“I could get spices at the store,” she grumbled.
“You could, but they would be ground and not nearly as potent as the roots I added for you.”
“I have to ground them?” she shrieked.
“Just grate some into your tea,” I explained calmly. “Trust me on this. It’ll do wonders for you.”
Leaning heavily on her cane, she snatched the bag out of my hands and turned for the door. “I still say you’re a witch.”
“Not a witch,” I corrected. “I just believe in natural healing.”
For as much as she grumbled about my remedies, she kept coming back for more.
“I don’t know why I keep coming here. You’ve probably put a hex on me.”
“That seems rather unlikely. I’ve never chanted a single thing in my life.”
“I hear you muttering all the time when you ground up your concoctions,” the woman said, turning to pin a glare on me. “That thing!” she pointed at my work table.
“A mortar and pestle. Honestly, Mrs. Abernathy, I’m not the only person in the world who uses one. And I’m not muttering anything. I’m singing, but I keep my voice low because I know you don’t like the noise.”
Narrowing her eyes, she grunted at me before turning back for the door. “Still think you’re a witch.”
“I’ll make sure to wear my hat the next time you come in,” I teased.
Rushing ahead, I held the door open for her, earning myself a nasty look of vexation before Mrs. Abernathy hobbled down the sidewalk to her car.
“Goodbye, Mrs. Abernathy! Have a magical day!” I called out, giggling to myself when she looked sharply over her shoulder at me.
Now that Mrs. Abernathy was gone, I turned on some music and went about filling orders. Since a lot of my customers were older folks, I delivered a lot of my orders, choosing to close down the shop early on certain days of the week instead of forcing them to make the trip into town.
Only Mrs. Abernathy insisted on picking up her order. She was a stubborn old woman, and I hoped to be just as tough when I was her age.
At three o’clock on the dot, I closed down the shop and grabbed the box of orders, carrying it out to my car. In a few weeks, I would be able to walk to town without freezing my butt off, but until then, I chose to drive my beater.
Delilah started with a sputtering chug, but when she turned over, she purred as if she were new.
“Good girl,” I smiled, patting the dash. “I know, it’s rough in the winter, but you’re doing so well. If you could just make it another winter, I would really appreciate it. Gotta pay off those bills before I decide to let you retire.”
I didn’t dare tell Delilah I would replace her. That would be just mean.
So, Delilah and I went about our rounds, making the last stop at Mrs. Bennett’s house. She wasn’t elderly, but she loved to be included in my rounds, and she always had a tasty treat waiting for me.
“Hey!” I called out as I walked in the front door. I had a sort of standing invitation to her house. The last time I tried to knock on the door, I got a ten-minute lecture about how it was a waste of time for both of us, and I should just walk in.
“In the kitchen!” Georgia called out. “I made sugar cookies and I have tea!”
“Sounds great!”
Setting down my box, I kicked off my boots and hung up my coat in the closet before making my way into the kitchen at the back of the house. Her son was already at the table, a scowl on his face as I entered.
“Brody, don’t look so happy. It’s a beautiful day outside.”
Georgia glanced over, a smile touching her lips as I took my usual seat that just happened to be across from Brody’s. We both knew she wanted to set us up, and every time I stopped by, she tried her best to make it happen.
There was just one problem, neither of us were the least bit interested in dating one another.
“How are you, dear?” Georgia asked, kissing me on the cheek.
