Chapter 10

ChapterTen

‘Ihave a new theory,’ Annie bustled in the front door, the brisk October wind following her in. Jeanie had known her for less than a week, but the woman always seemed to be in the middle of a conversation Jeanie had no idea they’d been having.

She liked it. It was something friends did.

It was late afternoon, so the café was fairly empty. Jeanie had insisted she would be fine on her own, and Norman had left early to take his niece to the zoo. Or was it to take his nephew to the aquarium? She hadn’t been paying very close attention to Norman since most of her brain power was currently being used to daydream about Logan and his soft flannels and strong arms and his secret cat whisperer abilities.

‘A new theory about what?’ Jeanie asked from her perch behind the counter. She’d brought a stool back here for when the café was slow, even though Norman had huffed and puffed about it. Customers don’t want to see you sitting, he’d said.

‘Customers want their coffee. They don’t care if I’m standing on my head while I serve it,’ she’d argued. He dropped it after that.

‘A new theory about your ghost,’ Annie said.

The butcher block counter between them was ‘L’ shaped, with a side for the register to place an order, and a side with stools for sitting. Annie pulled up a stool and sat with a sigh. The bakery closed at three so Annie was off for the day.

‘Oh, right. Well, that problem is solved.’

‘Solved? What, already?’

Jeanie slid Annie’s usual chai latte across the counter, and Annie clutched it in her hands. She breathed in the spiced scent before continuing with her questions.

‘Ghosts can be tricky. Are you sure it’s gone?’

‘Turns out it wasn’t a ghost at all.’

Annie frowned into her mug. ‘Did Logan convince you of that? He’s the world’s biggest skeptic, Jeanie. He only believes in things he can hold in his own two hands.’

‘He did pet the cat that showed up last night with his own two hands, so I think it’s settled.’

‘A cat? No way.’

As if on cue, the cat who Jeanie had so cleverly named Casper, sauntered into the café. He walked to the square of sunshine on the floor coming in from the big front window, plopped down, threw a leg over his head, and began to lick himself.

If Norman was here, he would have a fit. He was less than pleased with the new Pumpkin Spice Café family member. But Jeanie had already taken him to the vet this morning, gotten him his shots, bought a litter box and a giant bag of vet-recommended cat food. This guy was here to stay.

Annie glanced at Casper and then back at Jeanie. Her skepticism was written across her round face.

‘It’s true. I was here last night with Logan and then we heard this scratching at the back door. It was the cat. It must have been what I’d been hearing all along.’ Jeanie’s face heated at the mention of Logan and being here all night with him and the memory of how his fingers had felt brushing across her cheek when he swept the hair away from her face.

Annie raised an eyebrow. ‘Hmm.’

Oh, no, her farmer fantasies were clearly written across her face. She’d never had this problem at her old job. No one in her old life had evoked these feelings in her. She had never once wanted to burrow her face into the work shirt of any of her colleagues. It was the magic of the flannel.

‘Well, if anything else strange happens, you let me know because I think Mac is up to something.’

It was Jeanie’s turn to raise a skeptical eyebrow. ‘You think Mac is haunting my café?’

‘Not haunting.’ Annie waved a hand, nearly knocking over her mug, and Jeanie slid it out of the way. ‘I think he’s trying to scare you off.’

‘Why would he do that?’ Jeanie had hardly met the man. A café owner and a pub owner basically worked opposite shifts. Other than a polite hello when she was closing up and he was opening, she hadn’t interacted with Mac Sullivan at all.

‘He wants your space. He’s wanted to expand the pub since he bought it last year. I heard he made an offer to Dot for the café, but she turned him down.’

‘Even still. Just because he wanted the café at some point doesn’t mean he’d try to drive me out of here.’

‘You don’t know him like I do, Jeanie. Just be careful,’ Annie added ominously, before sipping the latte Jeanie had slid back in front of her.

‘Will do.’

The bell jingled over the café door and another cool breeze swept into the shop. Dry leaves swirled in its wake.

‘Oh, aren’t you a little darling!’ Hazel stooped down to rub Casper’s belly and he purred in delight. ‘Where did he come from?’

‘That’s Jeanie’s ghost.’

‘Really?’ Hazel looked up, her eyes wide behind her glasses. ‘This little guy was making all that noise?’

‘Apparently,’ Annie said, still not sounding convinced. ‘Jeanie and Logan were here all night before that cat showed up.’

‘Oh?’ Hazel stood and strolled toward the counter. ‘And how did that go?’

‘Fine. Good. Totally normal ghost stakeout.’ Jeanie turned, suddenly finding it very urgent to wipe down the cappuccino machine. It was almost closing time, after all. Time to clean up for the day. Certainly not the time to face down Hazel’s unnerving stare. It was nearly as unsettling as Casper’s.

‘Totally normal ghost stakeout, huh? Well, that’s nice.’

Jeanie ignored the looks Annie and Hazel were exchanging and instead made Hazel her usual pumpkin-spiced latte.

‘Yep. Very nice,’ Jeanie mimicked, setting down Hazel’s drink. ‘And now it’s all settled. The noises were just a cat.’ She shrugged. No big deal. It was all over now. There was no reason for Logan to come bearing sweet little gifts like earplugs or to spend the night with her. No reason at all...

‘Well, I just came by to give you a heads-up about tomorrow,’ Hazel said, pulling off her fingerless mittens and laying them on the counter.

‘Oh, lord,’ Annie muttered.

‘Heads-up about what?’ Jeanie asked, perching on her stool again. She had been hoping to get a few hours of sleep after Logan left last night, but despite the lack of a ghost, the new earplugs, and the sturdy lock, she’d been too keyed up to sleep. After a full day of running the café, plus a lunch break of vet appointments and pet-supply shopping, she was exhausted. Again. So far, small-town life was kicking her butt.

‘Wednesdays are book club days.’

‘Okay...’

‘They meet at the bookstore around noon, but they usually come in here after for coffee before some of them head back to work or have to get kids off the bus or whatever. I just figured I would warn you.’ Hazel pushed her glasses up her nose, a faint blush creeping up her cheeks. ‘They can be a bit ... rowdy.’

Annie snorted. ‘Rowdy is an understatement.’

‘It sounds like fun,’ Jeanie said, remembering the laughing group from the town meeting.

‘Oh sweet, sweet Jeanie,’ Annie said, shaking her head. ‘They are going to come in here all hopped up on their latest smutty book, cackling like a coven of witches. And then they’re going to want to know everything about you.’

Jeanie laughed. ‘Aren’t you being a little dramatic?’

Hazel picked up her mittens. ‘They’ll know your life story, your credit score, and your preferred dating app by the time they leave. Guaranteed.’

‘I’m not scared.’ Jeanie bit down on a smile at Hazel’s grim tone.

Hazel shrugged. ‘Just remember I warned you.’ She hopped off her stool. ‘I have to get back. We have preschool story time this afternoon. The author of Black Cat Carves a Pumpkin is coming with signed copies. It’s going to be a madhouse.’

‘Wait up. I have the cookies you wanted for the event. I’ll go grab them.’ Annie gulped down her now room-temperature latte, ready to follow Hazel out the door. ‘Oh, Jeanie, are you setting up at the farmer’s market on Sunday?’

‘Farmer’s market?’

‘Yeah, Dot always sets up next to my tent. Your hot-cider-and-pumpkin-spiced everything goes great with my seasonal muffins and pies. You have to do it.’

‘Oh ... uh ... of course. I’ll ask Norman about it.’

‘I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.’

Jeanie frowned. Norman clearly didn’t like her, but now it seemed the old man was hindering her from doing her job. She’d have to talk to him tomorrow.

‘I’ll be there.’

‘Great!’ Annie smiled at her from the door. ‘Oh, and I wouldn’t mention anything about Logan while the book club is here. They’ll eat that gossip right up. It fuels them.’

Jeanie laughed, but inside her stomach swooped. The last thing she wanted was to become the topic of town gossip. Especially when there was nothing to gossip about. Nothing at all.

‘Thanks. I have been thoroughly warned. Watch out for Mac, book clubs, and any mention of Logan. Got it.’

Annie saluted and walked out into the late afternoon chill.

Who knew small-town life was so treacherous?