Page 86 of Hungry As Her Python

She waved a hand, cutting me off.

“Something is wrong, I tell you. And you’d think a complaint filed by the Vice President of the Castor’s Corner Charmed Embers Women and Witches Social Club would be taken seriously!”

“A complaint from who? About what?”

“Ask our illustrious mayor. Who, by the way, is not seeing anyone this morning. Not even me! Seems she’s taken ill, rather suddenly. Faking, if you ask me. Too cowardly to show her face. I swear you young Witches have none of the fortitude of Witches from my time.”

I gritted my teeth so hard I was in danger of grinding down enamel.

Evie? Cowardly? Ha!

The woman had faced down Werewolves, rogue Trolls, Ghosts, Warlocks, Wizards, and a very angry cupcake Golem last spring—okay, that last bit was kinda my fault.

It was a Halloween cake order gone haywire—anywho.

It didn’t matter because no one was going to talk about one of my oldest and dearest friends—my cousin, my shero, my ride or die—in front of me like that!

Then everything slowed.

Mrs. Gennaro’s words sent my brain spinning.

Evie ill? Not seeing anyone?

I’d bet my best piping tips, it wasn’t any regular illness.

“Oh my!” I whispered.

Yep. This was different from a common cold.

This was more like a certain blessing in progress.

And in a few months?

Well, I was willing to bet my Grandma’s secret Easter panettone recipe there’d be a brand new Baby Castor.

Which made me grin. A lot.

I was going to be such a good Auntie Bella!

Well, cousin-by-blood, but titles were flexible when baked goods were involved.

“The stories I could tell you,” Mrs. Gennaro continued, and I realized I’d missed, oh, probably a solid three minutes of whatever she’d been yammering about.

Oops.

Sorry not sorry.

“Anyway, that’s not the issue. The past is in the past, but it’s your behinds not doing your due duty—are you listening to me?”

I blinked.

Was she talking about doody or duty?

Because tone-wise, she could’ve gone either way.

I closed my eyes and silently begged the Goddess for patience.

Dealing with the elderly in Castor’s Corner was never boring, but it was rarely straightforward.