Pies and Potions (17 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

After everyone filed out of the café, I began cleaning up. Tom had gone to speak with Sheriff Jasper. I wasn’t sure how well that would go. My emotions were on a roller-coaster ride from hurt to angry. How could Mr. Fisher think that I had caused all the problems with Mystic Hollow? Did the other residents feel the same way? They hadn’t corrected him when he spoke up.

Rory had slipped in just as the last person left.

“
Are you okay?” Rory asked as he reached for my hand.

I buried my face into his hard chest. It felt good to have a shoulder to cry on. After a minute, I composed myself, and looked up into his eyes.

He touched my chin. “It’s been a long day for you. How about you go home and get some rest?”

I sighed. “There’s a lot I need to do here.”

“
It won’t help if you collapse from exhaustion.”

I nodded. “You’re right. Maybe things will look better in the morning.”

“
Everything always looks better in the morning. I’ll follow you home to make sure you get there safely.”

An escort home hadn’t been needed before I’d come back to town. People could have walked down the street at any time without worrying about crime. Now apparently no one was safe.

If only I could reach Grandma Imelda, she could tell me more about Mr. Wibble. Normally I looked forward to talking with her, but this wouldn’t be a pleasant call. She would be upset when I broke the news about Mr. Wibble.

“Have you tried to call her?” He squeezed my hand.

“I’ve tried her number, but she hasn’t answered. I’ve even emailed several times. When she does get my messages, she’ll freak out. Heck, she’ll probably think I’ve burned the café down.”

“She has more faith in you than that.” He held the door open and we stepped out onto the sidewalk.

I sighed. “The town being gone for good is much worse news. Information like that is something she’ll never be prepared for.”

As we walked out to Rory’s truck and I climbed in, I noticed a bag in the seat. “What’s all this?”

“Well, it was going to be a surprise, but as you can see, I didn’t hide it well. I thought it was about time that you took a break for a while and let someone else do the cooking for a change. I just hope you can handle my cooking.” Rory gestured at the bag full of food.

“You did all that for me?” I asked while fastening my seatbelt.

“You sound surprised.” He turned the engine.

I laughed. “I’m not surprised that you can cook, just that you took the time to do something so sweet for me.”

“You shouldn’t be so surprised. I’m a nice guy.” The corners of his lips turned up, revealing his sexy dimples.

“You’re better than nice.” I smiled as I grabbed one of the bags and peeked inside. “It smells delicious.”

We pulled up in front my cottage and Rory hopped out. My house was a little cottage tucked back from the road with a long gravel driveway leading to the front door. It had been part of another property with a larger home, but they’d split the parcel up and sold it a long time ago. My grandmother had bought the place, and then when I took over the café, she had left me the cottage, too.

I loved the little place. It was kind of like being on vacation every time I came home. And after a long day at work, I needed all the relaxation I could get. The house had a little stone path that led up to the front door with a small covered porch. My favorite part was the window boxes with flowers spilling out over the sides, although when it came time to replace the flowers, I might not enjoy them quite so much. I’d always had a brown thumb.

“I’ll get the food,” he said after helping me down.

“Here, let me carry a bag. We’ll take this into the kitchen.” I grabbed the bag and headed for the front door.

Magic circled the cottage again. It had been an almost nightly occurrence as of late. I’d meant to ask Tom where it could be coming from, but with the chaos, it had slipped my mind.

I brushed off the feeling because I was looking forward to a romantic evening with Rory. He had a way of melting the stress away, taking my mind off the problems of the day.

After we stepped inside, I made my way to the kitchen. “I’ll get the plates while you take the food out and show me what you got.”

“Be prepared to be impressed,” he called from the living room.

“Maybe I should be worried. Do you have any plans to open your own café?” I asked when I returned from the kitchen.

“Not likely.” He chuckled. “I think your career is safe with me.”

“We could have a little picnic in front of the fireplace?”

That sounded even more romantic. The night air had turned unusually chilly, so Rory started a fire, then spread a blanket out in front of the fireplace. My heart beat a little faster when I thought about skipping the dessert and going straight for Rory’s delicious kisses. The urgency in his touch always made my stomach dance. He may be tough on the outside, but he knew how to be gentle at exactly the right moments.

I grabbed the plates and wine glasses and followed him to the blanket that he’d spread out across the floor. I sat on the blanket and watched as he finished up the fire. The light from the fire cast a glow across his gorgeous face. He turned to me and smiled. Rory had brought baked chicken and rice. He was so sweet. He’d even thought to bring dessert, whipped cream with raspberries.

“I love raspberries. You remembered.” I touched his hand.

He beamed. It was the little things that meant the most.

We’d taken a couple of bites of chicken with a loud crash rang out from somewhere at the back of the house. Rory jumped up, rushing across the floor.

“What was that?” I asked, panic setting in. He shook his head.

We’d dimmed the lights in the house, but I was sure someone knew we were inside.

“Maybe it was an animal,” I said, fear creeping into my voice.

“I’ll check it out. You stay here. I don’t want you wandering around with a killer possibly out there.” He gestured for me to stay back.

I swallowed hard. “It couldn’t be the killer, could it?”

Had they come to my home to finish me off? Maybe they’d been looking for me all along and Mr. Wibble had just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I didn’t want Rory to go out into the darkness, possibly into the trap of a killer.

I followed along behind him as he rushed over to the kitchen door. He grabbed a knife from the counter and hurried over to the door. My heart rate increased at the thought of Rory having to use that thing. What if someone used it on him? I couldn’t even handle the thought.

Rory eased the door open and I watched as he stepped out into the darkness.

“Turn off that light and lock yourself in,” he whispered.

I flicked the light and instantly the blackness blanketed the area. Shoving the door closed and locking it, I peered out but couldn’t make out anything. Finally, my eyes adjusted and I spotted Rory moving along the side of the house. I ran to the living room to watch from the front window. It was probably just an animal, I reminded myself. We were overreacting because of the recent murder. I grabbed my cell phone from the end table in case I needed to call for help. I moved along to every room in the house until I couldn’t see Rory any longer. What had happened to him? No other noises sounded from outside. The only thing I heard was the thumping of my pulse in my ears.

I needed to go outside and find him. What if he’d tripped over one of the many holes in my yard? I pushed the thought of a killer out of my mind. No, I wouldn’t think about it. I hurried back to the kitchen and opened the drawer to retrieve another knife when, after what seemed like an eternity, a knock sounded against the door. Please let it be Rory. I peered out and saw his face. Relief washed over me.

“I was worried about you,” I said as I placed my knife on the table.

“I didn’t see anything. But I have to say, it was creepy out there. And I’m not easily creeped out. I’ve camped out a thousand times, but it felt as if someone or something was watching me.”

Rory set the knife down and moved toward me. Suddenly, I’d forgotten about the dinner. All I wanted was to be near Rory. He knew I needed him to hold me without me saying a word.

“The stress has been too much for you,” he said as he reached for my hands and gently pulled me toward him.

Rory moved close and wrapped his strong arms around me. He pulled me close and brought me to the safety of his embrace. His lips were so close I could almost taste them. I blew a long breath and he pressed his mouth onto mine. As his tongue traced my lips, he pressed his warm body against mine. He leaned over and whispered in my ear, “I want to kiss every inch of your body.” His face touched mine, his cheek against mine as he continued to breathe, his sweet breath against my ear, sending shivers down my spine.

In one big swoop, he lifted me into his arms and carried me toward the bedroom. He kicked the door open with his foot, then stepped inside, remembering to step around the rug by the bed. He had learned the hard way that it had a tendency to trip anyone who moved too quickly when passing over it.

He lowered me on top of my down comforter, pressing his body against mine again, and I melted into him. His mouth brushed my ear.

“I can never get enough of you,” he whispered.

I let out a soft moan. Rory’s hands moved softly over my body, until finally he lifted my shirt over my head, then helped me slip out of my pants. He stood next to the bed, peeling over his shirt, revealing tan skin with hard muscles. He lowered back on top of me.

I lifted my hands to his chest, tracing every inch of him. There was no way I could have stopped. My fingers moved with equal parts urgency and gentleness. Rory’s mouth covered mine again. His lips moved with ease and my body turned to jelly. His earthy scent consumed my senses and I wanted him in every way. Rory’s fingers caressed every curve of my body. As his hands moved, his kiss deepened. He groaned as his tongue mingled with mine. Heat radiated from our bodies as we twisted beneath the sheets. My desire for him seemed unquenchable as I wrapped my legs around his waist.

After an unbelievable night with Rory, I had forgotten for a brief time about the chaos in Mystic Hollow. We had drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms, but I woke with the same magic sensation that had been circling my house earlier in the evening. It was becoming more intense. Rory lay sleeping next to me, and I eased back next to him forcing the worry from my mind until I finally drifted off again.