Chapter 31 Bonfires and Peaches
"To a new start," Eloise said, as she plugged in the cafe lights lighting up the back alley in a zig-zagging of twinkle.
She had transformed the back of The Black Cat into a gorgeous patio; the herringbone brick replaced in places, the tables and chairs refinished and ready to take on inclement weather.
Ursula brought in all kinds of planters made of beautifully stained wood filled with white, cream and pink flowers.
Tess painted a mural on the wall facing the back of the cafe.
It was a picture of faceless women together in the coffee shop with distinguishing features: light auburn hair, a dark regal neck framed in braids, red cateye glasses, long black braids with a beanie, wild black hair.
There was a woman with a short blonde bob handing a pink coffee cup to a woman with long, silver tresses.
And all around the mural to frame it were the seasons.
Autumn trees, winter birch with a Cooper's hawk in its branches, bursting iris and tulips with snowdrops, and a sleeping racoon under the shade of lush hydrangea bushes with butterflies and golden sunshine.
It was a new chapter in their lives. Spring was full and summer was hinting at its soon return as the days grew hotter and the hydrangeas started blooming their moppy white and blue heads.
Eloise had settled into this life in Salem as if her soul sat down and said finally after so much looking.
Evenings were mostly spent on the front porch listening to crickets with books and iced tea or in the back garden underneath the canopy of the forest and the warm cafe lights with snacks and good conversation.
And every Friday night was her and Taylor on his back deck listening to the rushing river as they talked and flirted, sometimes sat silently with Lady Macbeth somewhere nearby.
She still hadn't gotten used to looking up to find blue eyes watching her in that way that made her feel lovely.
That could be a love language in itself; being seen.
And Lady Macbeth was busy herself as she had three new little kits.
Ursula had called as Eloise was doing inventory.
She'd left the clipboard shoved next to the sugar and run home to help a raccoon give birth to three babies.
The dinner club they now called The Lost Souls Witches, came that night to celebrate with pie, honey wine and homemade biscuits for Lady.
Her life was not what she would have expected it to be, but it was better than she could have imagined.
Maybe there was magic in the unplanned beauty.
The town had mostly welcomed them all back with a few apologies, and more than a few sighs of relief to have Eloise back at The Black Cat.
But still, there were some who would always look at them with disdain in their eyes and fear along their skin.
That was the way with people. You couldn't be loved, or even accepted, by all.
But to feel like they could walk down the street in welcome rather than disdain was enough for these women.
And now, all of her closest friends were opening the back of The Black Cat with her in celebration.
She'd come early this morning and smiled in wonder at the sight of the front of the cafe.
The sleeping vine had blossomed overnight.
Pretty in Pink climbing roses were a shock of dark pink against the black brick and the sight was glorious.
She'd clipped a couple and put them in a glass bowl of water, their fragrance blooming throughout the cafe.
"Eloise, it's gorgeous. People are going to fight for seats back here instead of inside," Kelsea gushed. She wrote a small piece for the local newspaper celebrating the expansion.
Shellee had blessed this without pause and then asked Eloise if she was looking to start her own cafe in town. When she told her she would never do that to Shellee, the woman laughed and said, "Then maybe you'd think about buying the Black Cat. This woman needs to retire!"
Eloise sold her coffee shop in Florida, a bittersweet end to an era that had taught her what she needed in life.
She had been in survival mode those years in that muggy corner of the world, and coming here, leaving that behind had been terrifying but now she understood there was a vast difference between surviving and living.
And she much preferred this.
Plus, she hated the weather down there. Not having frizzy, sweat-dampened hair constantly turned out to be a big positive in her current lifestyle.
Eloise went inside the cafe to check on business as the small soiree with live music played out back.
"Thanks for keeping bar while we got the party going," she said to Tess.
Tess shrugged it off. "My job. Hey, so I know I'm leaving for school at the end of summer, but I was wondering if when I came back, could I," she paused, the words having a difficult time finding their vulnerable way into the sharp-edged world.
"You have a job here as long as you want," Eloise answered softly, putting the poor girl out of her proud misery.
She ducked her head and smiled. "Thanks.
You've kind of become, I don't know. You've just really been nice.
And I guess, I don't want to get weird, but I'll miss you.
" The girl looked uncomfortable but Eloise's heart felt bigger.
"Thank you," Tess added and looked at her, then frowned. "Are you crying?"
"No," Eloise choked out.
Someone pulled them from their cheesy moment with a cleared throat. A young man, high school age, stood at the register. He was familiar, but Eloise couldn't place him as she busied herself with making a batch of coffee.
"What can I get for you?" Tess asked barely on the side of polite.
The young man tilted his head up, a haughtiness in his posture and asked, "Is Bess here?" But it was less of a question, more of a demand. She placed a pitcher of steaming coffee on the bar watching him carefully.
"You know, she's not right now. But can I get you something?"
Eloise didn't say anything. Bess was here, but there was an odd energy happening. She smelled school erasers and cheap beer.
"No. I know Bess is here and I'd like a fucking word."
Eloise stood up straighter. "I'm sorry, is there a problem?" Why did he look so familiar?
"This is Kyle. Sandman," Tess filled her in.
Oh.
"Hey Kyle," Eloise said brightly. "I'm her boss and she's busy at the moment but I can leave her a message if you would like."
"I don't want to leave her a fucking message," he said, leaning into the counter.
He may be in high school, but he was a large guy, pushing six feet tall and though he hadn't fully filled out like he likely would in college, he had a solid forty pounds on both of them.
Everyone was currently out back enjoying the opening party except for a few customers out on the front patio.
"Why don't you go on home and I'll let Bess know you stopped by."
"That fucking bitch has cops looking into me for bullying," he pushed the words out between bared teeth. "Do you have any idea what that could mean for my scholarship?"
"Man, that is rough," Tess said thoughtfully before a shocked Eloise could reply.
"You know what's worse though? Being bullied by a bunch of guys who have nothing better to do than talk trash about a really good and kind young woman who hurt your ego by saying no to your sexual advances.
And then getting other people to turn on her.
And ostracize her. Your predicament sounds like a you problem that you created.
Hers," she shrugged, "is also a you problem that you created.
" She looked at Eloise who was watching with a happily shocked expression.
She smiled at Tess before she swung her look to Kyle.
"Yeah, sounds like we found a common denominator, Kyle.
" Both women stared at him. His shoulders held an anger Eloise could smell and then everything happened at once.
He picked up the large, glass tip jar in both hands, raising it above his head.
Somewhere Bess yelled Kyle's name as Eloise's eyes widened and before he could throw it, a pitcher of iced tea was thrown into his face causing him to stumble backwards with a shout, the jar slipping from his hands and crashing to the floor.
Tess was around the bar and standing over him with another pitcher, this one hot coffee, the steam billowing menacingly into the air as she stood over his angry, sopping form.
"You come in here ever again, you ever even speak her name, and I will make sure the next thing I throw at you isn't iced," she warned, her voice calm and low.
The young man had the decency to look startled, his eyes losing their edge of anger as they watched the steaming pitcher held above him with trepidation.
Hell, Eloise was startled.
She slid a look to Bess who smiled with eyebrows pressed up and under her beanie at the scene.
Then Tess stepped back and walked, sauntered really, to stand nonchalant behind the counter again as if she hadn't just made an angry six foot bully nearly wet himself.
A minute later Jenson was on Kyle, holding the now yelling and struggling teenager against the wall as Eloise pointed to Ursula to get the girls into the store room while she dialed Taylor's number. He picked up and was inside from the back patio within ten seconds.
Half an hour later, Kyle Sandman was being taken to the station in handcuffs, video surveillance was being watched and two young women were sitting in the loft above watching it happen.
"Dude needs anger management," Tess said, leaning over the banister.
"You defended me," Bess said.
Tess looked at her. "Well, yeah. That's what you do for friends. I mean, I'm not the expert on friendship but it felt right in the moment. And Kyle Sandman is an absolute ass."
Bess laughed. "That, you and I can absolutely agree on. Thank you," she added softly.