Chapter 2 Josie
JOSIE
The sun was shining, the snow was melting, and the smell of spring was in the air. There wasn’t a single thing that could diminish my happiness as I adjusted the flowers in the vase.
The bell over the door of Rock and Root Remedies chimed cheerfully, letting me know I had my fourth customer of the day. And I knew exactly who it was without looking.
“Good morning, Mrs. Abernathy! I have your order ready.”
Spinning to greet her, the old woman looked exactly the same as every time she came in. Hunched over with a scowl on her face, she wasn’t exactly the friendliest person in town, but I still greeted her with a smile, hoping one day I would break through that hard exterior.
“How are you this morning?” I asked as she grunted her greeting.
“My bones ache.”
“Well, how about I throw in something special for that. Try it out for a week and tell me if it helps at all.”
Hustling over to my drawers, I found the spices and grabbed a root of ginger and one of turmeric. Adding it to her order, I brought the bag of goodies over.
“I put in some turmeric and ginger. Add them to your meals or into your tea and you should start to feel some relief.”
“I could get spices at the store,” she grumbled.
“You could, but they would be ground and not nearly as potent as the roots I added for you.”
“I have to ground them?” she shrieked.
“Just grate some into your tea,” I explained calmly. “Trust me on this. It’ll do wonders for you.”
Leaning heavily on her cane, she snatched the bag out of my hands and turned for the door. “I still say you’re a witch.”
“Not a witch,” I corrected. “I just believe in natural healing.”
For as much as she grumbled about my remedies, she kept coming back for more.
“I don’t know why I keep coming here. You’ve probably put a hex on me.”
“That seems rather unlikely. I’ve never chanted a single thing in my life.”
“I hear you muttering all the time when you ground up your concoctions,” the woman said, turning to pin a glare on me. “That thing!” she pointed at my work table.
“A mortar and pestle. Honestly, Mrs. Abernathy, I’m not the only person in the world who uses one. And I’m not muttering anything. I’m singing, but I keep my voice low because I know you don’t like the noise.”
Narrowing her eyes, she grunted at me before turning back for the door. “Still think you’re a witch.”
“I’ll make sure to wear my hat the next time you come in,” I teased.
Rushing ahead, I held the door open for her, earning myself a nasty look of vexation before Mrs. Abernathy hobbled down the sidewalk to her car.
“Goodbye, Mrs. Abernathy! Have a magical day!” I called out, giggling to myself when she looked sharply over her shoulder at me.
Now that Mrs. Abernathy was gone, I turned on some music and went about filling orders. Since a lot of my customers were older folks, I delivered a lot of my orders, choosing to close down the shop early on certain days of the week instead of forcing them to make the trip into town.
Only Mrs. Abernathy insisted on picking up her order. She was a stubborn old woman, and I hoped to be just as tough when I was her age.
At three o’clock on the dot, I closed down the shop and grabbed the box of orders, carrying it out to my car. In a few weeks, I would be able to walk to town without freezing my butt off, but until then, I chose to drive my beater.
Delilah started with a sputtering chug, but when she turned over, she purred as if she were new.
“Good girl,” I smiled, patting the dash. “I know, it’s rough in the winter, but you’re doing so well. If you could just make it another winter, I would really appreciate it. Gotta pay off those bills before I decide to let you retire.”
I didn’t dare tell Delilah I would replace her. That would be just mean.
So, Delilah and I went about our rounds, making the last stop at Mrs. Bennett’s house. She wasn’t elderly, but she loved to be included in my rounds, and she always had a tasty treat waiting for me.
“Hey!” I called out as I walked in the front door. I had a sort of standing invitation to her house. The last time I tried to knock on the door, I got a ten-minute lecture about how it was a waste of time for both of us, and I should just walk in.
“In the kitchen!” Georgia called out. “I made sugar cookies and I have tea!”
“Sounds great!”
Setting down my box, I kicked off my boots and hung up my coat in the closet before making my way into the kitchen at the back of the house. Her son was already at the table, a scowl on his face as I entered.
“Brody, don’t look so happy. It’s a beautiful day outside.”
Georgia glanced over, a smile touching her lips as I took my usual seat that just happened to be across from Brody’s. We both knew she wanted to set us up, and every time I stopped by, she tried her best to make it happen.
There was just one problem, neither of us were the least bit interested in dating one another.
“How are you, dear?” Georgia asked, kissing me on the cheek.
“Good. I feel like I’ve hardly seen you since Liam and Bailey got married.”
“Well, you know how a mother loves to intrude. Now, if I could only get this one married.”
“Mom,” Brody groaned.
“Brody,” Georgia gushed sunshine and roses as she brought the tray of cookies over, “tell Josie about that thing you were telling me earlier.”
“What thing?”
“You know, that funny thing you were telling me.” She shot him a pointed look, making it clear he’d better get on with it.
Sighing heavily, he snatched a cookie and bit into it. “I saw Remi in town earlier. He was crossing the street when he hit a patch of ice and went down hard.”
Georgia giggled, patting his hand as if it was the funniest thing in the world. “When he told me, I knew he just had to tell you. I know you love a good laugh.”
I forced a chuckle. “Guess you had to see it.”
“Oh, I know. Now, where is the sugar? I could have sworn I set it out. Brody, have you seen the sugar?”
As she skittered about the kitchen, digging through cabinets for the sugar bowl, Brody sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
“Oh, relax. It’s just a half hour with me. Surely, you can survive that.”
“Survive? That’s an interesting choice of words,” he muttered.
“Be nice, or I’ll put a hex on you,” I threatened jokingly.
But he actually looked concerned about my words.
For some reason, everyone in town had varying opinions on whether or not I actually played with the dark arts.
I hadn’t, in fact, ever picked up a book about magic or even found it at all interesting.
Not that anyone cared about that. The rumor mill ran twenty-four hours a day in this small town, and that was one story that would never die.
Along with several others about me that I wasn’t ready to answer.
“Ah! Here it is. If it was a snake, it would have bitten me.”
Dancing her way back to the table, she set the bowl by the tea and took her seat, ever the proper hostess.
“Now, tell me all about you. What’s new?”
“Not much,” I smiled, trying to be as polite as possible as I poured myself a cup of tea. I never added any sugar or cream, but she put it out just the same.
“Oh, there has to be something new.”
“Not really. The shop is doing well. But other than that, not much has happened.”
“Well, the tourists will be back soon. With the snow melting, I know the season slows for you.”
“Yes, but only for a month or so. Soon, the streets will be filled with strangers—”
“Who don’t know how to mind their own business and piss everyone off,” Brody finished.
“Well, it’s a good thing we have tourists. It helps the local shops, and Murky Falls Ranch needs the bookings.”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” Georgia said excitedly. “They changed the name officially. Murky Falls Resort.”
The name soured me instantly, but that was only because I was so used to it being called Murky Falls Ranch. “Well, I suppose they had to change the name to attract customers.”
“Oh, I’m sure everyone will still call it the ranch. Nobody around town would dare go for such a change. Not when the ranch has been here longer than most of the people living in town.”
“How’s the new house coming?”
“Bailey said they’re putting the finishing touches on,” Georgia said excitedly. She started rambling on about the interior and the decorations Bailey was interested in. I tried to be excited for her, but the clock on the wall was ticking, telling me my day was over and I could go home and relax.
Even Brody seemed to be watching every second pass as if they were all his last.
“Mom, it’s after five. I’m sure Josie has to get home,” Brody interrupted just as Georgia was about to start in on what they were going to do with the outside of the house.
“Oh, look at the time. I just enjoy our visits so much.”
“I do, too, Georgia.”
“Next time, maybe you could stay for dinner. Brody would like that, wouldn’t you?” she asked, shooting him a pointed look.
It took everything in me not to burst out laughing at the sour expression on his face, but somehow, I held it back.
“We’ll see,” I said as I stood, ready to get home.
“Thank you again for dropping off my order.”
“Anytime. Besides, it’s on my way home.”
“It’s on the other side of town,” Brody muttered, earning a glare from me.
“Thank you again for the tea and cookies.”
It took me another ten minutes of goodbyes as I put on my shoes and wrapped up in my coat and scarf before she would finally let me out the door.
“Oh, Brody, walk her to her car like a gentleman,” she said just as I was escaping.
“That’s okay. I—”
“Nonsense. I raised my son to be a gentleman.”
Grinning at the gentleman, I waited patiently for him to slip his shoes on before heading out to my car.
“You egg her on,” I said as I unlocked my car. “If you would just play along, she would get off your back.”
“Actually, if I played along, we’d be married next year.”
I grimaced at the thought. “Well, don’t do that then.”