Mistletoe With a Pink Bow Read online

  Mistletoe With a Pink Bow

  A Witch’s Cove Mystery

  Book 8

  Vella Day

  Mistletoe With a Pink Bow

  Copyright © 2020 by Vella Day

  Kindle Edition

  www.velladay.com

  [email protected]

  Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo

  Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo

  Published in the United States of America

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-951430-23-8

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Excerpt from The Magical Pink Pendant

  Other Books by the Author

  About the Author

  A witchy time travel tale that could only happen to me—and on Christmas Eve no less.

  Hi, I’m Glinda Goodall. I know I’m a witch, but I never expected to have my powers turn against me and send me and Jaxson back fifty years to a snowy winter wonderland. Who knew the seventies were so archaic? No computers, no cell phones, and TVs with small screens that weighed as much as a battleship. Okay, gas might have been $.36 a gallon, but that seemed to have been the only plus.

  Experiencing what it was like way back then was fun for about one day, but wouldn’t you know it, a guest is murdered in the old Victorian B&B where we are staying. Surprise! Adding insult to injury, the only way we can return to sunny Witch’s Cove in the 21st century is to solve this murder case—or so says some psychic.

  I’ll be honest, at first it kind of sounded fun, until I wondered how could we do that with no modern conveniences and no gossip queens? Even worse, there was no email.

  Please send all suggestions my way, though I have no idea if they will ever reach me. Oh, yeah. I’ll be the girl in the bell bottom jeans that aren’t even pink. Such indignities.

  Chapter One

  “What do you think?” I held up a sprig of mistletoe tied together with a pink bow.

  My cousin Rihanna laughed. “Where do you plan to put that?”

  I shouldn’t be surprised she acted as if mistletoe was some old-fashioned tradition. After all, she was just a teenager. I personally thought it was romantic, yet I was nine years older than she. “In Jaxson’s house. We’re spending Christmas Eve there.”

  “Okay, I’ll admit that does sound like fun.” Thankfully, she seemed sincere.

  “And you? Do you and Gavin have plans?”

  My cousin and Gavin Sanchez, an intern in his mother’s medical examiner practice, had been dating for about three months. Rihanna was eighteen and technically an adult, so I never questioned her about their relationship. She was a very pretty girl who had turned into a self-confident young woman since moving here, and Gavin was bright and focused.

  “He’s taking me out to dinner to some place in Ocean View. It’s supposed to be quite nice.” She smiled and then sighed.

  I was happy for her. She’d not had the easiest upbringing. When she moved to Witch’s Cove, Florida, from across the state four months ago, she’d been sullen, rebellious, and withdrawn, but I understood why she was unhappy. My aunt had not been a good role model, especially after Rihanna’s father disappeared when my cousin was only a year old. He reemerged sixteen years later, and because of Uncle Travis’ sudden appearance, Aunt Tricia decided to go into rehab. From what my mother told me, Rihanna’s mom would be released in a few weeks.

  What my cousin’s next step would be, I wasn’t sure, but I didn’t want her to leave, that was for sure. Between Jaxson and me—and Gavin, of course—I hoped she’d choose to stay, at least until she finished her senior year of high school. If she wanted to make Witch’s Cove her permanent home after that, I, for one, would be thrilled.

  “That sounds wonderful,” I said. “Don’t forget we are due at my parents’ place tomorrow at noon to open some presents and then have Christmas dinner.”

  “I’ll remember; don’t worry.”

  My mom had invited Gavin and his mother, too, since Elissa’s in-laws would be out of town visiting their son in Miami. Naturally, I wanted Jaxson to be with us, but he’d already committed to going back home with his brother, Drake. Because Jaxson’s younger brother was the one to visit their parents on a semi-regular basis, Jaxson felt the need to be there at least on Christmas Day. He’d steered clear of his folks for many years due to some bad choices he’d made growing up—and for being falsely imprisoned for a few years.

  Iggy, my fifteen-year-old pink iguana familiar crawled out from under the sofa, wearing a green hoodie, one of the early Christmas presents my Aunt Fern had made for him. Even though we lived in Florida, it could get chilly in December, and the office was rather drafty. Being cold-blooded, Iggy needed to stay warm to survive. I had to admit he looked adorable in his spiffy new outfit.

  “Christmas is tomorrow. Did you both buy me some presents?” he asked.

  I chuckled. “Did you get us anything?” I totally understood it was a ridiculous comment, but I didn’t want him to be any more entitled than he already was.

  “Maybe.”

  From the way he averted his gaze, that was a hard no. Footsteps sounded on the interior staircase from the wine and cheese shop below. That would be Jaxson Harrison, my business partner in our new venture, The Pink Iguana Sleuths. Yes, Iggy’s ego soared because of that title.

  I smiled, happy every time I saw him. “Hey.”

  “Ready to grab that bite?” he asked.

  “I am.” I had already asked Rihanna if she wanted to join us for lunch, but she said she wanted to pick up one more present for Gavin.

  Iggy didn’t like the cold, so, for once, he was willing to stay back at the office and keep things under control. What he could do if anyone broke in, I didn’t know, but he liked being given the responsibility of office protector.

  I grabbed my jacket from the back of the sofa and shrugged it on. It might be sixty degrees outside, but for this Florida native girl, that was cold. Please don’t judge.

  Before I get too far into this narrative, let me introduce myself. I’m Glinda Goodall, a twenty-seven-year-old former math teacher, who decided that I was better suited to being a waitress than dealing with middle schoolers.

  After our first town murder happened, however, Jaxson suggested I should open this sleuth agency, mostly because I’m terminally nosy. Naturally, I asked him to join me. I also happen to be a witch, and that particular talent—when my spells actually worked the way they were supposed to—helped solve several crimes. I need to point out that our town is full of psychics, witches, and on occasion, some rogue werewolves. Too often, one needed to fight magic with mag
ic, so to speak.

  We were half way to the Tiki Hut Grill when something shiny on the ground caught my attention. Normally, I wasn’t the type to pick up a coin, but this particular one was gold-colored, so I bent down and snatched it. Jaxson stopped so we could both look at it. “Have you seen anything like this before?” I flipped it over.

  “No. It looks like it came from a game, or else it’s some fake doubloon like the ones they toss from balconies or floats during Mardi Gras.”

  “You’re probably right.” I was about to drop it when Jaxson grabbed my wrist. “Or it could be a wish coin.”

  I laughed. “A wish coin? What is that?”

  “My grandmother used to say that if you find a coin on the road, pick it up, and make a wish. It just might come true.”

  “Was grandma big into buying lottery tickets, too?”

  He laughed. “Turns out, she was.”

  I had to assume his grandmother never hit it big. “For grandma, I will give it a try.” A gust of wind blew off the Gulf, forcing me to pull my coat tighter. “How about we get to the restaurant first? Besides, I have to think of a wish. I only get one, right?” I wanted to know the Harrison family rules.

  He smiled and wrapped a warm and protective arm around my waist. “Yes, you only get one. Come on.”

  The Tiki Hut, which was owned and run by my Aunt Fern, was surprisingly busy, but we were seated rather quickly. My aunt, who was standing behind the check-out counter, waved. I figured as soon as she finished with the couple who was paying their bill, she’d stop over for a quick chat. We sat down, and I slipped off my jacket.

  “What is your wish?” Jaxson asked.

  I thought he might have forgotten about it, but he seemed quite serious. I didn’t want to pick any subject too deep—like something that involved us—nor did I want to make light of the situation. I wanted to do the coin justice, which meant I wouldn’t say I wanted to have someone hand me a million dollars. That wasn’t going to happen, wish or no wish.

  I looked outside at the rather grayish day to help me decide. Then inspiration struck, and I turned back to Jaxson. “I have it. When I was a little girl, every Christmas Eve I would ask my parents if they could make it snow on Christmas Day. You see, Mom would play all the Christmas classics, especially those by Bing Crosby and Perry Como. Hearing about a white Christmas made both of us rather sentimental, I guess.” I placed the coin in my palm and then closed my fist around it. “My wish is to see snow on Christmas.”

  Jaxson leaned back in his chair. “You do realize that probably won’t happen unless we hop in a car and drive north for about fifteen hours.”

  He was being silly. “I do realize that, but I read it snowed here back in the seventies. It could happen again.”

  “The forecast for tomorrow calls for temperatures in the seventies.”

  I shrugged. “A wish is a wish. Don’t forget, I am a witch. Maybe it will come true.”

  Jaxson reached across the table and squeezed my hand. “Dream on, pink lady.”

  That nickname pink lady came about because I only wear pink. Even I didn’t know why I did—genetic defect maybe? I shut my eyes and pretended to conjure snow. That was way, way out of my witch abilities, but a girl’s gotta try. When a good ten seconds had passed, I opened my eyes. “I realize I’ve used up the wish on this coin, but if you had one of your own, what would you wish for?”

  “Hmm. That is a hard one.”

  I couldn’t believe I was actually holding my breath. Was I hoping he’d say that we could always be together? That was silly, of course. Our relationship had only just begun.

  “My wish is that we have a constant stream of clients for our blossoming business.”

  His choice didn’t surprise me. Of the two of us, Jaxson was the practical one. “I hope that comes true as well.”

  Once we ordered, my aunt came over. “Do you two lovebirds have plans for tonight?”

  Lovebirds? I wanted to disappear. Sure, Jaxson and I were a couple, but so far, we’d kept it fairly simple. “We do. I’m envisioning some popcorn, soft music, and a nice warm fire.” And some kissing, of course, which was why I planned to take the mistletoe with me. “What are your plans?”

  I know my parents had invited her to spend the evening with them, but she also had several of her friends she could be with. Ever since the death of Aunt Fern’s last boyfriend, she’d kept to herself. That was a shame, since she used to have an active social life.

  “We’re having a girls’ afternoon over at Miriam’s. We’ll each bring a gift and have a mini-Christmas party. We have to do it early because Pearl wants to spend some time with her grandson.”

  “That sounds fun.” From the way her eyes were shining, she was quite excited about it. “Who else will be there?”

  “The usual crew: Maude, Pearl, Dolly, and myself.”

  Of course. The five gossip queens. The Pink Iguana Sleuths might not have solved even one case had it not been for their information. It certainly helped that the eldest member, Pearl, was the sheriff’s grandmother and worked as his receptionist, despite the fact her hearing was suspect.

  Aunt Fern’s cell chimed, but being polite, she didn’t answer it. “See who it is,” I said.

  I swear she almost giggled. “Okay.” She read the text and grinned. “That was Dolly. Our special guest has agreed to come.”

  It wasn’t long ago that my aunt and Dolly weren’t on the best of terms. They were always competing for who ran the most successful restaurant, but they’d since mended that broken fence. I looked over at Jaxson to see if he knew anything about a sixth gossip queen, but he subtly shook his head.

  “Are you going to share the name of this special guest?” Jaxson asked.

  “It’s Gertrude Poole.”

  Okay, I hadn’t expected that. Gertrude was the town’s psychic. She also had been training Rihanna to follow in her footsteps someday, and I had to say my cousin was an excellent student. Rihanna’s ability to read minds was a bit unsettling, but thankfully, she’d been able to control when she listened and when she didn’t. “That’s awesome. You ladies will have a great time.”

  “I hope so.” Our food arrived. “I’ll leave you two to your meal. I’ll see you, Glinda, tomorrow. And Jaxson, enjoy your family time.”

  “Thanks.”

  I dug into my food. “I am so happy Aunt Fern will be with friends this afternoon,” I said once I stopped long enough to take a breath.

  “I agree, and I’m equally as glad that we will be together as well. I can’t wait for you to open the present I got you.”

  I’d always spent Christmas Eve with my parents, so being with Jaxson would be extra special. I was also glad my parents would have a quiet evening together for a change. “Can you give me a hint at what you got me?”

  He chuckled. “Not on your life.”

  “Fine. Be that way.” I tried to act offended, but I’m sure the smile on my face showed him I wasn’t. For the rest of our meal, we talked about our usual issue of how to drum up new clients for our business. Witch’s Cove was a small town, and it wasn’t as if someone was murdered every day or every week for that matter. “We need to focus on investigating disappearing relatives, cheating spouses, and such,” I said.

  Jaxson chuckled. “You’d be bored within the year if that is all we did.”

  He knew me too well. “I know, but unless we move to a city where there is more crime—which I would never do—that might be all we can do.” It was probably why we were the only private investigation firm in town, and Witch’s Cove couldn’t even support us.

  “We’ll figure something out.”

  That was what he always said. When we finished, I tried to pay, but my aunt wouldn’t hear of it. “Call it an early Christmas present.”

  I leaned across the counter and hugged her. “Thank you. You are the best. Have fun with the girls, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  After I zipped up my jacket, we walked back to the office so I could pic
k up Iggy. I needed to head home in order to get ready for my hot date.

  When we entered, Iggy was on my desk sniffing the mistletoe. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I was wondering if I sprinkle some catnip on this stuff if it would work between me and Aimee.”

  Aimee was my aunt’s cat who, by a mistake of magic, was given the ability to talk just like Iggy. Being a cat though, one moment she would pay attention to my familiar, and the next Aimee would ignore him. “Mistletoe is more for New Year’s Eve than Christmas Eve, but to be honest, it can be used any time during the holiday season.”

  “Use it how?” he asked.

  I certainly didn’t mind a demonstration. Just as I picked it up, Rihanna came out of her room. “I thought I heard voices.”

  I was sure she heard more than just our voices. She’d probably read my mind and came out to see the fireworks when I bestowed the toe-tingling kiss on Jaxson. Fine, I’d give her something to see.

  I lifted the mistletoe over my head and walked over toward Jaxson. “Iggy wants to understand how this mistletoe works. Watch and learn, people.”

  I pulled Jaxson’s head toward mine with my free hand. The second we kissed, my world spun, and then a bright light swirled around me. The intensity made me feel as if I were falling.

  Then everything stopped, and the air was sucked out of the room. When I opened my eyes to see if maybe I’d fainted, what I saw totally and completely stunned me.

  Chapter Two

  I immediately checked out my strange surroundings. Surely, I’d passed out and was now dreaming. It was the only plausible explanation.

  “Glinda?” Jaxson said in a voice I barely recognized. I was thankful I could hear him after what had happened—whatever that was.

  “I’m here.” I would have sat up, but I was already standing and still holding the dang mistletoe over his head. I lowered my arm. “Where are we?”

  “I don’t know,” Jaxson said.

  All three of us looked around. Make that the four of us. Iggy was clinging to my leg. We were inside some large home that looked like a movie set from Gone With The Wind. In front of us sat a huge staircase that had statues of women on both newel posts. Yikes. The carpet and matching runner were red with ornate cream-colored designs running through them, and part of the ceiling looked like the Sistine Chapel. Oh, my. Being a former math teacher, I didn’t excel in history, but I’d say this house might have been Victorian.