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“I need one of each,” Lorelei declares. “I want the amethyst, the aquamarine, and the rose quartz. But I can wait. I don’t want to take them from customers.”
“She’s making me more,” Lucy says with a grin as she sets the candles aside for her cousin. “I knew these would fly off the shelves.”
“Awesome. I’m going to browse a bit.”
“Please, do.” Lucy turns to me with a wide smile and shrewd eyes. “And what can I get for you?”
“I’m not really in the market for anything.”
“Everyone’s in the market for something,” she returns, tapping her finger on her chin, pondering. “Everyone needs a good moisturizer. Even men.”
“Especially men,” Lorelei calls out from across the room.
“Why especially men?” I ask.
“Because they never use it. Skin is skin.”
I glance back at Lucy, who’s covering a laugh with her hand.
“I have a nice men’s skincare line,” Lucy continues as she reaches for a little pot of something.
“How is it different from the women’s line?”
“The smell,” she says with a grin. “It has notes of cedar and tobacco with just a hint of sage, and we all know that sage is very protective. You can’t go wrong with it.”
“I’m about to buy face cream,” I mutter, staring down at the amber-colored pot with the black lid.
“You need beard oil, too. The scent is the same.”
“I don’t have a beard.”
“Sometimes, you have scruff. This will make it softer.”
“Why do I think you’re just trying to sell me more stuff?”
“I own a shop,” Lucy says with a shrug, and I hear Lorelei laugh from behind a shelf full of more bottles. “Do you do spell work?”
“Of course, I do.”
“Well, let me know if you need some herbs.” She gestures to the wall with floor-to-ceiling shelves stacked with huge jars full of every herb you can think of. I know she grew them all right here on the property.
Lorelei comes walking up to the checkout counter with her arms full of things she intends to buy.
“You have so much new stuff,” Lorelei says. “I love it. And I need everything. Where’s Jonas?”
“He’s in Hallows End for a few hours.”
I look in the direction where the town that’s stuck in the year 1692 lies, even though I know I can’t see it.
“Does he go every day?” I ask her.
“He tries to. He needs the townspeople to see him and has to make sure that nothing weird is going on there. So far, at least recently, there haven’t been any changes in anything.”
“Good. For now, until we lift the damn curse, that’s good.”
“I agree. He’ll be headed back soon, I’m sure. Did you want to see him?”
“I have a few questions for him, but it’s nothing urgent. How much do I owe you?”
“Sixty-seven fifty.”
I blink at her. “For face cream?”
“And oil. Beauty is expensive.” Lucy grins and simply waits for me to pull my wallet out of my pocket.
“I’ll just remind myself that I’m supporting a small business,” I mutter, handing her my credit card. Lucy charges my new purchases to it, then stows the cream and oil in a plain brown paper bag with handles, before tossing in a small stone and some stickers.
“What was that for?”
“Freebies,” Lucy says. “My little gift to you as a thank-you. I’ll put yours on your tab, Lorelei.”
“Thanks.” Lorelei claps her hands in excitement as her cousin carefully packs her treasures in a bag of her own. “I’m so excited about all of this. I’m going to start burning that money candle today.”
“Are you running out of money?” I ask her.
“A girl can always use a little extra cash.” Lorelei winks at Lucy and takes her bag. “You know, the other day at the committee meeting, when you mentioned tarot cards, it reminded me that I haven’t worked with tarot in a long while. I used to love it, and I want to get back into the practice. Do you want to get together so we can read each other?”
“Sounds fun,” Lucy says with a nod. “I have a new deck to work with, too.”
“I found my old one,” Lorelei replies. “I have so many, but I love this old one. My connection to it is really cool.”
“I love when that happens,” Lucy replies, glancing at me. “Do you read tarot?”
“I haven’t in a long time.”
“I’d love to read your cards,” Lucy says. “We definitely need to do this soon. In the meantime, I’ll start practicing again.”
“Me, too.” Lorelei smiles. “I’m going back to drawing a card every day. It’s a nice routine. Okay, thanks for the loot. I’ll see you later.”
“See you,” Lucy says with a wave. I follow Lorelei out the door and down to her waiting car.
“I’ll see you later,” I say, leaning on the window of her car after she climbs inside. “I have some things to see to. Please, be safe.”
