“Shall we have lunch together?” he asked, taking her hand in his. “We can walk around and do some window shopping on our way to Benny’s.”
The diner was Alice’s favorite place to eat since the beginning of her pregnancy. They had the best fries, the best twice-baked potatoes, and the best chicken Caesar salad wrap. Oh, and the brownie!
“Okay, I think Iamhungry.”
“I figured you would be,” he chuckled.
“You just know me so well, husband.”
After grabbing a few things for the nursery from the shops around the town square, Alice and Cooper went to Benny’s. Thankfully, it was barely eleven, and the lunch rush hadn’t started yet. They settled at a small table by the window because Alice enjoyed the view…and because Cooper liked having a close eye on who was coming in and out of the diner.
“Alice, Cooper, hi!” Pattie, the waitress, greeted them warmly. “Let me guess, you want a chicken Caesar salad wrap with fries.”
Alice laughed. “That sounds about right, but I think it’ll go for the twice-baked potato today.”
“You know what? Bring me a wrap and fries because, in two seconds, Alice will say she wants…”
“I think Iwilltake the fries.”
Cooper chuckled. “See? You know what to do, Pattie, thanks.”
“You’re a good man,” Pattie said, winking at him before going to the kitchen.
“She’s right,” Alice said once they were alone. “You are a good man. This was such a good idea. Thanks for thinking of this.”
He smiled. “Of course, love. What are your plans for the afternoon?”
“There’s a new client coming to meet with me at my studio today. She said she was cursed, so we’ll meet, and I’ll see if I can help her.”
“That’s great, love. I really hope our children have your magic. I would love to watch you teaching them.”
“Just like I would love to watch you teaching them how to fly,” she said with a smile.
A little while later, still pleasantly full from her lunch date with Cooper, Alice sat at her desk, waiting for her new client to arrive. It was always a little bit nerve-racking to meet new clients. It was always difficult to tell someone she couldn’t help them.
However, this sounded like a run-of-the-mill curse that would take no time at all to remove. This was precisely why Priscilla always hated Alice and her mother so much. They had power. The kind of power that could undo another witch’s magic. It was greed and jealousy that led Priscilla down that road. Right down to committingmurder.
The studio was a spacious room on the south side of the manor. It had its own entrance with a little doorbell that made a sweet musical sound. Its soft echo made Alice jump to her feet to greet her client.
She made her way to the door and opened the door with a wide smile. “Welcome. I’m Alice Dawson.”
“Yes, I heard you took his name.” Priscilla flicked her wrist and sent Alice sliding backward, clearing the entryway. “So glad this is going to be easy,” she said, slamming the door shut behind her. “Powerful, my ass.”
Alice deflected the magic, but just barely. The shock was still too great.
Priscilla…a murderer…was here for her and her unborn child.
EIGHTEEN
COOPER
The moment Cooper stepped through his front door, he knew something was terribly wrong. The house smelled wrong.
The scent of dying flowers hung in the air, and Cooper thought it was very familiar. His dragon growled low in his mind in confirmation. Yup. That smell was tied to one hell of a terrifying moment.
Come on, we know where that smells comes from.
The portal.