Hex on the Beach (The Magic & Mixology Mystery Series Book 1) (25 page)

Dear Islanders,

              Thank you for reading
Hex on the Beach
! If you enjoyed it, please stay tuned for the story to continue in book two,
Witchy Sour
! It is available here:
http://bit.ly/WitchySour

              In the meantime, if you have an extra second in your busy lives and enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon! They really do help us Indie authors gain visibility in the large retailers, and they also help other readers like yourself decide if they’d like to try the book! Link:
http://bit.ly/HexByGinaLaManna

              Here is a list of other books by Gina LaManna:
http://bit.ly/GinaLaManna
. Below, I’ve also included the first chapter of my other series starter titled
One Little Wish,
a romantic suspense novel available now.

              Thank you again! Lily and Ranger X wouldn’t be here without you.

Sincerely,

Gina

Chapter 1

Dear Diary,

Is that what I should call you? To be honest, this is my first ever journal, and I’m not quite sure what to write in here. Do you even
like
the name Diary
?
Anyway, you’re probably wondering who on earth I am, blabbin’ on and on during our first date. Well, hello, Diary. My name is Scarlett Powers, and I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s this: I’m a simple girl, from a simple town, with a simple wish. Except, my one simple wish is too complicated to get into right now, especially with all the trouble I’m in at the moment.

I don’t understand it, Diary. There ain’t no good reason for me to stumble over one dead body, let alone two of them. I didn’t have anything to do with those murders, I promise you, Diary. I promise, okay?

Don’t listen to what all the townsfolk say because they don’t know anything about me. This whole high school reunion fiasco is just ruining my life, when all I want is for everything to go back to normal. I want my nanny job back, and I want the whispers to stop. I want everyone to mind their own business, and for cryin’ out loud, I want Mack Montgomery to go back to where he belongs, which is far away from my tiny town.

Now, let me tell you one more thing, Diary. These people have messed with the wrong woman. At the end of the day, I may be just a simple girl with a simple life and a simple wish, but here’s the kicker: I plan on fightin’ like hell to make that one little wish come true.

Anyway, thanks for listening, Diary. If I didn’t have you, I have no clue who I could talk to about this mess. You’ll be hearin’ a lot from me; that’s for certain. Good night, Diary.

Love,

Scarlett

Chapter 2

Of all the days to run late, I’d picked the worst one.

Hiking up my skirt, I jogged down Main Street, the dust swirling around my ankles. At this rate, I would be muddy before I even stepped foot inside the church.

I nodded hello to Mrs. Maples as she drove past in her fancy new truck. Her husband waved from the passenger seat, a doughnut in hand. That wouldn’t be good for the poor guy’s cholesterol.

Quickening my pace to a sprint, I thought it was a little bit sad I knew the status of Mr. Maples’s cholesterol. But in a town of this size, a pinprick on the map of America, too much information had a way of leaking out for all the public to hear. Which was ironic, since people liked to think that secrets were gold, when really, they were more like pennies.

That didn’t stop the townsfolk from trying to stow their secrets under lock and key, doling them out to the deserving few. I wasn’t one of the deserving few by a long shot, however I
was
invisible most of the time, which meant people let secrets slip around me that they probably shouldn’t. It didn’t much matter since I didn’t have anyone to tell.

My feet carried me down the dusty road. Trees lined either side of the street, and the sun beat down hard on my bare shoulders. I had worn a shawl earlier, but it was already too hot to wear while sprinting my tail across town.

Finally, the small auto repair shop came into view. The dilapidated building had a crooked roof just barely hanging on. Mud-caked tires held up spattered trucks, each in a state of disrepair. One new, shiny, dark car sat in the lot, and I wondered who would be in a town of this size, driving a car with a price tag of
that
size.

“Hey, Frank!” I hollered, banging open the screen door of the tiny shack Frank called a storefront. “Is my baby done?”

Frank Benton, one of two local mechanics, took his sweet time stepping out of the garage, wiping his hands on a towel that hung from his waist. “Sweetheart, I thought you were coming yesterday.”

“I called you like six times, Frank.” My breath came in gulps. “I was nannying, and Gray’s mom was running late. I couldn’t get here before you closed, and I knew it was poker night for you and the boys, so I didn’t want to keep you late.”

“Good thing, too, seein’ how I cleaned those boys out.” Frank leaned in with a wink. “But don’t tell my wife that since I’m saving the cash to take her to a surprise dinner. A real nice restaurant outside of the city. Maybe with steak. I think I’ll even get one of them fancy beers they’re always bragging about in the commercials.”

“Good for you, Frank.” I grinned. “Lou Anne will love it. That’s real sweet of you.”

“She’s a good woman. I don’t show her enough of life’s luxuries.”

“Speaking of fancy…” I leaned on the counter. “Whose beauty of a vehicle is that out there?” I nodded toward the sleek, midnight-black car with a logo so upscale I didn’t even know the name that went along with it.

Frank turned to me, his eyes bright. “You didn’t hear?”

“Hear what?”

“That’s the car I’m holding for Mack.” Frank smiled so broadly, the space where he was missing a front tooth showed. “Mack called and said he’d
be back for Reunion Day after all. He’s supposed to pick it up tomorrow. I can’t believe you, of all people, didn’t know.”

Me, of all people.
I had no reason to know. I hadn’t seen Mack for ten years, and the last time I’d seen him, well… it hadn’t ended on pleasant terms.

“He’s…” I cleared my throat. “I thought he wasn’t coming. That’s what The Ladies said.” The Ladies
were a group of feisty, eighty-year-old women who ran the town through gossip, book club, and pecan pie.

“Well, The Ladies didn’t get a call late last night saying that Mack changed his mind.” Frank gave a whistle, eyeing the car. “You won’t believe what it took to get this puppy here. Beautiful.”

I swallowed. My heart was doing a dance to its own beat despite the flush of dismay creeping up my face. “That’s great, Frank. I’m sure it’ll be good for business.” I forced my face into a smile. “Look, I’m sorry to rush you, but is my car ready? I’m gonna be late to church, otherwise.”

Frank blinked. “It’s mostly ready.”

“Mostly? I thought you said she was done yesterday.”

“She
was,
but there’s one thing I can’t do here at my shop.” He shrugged, his expression sheepish. “You’re gonna have to take her over to Joe’s Body Shop to get the scrape waxed out.”

“There wasn’t a scrape on my car when I brought her in here.” I frowned. “Frank, what’d you do?”

“It’s a tiny little scrape. I already called Joe and told him about my mistake.” Frank’s eyes softened in apology. “I really am sorry, Scarlett. You just have to drive your vehicle over there, and Joe will fix her right up. He said he can do it in one day, and you’ll have it back tomorrow.”

“Can’t you fix it here?” I pointed at the sign just behind Frank: Frank’s Auto Body Service and Repair Shop.

“It’s not my specialty.”

“Then your sign is misleading,” I grumbled. “You are misleading your customers.”

“Darlin’, I said I’m
sorry
.”

“You know I can’t afford another fix!” I threw my arms up in the air. “I don’t
got
extra money just lyin’ around, Frank. I’m a nanny. I’m not rolling in dough over here.”

Frank raised his hands in a
Whoa, Nelly
sort of gesture. “Joe’s just gonna put it on my tab. Sometimes I send him business; sometimes he sends me some. It’ll all even out, not a penny of cost for you.”

“And now I’m gonna be late to church.” I huffed a bit but relented at Frank’s apologetic expression. “Fine, fine, I’ll bring her to Joe’s. If I hurry, maybe I can drop it off and make it in time for the opening hymn.”

“I’m headed up to the church if you need a ride.” Frank gestured behind him to the lot full of dusty pickups. “What do you say?”

I shook my head. “That’s all right. I’m just gonna pay and get out of here. I don’t wanna put you out, but I appreciate the offer.”

I handed over some bills that I’d carefully stacked, one on top of the other. I’d counted the money at least three times and saved for six weeks to get enough. At the last second, I thrust the stack into Frank’s hands, not wanting to think about how much the new transmission had cost.

I grabbed the proffered keys and hustled out back to where my lavender VW Beetle sat, looking shiny and new amid the blue, red, and black trucks the size of monsters. The diamond frame around my license plate shone brightly under the Sunday morning rays. Of course, the diamonds were fake, but even if they were chintzy, I liked the sparkle.

“Come on, girl.” I patted my baby on the roof. She was my first ever purchase—big purchase, at least—and I probably talked to her as much as some people talked to their cats. “Let’s go get that scratch looked at.”

I narrowed my eyes at the small black mark on the driver’s door, but I pushed away the mean words I wanted to say to Frank. He’d apologized, and it wouldn’t do me any good to say another word. When there were only two mechanics in town, my options for repairs were limited. Getting on Frank’s bad side would be
no bueno
for future services.

I drove to the other end of the block, my car cruising like a brand-new machine. I gave her a few affectionate pats on the dashboard, turned the radio up, rolled the windows down, and enjoyed the five-minute drive the best I could.

I was only halfway through the first song by the time I pulled into Joe’s Body Shop, and I had one foot out the door before my car even stopped rolling.

I waltzed up to the shop. “Joe?” I called out as I walked through the door. “Hey, Joe, did you get a message from Frank? He said you were gonna fix a scratch on my baby for him.”

There was no response.

The shop was plain, a little bit dingy, with some clutter on the desk and a few sad-looking chairs forgotten in the corner. I walked around to the other side of the front counter, taking a peek at the calendar laid out in plain view. “Joe?”

Normally, I’d do no such thing since I didn’t snoop by nature. But Pastor Kent wasn’t going to halt the service and wait for me, and the town talked about me enough as it was. I didn’t need another tally in my naughty
column.

“Huh. Should be open, according to this here,” I murmured. I read through the shop’s hours list and tried one more time. “Joe?”

“What are you hollerin’
about?” A short, fat man with a black mustache appeared in the doorway. “Joe’s not here right now. He went down the street to grab a Hot Pocket. What can I help you with?”

“A Hot Pocket? It’s eight in the morning,” I said. “Why’s he need a Hot Pocket?”

“You here to question his diet, or can I help you with something?”

The man’s nametag said Ralph, yet I knew his name was Ryan. He’d been a few years ahead of me in school. “Why’s your nametag say Ralph?”

“Why you asking so many questions?” Ryan asked.

I sighed. “Never mind. Did Joe say anything about doing a job on my vehicle for Frank? I just had my transmission fixed at Frank’s, and he scratched the car. Said Joe would do a better job fixing it, and that I’d be able to get her back by tomorrow.”

“Yeah, whatever.”

“Yeah, whatever
yes
or whatever
no
?”

“Yeah, whatever. Leave your car here.”

“But I want her back,” I said. “And the cost should be put on Frank’s tab. The scratch wasn’t my fault.”

“Fine.”

“Fine?” I waved a hand in question. “Are you always so agreeable?”

“I can be.” Ryan shrugged, looking down at his fingernails, his disinterest obvious. “Joe and Frank always swap business. Just write a note here, and I’ll leave it for Joe.”

“You’re not gonna give it to him?” I could feel my eyes turning stormy. “You’re not even listenin’ to me. This is my precious car, and I want you to promise me you’ll look after her.”

“I’m gonna pin your note right up here.” Ryan smacked the board behind him. “Got it?”

I relented and murmured my agreement, then jotted down a note and handed it over. I watched until Ryan tacked it up on the board.

“This all right, lady?”

“Don’t call me lady, Ralph Ryan,” I said. “My name’s Scarlett.”

“Fine.”

“I want my car back, and I want it tomorrow, please.” I pointed at Ryan. “And I expect
not
to receive a bill. Are we on the same page here, buddy?”

Ryan shrugged again. “Sure. Fine. Now, do you have someone coming to pick you up, or you need a ride somewhere? Joe’d be upset if I didn’t offer to drop you off at church.”

“I wouldn’t wanna put you out.” I tossed the car keys to Ryan. “I got transportation. They’re called legs, and I’ve gotta
fly
.”

I turned, leaving Ryan standing there with his arms crossed above a stomach as round as an inner tube. The scrap-metal door clanked
shut behind me as I slipped off my sandals, grabbed them, and ran toward church. My hair went wild, and my dress blew up past my knees, but I refused to be late.

To continue
One Little Wish,
please visit Amazon:
http://bit.ly/OneLittleWish