Page 16 of Witching You Weren't Snowed In
The tiniest crack in Leo’s armor appeared as he shifted in the chair. He glanced again from his coffee to the woman behind the counter. Something was wrong with it. We’d been sitting here long enough for it to cool, yet he hadn’t tried another sip.
My mother’s words from earlier ate at the back of my mind.They’ve fallen from grace.Was it possible? Without second-guessing myself, I swiped Leo’s coffee and took a sip. I’d been prepared to burn the roof of my mouth, but not for the horrid taste making my eyes water.
“Salt!” I sputtered, barely swallowing the wretched mouthful of coffee. “That’s disgusting.” I chased the taste with a gulp from my mocha, not caring if my entire face was covered in whipped cream.
“Give me that.” Leo took his coffee and dumped the contents into the trash. When he returned, I shook my head, certain the sugar swap hadn’t been an accident.
“Mrs. Avery and her husband have owned this shop for thirty years. They have the best coffee in town. Explain to me how yours tastes like drinking caffeinated seawater.”
Leo let out a long sigh. “I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it already. I figured they were pulling people over on the town line to let them know I was the village outcast.”
“Nope, it was clear sailing. But I did see someone stuffing mailboxes with flyers. I thought it was for an estate sale, but I guess it was one of those old fashioned wanted posters. Ooh, maybe your photo is in the post office right next to mine.” I let out a dry laugh, imagining our faces side-by-side in some strange plot device where instead of swapping bodies, we swapped popularity.
Leo made a face and finished the last of his cookie. “Well, let me fill you in on the town gossip. Not only have Mrs. Avery and her husband owned this shop for thirty years, but they’ve been married for as long. They met at the local ice skating rink, and every year on their anniversary, they returned to the rink to skate—hand in hand because apparently, some relationships can stand the test of time.”
My eye twitched. I didn’t care for the sarcasm in his tone or the loaded insinuation.
“So what happened?”
“My father’s company bought the land and demolished the rink to build luxury condos. You know, the kind no regular person can afford.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Leo filled in the silence for me.
“On a related note, remember the town gazebo where the Averys had their wedding ceremony, along with just about everyone else in town? Yeah, there’s a parking lot in its place now. Also, thanks to my father. Honestly, I haven’t had a proper cup of coffee in this town since I arrived home. I’msurprised they let me in the door. It’s only because I’m here with you.”
I was stunned. Ihadmissed a juicy holiday letter last year. Things with Leo were so much worse than I’d imagined. My situation seemed like a breeze. Uncontrollable snow might follow me around, but at least it wasn’t an angry mob with sharpened ice skates and a mind for vengeance.
“That explains the salt,” I said. As well as the dagger eyes from Mrs. Avery.
“People aren’t happy I purchased the ski lodge. They’re voting with their wallets and turning tourists away. Which is why I want your help.” He leaned in, took a pen from his pocket, and dumped the bowler’s head off the napkin, then scribbled something onto the paper.
I squinted at the handwritten agreement awaiting my signature. “You want me to help you save the ski resort, and in return, you’ll help keep my secret from everyone in town?”
Leo nodded. “Until you go back to the city, no one will be the wiser. You’ll leave a hero. To sweeten the deal, I even have a glass trophy you can use to pass off as your award. No physical shape-shifting required. Unless you plan to superglue that head back on and try again with the bowling trophy.”
I folded my arms and studied Leo. He was serious! How had we gone from a non-starter first date, to not speaking for years, to brokering a deal on a napkin?
“You realize in my line of work, you are exactly the kind of man I would help the town get rid of. In fact, I’ve done it. Twice. You’re the villain.”
Leo’s jaw tightened. “Then you’ll know how to do it in reverse.”
“I need time to think about it,” I said, shocking myself for not turning him down flat.
“Fine. Let me know when you decide.” Leo tucked the agreement into his pocket and punched his number into my phone. “I have to get back to the resort. Happy Thanksgiving, Sage,” he murmured before he walked toward the exit.
Every eye in the shop watched him go. I sat there for a long moment, staring at the broken trophy.
Am I a complete fool?I should have cut him off at the knees. He tried to blackmail me! Old Sage, the woman walking around with a shattered snow globe where her heart used to be, would have thrown the bowler's head in his face.
Despite that, I'd worked enough cases to trust my instincts. By all appearances, Leo didn’t deserve a second chance. But that was the funny thing about miracles. They often found you.
I pulled out my phone while I walked back to my parents’ house. The first call dropped before it connected, and I had to wait until the signal bars appeared again. But my next call went through and Delia answered as I flopped backward onto my twin mattress and stared at the boy band on the ceiling.
“I need your advice,” I said.
“Let me guess. You’re trapped inside a guided meditation. Just follow my voice. You’re getting very sleepy. Wait—that’s hypnosis. What’s your problem?”
I filled her in on the last few days, my newfound celebrity status, and my disastrous history with Leo.