Chapter 12

 

 

A small paper bag with the logo of Blue Sky Herbs & Things sat on the big table in the attic. The book of runes lay open beside it.

“I had a small shopping list,” Kelly explained. She pulled two tiny bottles and a stick of incense from the bag. “To go along with these handy kitchen items.”

“You said Eliza found the recipe?” Sam glanced at the window seat where the cat was licking one paw daintily. She walked over and rubbed the cat’s ears.

“She was sitting on the table when you were here—remember? Well, when I turned around, she had laid down on the open book and her paw was pointing right to the spot.”

“Good kitty,” Sam said.

The cat flicked her head away from Sam’s hand.

“I don’t think she likes ‘kitty’ much. She hissed at me the first time I called her that.”

“Sorry, Eliza. You have too much class for nicknames, right?”

“Mrroww.” Eliza sat tall and statuesque.

Sam turned her attention back to Kelly.

On the table sat a cinnamon stick, a piece of ginger root, and a bottle of cardamom, alongside a small metal dish and some tea light candles. Sam watched as Kelly consulted the book, then lit the incense and passed each of the utensils and ingredients through the smoke.

“To cleanse them,” she explained. “Now we heat the metal dish over the candles and start cooking.” She grated a small amount of the ginger into the dish and sprinkled cardamom over it, then stirred the mixture with the cinnamon stick. As the spices began to emit their scent, she took the bottles and uncapped them. “Essence of roses and just one tiny drop of jasmine oil. As I let the drops fall, take the cinnamon stick and stir everything together, counterclockwise.”

A lovely smell of flowers and spice filled the air as the ingredients blended.

“Okay, let’s get it off the heat before it burns.” Kelly grabbed a towel to pick up the metal dish, blowing out the candles as she set the bowl aside.

“Now, the important part of the spell is that this has to be given by the object of the person’s affections. Danny is going to have to give it to her, and he has to say specific words when he does. The love potion is exactly the same ingredients—but the process is different. To make someone fall in love, the spices and oils are blended in water and consumed as a tea. This one is the reverse spell, to make someone fall out of love, and it’s prepared over fire. Opposites—fire and water. Anyway, it made sense to me.”

Sam nodded and stared at the mix. “Well, it’s all edible stuff. And it smells enticing. I think we can get it into the cupcake icing, no problem.”

“You said Lila is hooked on your triple chocolate cupcakes. She may notice the difference in taste.”

“I thought of that,” Sam said. “I’m going to bring home the cupcake and tell Danny it’s for Lila. I’ll say we’re testing a new recipe and want her opinion on it.”

“Oh, great plan!” Kelly scooped the potion into a small glass jar, capped it, and handed it to Sam.

“Now I just have to get him to go along with it.” As if there was a logical way to explain all this? Sam had her doubts but Eliza purred approvingly.

Sam’s chance came sooner than she’d imagined. Beau and Danny were out on the back deck, hammering at the planks, making repairs to a few of the winter-damaged redwood boards. It seemed natural enough to say she had some steaks thawing and to invite Danny to join them for dinner. Both men lit up at the word steak.

All she had to do now was figure out how to work cupcakes into the conversation. And preferably at a time Beau wasn’t in the room, considering how he’d told her twice to back away and let Danny and Lila solve their own problems.

Lila herself provided the perfect lead-in to her mission. Beau was outside, turning the steaks, and Danny had offered to carry the large salad bowl and a platter of garlic bread to the table for Sam when the text pinged his phone.

“I’m reaching my limit,” he muttered, shutting off the sound on his phone.

“She’s still doing it, huh.”

“Yeah, nearly nonstop.” A muscle in his jaw twitched and his dark eyes were smoldering. “And, you wouldn’t believe this. She followed my truck when I went to town this morning. People think of men as stalkers, but this girl has all the moves down pat.”

Sam glanced out the windows at Beau, who still seemed occupied.

“Would you be willing to try an experiment? I’m not going to say it’s magic or anything …”

“Is it something a curandera would do? Abuela told me last weekend I should talk to a curandera.”

“Yes! Exactly. I know someone, and I can probably—”

Beau opened the back door and stepped inside, balancing a platter of steaks with his right hand. “You guys had better get to the table,” he announced.

Sam mouthed shh at Danny, and he gave her a subtle wink.

The steaks were a hit, and Danny’s mood visibly improved during the meal. Sam found herself breathing easier about the plan.

 

* * *

 

As she’d envisioned, chocolate buttercream frosting was the ideal medium for the potion; it mixed in without a trace. Sam had come into the bakery early, planning to avoid questions from the rest of the staff. Julio was there alone and he kept to himself, wrapped up in his own little world of muffin batter and streusel coffee cake.

Sam confiscated two cupcakes from the tray that would soon be on its way to the sales room, one triple-chocolate, one apple spice. She left the apple one alone; for the chocolate one, she scraped off the existing icing and picked up the small bowl in which she’d mixed the separate batch of special buttercream. Quickly filling a pastry bag, she piped an elaborate swirl on the cupcake. A deft sprinkling of tiny chocolate chips denoted this as the custom-made dessert.

She picked up the gift box she had set aside, fitted the two cupcakes into the slots that would keep them from touching, and closed the lid.

“Woo-hoo, anyone here?” came a voice from the back door.

“Rupert! What a surprise. You aren’t normally such an early riser.”

Her purple-clad friend stepped in and closed the door. “Once in awhile I even surprise myself,” he said. “Actually, I’m having breakfast with someone special, and I thought I’d see if there were any extra fantastic goodies baked already, something I can take along as a little gift.”

His eyes fell on the gift box. “Ooh, what’s this? It looks perfect.”

“Ahh—no, no. Sorry, this one is spoken for.” She grabbed the box and carried it to the safety of her desk. Close call!

She studied the cooling racks for ideas. Something ready to go, something quick. “How about an assortment of muffins—I can make up a basket, add a packet of my signature coffee?”

“Umm, normally I’m not big on chocolate in the morning, but this is to die for,” said Rupert.

Sam turned and saw him swiping his finger inside the frosting bowl for a second taste.

“Whoa! Wait!” Sam felt her eyes go wide.

“What? It’s marvelous.”

“What if I told you that one contains a secret love potion formula?” she said, reaching for the bowl and getting it out of his grasp.

“All the better. The man I’m meeting for breakfast—well, I’d be fine with it if he turns out to be the one. Wait—you’re not saying this is going to make me fall for you?”

“No, no. It only takes effect if you’re with your intended.” Sam felt her palms go sweaty. Would the small amount of the potion be enough to wreck Rupert’s chances?

Well, it was a done deed now.