Yule Be Magical (Familiar Kitten Mysteries Book 8) by Sara Bourgeois (popular novels TXT) 📗

shop still didn’t open until the first haunted history tour was over, so it wasn’t exactly early in the morning. That meant a short line at Viv’s.

“Your hair’s kind of sticking out,” Viv said with a chuckle when I got to the counter. “You look like you have antennae.”

I’d put my wet hair up in a bun, and apparently, two big sections had escaped. And decided to levitate. And Meri hadn’t said a word.

“I like the new color too,” she said.

“What?”

But when I pulled a strand to see what she was talking about, it became obvious. Since I’d left the house, my jet black hair had morphed into hot pink. Like super-hot pink. It even had a touch of glitter… if that was possible.

“Wow,” I said. “That’s something.”

“It sure is, but it suits you. You’re always beautiful, but this is fun. I take it you’re feeling better?”

“I am,” I said, and then something hit me.

I’d been rushing around so much that morning I hadn’t noticed it, but my brain finally caught up. There was a pillow and folded blanket on my sofa.

Thorn had come home.

He must have left early in the morning to get into work, but he’d been there. I hadn’t looked at my phone other than to answer Reggie’s call, so while Viv got my latte and prepared my order, I took it out and checked.

There was a text from Thorn. I hope this doesn’t wake you. Had to go into the office. Job’s never done. I love you, Kinsley. If I don’t see you before, I’ll see you tonight. I promise.

My heart did a backflip. I love you too. I can’t wait to see you. I texted him back.

Can I ask you something? Another message came in from him right away.

Sure. I responded.

Do you think we can learn to work out our differences without using words to hurt each other? I worry because a child isn’t going to understand that we just have tempers. To them, the things we say will be real. His text cut right through me. Did I believe we could do that?

I think we can. We can come up with rules too. Like leaving the room before we say something rash, I responded.

I love you. We can do this. I have faith in it. I gotta work.

Love you too. Was my last text to him.

“You’re smiling,” Viv said as she pushed the bag and drink tray across the counter to me.

Instead of trying to explain, I handed her my phone and let her read the exchange.

“You guys are going to be great parents,” Viv said.

“You think so?” I asked as she handed me my phone back.

“From my observation, both of you tend to get off track sometimes, but you’re both learning and growing. I can see it. And the best part is that you guys seem to be growing together. That’s more important than anything that’s happened in the past, Kinsley.”

I left the coffee shop with a skip in my step and a full order of extra bacon for Meri. I also had coffee and breakfast for Reggie and me. Going back to work at the shop even seemed fun.

It had long been suspected that I only chose opening the shop because I felt like I had to do something, but perhaps that wasn’t the case. Maybe I was drawn to the idea because it’s what I truly wanted to do. It wasn’t like I couldn’t run my store and do some writing part-time for Dorian.

Maybe things were going to come together for me after all. I ran out of time to contemplate it as soon as the store opened, though. The seventy-degree weather in early November brought in a flood of tourists and witches alike. People were out and about enjoying the lovely weather while they still could.

The day flew by in a haze of happiness for me. I got lots of compliments on my hair, and it felt good to be working side by side with Reggie again. I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I was in the thick of it.

Of course, at the end of the day as I was locking up the shop and preparing to go home and make a special dinner for Thorn, Meri struck again.

“You never asked me what I overheard the other day. Pity because I thought you were interested,” he said as he sashayed his tiny butt toward the car.

“You heard something, and you didn’t tell me?” I asked.

“You didn’t ask,” he snarked. “It’s probably nothing anyway.”

“Spill, cat,” I said and stopped in my tracks.

“Whatever. Okay,” he said and plunked down on the sidewalk in front of me. “So, the Peppermint chick was dating a guy named Tucker Garrison. But the cops don’t really suspect him all that much. They hadn’t been dating long, and I guess things weren’t that serious. They were going to check it out, but they didn’t have the kind of relationship that indicated he might be one of those the significant other did it suspects.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“I don’t know. You people are weird, and I don’t always get you,” he said. “Can we go home now?”

When I looked up, I saw Pepper again. She was down the block peeking around the corner at me. As soon as I realized it was her ghost watching us, two tourists walked right through her, and she evaporated.

“No. We can’t,” I said.

“Oh, gawd,” Meri said, but he knew good and well his little revelation would set me off. So, I ignored him.

“Just a quick pop over to Pepper’s place and we’ll see if we can get in and look around without breaking and entering,” I said.

“Yeah, right,” Meri groused.

“You didn’t happen to catch where she lived while you were listening in, did you?” I asked.

“If I don’t tell you, can we go home?”

“No, if you don’t tell me, I’ll have to figure it out myself. It will just take longer,” I said.

“Fine,” he retorted and then told