Chapter 5
“Thank you for standing up for the squish-squids,” Nancy Vaughn said as she nibbled on a Prosperity-and-Riches cupcake. “I would have come out yesterday to help protest, but I was called into the hospital.”
“Nothing serious, I hope,” Adeline said as she handed Nancy her change.
“One of the other nurses called in. Her daughter wasn’t feeling well.” Nancy held up the half-eaten cupcake. “This is delicious, by the way. See you tonight at the Thursday Night Market.”
Adeline waved goodbye and slid down to the display case to wait on the next customer.
She barely even looked up when she heard the overhead bells chime.
She’d been busier than normal all morning, and now that it was lunchtime, the crowd was still rolling in…
and she knew exactly why. Every single customer who’d walked through the door had wanted to hear about her run-in with the new police chief.
She’d told the story so many times now she could probably do it in her sleep.
She hated to admit she’d spent a good portion of last night thinking about him, too, but she had.
Her three closest friends, Emory Ashgrove, Cassie Casswell, and Tempi Draven, had come over to her cottage last night for the full moon celebration, and as they worked on potions, and talked, and had a few glasses of wine under the August moonlight, her mind would drift and she’d replay her entire interaction with the new chief.
Over and over. It didn’t help that each time she focused more and more on how handsome and surprisingly diplomatic he’d been…
and not on the fact he’d arrested her on his very first day.
“What can I get you this afternoon, Rachel?” Adeline asked the selkie standing at the counter.
Rachel pursed her lips and studied the display case. “Two of your Time-Twirl cinnamon rolls, please. One for me and one for Henry. He’s been so stressed with the fishing season. We could both use a good memory to go back and relive.”
“You got it.” Adeline boxed them up and slid the box across the counter as the overhead bells rang again. “Tell Henry I said hello and that he needs to come in here himself once in a while. I’m starting to think he doesn’t like me.”
Rachel laughed. “He’s terrified of your cat.”
“Understandable,” Princess Muffin Top said from her bed near the register. “I am terrifying.”
There was a sudden lull in the conversation around the bakery. Adeline looked around to see what had happened, and her eyes went wide.
Chief Wolfe, dressed in his uniform, stood in the middle of the bakery looking around.
He nodded at a couple of her customers sitting by the window, but she could tell he was more interested in casing her place than making small talk.
His gaze moved from the display cases to the archway to the chalkboard menu on the wall, cataloging everything the way a cop would.
Probably looking for exits and general layout.
He finally turned and locked eyes with her.
She saw the confusion flash across his face, followed by surprise. He obviously hadn’t known she owned the bakery. That was interesting. She liked the idea that she’d caught him off guard. It was on the tip of her tongue to call out a greeting when Princess Muffin Top beat her to it.
“Chief Big-Bad-Wolf.” Princess Muffin Top lifted her head from her bed near the register. “Did you run out of innocent women and cephalopods to terrorize, or is this a social call?”
Snickers and muffled laughter rippled through the bakery. Adeline turned and gave her cat the evil eye. The last thing she needed was another public run-in with the new chief.
“I don’t mean to take up your time,” Chief Wolfe said, his deep voice carrying easily across the room. “Or take you away from your customers. I was just doing a walk-through of the shops on Tide Street and introducing myself.”
“I think it’s past time for introductions,” Herschel called out from his usual seat by the window. He took a bite of his Soother Scone and waggled his eyebrows. “Word on the street is you strip searched her.”
“It was humiliating,” Princess Muffin Top said, somehow managing to look indignant even while lying in a fancy cat bed.
Adeline’s mouth fell open. “He did no such thing!” She felt the heat rush to her cheeks and quickly turned her attention back to Rachel. “Is that all you needed, Rachel?”
Rachel nodded, her eyes bouncing between Adeline and the chief like she was watching a tennis match. “Yep. Just the cinnamon rolls. But I’m in no hurry if you need to get the new chief’s order.” She gave Adeline a knowing grin. “Take your time.”
Adeline sighed. If she wanted to move her customers along, she was going to have to give them what they wanted. “Chief Wolfe, can I interest you in a Bad-Day Brownie, or maybe a Zest-for-Life lemon scone?”
He made his way slowly to the counter. Not hard to do seeing as how every customer in the bakery parted like the Red Sea to let him through.
Adeline caught the way he frowned as he looked into her display case, and her hackles immediately went up.
Why was he frowning at her baked goods? Didn’t he like sweets?
She didn’t trust anyone who didn’t like sweets.
He looked up and met her eyes. “I guess this explains why you smelled like sugar and vanilla yesterday.”
She didn’t miss the knowing looks being exchanged all around her. “Guess it does. So, what can I get you?”
He glanced back down at the display case. “Are these all...” He hesitated. “Magically enhanced?”
“If you’re asking whether I use kitchen magic in my baking, the answer is yes.” She crossed her arms. “But nothing I make forces anything on anyone. They’re intentions, not commands. A Bad-Day Brownie lifts your mood. It doesn’t brainwash you into happiness.”
“Good to know.” He straightened up. “I’ll pass for now.”
Adeline stared at him. He’d pass? Nobody passed on her baked goods. Nobody. She reached into the display case, pulled out a Cocoa-Courage Truffle and set it on a napkin in front of him. “On the house, Chief. Consider it a peace offering from the innocent woman you arrested yesterday.”
“I don’t need—”
“It’s a truffle,” Adeline snapped, “not a bomb. Just eat it.”
He reached for it at the same time she pushed it forward, and their fingers brushed. The contact was brief...but it was enough. They both pulled back too fast, and the truffle rolled off the napkin and plopped onto the counter.
Neither of them moved.
Princess Muffin Top’s ears perked up from her bed. “Well, well, well. Did everyone see that, or was it just me?”
“I saw it,” Herschel called out.
Adeline snatched up the truffle, set it back on the napkin, and slid it across the counter. “Enjoy the truffle, Chief.”
Before he could respond, the front door banged open and Edgar from the hardware store came barreling in, his face red and his chest heaving like he’d run the whole way.
“You’re not going to believe this, Adeline!
” Edgar leaned against the door frame and caught his breath.
“Ivan’s bulldozer won’t start. It seems somebody went out to the marsh last night and removed the battery cables.
He’s down there right now, screaming his head off.
Says he’s going to sue you for tampering with his equipment! ”
Every head in the bakery turned to Adeline.
Including Chief Wolfe’s.
Adeline held up both hands. “Don’t look at me. I have an airtight alibi. I was dancing naked under the full moon last night with Emory, Cassie, and Tempi.” She paused and looked directly at Chief Wolfe. “It wasn’t me.”
“And I can vouch for them all,” Princess Muffin Top said. “I was supervising from a lawn chair, pointing out areas they may need to work on.”
It wasn’t exactly true, of course. They weren’t really dancing naked, but it was funny to see the chief look flustered, like he didn’t know what to say.
Emory came bursting through from the coffee shop side, her dark curls flying. “Did you hear, Adeline? Ivan’s bulldozer—”
“We heard,” Adeline said. “I already told Chief Wolfe it wasn’t us.”
Chief Wolfe’s radio squawked from his belt, and he lifted it to his mouth. “This is Chief Wolfe. Go ahead.”
“Chief, got a call from Ivan Johansson.” Beulah’s unmistakable voice crackled through the speaker. “He’s not a happy camper. You might want to get in touch with him out at Drury Marsh.”
“On it.” Chief Wolfe clipped the radio back to his belt as he locked eyes with Adeline. “We’ll talk later, Ms. Beaumont.”
“I look forward to it,” she said sweetly.
He turned and headed for the door, the truffle still sitting on the counter where he’d left it.
“Hey, Chief!” Herschel called out. “Don’t forget the Thursday night market is tonight! Starts at four. You should come.”
Chief Wolfe lifted a hand in acknowledgment without turning around. The door closed behind him, and the bakery erupted into chatter. Everyone taking bets on who would be arrested next.
“I don’t see this ending well for you, Adeline,” Princess Muffin Top said, one paw draped lazily over the side.
Adeline looked down at the truffle still sitting on the napkin. She picked it up and popped it into her mouth. Something told her she was going to need it.