Pretty Little Fliers: A Cozy Witch Mystery (Magic Market Mysteries Book 1)

my throat and face. “Yeah, well….”
A rattling noise startled me. Daisy convulsed on the table, her teeth chattering and eyes rolled back into her head.
“Daisy!” The cop dove to her side, but Will rounded the table and shoved him out of the way.
Peter stumbled back as Heidi climbed onto the table, her knees straddling the dog’s trembling body. She pried Daisy’s mouth open, and Will, shoulders hunched into his ears, placed a dull red ball into her mouth.
Heidi closed the dog’s mouth around the peach pit-looking lozenge, and Will stroked her throat.
“Come on, girl,” he coaxed. “Swallow.” He spun and pointed a long finger at me, eyes narrowed. “And do not say it.”
“I wasn’t going to.” I scoffed and rolled my eyes. But, since he’d given me the idea, I muttered, “That’s what she said,” out of the corner of my mouth.
Will made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat and continued to stroke Daisy’s neck. I slid up beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and grunted into Daisy’s ear.
If you can hear me, swallow this disgusting thing for your own sake. Unless you’d rather die?
A low growl sounded, and I grinned. Yeah. She could hear me.
Daisy gulped the pellet down and coughed, then gagged. Her lips peeled back from her teeth and she stuck her tongue out. Ack!
Will leaned away from her and made a face. “Lovely.”
Peter’s chest heaved. “Is she—will she be alright now?”
“We’ll see.” Will rose from his stool.
We stood in silence around the exam table as Daisy continued to gag and shudder. I bit my thumbnail.
Peter moved to stand beside the dog. “Come on, Daisy. Pull through. Come on.”
I glanced to my left at the cop. Tears welled in his eyes as he stroked the dog’s head.
Gradually, Daisy’s breaths slowed, then her eyes fluttered open and she licked Peter’s hand. The knot in my chest relaxed as he grinned. “Daisy.” He leaned his forehead against hers, and she licked his face with enthusiasm.
Will backed away from the table and stood beside me. He leaned over and muttered, “Oh, to be that tongue upon that face.”
I rounded on him and hissed, “Gross.”
He rolled his eyes. “Like you weren’t thinking it.”
I mean, yeah, but still gross to say it out loud.
Will let out a heavy sigh. “I can’t say if she’ll make a full recovery yet, but it looks like we got to her in time so she’ll live.”
Daisy, breathing easy now, rested her head on the table. Peter lifted his red face, tears tracking down his cheeks. “I—” His chin quivered.
I lifted a brow. This guy was pretty sentimental for a cop.
“I can’t thank you enough!” He lurched at me, and I raised my hands as though I were about to karate chop him in self-defense. But he just wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug.
“Thank you!”
“Erp.” I could hardly breathe, and my cheek was squished up into my eye, but… I relaxed a little into his strong embrace. I could get used to this.
Will scoffed. “Oh, and what am I? Cat food? Not like I just prepared the life-saving potion or anything but—”
Next thing I knew, Peter had yanked Will into the hug beside me, and then Heidi. The cop wrapped his long, beefy arms around us. “Thank you all for saving my Daisy!” He sniffled.
“What is happening?” Heidi whispered, her shoulder in my back.
Shell if I knew. This guy wasn’t like any cop I’d ever met… or man, for that matter.
With a final squeeze, Peter released us, and we all staggered apart. As I gasped for air, Will smoothed his scrubs, twin pink circles burning in his cheeks.
I snickered. “Will, are you blushing?”
He glared at me, then turned to Peter, one hand under his chin. “So I take it you won’t be shutting me down then?”
The cop’s eyes widened in surprise. “Of course not. You helped me.”
Will let out a heavy sigh and shot me a side-eyed look. “And just how much do you want for keeping your lips shut? Please remember that most of my clients live in alleys, so I’m not exactly flush with merkles but—”
Peter waved his palms. “No, nothing. You saved my partner.” He swept a hand toward Daisy.
I covered my smirk with my hand. “Your partner’s a dog? Your captain must really hate you.”
Heidi and I grinned at each other.
Peter chuckled. “It’s a long story but no… Daisy’s the best.”
The tip of her fluffy tail wagged just the tiniest bit.
So this cop was willing to sidestep the law, not for bribes, like most I’d encountered, but out of basic decency?
I raised my brows at Will and flashed my eyes. Told you he was different.
My friend huffed and crossed his arms.
“So.” Peter swung his arms. “Can I take her now? Or does she need to stay for observation?”
“Gee.” Will shot Peter a flat look. “As much as I’d love to keep a police dog in my back-alley clinic, I’m going to say you two can go ahead and leave now.”
Peter grinned. “Thank you. Again. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me—for us.”
Will’s eyes grew dazed.
The cop swiveled that dazzling smile in my direction. “Jolene, I—I’ve never met anyone like you.” His eyes focused on me, and I found myself unable to meet his gaze any longer. Suddenly my scuffed-up, holey boots were super fascinating.
“Thank you.”
The cop slowly scooped Daisy up. She whimpered, but once in his arms, relaxed. Heidi pushed the swinging door open and held it for them as Peter edged past, careful not to hit Daisy’s head against anything.
Once they’d made it out into the alley, the three of us stood in silence for several long moments. I, for one, felt like all the air had suddenly been let out of me.
I shrugged and stuffed my hands in my pockets. “Well. All’s well that ends well.”
Will shot daggers at me. “You’re dead to me.”
I blew him a kiss before skipping out the door to head back home. “Love you too. See you