“I love those voodoo dolls,” Fawn told her, pointing to a display of elaborately dressed cotton dolls that sat on a high ledge behind the counter.
“They are clever, aren’t they?” Kendall asked, wishing the woman would shut up. She usually enjoyed talking with the customers, but today…
Today she felt off. She just wanted the woman to leave.
“Those are one of a kind,” Mason said with enthusiasm. “They’re made by a lady we call Gramma Mom, and they say her dolls make everyone feel good.”
What a crock! Kendall thought. They were voodoo dolls. But they were one of a kind. And she was always happy to help support the old woman who lived out in the bayou.
“I’ll take two,” Fawn said. “No, what am I thinking? I need three of them. One for me, and one for each of my sisters.”
“They’re a bit expensive,” Mason warned, telling her the price. “She spends a week, at least, on each doll.”
“Oh, that’s fine. They’re worth it. They’re unique. That’s what I love about this city. You can buy so many unique things in so many different shops.”
She produced a credit card and held it out to Kendall, who was thinking about Aidan Flynn again and didn’t even notice. Mason gave a little cough to catch her attention. “Do you, uh, need me to help Miss Grissom at the register?” he said.
“Oh, sorry,” she said. What was wrong with her today? It was great for them—and Gramma Mom—to sell three dolls at once.
Fawn delightedly studied the dolls she’d chosen as Kendall rang up the sale and Mason produced boxes to hold the purchases.
“Voodoo dolls,” Fawn said thoughtfully, then looked at Kendall and grinned. “My sister’s husband is a real bastard. Think she can fix him with a few needle pricks?”
Startled, Kendall said the first thing that came into her head.
“I think she should fix him with a divorce, if he really hurts her.”
Fawn nodded gravely. “Still, a little prick…” Then she was all happiness again, bidding them goodbye and promising to return.
As soon as the door closed behind her, Mason turned to Kendall. “What’s up with you?” he asked. “She could have changed her mind while you just stood there, staring at her credit card. Have we decided we don’t want to make money here?”
“No, no, I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little tired,” Kendall said, apologizing quickly and realizing how lucky she was to have employees who were also friends. She had known Vinnie practically forever; they had gone to grade school together. Mason had appeared the first day she opened the shop. He’d been working in a place closer to Jackson Square, and he’d admitted he had come to check her out. She had been fumbling around awkwardly the next day, trying to figure out how to watch the front while doing a private reading, when he had returned. With a wink, he told her that he had seen it in the cards—she was going to need help. He’d worked for her ever since, and with some part-time help from Vinnie, they ran the place themselves and did very nicely. Katrina might have done them in—not that they had lost much merchandise, but because the city had all but gone into a coma—except for the fact that they had so many loyal customers, so they had been able to re-open quickly and maintain enough business to support themselves until the tourists started coming back.
Amelia had even let them do readings at the plantation for the brief period before they could reopen the store itself.
She felt another pang for the woman who had done so much for her and closed her eyes tightly for a moment. Amelia had lived a long life. She had seen so much, war and peace, people both good and bad. Given her age, her death had been sad, but not tragic; it had been inevitable.
Kendall suddenly realized Mason was staring at her again. “I gather it didn’t go well with the princes come to take over the castle.”
“Don’t be so dramatic.”
He pointed a finger at her. “You resent them.”
“I don’t. Really.”
“Liar.”
“I’m just sad that Amelia never got to meet them and be surrounded by love at the end.”
“Kendall, she never knew them. She did know you. And she was loved. Heck, we all loved her. You, though…you were special to her. It was as if you lost a grandmother. Then, to have these usurpers come in, well, it has to be a bit traumatic.”
“I had to go and hire a psychology major.” She sighed.
He laughed. “I imagine they’ll sell immediately.”
“No.”
“No?”
“They say—at least the two younger brothers say—they want to fix the place up.”
“And live in it?”
“I guess.” It occurred to her then that they’d never actually mentioned anything about that part of it.
He looked thoughtful for a moment, then said, “That won’t work.”
“What do you mean?”
“The princes have arrived—but there can only be one king of the castle. Everybody knows that.”