magical cures 06.5 - a charming christmas by tonya kappes

 

     
    Chapter One
     
    “Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh!” Madame Torres sang, her crystal ball blinking red like the nose on Rudolph. “Get up! The first day of the winter bazaar isn’t going to pass us by!”
    I pushed my hair back from my face and reached over to the empty spot next to me in the bed. My head came off the pillow and my heart sank when I noticed Oscar had already left for work and I wasn’t going to get to kiss him goodbye. I put my hand on Mr. Prince Charming, my fur ball fairy-god cat, who had taken advantage of Oscar’s spot. He was snug and curled up in a tight white ball on Oscar’s pillow, and as warm as a butter biscuit. 
    “Did you hear me?” Madame Torres happily chirped from inside her glass ball.
    “I heard you.” I groaned not wanting to get out of my cozy bed. I pulled the covers up over my head.
    “Better be good for goodness sake,” Madame Torres’s voice took a deep dip in tone before it sprang up an octave. Background music blared out like she was singing karaoke.  “Santa Claus is coming to town!”
    “I never imagined many spiritualists would get so excited about a holiday we have never celebrated here.” I sucked in a deep breath wondering how many customers I was going to have today at A Charming Cure, my homeopathic cure shop in our little magical town of Whispering Falls, Kentucky. I was excited to have a little Christmas spirit around town. There had been a dullness looming over the village and I had not been able to put my finger on the cause.
    This time of the year could be so stressful for people. Presents, family, running around, not to mention the people who didn’t like the holidays due to the same things.
    Stress.
    But the Village Council, which consisted of Petunia Shrubwood, Isadora Solstice, Gerald Regiula, and Chandra Shango, voted to host the First Annual Christmas Bazaar the entire month of December leading up to the big day of the jolly fellow.
    “Toooooo town!” Madame Torres yelled at the end of her song with a big bang of fireworks display.
    “Wrong holiday display,” I said referring to the red, white, and blue fireworks.
    I threw the covers back and sat up, brushing the ends of my short black bob behind each ear. My eyes glanced over at Mr. Prince Charming. Madame Torres’s singing wasn’t bugging him any.
    Madame Torres’s Christmas light show was over and her ball had a beautiful scene of snow falling down like a winter wonderland. I swung my feet over the side of the bed and tucked each foot in the fuzzy cream slippers.
    “Santa Claus is coming,” I hummed skipping down the hall, letting the warm scent of the freshly brewed coffee lead the way, “to town.”
    I wouldn’t tell her, because she’d never let me live it down, but Madame Torres and her sunny holiday disposition had put a little skip in my step. Don’t get me wrong, I loved all things Christmas and winter, but the idea of new customers and ways to bring in new business to our community made me happy. The Christmas spirit was catchy and I couldn’t wait to see how the holiday spirit touched our village.
    All the shops in Whispering Falls had a magical feel. Of course I knew a lot of the magic was due to the fact that every shop owner had a spiritual gift, but Christmas gave an different bewitching, even spellbound, awareness that I couldn’t even put my finger on.
    I’ll be working late. Don’t wait up for me. I love you, Oscar. I ran my finger over the note left next to my purple and white striped mug Oscar must have pulled out of the cabinet for me.
    He was one of two sheriffs in Whispering Falls. Colton Lance was the other. Both of them wizards and dangerous with a wand. Oscar Park and I had known each other all of our lives. Growing up in Locust Grove with him as a neighbor was the best thing that could’ve ever happened to me. And moving together to Whispering Falls was a bonus. At the same time, both of us found out we were from