Free Hot and Irresistible by Dianne Castell Page A

and passed it to Prissy, even though the Magnolia House wasn’t exactly a pass-the-bottle kind of place.
    “And I thought my life was crazy with the Italian brothers deciding to rehab the morgue themselves and the good sisters having a hissy. Have you ever seen a bunch of nuns running around having hissies? Let me tell you, they’re never going to get to heaven that way. They’re counting on this money to help with the runaway shelter and now we’ve lost the job and I think there’s something very strange going on with Anthony and Vincent. They can’t remodel for beans.”
    Prissy rummaged around in her purse. “I’m not sure what to do with my rehab problems, but I do have a cure for Bebe in here somewhere. Wait till you see.” She pulled out a spiral book. “Here it is, Casillero del Espiritu, this is the Cave of the Spirits. I’ve learned some fine new spells from grandma Minerva and—”
    “No,” they all said at once, Charlotte snatching the book from Prissy’s fingertips and holding it out of her reach. “Remember the morgue and the casket room when you spelled last week. You nearly burned the place down with us in it. No Casillero del Espiritu.”
    Bebe passed the bottle the other way, and Prissy grabbed back the book. “Look what you went and did, you tainted my notes with spilled booze. Bad mojo.” She turned the damp pages. “Let’s see…potions, charms, tarot, spells. Here we are, a spell for nonfraternization.”
    Charlotte hiccupped. “Sounds more like a legal document than some spell.”
    “Don’t argue with the book.” Prissy hooked her finger at Bebe. “Give me something from your purse.”
    “This is crazy. I don’t believe in any of this hocus-pocus, and besides I don’t trust you.”
    “Like you have a choice. Are you willing to take the chance of falling for McCabe for real, of Ray Cleveland ending up in jail or you winding up in Boston? Honey, are you truly willing to take a chance on being a Yankee, because if you get it on with that man and you get all serious…it’s Yankee time for you and the land of beans and Sox.”
    They all made the sign of the cross and Bebe slid her cell phone to the middle of the table.
    “Got anything of McCabe’s?”
    “No.” Bebe did an eye roll. “Well, maybe, sort of.” She pulled a condom wrapper from her purse and four pair of eyes zeroed in on the torn blue foil next to the phone.
    “Dang. A hula trophy. I guess that will work,” Prissy said. “Now I need some jewelry.” Rings, necklaces, and bracelets littered the table. No one wanted to see Bebe a Yank. “Too bad we don’t have that missing necklace to add to this pile. Bet that would conjure up some serious mojo for this spell.” Prissy eyed Bebe. “Do you have any clues at all where the necklace might be?”
    “Just thinking of that thing gives me the shivers.” Charlotte took a sip of bourbon. “It’s probably pretty with all those diamonds, but my parents were killed for it, Otis Parish had to marry Camilla because of it being gone, Ray Cleveland lost his baby daughter over it, and it was the reason Prissy’s mama left her on the nunnery doorstep. I hope I never see that necklace as long as I live.”
    Bebe stared at the pile of jewelry, her eyes going a little crossed. “Not that I believe in such things,” she said in a low voice. “But with all the evil that surrounds that necklace and with me being three sheets to the wind at the moment, I’m thinking the dang thing’s cursed; there’s no other explanation for all that’s going on with it. Not one good thing has come from it, only bad. If I found that necklace I swear I wouldn’t tell a soul about it. I’d split the diamonds, sell them off bit by bit, and drop the cash on the nunnery doorstep for their shelter.”
    “Amen.” Prissy nodded. “But you can’t be doing that if you’re far off in Boston doing whatever things Yankees do.” She cleared her throat, stared intently at the pile in the