Familiar Blessings Read online

  Familiar Blessings

  Book One of The Magic Potter Series

  by Candace Colt

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 by Candace Colt

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from the author.

  This book is a work of fiction. All characters, events, scenes, plots and associated elements remain the exclusive copyrighted and/or trademarked property of CPC Publishing, LLC. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author or CPC Publishing.

  Published in the United States of America.

  Cover design: Dar Albert, Wicked Smart Designs

  Dedication

  For RTN.

  Acknowledgments

  Special thanks to my exceptional team who helped make this story possible.

  Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean for creating the Cat’s Paw Cove world and inviting me to be a part of this magical place. And Catherine for her excellent storyline suggestions.

  Teresa Elliott Brown for continuity editing.

  Tammy Payne for super copyediting and all around cheerleading.

  My fantastic beta readers Kerry Tastinger, Darcy Devlon, and Brynda Wolf.

  You, my readers.

  And always to my soulmate and best friend, my husband.

  Reader Letter

  Dear Reader,

  Cat’s Paw Cove is a magical town dreamed up by Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean, a charming seaside paradise where cats are king, and anything is possible. We are so excited to bring you not only our own stories, but also contributions from an incredibly talented group of Guest Authors. With paranormal and mystery romance, time travel, and more, there’s something for everyone.

  We hope you’ll enjoy reading the series as much as we enjoy writing it. For more information about the Cat’s Paw Cove series, please visit the Cat’s Paw Cove Romance website.

  We also invite you to join our fun, friendly Facebook group where we share cat pictures, you can interact with our authors, and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CatsPawCove/

  Happy reading!

  Wynter Daniels & Catherine Kean

  Blurb

  Familiar Blessings: Book One of The Magic Potter Series

  by Candace Colt

  A gifted medium, Theo Blessing renounced her magic, tired of being hounded by the greedy dead.

  Former Army Ranger Ethan Cooper promised to repay a debt to a man whose wise counsel brought him out of war’s dark shadow.

  Ethan appears on Theo’s doorstep with a puzzling letter. If what it says is true, the reluctant medium and skeptical Ranger must travel back to 1720 to save a young boy from the gallows.

  Chapter One

  Ethan Cooper’s nerves plucked like an untuned guitar.

  Bumper-to-bumper Interstate 95 traffic had been a bear. Even with short breaks for rest stop coffee and over-priced snacks, the drive from North Carolina to Cat’s Paw Cove, Florida had been exhausting.

  Within the first five miles on the highway, Ethan had second-guessed the plan. Stubborn will and Army training wouldn’t allow him to abandon the mission.

  He hadn’t wanted to take this on, but he owed the old North Carolina man a favor.

  Besides, the man had convinced Ethan this trip would help push war demons aside and get him back into life.

  Civilians had no idea how lucky they were with no military checkpoints or the constant fear of a surprise ambush.

  God bless Americans, but why in hell were so many of them on the damn road at once?

  He turned off A1A and followed the navigation map down Sherwood Boulevard. Holiday banners hung from every street lamp. A large sign in Wilshire Park advertised the upcoming Christmas Parade.

  Of all the places Ethan had been, he never thought he’d be in a town named for a cat’s foot. There had to be a story behind this, but he didn’t plan to stick around long enough to find out.

  After two deployments and witnessing more carnage than a twenty-seven-year-old man should, Ethan had little interest in Christmas festivities. Yet he couldn’t resist smiling at the decked-out bustling burg.

  The cat theme was hard to miss. Chalet Le Chat? Catnip Florals?

  And according to “Chipper Chick,” as he called the navigation co-pilot who’d kept him company all day, he was supposed to take a right at the Nine Lives Nightclub onto Bent Tail Boulevard.

  Behind Sawyer Harrison Old Mercantile, he caught a glimpse of a three-story brick building with a central tower. Either this was the high school or a penitentiary; pretty much the same. Red drink cups poked in the chainlink fence proclaimed a cheery “Happy Holidays.”

  He passed a decent looking English pub he decided to check out later on his way out of town.

  Not much further and Chipper Chick announced the destination.

  The two-story structure was exactly as it looked like on Google Earth. Next door was a veterinarian’s office. He wondered if they tended any animals besides cats. For that matter, were critters other than cats even allowed in this town?

  Maybe because he was road-weary, Ethan had a hilarious picture in his mind of who lived at this address.

  All he’d had to go on was her name. His Internet search found she’d once been some type of nerdy professor. But there were no pictures of her online at all.

  He could only imagine her number two pencil stuck in grey hair wrapped in a bun. Thick lens glasses chained around her neck. Baggy clothes two sizes too big. Maybe even a few chin whiskers.

  He was losing it. He had to get this over with.

  Though the structure and surroundings seemed secure, he wouldn’t approach until he’d completed visual surveillance.

  Old, but solid, the building was made of coquina stone bleached white after long years in the Florida sun. This house should withstand any storm. Longer than it was wide, the place had full porches on both levels. The posts beside the front steps were wrapped like Christmas candy canes.

  The yard could use some care. Lonely clumps of Bahia grass struggled for their life. Two plastic flamingos, stabbed into the border grass along the walkway and wearing elf hats, stood at awkward angles.

  Downstairs, two entry doors: one front and one side.

  No evidence of dogs. A sporty red Jeep Wrangler sat in the driveway. The nerdy one had some playfulness going for her.

  Though the hunt was often more fun than the catch, and as much as he’d like to turn around and go back, he’d given his word.

  “Aloysius, get your furry butt off the shelf.”

  A quarter-inch cat sashay to either side would spell disaster for the pieces Theo Blessing’s students had labored over and planned to give away as Christmas presents.

  Not to mention, kill The Magic Potter’s reputation.

  Wet clay showered from Theo’s hand as she swiped toward the feline who continued to slither among pots, plates, and mugs queued up for the kiln.

  “Seriously? Like I can’t see you? Tortoiseshell fur blends so well with unfired clay.”

  She wiped her hands on a towel and led a curse parade long enough to circle the galaxy.

  Save for a few cat hairs quickly picked off the objects, everything survived.

  Wishes, the affectionate name she’d given the feline, wisely took cover under the sink and began his exaggerated and wide-mouthed shoulder groom.

  Don’t.

  LICK

  Reprimand.

  LICK

  Me.

  LICK

  As though I am.

  LICK
/>
  An ordinary cat.

  LICK. LICK.

  Theo bit her lip to throttle a laugh. “Cut the drama. I didn’t splatter a speck of clay on you.”

  She sat back down on her wooden stool and restarted the potter’s wheel.

  Soon her Zen returned as her fingers glided along the sides of the wet clay.

  A few more minutes and the vase took shape. Theo sat back and admired her project.

  She slid the vase off the wheel and gingerly inspected it. “Who puts food in your dish, Aloysius? Oh, and a dish I made especially for you. Who provides you with a safe, comfortable home? Cleans your stinky litter box. Gives you complete run of the apartment upstairs. You don’t lift a paw to help.”

  She set her vase on the drying shelf and washed up at the sink. “All I ask, please keep your part of the bargain.”

  Despite his knack for stretching their special bond to the snapping point, she was, for the most part, grateful for her little familiar.

  “Wishes, you make me so mad sometimes I could send you back to another century.”

  Wouldn’t do any good. I didn’t care for most of them. Quite happy here, for now.

  He certainly had a weird way of showing it. Theo examined the glaze containers on her shelf as she considered what color to use on her new creation.

  A tingle coursed down her spine, and she glanced at Wishes, alert and in stiff full attention. Tail fluffed and curled around his front paws, the cat stretched his neck to peer around Theo.

  What now? An entity that only cats could see? Or an unwelcome visitor from another time?

  Chapter Two

  Although the bright afternoon sun behind the man made it hard to distinguish his features, it was a real flesh and blood guy on her porch. The way he filled the doorframe, he must be over six feet tall. With those beefy arms, he could take the whole door off its hinges with one swipe.

  Theo opened the storm door a crack and pointed to the sign. “Sorry, but we’re closed today.”

  Using ‘we’ might make the guy think there were others in the building. It wasn’t a lie. There was one ‘other:’ Wishes.

  The man didn’t reply right away, so she queried again. “Shopping for pottery? Maybe for Christmas gifts? Check my website if you want an appointment for lessons.”

  His odd quietness amplified her thumping heartbeat.

  He’s human for sure. And I don’t have his tongue if that’s what you think. I’m not picking up any danger.

  Wishes’s assurances were comforting, to a point.

  “Sir?” she asked.

  He shook his head as though his thoughts were far away, then removed his cap. “I’m sorry. You’re not what I expected.”

  “Excuse me?”

  He ran his fingers through mussed midnight black curls that begged for a barber.

  “Are you Theodosia Blessing? Dr. Theodosia Blessing?”

  “I am,” she said.

  How did he know her name? She’d dropped all the doctor pretense when she’d resigned her university teaching position eighteen months ago. She loved the anonymity her home town gave her and wanted to keep it this way.

  “Ma’am, I apologize for coming here without contacting you first. I have something for you.”

  His deep, sexy voice was tinged with Southern charm. But who was he, and how had he found her?

  In case he planned to try anything, she’d follow every step of her self-defense training. Knee to the groin. Thumbs in his eye sockets. Don’t let him inside. Above all else, watch his hands.

  The man reached into his coat pocket. Was he going for a gun? Was this a robbery? She tensed, ready to shut the door on him. When he pulled out an envelope, her galloping heart slowed some.

  “I was asked to bring this to you,” he said. “I’m supposed to stay while you read it.”

  Who would go to the trouble of a hand-delivered letter? This failed the smell test.

  “Who’s it from?” she asked.

  “It’s a long story.”

  Theo decided he could keep any stories to himself. “Leave it on the porch.”

  She started to shut the door when Wishes wedged in front of her.

  Don’t worry. He’s not a serial ax murderer. Let him in. This could be interesting.

  Easily said by a cat. But Wishes’s judgment had never failed any Blessing.

  “Come in, but only long enough to explain.”

  Once he was inside, Theo noted the U. S. Army patch on the man’s well-worn green ball cap. He hadn’t shaved for days. But those deliciously deep brown eyes were dangerously seductive.

  His heavy camo jacket and tactical leather gloves seemed overkill. Northeast Florida was in an unusual cold spell, but not this severe.

  He removed his gloves and extended his hand. “My name is Ethan Cooper.”

  A handshake told a lot about a person. His palm was callused, his grip firm but gentle. Wishes better be right.

  At first, she regretted her terse attitude toward him. Then she came to her senses and pulled her hand away. She wouldn’t let her guard down.

  Wishes sauntered to the back of the studio and jumped up on a table with a coffee pot and mugs.

  Hear him out. Before you chuck him to the curb, offer the man coffee. I need more time.

  Theo’s brain buzzed between the kibitzing cat and the man’s cryptic explanation of why he was here. The smart thing would be to send him on his way, but she acquiesced to Wishes.

  She shooed the cat off the table and placed a pod into the one-cup machine. “Would you like some? All I have is regular.”

  “That’s fine. A small one. I drank a gallon on the trip down here.”

  It dawned on her she had her back to an absolute stranger. Determined to watch his every move, and hearing the rustling of fabric, she turned. Her breath skidded to a halt.

  He’d put his jacket on the back of a chair. Under that coat, he wore a form-fitting black T-shirt. Every cubic inch of his broad chest was rock hard. As she’d guessed, his muscular arms were built for serious business.

  Watching this body-to-die-for became a lot easier.

  “Ma’am?”

  “Uh, yes?”

  He pointed to the table behind her. “You might want to shut the top.”

  Crap. Apparently, it was impossible to keep one’s wits and stare at a hunky man.

  “I guess that would help.” With a ‘pop’ the coffee maker’s needle broke through the pod’s seal and inscribed a noisy exclamation mark to her faux pas.

  This entertaining a man thing was exhausting. Good looking men lived in town or came through her shop as customers. Even if any were eligible, which most were not, Theo had no plans for another relationship.

  Pfft. Entertaining? Relationship? This was simply coffee with a man she didn’t know a damn thing about. She stalled so her cat could get a better reading. That made perfect sense; to no one.

  She served the hot coffee to Ethan. “So, the explanation?”

  “Thanks.” He took a sip. “Face-to-face, I don’t know where to start.”

  “Oh, feel free to jump in anywhere.”

  Ethan sat on a stool and hooked his boot heels on a rung. His muscular thighs spread open, man-style. He was one fit dude.

  “This might help.” He handed her the envelope.

  She sat on a stool beside Ethan. “Wishes. You got this?”

  Yep. The guy’s on the level.

  “I’m warning you, Aloysius.”

  No tricks.

  Ethan’s back stiffened. “Someone else in here?”

  Theo picked at some dry clay on her apron and flashed the stranger a sheepish grin. “Reminding my cat to stay off the shelves. His full name is Aloysius. You know cat owners. We have all sorts of names for our feline friends. Sometimes it’s Wishes. Or Fluffy Lovey. Little Trouble Maker. Demon in a Fur Coat. Whatever fits the moment.”

  Fluffy Lovey? Smooth. Real smooth.

  Chapter Three

  I don’t have all day. Read it
out loud.

  Theo touched her lips in a ‘shush’ toward Wishes then remembered her unwitting guest. She had to scramble for a brilliant explanation.

  “Uh, it’s the cat’s afternoon snack time. That’s how I remind him to be patient,” she said to Ethan.

  Give me a break. What snack? You honestly think he’ll believe that rubbish?

  She didn’t care if her guest thought she was a bat-shit-crazy cat lady. A few minutes and no more Ethan.

  The parchment envelope had her name on it. The back flap was tucked, not sealed. Curious, but cautious, Theo hesitated, then carefully opened the envelope and removed the folded paper. “Have you read this?”

  “Ma’am, I assure you I have not.”

  Theo gave Ethan a slit-lidded glare. “Where’d you say you lived?”

  “North Carolina near a small town called Edenton.”

  Edenton? Where’d she heard that name before?

  Theo’s doubts overruled Wishes’s prodding. She waved the envelope at Ethan. “You drove all the way from North Carolina to give me this?”

  “I suggested he could mail it certified, but he said it was too important. The old man’s my loyal friend, so I couldn’t refuse.”

  Who was behind this? A stranger shows up with a letter an old man gave him. Sure.

  Have I ever lied to you? Read it.

  “Hush.”

  She saw the man’s confusion. “Didn’t mean you,” she said.

  She cleared an imagined tickle in her throat and unfolded the paper. The ink had smudged in a few places, but the handwriting was legible. Her archivist expertise told her this was written in old English. ‘F’ was used for ‘S.’ The sentences were sprinkled with thee and thou.

  In her former university position, she had analyzed documents like this before. Why would someone want this one hand-carried all the way to Florida when there were competent researchers in North Carolina?