma Imelda said.

We stood in silence for a moment. I didn’t know what to do. Why would Meredith send me a gift? It sure as heck wasn’t because she liked me. I knew it wasn’t because she wanted to apologize.

Grandma Imelda raced over to me. She yanked the scarf from my shoulders and tossed it onto the floor. Mary Jane and I stared at her wide-eyed.

“What did you do that for, Grandma?” I asked as I reached down to pick it up.

She grabbed my arm. “No, don’t touch it again. We need to remove it without directly touching it.”

I backed away from the scarf. “What’s wrong with it?” If Grandma Imelda was freaking out this much then I knew I needed to stay away from the thing.

“Don’t you see? Meredith wanted you to put that scarf on.” Grandma Imelda ran to the kitchen and then emerged with salad tongs and a plastic bag. She picked the scarf up with the tongs and placed it in the bag. She tied the bag. “There, that should do it. Now we need to toss the thing in the Dumpster.”

The three of us marched the bag and box outside to the Dumpster. Just for good measure, we tossed the salad tongs into the trash too. I could pick up a new pair. I didn’t want anything that had touched Meredith’s magic.

“Let’s go see if Meredith is still watching from her front window,” Grandma Imelda said.

We rushed over to the window. Meredith wasn’t there.

Grandma Imelda threw her hands up. “Sure, she’s gone now. She accomplished her mission. She made you drop your pie and she sent you that scarf with a magic spell.”

I wasn’t sure that she had made me drop the pie, but I was thinking more and more that she was responsible for the scarf.

“What do you think the spell was that she sent?” I asked.

Grandma Imelda fidgeted as she continued to stare out the window across the street. “I just don’t know. I don’t know what her motive is.”

That was a problem. Until we knew what she wanted it was hard to know how to stop her.

“What will happen?” Mary Jane asked.

Grandma Imelda turned to face us. “I don’t think anything will happen. Luckily Elly didn’t wear the scarf for long. I doubt it had time to do anything.”

“But what if it did?” I asked.

She waved her finger in my direction. “Now don’t even think that way. We will only have positive thoughts.”

I nodded. She could say that, but on the inside I still had the negative ones getting through.

I picked up my phone to call Tom. He answered on the first ring. “Did something happen?” His voice sounded strained.

How did he know? Of course I was usually in some kind of trouble. That was the only reason I ever called him. Maybe I should have called him sometimes just to say hello. No, that was probably a bad idea too. Okay, now I was rambling. Back to the subject at hand.

“Are you still there?” Tom asked.

“Sorry. I’m still here,” I said. “You’re right. Something did happen.”  

‘Should I come over there now?” Tom asked.

I glanced out the window, but didn’t see Meredith anywhere. “No, I don’t think that is necessary. This might sound silly, but did you send me a scarf?”

Silence filled the line. Finally, Tom said, “No, should I have?” He sounded confused. I didn’t blame him. I was confused too.

“I received a scarf today. Grandma Imelda said the scarf had a magic spell attached to it,” I said.

“Did you feel the magic?” Tom asked.