Page 31 of Christmas Magic

“I think so.” Cora leaned in closer. “I didn’t tell you before, but at the craft fair, I bought some special sprinkles.”

Puzzlement touched Roberta’s gaze. “Sprinkles?”

Surely she knew what they were. “Decorations for cupcakes and cookies?”

“I’m not dense. I know what sprinkles are.” The gray-haired woman’s mouth gaped. “Are they, you know”—she slow-winked—“those kind of sprinkles?”

Cora blinked. Could she be the dense one? “I’m not sure what you mean.”

Roberta winked again. “Sprinkles that make people happy, like those special chocolate brownies. Hungry, also.”

“Are you talking about marijuana—?”

“Shhh!” Wide-eyed, Roberta glanced about.

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am not. I saw the couple selling CBD lotions and other concoctions.”

“I didn’t buy the sprinkles—or any other item—from that couple.”

Roberta exhaled a relieved sigh. “I feel better. I didn’t want you to have bought illegal sprinkles and end up in jail.”

“Oh, for goodness—”

“I can’t help worrying. There are bad people in this world who take advantage of older women like us. If you don’t believe me, watch the news for a few nights. You’ll see.”

“No one is taking advantage of me,” Cora said firmly. “I’m too smart. I’d never fall for such a trick.”

Roberta shoved the tissues back into her purse. “What’s so special about your sprinkles then?”

Cora couldn’t hold back a grin. “They twinkle.”

“That’s kind of special.”

“They’re also magical.”

Roberta’s eyebrows rose.

Cora fought a stirring of indignation. “Don’t look at me like that. You and I both belong to the Cat’s Paw Cove Paranormal Society.”

“We do. We’ve been part of the organization for a long time. But, to be perfectly honest, while we’ve heard about strange and inexplicable happenings in the town, we haven’t seen or experienced any ourselves, have we?”

“That’s not entirely true. Love is a kind of magic, isn’t it? We know people in town who have fallen head-over-heels for one another.”

Roberta’s expression turned thoughtful. “I guess.”

“Supposedly, the sprinkles bring about romance and true love.”

“Oh, dear. How much did you pay—?”

“Nothing. The woman gave them to me.”

Roberta frowned. “They were free?”

Cora nodded.

“Why did she just give them to you?”