Chapter Twenty-Bella
That Evie and Donny were waiting when we pulled up warmed something inside me I didn’t even realize had been going cold.
Truth was, I’d been feeling a little glum about our friendship lately.
Ever since we’d discovered Grandpa Al was our grandpa—like all of our grandfather—I’d been doing this weird internal shuffle, trying to figure out where I fit in the picture.
Like maybe I was the odd puzzle piece that got left in the couch cushions and only got found years later.
“Of course we are here! We’re besties. And cousins! And we’ve been really worried about you with all this craziness going on. I had no idea it was still going on. How could you keep it from us?” Donny snapped.
“I’m always around. I talk to you guys every day,” I defended myself lamely.
“Yeah, right. You’ve been so closed off lately. I’m serious, Bella, we’ve been trying to get you to open up for weeks,” Evie mock-scolded, her voice wobbling just enough that I could hear the emotion under the sass.
Her big eyes shimmered with unshed tears, and I knew one sniffle from Donny and I’d be toast.
Full-on, sobbing, ugly cry toast.
“What are you two talking about?” I tried to play it casual, but my voice cracked right at the end.
“She’s right, you know. We have been really worried, Hells Bells,” Donny said, using the nickname she’d called me since our schoolgirl days.
She twirled the end of my ponytail around her finger, smiling just a little too softly for my comfort.
“About what, though? I’m fine—”
“Fine?” Evie’s brows shot up. “This is the fourth time someone has attacked your store, and I had to hear about it from Jaxson, Bella! What the heck?”
“No way, I told you guys about this—” I started, then paused.
Okay, maybe I’d mentioned it in passing, once or twice, but yeah.
They were right.
I’d been playing my cards close, trying not to dump my drama on anyone else’s doorstep.
Before the guilt could chew a hole in my stomach, Conrad’s warm hand rubbed my shoulder.
He leaned down, brushed a kiss across my cheek like it was the most natural thing in the world, and said, “I’ll give you girls some privacy, but I’ll be right over there, Sugar.”
He gave the girls a nod before striding over to where Jaxson and Ryan were standing.
Ryan was chugging a bottle of water, soot on his nose, the faint scent of charred garbage wafting off him.
Poor guy.
Shifter noses made that at least ten times worse.
“Oh, wow, that stinks,” I muttered.
“I’m on it,” Donny said.
She gave me one last squeeze and strutted toward the mess like she was about to audition for Witches Who Clean, Season One.
With a few graceful movements and a little muttered magic, she had the dumpster spotless.
Sparkling.
Like it belonged in a fancy downtown coffee shop instead of behind my bakery.
And there I’d been, doing everything by hand like a chump, when all I needed was my friends.
“How come friend can do magic?” Petyr’s voice came out of nowhere, making me jump.
“Oh, that’s ’cause the personal gain foul only happens when you use magic selfishly. Donny’s helping Bella out, so it’s all good,” Evie explained with a small smile.
“Da, makes sense. Oh, I found this by the dumpster, my Witchy.”
Petyr held up an empty tuna can and a pile of old scratch-offs like they were rare artifacts.
“Why is someone eating fish and gambling behind my business?”
“Yeah, is there a secret alleyway bingo club I don’t know about? You know, I’m the mayor, and I’m pretty sure you need a permit for that,” Evie added.
“Okay, something is going on in Castor’s Corner,” I murmured. “Something weird.”
“Well, weirder than usual. Especially if it involves tuna,” Evie said, grabbing the can and sniffing it.
Gross.
I was still frowning and tapping my chin when Evie’s stomach let out a growl loud enough to make the local crows take off. Her cheeks turned bright pink.
“Let’s go inside,” I said, plucking the garbage from her hands and tossing it in the dumpster. “It’s almost time for me to start my day anyway, and I’ll make you all some fresh donuts.”
“Thank gawd,” Donny moaned, rushing towards us, and Evie clapped like she’d just won the jackpot.
We waved at the boys, knowing they’d heard us and would come in once they wrapped up.
Inside, our familiars joined the cozy chaos, and within twenty minutes, I had the first batch of fried goodness cooling on the racks.
I headed to the walk-in fridge and pantry, hauling out today’s flavor lineup.
“Ooh, what are you making today, Bella?” Evie asked, rubbing her tummy with theatrical flair.
I shot Donny a look over my shoulder—Evie was acting squirrelly.
Like, extra squirrelly.
Donny just shrugged, her newly blonde hair bouncing, which told me even she didn’t know what was going on.
“You’ll see,” I said, flipping the donuts before heading back to prep toppings.
Donny took over tea duty while Evie stared at the counter like she was mentally marrying each topping.
I’d pulled ingredients for Hazelnut Chocolate Heaven, Candied Apple Pie, Bananas Foster (yes, with my new extract), and, of course, Lemon Meringue Logs.
“Ooh, can I make a special request?” Evie asked just as the boys came in.
“Sure,” I said, already bracing myself.
And then she hit me with it—maple frosting, spinach stuffing, bacon crumbles, jalapenos, candied apple sprinkles, and peanut butter.
By the time she finished, half the room looked green, even the boys who’d just joined us.
Jaxson actually dry heaved.
“Um, I guess.”
I wiggled my fingers, magic swirling, and produced the monstrosity she’d requested inside a piping bag.
Petyr slapped a skull-and-crossbones sticker on it, and we high-fived like a couple of middle-school pranksters.
“You’re really going to eat this?” I asked, sliding the donuts over to her.
“Hell yeah!” Evie spoke with the conviction of a woman on a mission.
“Jaxson? Oh, Jaxson?” I sing-songed.
“Yes, Bella?” the big-bad Wolf asked warily.
“I think you better have a talk with my cousin here, and the sooner the better. Don’t you?”
Donny was doubled over laughing, and Ryan wasn’t doing much better.
He kissed Donny goodbye, snagged a bag of cinnamon sugar donuts for the firehouse, and promised to be back later.
“You know these are amazing, right?” Conrad said, stealing my attention—and two Lemon Meringue Logs.
Which is exactly when Evie launched herself over the counter, stole the pastry bag, and started slurping down the nightmare filling like it was a delicacy.
A wrestling match ensued, Jaxson trying and failing to wrestle it away without getting jalapeno-peanut butter goop all over himself.
“Ohmygawd, Evie! No!” Donny wailed, but Evie was too far gone.
Lucky Jaxson.
Eww.
Also TMI.