“You should have come to me. I have a ladder for sale.”

  “Really? I never thought to check.”

  “Oh, yeah. There’s nothing she doesn’t have. Always check with Red first. I bought the dog’s bed for in the shop at her place. And also these shoes. Aren’t they cute?” Harper lifted one foot to display an adorable leopard print flat.

  “Cute. And Taco has a bed in the shop now?” Natalie asked, feeling motivated as she added paint kid’s corner ceiling to the To Do list in the Notes app on her cell while also carrying on a conversation about shopping.

  “Of course Taco has a bed. I didn’t want him to get jealous of the cat bed I bought at Red’s shop for Mr. Darcy.”

  As she searched for good designs to copy on the ceiling on her cell phone, Natalie was vaguely aware of the bell above the front door tinkling but she was too busy saving an image to her camera roll to look up.

  Harper, the more responsible among them apparently, lifted her head to see who was now in the front of the shop while they were laying on the floor in the back.

  “It’s doctor hottie,” she hissed.

  “Ugh. He probably wants to warn me to not be late tomorrow.”

  “And what’s happening tomorrow with you and doc hottie?” Red asked.

  “Nothing. We’re going on another road trip.”

  “Oh really?” Harper asked, the question ripe with innuendo.

  During the discussion she could see the top of Liam’s head above the center display shelves as he looked around the shop, peeked into the meeting room, then went to stand at the bottom of the staircase. “Um, hello?”

  “We’re back here,” Harper sing songed.

  He followed the sound of her voice and was soon standing before them, brows raised as he took in the scene of the three of them spread out on the carpet. Red still flat on her back. Harper with just her head pressed up against the ball at an awkward-looking angle and Natalie, propped up on one elbow with her cell in her hand.

  “Tired?” he asked.

  Natalie considered the question. “No, actually. I feel pretty good. Relaxed but focused.”

  Red swiveled her head on the carpet so she could say to Natalie, “Me too. That’s exactly how I feel.”

  “And also kind of warm and fuzzy in the body. But energized in the mind,” Harper explained.

  “Yes!” Red and Natalie agreed at the same time.

  Liam eyed the plastic cups scattered around them. “What are you ladies drinking?”

  “Lemonade,” Natalie answered.

  “What kind of lemonade?” He reached down to pick up a cup with a bit left in the bottom and gave it a sniff.

  “The tasty kind,” Red answered.

  “With lavender in it,” Harper added.

  With all the talk of lemonade, Natalie realized her mouth was dry and sat up. “I’m really thirsty.”

  “Me too,” Red agreed.

  “Let’s get more lemonade,” Harper suggested.

  “Good idea—” Red rolled over and got on her hands and knees as she tried to stand.

  “Wait. Look at me,” Liam said to Natalie as she too stood, with the help of the bookshelves.

  His command and the fact she actually complied with it, earned her some pretty suggestive looks from her friends. As did his gripping her chin between his thumb and forefinger as he leaned low and stared into her eyes.

  “Where did you get this lemonade?” he asked.

  “The old biddies,” Red answered.

  “Alice Mudd,” Harper said at the same time.

  “Old biddy Alice Mudd,” Natalie summarized.

  “Did she put something in here?” he asked.

  “You mean besides the lavender? Like what?”

  “All of your pupils are dilated. You said you’re thirsty. And you’re acting… weird. It’s like you’ve been roofied or something.

  Still on the floor, Harper broke out into laughter that had her kicking her feet on the carpet. “Roofied?”

  “You think Alice Mudd roofied us?” Red managed to get out between gasps as she wiped the tears of laughter from her eyes.

  “Can you imagine?” Natalie agreed.

  She hadn’t noticed Liam leave. He just disappeared while she’d been trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard.

  But he came back a minute later. Or maybe it was ten minutes later. She was having trouble with the concept of time, but eventually he was back and hawking over her with his excessive height.

  “So it seems she did put something besides lavender in your lemonade. Not Rohypnol. But you all consumed a good dose of psilocybin.”

  “Silly what?” Red asked.

  “Magic mushrooms,” he explained.

  Harper’s eyes widened. “Ooo, what fun. I’ve always wanted to try shrooms.”

  “Alice said she only added a micro dose level to the lemonade. She said it was the same amount she added to the iced tea last time. Apparently it helps the pain in her joints so she thought everyone in the book club could benefit from it.”

  “Last time?” Natalie thought back, confused.

  “The romance book club meeting,” Harper blurted in a eureka moment. “Agnes asked to borrow Alice’s big beverage dispenser for iced tea. Alice offered to make the tea for her and dropped it off.”

  Natalie’s eyes widened. “I drank a bunch of that tea that night too and ended up staying awake half the night doing the rainbow bookshelf. I thought it was the caffeine keeping me up.”

  “I remember that.” Harper nodded.

  “What Alice didn’t realize is that the acid in the lemon juice breaks down the psilocybin so it’s absorbed more easily by the body, which didn’t happen in the tea. So it can increase the effects of the same size dose dramatically.”

  Red held up one hand. “Hang on, professor. Chill with the science lesson for a second so we can appreciate the fact that Alice Mudd does shrooms.”

  “I know. That’s weird, right? Or am I tripping?” Natalie asked.

  “It was a micro dose so you’re not tripping—I don’t think.” He frowned. “How many cups did you drink?”

  “Only two,” she answered.

  “Actually, three,” Harper corrected. “Remember? You guzzled that one then refilled it again right away.”

  Natalie nodded. “Right. It was so hot, I was thirsty. So three. Is that a lot?”

  “It’s not a little,” he said.

  “Well, a little or a lot, it’s great. I just whipped through my entire inbox and made a kick ass list of ideas for possible future promotions for my store.” Red held up her phone. “We should micro dose more often.”

  “I agree.” Harper nodded.

  “First, what you consumed was a bit more than a typical micro dose. And then there’s the fact it’s currently illegal in this state.”

  “Currently illegal in the state,” Natalie repeated Liam, the buzz kill, doing what she considered a pretty good, though unflattering, imitation of him. “Charlie was right. You do look and act like a G-Man.”

  “Yeah! You going to turn us in?” Red accused.

  “I’m not going to turn you in—”

  “Who’s Charlie?” Harper asked over him.

  The conversation was interrupted by the flood of book club members spilling out of the meeting room.

  The business part of Natalie’s brain took hold. She cringed. “Are they okay to drive home after being shroomed?”

  “Almost all of them walked here. Mary Brimley picked up Alice in her car, but Mary wasn’t drinking the lemonade. Said the acid bothers her stomach.”

  “Thank God for Mary’s delicate stomach,” Red commented.

  “No kidding.” Considering all the risks to her customers because of Alice drugging them, possibly without their knowledge, was harshing Natalie’s mellow.

  “You’re going to have to speak to Alice about this for next time. You can’t be dosing people and then letting them drive,” Liam pointed out.

  “You really are a stick in the mud.” She scowled. As his brows shot up, she added, “But yes, you’re right. I’ll talk to her.”

  “Well, party’s over. I’m going to go home and schedule a few newsletters with all this shroom energy.” Red grabbed her empty cup off the floor.

  “Yeah. Time I head out too. Stone is home waiting for me. Hmm. I wonder what sex on shrooms is like,” Harper pondered.

  Red laughed. “Why do I have a feeling you’re going to find out?”

  Natalie let out a giggle then covered her mouth after a glance from Liam.

  The good nights were said then it was just Natalie and Liam, the voice of reason buzz kill.

  One good thing about him being so responsible—he helped her rearrange the chairs in the meeting room and tie up the bag of trash.

  Then there was nothing left to do but say good night, lock the door, turn out the lights and head to bed…

  It was the saying good night part she dragged her feet on as Liam’s emerald gaze held hers. “You feeling okay?”

  “Great, actually.”

  He smiled. “Maybe I should have grabbed a cup of that lemonade for myself.”

  “I highly recommend it,” she joked. “As long as you don’t mind being a lawbreaker. Apparently, it’s currently illegal in this state,” she repeated that fact from his prior lecture.

  “All right. I get it. I sounded like a narc. I just wanted you to be aware. You’re a business owner. You don’t want to incur that liability.”

  “Yes. Thank you for the reminder. I appreciated your shroom school.” She hated when he was right but couldn’t argue the truth of what he said. And he did seem to have her best interest at heart.

  She hesitated, biting her lip before she raised her gaze to his again.

  “That question Harper asked. About, you know, sex on shrooms…” She hissed the last words.

  His dark brows rose. “Shockingly, that wasn’t in any of the research I’ve read so I honestly don’t know the answer.”

  She gnawed on her lip again before daring to raise her eyes to his. “Wanna find out?”

  Her heart pounded as she watched him draw in a breath then let it out. “Is your friend here?”

  It took her a second and then she figured out what he meant. “Gabe?”

  He nodded.

  She shook her head. “No. He decided the mystery book club was too boring to hang around for. He went to visit his friends in the cemetery.”

  His lids dropping over his eyes seductively, Liam took a step closer. “Then, yeah. I’m definitely up for a little research in that department.”

  Motion at the window that quickly disappeared had her thinking she might have seen Bob—as in “For fuck’s sake, Bob”—peering through the front window.

  Staunchly ignoring that possibility, she grabbed Liam’s hand and tugged him in the direction of her apartment in the back. They had research to conduct.

  twenty-five

  Natalie hesitated by the door, overnight bag in her hand for the second time that week. “You’re sure you are okay manning the store alone today and tomorrow until I get back?”

  Looking every bit a teenager when faced with an adult questioning her, Jules rolled her eyes. “I was fine last time.”

  “I know. It just feels like I’m asking you for a lot lately.”

  “Well, you are paying me so…” Jules shrugged.

  “That’s true. I am.” And Natalie had stopped hyperventilating over that added expense when she’d noticed the shop’s sales had increased noticeably since she’d hired Jules. It didn’t do much for her ego that the teen was bringing in more business than she’d been able to herself but she’d just have to get over that.

  Jules’s eyes widened as her gaze hit on something in front of the shop.

  Natalie turned and saw Liam’s Jeep pulling up to the parking spot closest to the door. She’d been hoping to get out of there early enough to intercept him at the warehouse and avoid the inevitable questions this second road trip together was going to cause with Jules.

  She was about to make a quick escape before the inquisition could start, but Jules didn’t ask any questions. Instead she smirked and said, “I see our efforts are working.”

  The comment stopped Natalie in her tracks.

  “Wait. What? What efforts? And whose?” Natalie narrowed her eyes at the girl.

  “Have you noticed anything new around the shop?” Jules asked.

  A lot was new and she anticipated there’d be even more when she returned from this trip. Those were the consequences of leaving Jules unattended.

  “Do you mean the new mugs?” she asked.

  “No. The amethyst and lavender.”

  “Yes. I noticed…”

  “When the Wiccans were here they placed the amethyst and lavender around to help your love life.”

  “And why would they do that?” Natalie asked.

  “Um, Harper and I might have asked them to.” Jules cringed.

  “Why?” Natalie asked again.

  “Because you and Liam are so perfect together,” Jules began in a rush. “And you’re always complaining about him but that’s only because there’s so much chemistry between you two—”

  “So you brought in the local witches to cast a love spell?” she asked.

  She was on borrowed time until Liam busted through the door and accused her of being late. But she needed answers. Not that she believed in love spells—

  Although, she hadn’t believed in ghosts either. Shit.

  “Wiccan, not witches,” Jules corrected. “They don’t like that term. And it’s not a love spell. The things they scattered around the shop are just to open you and the universe to the possibility of love.”

  Great. Just what she needed. The universe and the local coven throwing her at Liam who’d been very vocal about his not wanting a relationship.

  It was bad enough she had trouble keeping her hands and her mind off her one-night stand as it was. Although after last night, Liam no longer qualified as a one-night stand…

  Whatever he was to her, he was currently climbing out of the Jeep. Her time was up.

  “Okay. I gotta go. Call if you need anything.” She reached for the doorknob with one hand while grabbing her bag with the other.

  “I’ll be fine,” Jules repeated.

  “And no more love spells,” Natalie hissed before she slipped through the door and slammed it closed behind her just in time to prevent Liam from trying to come inside. “Come on. Let’s go.”

  He raised a brow and turned back toward the driver’s side door. “Okay.”

  Again she opened her own door and stashed her own bag in the back without even an offer of help from him. Once again she reminded herself chivalry lived in romance novels, not in the hearts of modern men.

  Whatever. She was a capable woman. She could open her own damn door and carry her own bag.

  And she could also control her libido, even while locked inside a vehicle with Liam for hours. What had happened between them last night had been a one-time thing. The effect of Alice Mudd’s magic mushrooms.

  Of course, she’d assumed their treasure-hunting-slash-murder-investigation road trip had been a one-time thing too. Yet here she was sitting in the passenger seat of the Jeep heading to Ohio.

  Two nights of sex. Two road trips. They were definitely not going to go for three of either.

  A text alert seemed to blare exceptionally loudly out of her cell, earning her a quick sideways glance from Liam behind the wheel.

  She looked down and read the text on the phone in her hand…and felt her cheeks heat.

  Harper

  When you get back I expect a full report on all these trips you’re taking with doctor hottie!

  Red

  And we can compare notes on shroom sex! All 3 of us I suspect.

  That second text from Red, right on the heels of the first one from Harper, made Natalie realize this was a group chat, which somehow made it seem all the more embarrassing.

  Natalie hit the side button to make the display go dark and pretended she wasn’t appalled. She even managed to not check the phone when the alert dinged loudly one more time.

  The second ding was harder to ignore. The third ding, and one more glance—or was it a glare—from Liam forced her to pick up the cell again.

  Harper

  She’s not going to answer. She’s shy.

  Red

  She’ll get over it.

  FYI we don’t believe for a second you have a wine sellers convention in the same city at the same time he has a medical conference.

  Natalie smashed the button on the side with her thumb to lower the volume, then dared to look over at Liam.

  “You seem to be popular today,” he commented.

  “Just the girls. Harper and Red. Remember? From last night,” she added to remind him.

  “Oh, I remember last night.” There was a lilt of amusement in his tone.

  She didn’t know whether to attribute his smirk to his remembering her and her friends lolling on the floor high on mushrooms, or to what happened between them once they were alone.

  Either way, she staunchly stared straight ahead, refusing to look at his damn dimple as it mocked her.

  “We going to talk about last night?” he asked.

  Her brows shot high. “You want to talk about it?”

  Men weren’t supposed to want to talk. And now, of course, because last night was the last thing she wanted to discuss, he was chatty.

  He raised one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “It was a good night.”

  She refused to confirm his assessment as a montage of scenes from her bedroom flashed through her head. It was like an adult film. Or maybe a modern-day Kama Sutra starring the two of them. They’d done things— She pushed that out of her mind, refusing to think more about it.

  In spite of her silence, or maybe because of it, he continued, “I’m actually considering the idea of writing a paper on the effects of psilocybin on the human sex drive.”

  “Oh my God. Can you please stop talking?” She covered her face with her hands but peeking between her fingers saw his satisfied smile.

 

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