CHAPTER 9

C HAPTER 9

T he decorators had gone pink and blue crazy. The expectant couple had decided not to find out the baby's sex until the birth, so they used both colors to make the ballroom look like a fairy-tale nursery. Lots of white tulle floated around the room along with white silk and satin. As Mia stood in the doorway, she was transported into a fantasy version of a long-ago castle room where a royal baby was being welcomed into the world. Mrs. Davis was going to be ecstatic.

Jeani Langston, the head designer, came up to her. "What do you think? I usually work closely with the family to make sure that this is what they want for a theme, but when I called, the client told me to go with my gut. So I did. Now I'm having second thoughts. What if she hates it?"

"The party is in less than six hours. If she hates it, she's going to have to suck it up and just enjoy the celebration. Besides, who wouldn't love this? You did amazing with such short notice." Mia hoped the cake Abigail was making would be part of the fairy-tale theme.

"I've been wanting to do this room for years. No one would let me." Jeani waved at one of her assistants. "That's a moat, not a playground. You can't put a swing there."

The look the man gave her was priceless as he stood, staring at his feet.

"I guess I need to go help Ned. I swear, sometimes he just doesn't get a direction I give him so I have to work with him directly." Jeani started to leave. "No imagination at all."

"Maybe he likes you," Mia suggested.

"I've considered that possibility as well." The grin didn't leave Jeani's face. "Hey, I hear you're hosting the queen contest this year. The coven hired my sister and me to do the decorations for Friday night's pageant. Can I make arrangements with you to come over for a walk-through soon? I was going to reach out earlier, but then Frank called on Monday and wanted a proposal on this, so the contest got pushed."

Jeani must have seen the look on Mia's face because she started backpedaling. "Oh, don't worry, the decorating will be easy. Both my sister and I were in contests our senior year. Of course, neither one of us won, much to the shame of my family, but not everyone can win, right? Besides, I love my life now. The year my sister ran, the queen died the week before she was supposed to turn over her crown the next year. I didn't want to take that chance. No way."

"She died. What happened?" Mia hadn't heard this story from Abigail.

Jeani leaned closer. "I know you know about the coven, so I can tell you. It was really sad. She had plans for her future. She was dating a normal from Boise. He was heartbroken. And the baby, well, she never even knew her mom."

"That's horrible." Mia glanced around the ballroom. "I hadn't heard anything about this contest before. I'm glad my mom raised me as a normal."

"Being raised outside the coven life has its advantages. Anyway, that kid is now running for queen. Can you believe it? I wouldn't want anything to do with it, but I guess old traditions die hard." She opened her phone. "So, can I come over tonight? Or would tomorrow be better?"

"Look, call Abigail Majors to set up the walk-through. I'm sure you can do it any time, but she's the one running this. Especially if Frank asks." Mia made sure Jeani had Abigail's cell number before taking one last look at the fantasy land that would soon be party central.

Mia left the ballroom and started toward her office, but then changed her mind and headed to the kitchen to find James. He was sitting in his office working on the books. He waved her inside and stood to walk toward his coffeepot. Mia didn't want to fall into thinking about Sherry and Melody even though she was sure that was the mother-daughter duo whom Jeani had been talking about. She had too much work to finish before tonight's event.

"Tell me you saw Jeani's creation. Isn't that amazing?" He poured her a cup and refilled his own. "I swear, if she lived anywhere else, we couldn't afford her. As it is, she just squeaks by living up here, but both she and her sister are hikers. They wanted a home base here in the forest. Their folks bought them a cabin up off Spell Cast Hills."

"Jeani's great. I guess she's also decorating the school for the queen contest." Mia pretended to shrug it off. "I don't think I've worked with her before."

"Frank brought them back at the first of the year. I'm sure you've done events with them. Remember when he said the internal design staff would take over the event decorating in January? That's when they came on."

Mia sipped her coffee. She'd been too involved in her personal life and business to even wonder why her responsibilities had been cut back then. She'd welcomed the help. Now she wondered if this was a step in Frank's plan to get rid of her. If James did the food and kitchen coordinating and Jeani did the decorating, she was more of a project manager than anything else. It didn't matter. She would ride this job as long as it lasted or until she didn't need it, whichever came first.

"I wanted to check in and see if you needed more help with the food truck staffing. I have a program I use to set up shifts, and we can print out a copy to see if you have any holes." She pulled out her notebook and grabbed a pen. Then she looked at James. "If you want help, that is."

"Of course, I want help." He went over to his desk and came back with a pile of papers and stickie notes. "I've been trying to sort this all out for hours now. I think we're covered, but I'm not sure."

Mia took the pile and put it in the tote bag she carried everywhere. "Give me the details, and I'll have you a plan before the baby shower starts tonight. So, one food truck or two? And what are your open hours going to be?"

By the time she got the information she needed from James, it was time for lunch. She begged off eating in the kitchen, but James promised to send a tray to her office in thirty minutes. "What time do you want dinner? I know you're not going home between your shift and the event."

James knew her habits too well. Of course, he was her "work husband," as Trent called him. "How about five? That way I have time to change into my suit before guests start to arrive."

James took her order for both meals, then disappeared into the kitchen. She needed to call Abigail and let her know about Jeani calling. And maybe ask her if the queen who had died was Melody's mother. It made her wonder if participating in the event was in the teen's best interest. Of course, that wasn't her call. It was Melody's grandmother's decision.

Instead of calling Abigail when she got back to her office, Mia dialed another number. "You caught me packing for the week. Trent's here if you need to talk to him."

Mia smiled. "I called you, not Trent. What's the story about a girl dying after her year as harvest queen? Please tell me she wasn't sacrificed."

"Oh, dear Goddess. You think the coven would do something like that?" Grans paused, then quickly added, "Don't answer that. Anyway, Sherry was crowned queen after a particularly bloody contest. Two other contestants died that year and one judge. Sherry's mom was suspected of being involved, but the local police never found a good reason for the deaths. I believe they all went down as accidents. I suspect that Sherry's accident might have been payback from the other parents."

"Seriously? Now I really don't want to join the coven. If I'd had any intentions before." Mia leaned back into her chair.

"Things were different back then. They didn't have to be worried about the local law enforcement as much. Or she could have just died in a car accident." Grans paused. "You're worried about that girl."

"Melody. She's Sherry's daughter, isn't she?"

"Yes." Grans didn't have to add anything else. Mia could tell she'd considered the danger for Melody as well.

"Do you think she knows what happened to her mom?" If Mia had lost her mother that way, she'd be more than just angry. She'd want revenge. The image of Carla Manson's face floated into Mia's mind, but she pushed it away.

"I'm not sure if Elly, Melody's grandmother, told her everything. Besides, we're not sure what actually happened. The family didn't stray far from the car accident story. The coven would have insisted and paid for the secrecy."

"Well, isn't that nice." Mia bit her lip to keep from saying the rest of what she was thinking. That the coven had tied a murder up in a nice, polite bow and paid everyone to look the other way. A knock sounded on Mia's door. "Hey, I've got to go. I'll see you tonight. Can you tell Abigail that Jeani is coming over to talk decorations? I asked her to call Abigail, but just in case. I guess the coven hired her too."

Mia said her goodbyes, and then went to open the door. Her lunch had been delivered.

After lunch, Mia pulled out the pile of papers that James had given her and was just starting to key them into her program when another knock sounded. Thinking James had sent someone to pick up the tray, she called out, "Come in."

The door opened, and there Mrs. Davis stood with a couple of bags of gifts. "I know I'm early, but . . ."

Mia stood and met her at the door. "No worries. Are you excited?"

Mrs. Davis bounced in response. And in high heels, that was a feat. "I'm so excited. This is my first grandchild. I had almost given up. We had a cruise scheduled for the end of the year. Now I've canceled it so I can stay home and play babysitter for the new addition."

Mia took one of the bags. It was heavy. "Let's take these down to the ballroom. They're just finishing up decorating, and I think you'll be happy."

She spent the next hour with Mrs. Davis, helping her bring in more gifts and talking about the setup. Then, when Mrs. Davis left to go home and get ready for the party, Mia went back to her office. She needed to make sure James got his food truck planning template by the end of the day. She'd taken the next week off to work with Abigail, and she didn't want to leave her friend in a lurch. Or have to work the next weekend. Certainly not for the Lodge. As soon as she walked out the door tonight, she was back to being a part of Mia's Morsels. At least until a week from Monday, when Frank would be back from his corporate retreat to torment her more.

* * *

Mia decided to leave after the last appetizer tray had been passed. The open bar was flowing, and the night supervisor could handle any issues. The gifts were beginning to be opened, and in another hour, the event would be over. She discreetly pulled Mrs. Davis to the side. "Is everything to your liking?"

"Oh, yes. Mia, you did amazing. Thank you so much for this." She pointed over to where a beaming daughter-in-law and son sat. "Fleur is over the moon. And Jason told me they never expected this. So, we pulled it off, even with the complications."

Mia pressed a card into Mrs. Davis's hand. "I'm so glad. I'm heading home, but if you need anything and don't feel like you're being heard, please call me. I'm just down the road, and I can be here in five minutes."

Mrs. Davis pulled her into a hug. "I can't believe there's going to be any reason I need to call you. Except to thank you once again. I promise, Mia, this isn't the last you'll hear from me."

"Well, please, don't hesitate." Mia took one last glance around the fairy-tale setting and sent a thank-you to the Goddess for blessing Jeani and her sister with such imaginations. A warmth spread over her as she walked to her office. The Goddess was pleased with her offering.

Mia grabbed her laptop, her tote, and her leather jacket. Abigail had cleaned it of all bad magic that morning. And with the chill in the air, since darkness already had fallen, Mia was glad she had the coat available.

The drive home was quiet, but when she got to the school, lights were on and shining out of the windows on all three floors. Operation Queen Contest was going well. She climbed out of her car and grabbed her tote.

Then she went to unlock the door. But it was already standing open. She pushed the door farther open and called out, "Hello?"

Loud music blared out of the gym area, and Mr. Darcy sat on the stairs, glaring at her. Mia came inside and shut the door. She went over and leaned over her cat. "Not my fault. Is Cerby in the house?"

A look toward the apartment and a nod was all she got. Of course, Mr. Darcy was a cat. She couldn't expect a monologue or a verbal report. However, she did get the guilt hit he was sending her about leaving him alone with these people.

She followed the music and found Levi, Trent, Jeani, and a second woman in the gym. Levi and the other woman were swing dancing to the song, and there were several bottles of beer scattered around the gym along with lumber, saws, and drills. No one noticed her as she came in.

Mia walked over and turned the music down, and everyone turned her way. "Hey, you forgot to invite me to the party. And someone left the front door wide open. Is Cerby down here or upstairs?"

Trent walked over and pulled her into a hug. "Welcome home. You're always invited, and yes, Cerby is in the apartment with your grandmother and Mom. Unless Mr. Darcy let him out. Have you seen your cat?"

"He was at the stairs, waiting for me to come home." She put her arm around him and smiled at Jeani. "Welcome to the madhouse."

"It's wonderful, better than I remembered. We had a senior sneak day here in the gym. You've done a lot to bring it back." Jeani had a clipboard and tape measure. "Trent walked me through the plan for the walkways and the stairway. I wanted to run an idea I had by you in case the weather turns on us."

Mia saw that Levi and the other woman had stopped dancing, and he was now stacking wood for the walkways. "I'd love to talk, but I'm beat. Oh, by the way, the Davis's party was a big success. Everyone loved your decorations."

Jeani looked at her watch. "Crap, I didn't realize how late it was. Cheryl and I will get out of your hair for the night. I'd like to come back tomorrow and finish up the measurements. I'm afraid we got to catching up and lost track of time."

"Jeani and Cheryl went to high school with me. Levi was a few years younger." Trent didn't move his arm from around Mia's waist.

"Oh, I should have realized." Mia watched as Jeani collected her tote bag and notebook, sticking things inside.

Finally, the women had coats on and were walking out the gym door. Jeani paused by Mia to say goodbye. "I should help clean up the mess."

"Don't worry about it. The guys can. I'm sure they don't want Abigail to come down and see this in the morning." Mia threw a wicked grin at Trent.

"You're horrible, and that's why I love you." Trent kissed her and then yelled at Levi. "Grab a trash bag and let's get these empties cleared up. And you're sleeping on the couch upstairs tonight."

After Jeani and her sister left, Mia started to go upstairs, but Trent caught her on the stairwell. "Don't judge Levi too harshly. He's freaked out about Christina being in Boise this weekend."

"She's attending Isaac's wedding. He could have gone too. I'm pretty sure she asked him to," Mia reminded Trent.

He glanced at the gym door. "He's kicking himself for not going now. The swing dance, it was just fooling around."

"He's not my boyfriend." Mia kissed him. "Are you and Cerby staying over? Your mom's in the extra room."

"I'll crash in Christina's room." He pulled her closer and slowly kissed her again. "I'm not sure being in your room tonight with the entire family—well, besides Dad—here is a good idea."

"I think we'd be hearing some comments about free milk and cows." She laid her head on his chest. "I'm glad you're here, though. You can keep me from killing Frank."

"You're not working next week, right?" He squeezed her, and then she stepped away. "It should give you time to cool down."

She paused at the bottom of the stairs and winked at him. "You really think I need to be close to him?"

He chuckled as she made her way upstairs. "I don't think your grandmother would think that is appropriate kitchen witch behavior."

"She hasn't worked for Frank. Give her a week in my job. She'd see my point of view." She turned back and smiled. "As would a jury of my peers."

As both Trent and Mr. Darcy had promised, Cerby was in the apartment, asleep on a pillow by the cold fireplace. As she walked inside, a fire started up in the fireplace. Cerby opened one eye at her, then fell back asleep.

"Hellhounds like to be warm," Grans said from behind her.

Mia turned and hugged her grandmother. "So, did you set the fire, or did he?"

"Dear, you should know the answer to that. Cerby felt the chill from when you opened the door, so he set a fire. That's why I had Trent set wood in the fireplace this afternoon. I suspected with the temps dropping that this might happen. Your coat still smells of Abigail's cleaning spell. Take it off, and I'll refresh it." Her grandmother glanced at the doorway. "Are Trent and Levi still downstairs?"

"Yes, but Jeani and her sister have left. I guess they went to school with Trent." Mia took off her coat and handed it to her grandmother. Then she sat on the chair watching the fire. "I'm so tired."

"You're working too hard. That's why I haven't pushed our training, but dear, we need to complete it sooner than later." She looked at the door again. "I know I've said this before, but you and Trent need to make some decisions if this is going to be permanent. I'd hate for him not to know where you stand."

"Grans, Trent and I are fine. He knows exactly where I stand with him." Mia thought about Brad and Isaac showing up that week. "He's not worried about anyone else. Now, Levi, he's a little freaked out right now."

"All I know is that I've always seen a strong tie between you and Trent. Tonight, I saw a faint line between him and Jeani. Maybe they have a history and that was what I saw, or maybe—"

Her next words were interrupted when Trent and Levi came in through the apartment's front door. Trent looked at Mia, then at her grandmother. "Are we interrupting?"