“Let me check my incredibly full social calendar.” He stared out the windshield, pretending to check. “Why yes. It appears that I have tomorrow night available.”
“You do?” So soon. Wow. Okay. Now I was committed. Better follow through with my actual plan and tell him the truth. “Great. See you at six? Or is that too early?”
“It’s not early enough.” He winked at me. “I’ll be there.”
My heart fluttered as I crossed to my truck and got in. Okay, there was a lot of preparing to do. Had to plan a dinner. Had to tell Rufus the truth. It was time. He needed to know.
When I got home, I found Malene sitting on my front porch in a rocking chair, slowly going back and forth.
“Why is it I get the feeling that you’re not here for a social visit?”
She smirked. “Why is it I get the feeling that you’re a real smart butt?”
I laughed. “Maybe because I am.”
Malene pointed to a grocery-store-sized paper sack at her feet. “Brought you something.”
“Does it consist of chocolate?”
“Maybe. But you’ll only find out if you do me a favor.”
I hated to ask. “What is that?”
“There’s a spell I need to find.”
A groan escaped my lips. “Not this again.”
“Yes, this again. I need your help tracking down a fear spell.”
“A fear spell?”
“Yes. I have enemies in this town, and if one of them breaks into my house and tries to hurt me, I’ll be able to throw the fear spell at them and they’ll run away with their tail tucked between their legs.”
I highly doubted that Malene had an enemy evil enough that they would enter her house illegally, but what did I know? “And you expect Leola Vass to do this?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Maybe. But anyway, that’s what I need, and you won’t get a one slice of this peanut butter cake with chocolate ganache unless you help me.”
“Done.” Really, it was a no-brainer. “When do we leave?”
“Right now.”
“I don’t even have a chance to have a slice and get into a good sugar coma?”
Malene rose and handed me the sack. “No, ma’am. We need to get boogying.”
“All right. But can Lady come? She’s been cooped up inside all day.”
“Honey,” she said, fisting a hand to her hip, “you can bring half the world for all I care—except my enemies, of course.”
“Of course.” An amused smile curled on my lips. “I wouldn’t hear of inviting any of them.”
When we weredeep in the woods past Dooley’s orchard, Malene slowed her Miata from sixty-five to forty—on a gravel road, no less.
“You’re brave bringing this out here,” I said, clutching the door.
No, Malene had not slung Lady and me from the car, but she darn near came close a few times.
“Why am I brave?” Malene asked.
