Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Daphne
In the morning, I headed to Unholy Grounds for an iced latte and a peanut butter cookie.
I found a spot at a corner table and lazily worked on the Daily Epitaph’s crossword puzzle as various supernatural creatures came in for their caffeine fixes.
I could really get used to this chillaxing island life, considering what awaited me back home.
But then, doesn’t everyone on vacation wonder what it would be like to live in paradise?
I sure hoped Scully and Mulder were making headway on the case because it’s not like I could stay here forever.
I’d toyed with asking Sarah about spelunking—her hurt expression still weighed on me—but the caves were several hours away and I needed to go to Wickedville at nightfall. I didn’t want a set time when I needed to get back since I couldn’t exactly tell her why.
I ate the last bite of my cookie and tried not to think about Mia’s one-on-one with Travis tomorrow when he returned to the island.
She’d been beyond excited when she’d opened up that date card this morning.
He was taking her flying in his private plane and then having a romantic picnic lunch somewhere.
The nice part of me hoped they had a great time, but the mean part wished the plane was grounded, their bread was stale, the cheese was moldy, and their wine was corked.
I was definitely getting in touch with my dark side on Darkaway Island.
Twirling my pen, I didn’t want to admit, even to myself, that I might be developing feelings for Travis.
Sure, the man was extraordinarily beautiful.
And thoughtful. And so fucking funny, as I thought about him chasing me in the hospital elevator.
It’d be downright foolish to fall for him. I’d been a fool for love before, and I wasn’t about to do it again. And that was with someone who lived in my world and wasn’t a monster. At least, not in the literal sense.
With an exasperated sigh, I stared at 4-down. “Wolf-like” wasn’t Travis, but without a working phone, I couldn’t exactly google it.
“Do you happen to have any more jars of that special cream?” Sister Elenor asked, interrupting my dark thoughts and setting down a freshly baked cookie. I couldn’t remember ordering another one, but I wasn’t about to complain.
Yesterday, I’d noticed that she’d burned her hand pretty severely while making a batch of peanut butter cookies, so I’d given her a small jar.
“I’m afraid that was my only one,” I told her. “You need more? Do you think it’s helping?”
“I’ll let you be the judge of that.” She showed me her hands. The burns were completely gone.
A warm tingle of pride rushed through me. I loved that one of my concoctions had worked so well.
“One of the ladies in my book club said it helped with their arthritis,” she continued.
“And another said it helped with her asthma. They each want their own jar of what they’re calling Daphne’s Miracle Cream.
One of the gents even said it helped with his chafing.
” She put a hand to her mouth as if she were telling me a secret.
“I didn’t ask what was being chafed, however. ”
Arthritis, asthma, chafing? If I could speak to each of them individually, maybe I’d be able to tailor something better. But if my generic cream was doing the trick, that was even better. I told her I’d be happy to make more and asked where I could purchase supplies.
She gave me the names of a few farmers’ market vendors who might be able to help. Unfortunately, the market was closed today, so I’d have to go another time.
At sundown, I successfully found the entrance to Wickedville—yay me—but the city was doing some road construction and it was completely blocked off.
“Sorry, you’ll have to go around to the other entrance,” one of the workers said as a dump truck with gravel rumbled by.
This was the only way I knew how to get here. Given what had happened the other day when I got lost, I didn’t think I’d be able to find it.
I peered through the wrought-iron gate. “Can’t I just go in through there?”
“Not until after midnight.” Then the guy waved me off and barked some orders to his coworkers.
Dang it. I didn’t want to come back that late.
With a heavy sigh, I shifted the beach bag to my other shoulder, trudged back to my hotel, and vowed to return tomorrow.
After all, I had another free day. I could still hear Mia squealing when she opened up that date card.