Third Witch's the Charm Read online

  Third Witch’s the Charm

  Crooked Windows Inn Cozy Mystery #3

  Valia Lind

  Skazka Press

  Copyright © 2021 by Valia Lind

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

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

  Cover by Valia Lind

  Contents

  Third Witch’s the Charm

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Next in the Crooked Windows Inn series

  Note from the Author

  Do you like academy adventure romance?

  About the Author

  Also by Valia Lind

  Third Witch’s the Charm

  Crooked Windows Inn Cozy Mystery #3

  Valia Lind

  1

  What does one do when their life seems to be spinning out of control? Take a vacation, of course. I have the perfect image in my head. I’m sitting at a cafe, watching the rain fall, somewhere no one knows who I am or about my magic. I’m eating delicious food and walking by the water. It sounds simply lovely. My actual plans ended up a little different, but it’s still a vacation. For the past two weeks, that's all I've been able to think about, and the day has finally arrived.

  “Auntie Grace, we're only going a couple hours down the road. If anything comes up—“

  “Sweetie pie, I have managed without your constant hovering for years, I can do so for a few days.” She squeezes my cheeks on both sides, while I roll my eyes at her.

  I've been back in Monroe Cove for a little over six months now. In that time, I've managed to help solve two murder cases, usher a ghost into the afterlife, and reunite a witch with her lost heritage. I've also been helping Mayor Moore restructure one of the older neighborhoods and been helping Auntie Grace remodel the inn. But none of that is what’s causing me worry.

  Magic has been strange around these parts for months, and I don't want to leave Auntie Grace to deal with it herself, even though she's more than capable. I'm the one who's been having problems with my magic, which is why I had to leave my big city interior designer job in the first place and finally come home. Things have been getting better with that, but that doesn't mean that my need for control makes any of this any easier. Leaving, that is. The last half of the year has truly taught me some lessons about my obsession with being the one in control of everything. It makes me a great interior designer but not that great of a witch. Magic isn't science, after all.

  "Don't you worry about me, sugar plum. I'll miss you."

  "Not if she never leaves." This comes from the grey furball as she jumps on top of the counter and gives me a bored look. Birdie and I are not friends. I've never been a cat person, but I thought we were heading into mutual agreement territory. That is, until I've come more into my powers and recognized I can understand animals. Well, mostly just this annoying one that's my familiar or something along those lines. We're at a standstill right now.

  I send a glare at the cat, making sure to remember not to reply to her when there are non-magical humans around. Lucy, Auntie Grace's business partner, reaches over to scratch Birdie by the ear. I roll my eyes again. The cat makes sure to give me one of her condescending looks, and that's it, I definitely need a vacation.

  "Are we ready?" Penny, my best friend of many years and the only person besides my aunt who knows about my magic, appears at the front door. She is also more than a little excited about our trip, considering the last case I helped out with involved her bakery and the dead body that was found behind it.

  Talking Penny into giving up the reins on her business for a week was not easy, but it's necessary.

  "We are ready," I announce. We head to my trusty Toyota Corolla, as Auntie Grace follows us out. I tell myself I'm not looking for him, but I can't help check to see if Dean's truck is here. It's not.

  "Are you sure you're okay, sugar plum?" Auntie asks as she gives me a hug. I nod into her shoulder before pulling back with a smile.

  "Of course I am. I'll see you in a week."

  Once inside the car, I back out of the driveway as Auntie Grace watches from the porch. There's a little bit of worry on her face, and I can't help thinking she knows that I haven't been completely honest.

  For the past three days, I've been experiencing strange dreams. Well, actually just the one. No matter what I'm doing or where I'm at, a man shows up, begging for help. He grabs me by the shoulders, yelling straight into my face, before he runs out of the dream. It's not anything earth-shattering, but I wake up exhausted every time. I'm hoping a change of scenery will help with that as well.

  "Music?" I ask, shaking off my thoughts as we leave Crooked Windows Inn behind.

  "Absolutely," my best friend replies, reaching for the cord.

  This vacation is going to be great for the both of us. No magical shenanigans, just two young women on a holiday.

  "Did you think we'd actually get out of Monroe Cove?" Penny asks as we walk into our bungalow after checking in. It's taken us three hours to drive up to Williams. It's been a long time since Penny and I did a road trip, as mini sized as this one is. We enjoyed every second of it, but her question is valid.

  "No, I really didn't."

  The last six months have been beyond unpredictable. Between two murders, a zombie, and my magic being a complete disaster, I've been trying not to hold my breath about actually having a vacation. But now, things—and my magic—seem to have settled, so I will take what I can get.

  "We should totally go out to the island tomorrow, instead of this weekend," Penny says, holding up her phone for me to see. "Rain is coming."

  Granted, we should've booked a vacation during the summer months, but it was just too busy for both of us. Penny with her business, me with the town's business. Mayor Moore is determined to remodel the whole of Monroe Cove, and I have become her trusted advisor. Well, myself and Dean.

  The moment the man's face comes to my mind, I push it away. This is a vacation from everything Monroe Cove, including the handsome handyman who's been bothering me at all hours of the day, including my dreams. Well, when I'm not dreaming about that other strange man I've never seen.

  "Let's go over to the dining room," I say, running a hand through my long red hair, trying to tame it somewhat. The color has always been dark and more sunset red than the typical ginger. People have often asked what product I use to color it, and it gives me immense pleasure telling them it's all natural. But it's also a pain in the butt sometimes.

  Giving up, I pull out my handy dandy hairbrush and begin to untangle while Penny looks through the brochure.

  The place we picked for our little vacation is a witchy dream. Instead of one building, the room and board is broken up into small bungalows. There are about ten, spread out on this side of the property, plus a main house at the fro
nt by the entrance. There are rooms inside the main house as well. It houses the main dining room, a banquet hall for events, and spa facilities. It's a combination of modern and past conveniences. But the bungalows make it witchy.

  Ours is a two-room cozy haven. The semi bohemian decor, live plants, coupled with pillows and blankets, make this seem like a witch getaway. Or a fortune teller's lair. Your choice.

  I like to think it was created just for me, a place where I can recharge and reevaluate.

  I have to be honest with myself. The last six months have been a whirlwind of magic and feelings, neither of which I expected or wanted. It’s a lot to deal with on a daily basis.

  When my suppressed magic went haywire at my last big city designer job, I felt like my life was over. Everything I've worked for, everything I wanted, slipped through my fingers. I had no place to go but home.

  Once in Monroe Cove, I didn't disappear into oblivion. The magic that brought me home took me on my next adventure, which is how I ended up solving a murder—and helping a very outspoken ghost on her way to eternal peace.

  That was just the beginning.

  Since then, I've learned more about my magic than I ever wanted to. And I'm finding out, I actually want to know about magic. Being part of Monroe Cove—it truly has been like coming home and finally making a place for myself.

  But none of that denies the fact that Penny and I needed a break. Too much of a good thing can be suffocating. So here we are.

  "I'm definitely down for food," I finally say, dropping my hands at my sides. Maybe I should start lifting weights, just so I can brush my hair without getting winded. Penny looks up, giving me an understanding smile.

  "You'd think in all your magic there would be a spell to help with the hair."

  "I know right?" I whine, shaking out my now tired arms. "It's like a full-time job."

  But even as I whine, I know I would never cut it, especially not when my hair is the only thing I remember of my mother.

  I try not to dwell on the unknown, but the more time I spend in Monroe Cove the more I want to find out what happened to her. She disappeared when I was too young to remember, and no matter how amazing Auntie Grace has been at raising me, that question has never been answered: Where did she go?

  Doing another quick run through the hair, I put the brush away and turn to my friend. I'm more than ready to have a break from all things Monroe Cove.

  "Let's get food."

  Penny jumps up immediately, heading for the door. When we step out into the cool autumn air, I take a second to breathe it in. The air here is slightly crisper because of the water, and I'm eating it up. Just then, my stomach growls. Speaking of eating.

  "Do you think—?" I begin, when a prickle of awareness runs over my skin. I turn toward it, just as the door to the bungalow next to us opens.

  "Fancy meeting you here." The grin that splits Mean Dean's face is blinding, even in the shadows of the setting sun. I stand there completely perplexed as I gape at him.

  "Oh, hey Dean. Finn," Penny greets them, completely unfazed. I turn to my best friend, and she ducks her head down at my glare.

  Pigs in a blanket; this is a setup.

  2

  “Penelope Sharks, you better have an ironclad explanation for this.” I pull her right into our bungalow, leaving the guys staring after us. "When were you going to tell me?" I place my hands on my hips as Penny refuses eye contact. "Were you even going to tell me?"

  “Well, no,” she replies, shrugging. “I knew you'd get your panties in a twist, so I figured we'd just run into them.”

  “Next door?”

  “Yeah, that wasn't planned.”

  “So, this was planned!” Penny rolls her eyes as I point at her. “Also, who says panties in a twist?”

  “That is the important question here,” my friend comments, and that's when I realize she's trying not to laugh.

  "Penelope!"

  "What?" She raises her arms up in surrender. "You love Finn."

  "It's his brother who's the problem," I grumble, but she only rolls her eyes at me again.

  "Maybe you don't want to admit it, but we both know that's not so true anymore."

  Now Penny is the one pointing at me, as I narrow my eyes. It's difficult not to fidget under the scrutiny, especially because she's right. Things aren't what they used to be. Dean and I aren't truly enemies anymore. That means I have no idea which category to put him in, which is driving me slightly crazy.

  “Dean was driving out here anyway, so Finn suggested coming along and being part of our little vacation.”

  “I thought this was a girl’s trip.”

  “It still is. They’re just sleeping next door.”

  That really isn’t the kind of distance I wanted between Dean and me. I need us to be an ocean apart while I figure myself out. It’s taking a lot of work, okay? I’m complicated.

  "So, are you done being dramatic now?" Penny asks, breaking through my thoughts. "Can we go to dinner?"

  "I will never stop being dramatic," I reply, raising my chin. "But yes, we can go to dinner."

  I have absolutely no other option at this point. I can't hold Penny hostage with me just to avoid the guys, and that will also raise too many questions. I have to be an adult about this. Plus, my stomach is really hating me at the moment.

  When we step back outside, the guys haven't moved. I can feel Dean's eyes on me, but I focus on his brother instead. Finn wears an amused expression. Narrowing my eyes only makes his smile grow broader.

  "There are my two favorite ladies," Finn says, coming to meet us on the path to the main house.

  "We're the only ladies who tolerate you. Of course we'd be the favorite," I say, falling into step beside him. He throws his arm over my shoulders, pulling me close. His touch is instantly comforting, just like it's been since we became friends as kids. There's something about platonic soulmates that I truly believe in. We all have those people in our lives that just fit in the most perfect way possible. It doesn't have to be romantic.

  My eyes find Dean of their own accord as he walks in front and to the left of me. Penny is beside him. They're chatting about cakes—Penny's favorite subject. Even from the back, I can tell Dean is genuinely listening to her. It brings a smile to my face. I make it disappear immediately. What is with my mind lately? I'm all over the place.

  Focus, Cassie.

  "Are you totally mad at Penny?" Finn asks. I glance up at him smiling down with a knowing gleam in his eye that I don't appreciate. Sending a glare his way, I shake my head. I’m really perfecting my mean face here, people.

  "No, I'm not mad at her." Because it's true. Maybe a little suspicious. "Mind telling me why you're here?"

  "You've been talking about this place for weeks, and I had some time saved up. So here we are."

  I narrow my eyes once more because there's definitely something he's not telling me. I can feel it in my bones. I have no idea if it's my newfound sleuthing powers, or I've just known him long enough.

  "Mmhm, sure. Now what's the real reason?"

  "There's no real reason, Miss Suspicious of Everything." He squeezes me closer to him, and I shake my head. Before I can prod further, we arrive at the main building. There are a number of people out in the outdoor sitting area. A string of lights hangs low over the tables. Candles are placed strategically across the surfaces, creating a very cozy atmosphere. It looks like what I would stage an outdoor space as, utilizing the placement of the sitting area between the buildings. The gentle breeze plays with the flames, and I can't help but smile to myself. I can feel tension seeping out of me already.

  Then my eyes meet Dean's. He's watching me study our surroundings, and he doesn't miss the smile. His own eyes sparkle, as if he's doing his own assessment of the area. We've been working together a lot lately, especially since Mayor Moore came up with her plan for renovating one of the old neighborhoods. It's become evident that Dean and I are on the same wavelength. It's a strange place to be, espe
cially after our childhood history, but here we are.

  Strange. Weird. Unusual. I can throw a lot of words at this situation.

  Tearing my gaze away from Dean, I give myself a mental shake. I shouldn't let my mind wander back to Monroe Cove. I'm here to relax, no matter how unrelaxed I feel in Dean's presence.

  Okay, maybe I'm slightly annoyed with Penny. But I am a grown woman, and I can get through dinner without pouting.

  Maybe.

  "I remember when you decided to redecorate my room for the first time," Finn says after we order our dinner. We're sitting in the outdoor space, Finn to my right and Penny to my left, which leaves Dean directly in front of me. Even though it's after seven in the evening, I'm sipping on a cup of coffee. I need something to soothe my nerves. Yes, I understand the contradiction this creates.

  Now, I laugh.

  "But let's be honest, your love of 80s movie posters was overwhelming."

  "Hey, those were classics!" Finn protests.

  "And they still are. But you needed order. I gave you order."

  I still remember taking down all the posters, uncovering the fact that Finn had pinned new ones over old ones. It was messy and unnecessary. According to my aunt, we discovered that some of the posters were actually valuable, so those went into frames. I rolled up and stored a whole bunch of others.

  "I still have all of them, by the way." He sounds proud of that, and I'm not surprised. He's become a collector of sorts.