Deadly Curiosities Read Online Free PDF Page B

it would blow over faster if I just faced the music. Although the physical effects were gone, the embarrassment lingered on. Even now, two days later, I’d settled for toast and peanut butter at home instead of my usual muffin at the bakery down the block, not quite willing to answer questions yet or dodge curious gazes.
    The front door opened and the bells clanged against the glass. “Cassidy? Teag?”
    Andrea Andrews, owner of Andrews Carriage Rides, was one of my best friends, and one of the most connected business owners in Charleston. I took a swig of my coffee for sustenance, and squared my shoulders. “Hi, Drea,” I called.
    Drea gave me the once-over when I stepped up front. She was a dark-haired whirlwind, a petite bundle of energy who could rival a hurricane for sheer force of nature. She had built her family’s carriage ride company from one carriage to a fleet of twelve, and expanded into specialty tours, including one of the top ghost tours in the city.
    Clutched in her hand was a bag from the Honeysuckle Cafe, my favorite bakery. I could smell the fresh blueberry muffin, my usual breakfast selection, all the way across the store. “I brought you something,”
    she said with a grin. “Somehow, I figured you’d skip your morning muffin.”
    “You’re an angel,” I said as she handed off the bag and I could feel the still-warm muffin through the paper.
    “Trina said today’s muffin was on the house,” Drea said, watching with a satisfied smile as I took a bite of blueberry-packed goodness and closed my eyes, savoring the taste. “She thought it might cheer you up.”
    “You two are fantastic,” I said, and I meant every word. Not only were Drea and Trina good friends, but we also referred a lot of customers to each other.
    “So let me guess,” Drea drawled. “You had a problem with one of your latest acquisitions.”
    Drea didn’t know the full truth about what we did at Trifles and Folly. She didn’t know about the Alliance, or that Sorren was an immortal. But she did know about my ability to read objects by handling them, and she believed in my gift, and me, without reservation. Drea didn’t have any clairvoyant abilities of her own, but she accepted that there were things in this world that operated outside conventional wisdom, and truth be told, she thought what I could do was kinda cool. Right now, I didn’t share her sentiment.
    “Yeah. I decided to try out a new piece I got.” I gave a wry, self-conscious smile. “It didn’t go as well as I had hoped.”
    Drea’s snort confirmed my opinion. “Ya think? Fortunately, everyone who mentioned it to me thinks you had the flu, except for Mrs. Monroe, who wondered if you were pregnant.”
    I almost choked on my muffin. “Did you tell her I’d need a boyfriend for that to even be a possibility?”
    Drea grinned. “I didn’t think it was any of her business, so I just told her that I was pretty sure it was just the flu.”
    I had wolfed the muffin in record time, proof of just how stressed I still felt over the incident. “How many people make up ‘everyone’?” I asked.
    Drea’s fingers moved as she made a mental count. “Four or five,” she said. “Most of those were in the bakery and Valerie asked about you when she came in to pick up her paycheck.” Valerie was Drea’s leading ghost tour guide, and another good friend.
    Out of the dozens of people who ran shops and restaurants in historic downtown Charleston, I guess four or five wasn’t as bad as it could have been. “Do you think they’ll lose interest any time soon?” I asked.
    “In the flu?” Drea chuckled. “They might avoid you for a week to keep from catching anything, but that’s about it. You won’t be ostracized.”
    That was a relief. “So how’s business?” I asked, eager to change the subject. Drea’s carriages were beautiful and her horses were pampered. Her tour guides shared interesting information on their rounds, as well as legends, scandals