The Cupcake Witch: The Witching Hour Collection (The Chancellor Fairy Tales Book 2) by Lawless Poppy

Author:Lawless, Poppy [Lawless, Poppy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, mobi, epub
Publisher: Love Potion Books
Published: 2015-11-24T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12: Horatio

“Anyone hungry?” Alice called from the door of Julie’s shop late that night. Without waiting, she entered at once, uttering an “oooh!” as she gazed over the room. Grinning, Rayne entered behind her. Chancellor’s matriarchs had truly adopted Julie. All day long, plumbers, carpenters, electricians, lawn care workers, and even a guy to measure the greenhouse windows, had been by. By that evening, Julie had running water, electricity, the gas turned back on, minor repairs taken care of, and thanks to me, much of the shopfront cleaned…as well as her loose floorboards repaired.

“I always wanted to see inside here. I even snuck a peek through the window once. It’s beautiful,” Alice said, admiring the place. “Julie! Hope you don’t mind the impromptu welcome party.”

“You have beer and food. You can always come in,” Julie said with a laugh.

“I’m just freeloading. Does that count?” Rayne asked.

“In my books, yes.”

“God, look at this woodwork. This place is amazing,” Alice gushed once more.

“I love it,” Julie said wistfully. “I feel like I’m riding some strange wave of fate, tossing me along toward a dream come true.”

Rayne, a perpetual metaphysical guru, smiled at that. “Massive action leads to massive results.”

“Ah, another Rayne-ism,” I said jokingly.

“No, that’s Tony Robbins.”

We laughed.

“Picnic?” Alice asked.

“Well, the greenhouse is mostly cleared out now, and I have some candles we could light. There are some paint throws in the back. I’ll go grab them,” Julie said then darted toward the back.

“She is adorable,” Alice said to me. “Do not screw it up…again.”

“I’m trying.”

“So I hear. Viola called. She said you quit the winery.”

“Well, massive action leads to massive results,” I said, grinning at Rayne.

Rayne winked. “What’s next?”

“The Arts Council…I took the job.”

“No. Freaking. Way. You did?” Alice said.

Rayne nodded approvingly.

“It was time. I needed to move to something good, something different.”

“And something sweet,” Alice said with a wink.

As if on cue, Julie appeared from behind the counter. Her clothes were dirty from the long day of work, her cheeks flushed red from exhaustion, but she looked perfectly beautiful. Everything in me wanted to just crush her against me and hold her, protect her. She was just a tiny sweet thing, but she was no wilting violet. The image of my father standing over her, his face shaking with rage while Julie stood her ground, struck me to the core. In that single moment, I hated my father more than I had ever hated him before. And I was also struck with awe of this girl who took no shit from him, not caring even a little about who he was. That day, I’d seen both of them very clearly, and it was very obvious whose side I wanted to be on.

“Here, let me help you,” I said, crossing the room to take the bundle of paint throws from her.

Alice, Rayne, Julie, and I then went about setting the blankets out on the floor of the old greenhouse. A worker had hauled away a ton of weeds, old pots, and worn tables, to reveal that the floor of the greenhouse was actually set with stonework.

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