Cornbread & Crossroads

“You mean, I would be making my own money?” She glanced up at me as if asking my permission.
I shrugged. “It’s your choice. You get to decide what you want to do here.”
A little tear formed in the corner of her eye and she sniffed hard. “Then, yes. I would like to enter negotiations to take care of your bairn. It would be my honor.”
Before they walked off to talk, I pulled Matt back to give him advice based on the lesson I’d learned at the committee meeting. “Be sure to be specific with what you want and be sure to listen to what she negotiates in return. Clear expectations will be greatly appreciated and will show that you respect her.”
He took in my advice with a slight frown. “There’s a lot to discover about our newcomers, isn’t there?”
I tousled his hair. “Yeah, but you’re a fast learner. And hey, you might end up the envy of all the parents here. I think Bea is going to be a big help to you and TJ.”
“I owe you one,” Matt admitted. He squeezed my hand three times and rushed off to join his wife and Bea.
Alone for the first time today, I lifted my face to the sky streaked with pinks and oranges as the sun set lower. Closing my eyes, I took in a deep breath and enjoyed the pocket of peace in a day full of chaos.
“You must be very enlightened to achieve such deep serenity,” a male voice said, cutting into my moment.
Knowing the main purpose of tonight’s potluck was to welcome newcomers, I smiled first before I took in the appearance of the stranger. Black and gray lines snaked around his forearms in intricate designs and disappeared under the short sleeves of his shirt.
“Cool tats,” I commented. “You don’t see many of those around here.”
He rubbed his arm as if he could scrub them off. “Yeah, I thought about covering them up in case I scandalized anyone.”
“But then you realized that you’d die in this heat if you wore long sleeves?” I teased, offering him my hand. “I don’t believe we’ve met before. I’m Charli Goodwin. Welcome to Honeysuckle Hollow.”
“Thanks. I’m Nick. Nick Draven.” He pumped my hand up and down. “I haven’t had a chance to meet a whole lot of people yet since I’ve been pretty busy renovating.”
In our small town, news about someone sneezing made the rounds. How had I not heard about a good-looking guy doing renovations? “Really? What property?”
“The white two-story with green shutters about two blocks away from the stores on Main Street.”
My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. “The Abernathy place? I didn’t even know someone bought it. And how have you managed to keep it a complete secret? I gotta tell ya, that’s pretty unusual in Honeysuckle.”
Nick flashed a crooked mischievous smile that suggested amusement that he had gotten away with something. “There actually wasn’t much work needed on the property. A little TLC but mostly cosmetic stuff like painting. I’m converting the downstairs for my business and the upstairs for my office and living space.”
Although he kept dropping more clues about himself, he still maintained an air of mystery that intrigued me. “And what business will you be offering to the good townsfolk?”
Fishing into his back pocket, he drew out a card and held it out for me to take. Lines similar to those he sported on his arms flowed across the heavy stock paper but in gold instead of stark black. They connected to create a lotus flower and in the middle of the blossom were the words Serenity Oasis.
“Revive your soul for a little spell. The word play’s clever,” I complimented. “So, what exactly will you be doing at Serenity Oasis?”
Nick shifted his feet and stood a little taller, launching into a more detached tone. “I’ll be offering treatments such as chakra realignment, meditation, and of course my specialty, massage therapy. If you want to come by and check it out, I’d be glad to gift you a free thirty-minute session and you can see how taking care of yourself in a short time will rejuvenate you.”
I studied the card with interest. When I’d traveled, I knew that spas were common. However, our town wasn’t quite caught up with the rest of the world.
“A tall glass of sweet tea and some good food tends to rejuvenate most of us just fine here.” I thanked him for the card and slipped it into my pocket.
Unwilling to give up, Nick took a step closer, a devilish grin spreading on his lips. ”Feeding one’s stomach definitely can be healing, but what are you feeding your soul?” He reached out to grasp my arm, and a warm sensation flowed through me. When I glanced down to see him holding me, I swore I saw his tattoos moving.
“Charli, there you are,” my vampire roommate called out, waving at me while he approached. “There’s somebody that wanted to say hello to you in particular.”
My head snapped up and I blinked as if coming out of a dream. “Hey, Beau. I’d like to introduce you to Nick Draven. He’s opening up a business in the old Abernathy house. Nick, this is my roommate, Beauregard Pepperpot.”
“How do you do, sir,” my roommate said with antiquated politeness, bowing instead of shaking hands.
Something not so serene flashed in Nick’s eyes but disappeared before I could register it. He nodded his head in greeting. “It’s nice to meet more of Honeysuckle’s residents.
“Then there’s one more to introduce. Now, where did she get to. Ah, here she is.” Beau waved for a small figure to come join us. “Charli, I believe you already know Fenwen.”
The last time I’d seen the sprite, she’d been a part of the army of fae David had drummed up at the hotel to help fight the injustice of the witches’ council in Charleston. Instead of brandishing a toilet brush like a sword, she gripped a large bouquet of all different flowers.
Gazing up at