“Well, you would have us, and that might take more of your time than you think. And there is a rather peculiar man named Phineas, who is a mystery to us. Perhaps, you could find out more about him. Before my vacation, he had taken up with a very different spirit from some other world, I think. Anyway, he might be someone to your liking. And I’ll tell you now, he’s not an easy read. Oh, he has a pet rooster that often rides on his shoulder. Paula might find that amusing.”

  “That would be fortuitous indeed.”

  We sat and chatted a bit longer, until the wine was gone. Then, I hied myself to my room. Moonlight streamed through the windows, and I was thankful for it. There had been no moonlight in the jail. Sleep stole over me quickly. I managed to block out any anxiety about Goodsprings and Happy Blendings. I hadn’t slept so well in a long time.

  I managed to corral Tessa, Mara, and the girls before breakfast. And I mentioned the conversation I had had with Cassandra. I asked them if they would have any problems with Cassandra and Paula coming to Goodsprings.

  “Of course not,” Tessa said. “She was more than helpful with the murder and the mansion. And Goodsprings can always use another witch.”

  “That would be wonderful,” Mara said. “She knows a great deal about a great deal. I bet she has other glamour spells she can teach us.”

  “She’s fun,” Allie said. “She’ll fit right in.”

  “She’s cool,” Genevive said. “She might like to work in one of the small shops, perhaps the bookstore.”

  “I’m certain we can find a job for her, if she wants one,” I said.

  “We have not explored her knowledge of vampires,” Ethan said. “She might know things that will help us.”

  “I agree,” Ada said. “We have barely scratched the surface of our attributes. We can use all the help we can get.”

  “Then, it’s decided,” I said. “Cassandra and Paula come with us, and I’ll put them in my house for as long as they wish. We earth witches have to stick together.”

  They laughed, and we went to breakfast.

  “Cassandra,” I said after we were seated. "The vote was unanimous. You and Paula are coming with us back to Goodsprings. You’ll stay in my house for as long as you wish. And that will give you access to my gardens and orchard and my grandmother’s library. She gathered so much lore, I doubt that either of us will get through everything.”

  Tears came to Cassandra’s eyes, despite her smile. She looked genuinely stunned and happy at the same time. If Paula could have cried, I thought she would have.

  “I can’t thank you enough,” Cassandra said. “This is a dream come true. You have made an old, lonely witch very happy.”

  “I will echo Cassandra,” Paula said. “We have been lonely here. It’s time to find company.”

  Cassandra’s heartfelt thanks caused the rest of us to shed our own tears. Doing good was the best reward. But the tears quickly dried, as we dug into breakfast. The food was utterly delicious, and the talk was contagious

  “All right,” Tessa said at the end of breakfast. “Everyone packs. And if you’re finished with your packing, help Cassandra. Let’s get out of here before it’s time for lunch.”

  Allie and Genevive leaped at the chance to help Cassandra, who was going to need most of her wardrobe. Ethan and Ada left for Sunrise Beach, where they were going to rent a large van that would carry us back to Goodsprings. While brooms would have been faster, they were also dangerous, and they wouldn’t haul all of Cassandra’s things.

  I was mostly packed, as were Allie and Genevive. They decided they would travel with me, in the car I had driven over. I was more than happy with the company. The drive would be much, much easier with companionship. And I could listen to their banter about wildforms. I was certain they were both a bit mystified about the entire operation.

  We assembled in front of the mansion. The girls would carry a bag apiece. Cassandra carried a small bag that she couldn’t entrust to someone else’s care. Paula rode Cassandra’s shoulder. I had my bag. We counted heads, making sure no one was left behind.

  Satisfied, Cassandra spoke the spell that transformed the mansion back into the shack we had first seen. I was of the opinion that very few ghost hunters would be brave enough to test the shack. I looked around at the smiling faces, and I was even more grateful for my deliverance from the jail. Friendships were such wonderful things. But they required upkeep. Taking a friend for granted was not good for anyone.

  “All right,” Tessa said, taking charge. “While we loved it here, it’s time to move on. Follow me.”

  She took a step, and just as she did, my phone chirped. I looked at the caller ID.

  “David,” I said.

  David, my employee who was keeping the smoothie shop running while I was gone, was on the phone.

  “David,” I said. “What’s up?”

  “Sam, you’re coming back soon, right?”

  “As soon as I load the car, I’m on my way.”

  “That’s good,” David said. “Real good. Because something weird happened, and I don’t know what to do about it.”

  “I’ll be there before dinner,” I said.

  “Don’t stop for gas,” he added.

  Don’t miss the next book in the Happy Blendings Witch Cozy Mystery Series:

  A Formidable Potion

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  Catalog of Books

  THE HAPPY BLENDINGS Cozy Witch Mystery Series

  The Potion Commotion

  A Pumpkin Potion Explosion

  A Drop in the Potion

  A Notion of a Potion

  A Deceptive Potion

  A Formidable Potion

  Calamity Corners Cozy Witch Mystery Series

  Calm Before the Witch Storm

  The Witch is in the Details

  Better the Witch You Know

  A Witch Axe to Grind

  A Cauldron of Witch Tricks

  TRIPLET WITCH SISTERS Mystery Series

  Two’s Company, Three’s a Coven

  Resting Witch Face

  Bewitched and Bewildered

  Triple Toil and Trouble

  THE WITCH SISTERS OF Stillwater

  Hoodoo and Just Desserts

  A Shade of Murder

  That Ol’ Black Magic

  A Whole Lotta Witchin Goin On

  The Beast Cometh

  Secrets and Sorcery

 

 

  Constance Barker, A Deceptive Potion

 

 

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