Free Scent of Magic by Lori L. Clark Page B

saw when I skated by the church a few minutes ago," Starley said. She popped an orange wedge into her mouth and chewed slowly, building suspense.
    "Well, are you going to tell us, or do we have to guess?" Juliette asked.
    Starley brushed a tear from the corner of her eye. "Larry and I skated to the church parking lot, and we were just about to turn around and head back when I heard shouting."
    "So, you what? Eavesdropped?" Francesca said, shaking her head.
    "Of course I did," Starley said with a grin.
    "I'm dying here. Spill," Juliette asked.
    "I don't know if I should repeat what I saw," Starley said with a smirk. "You know, since I was eavesdropping and that's like wrong and stuff."
    Juliette threw a piece of bread crust at Starley. "I'm not the moral thermometer here. You can tell me. Frank can just shut her ears."
    Starley chewed on another wedge of her orange and swallowed. "Pastor Byrd yelled at his wife. She yelled right back. And, she had this crazy looking hat on. Apparently, she didn't like the hat very much because she threw it on the ground and stomped on it. She even swore at him. I thought I was going to pee my pants I laughed so hard."
    Juliette spewed her coffee. "She did what?"
    "She told him she wasn't wearing that ridiculous looking hat. Poor ol' Pastor Byrd's face turned as red as Dorothy's slippers. I thought he might bust a blood vessel or something. He was so mad," Starley said.
    Francesca shook her head and pinched her lower lip between her thumb and forefinger. Starley could see she was trying hard not to smile, but her eyes gave her away.
    "Come on, Frank. Admit it. It's funny. Mrs. Byrd finally got the balls to stand up to her husband," Starley said.
    "Starley Duchesne, watch your mouth," Francesca warned.
    Juliette covered her laugh with a fake cough. She stood and rinsed her coffee cup in the sink. "Looks like Pastor Byrd gave his wife a gift that keeps on giving."
    "I hope this doesn't all blow up in our faces," Francesca said quietly.
    "There's no way anyone can connect Mrs. Byrd's new attitude with The Perfumery," Juliette said. "Relax, Frank."
    "Maybe not, but you know as well as I do, these things have a way of backfiring at the worst possible moment," Francesca said.
    Starley frowned. "I wish I wouldn't have told you now."
    "Nah, Squirt. This is the best entertainment I've had since we moved to this boring little backwoods town. The pastor's wife pitching a fit might be exactly what's needed to liven things up around here," Juliette said.
    "Let's just hope that it doesn't all come crashing down around us," Francesca said. She stood and scraped her plate into the garbage disposal. "And that Mrs. Byrd wears her dresses long enough that nobody notices her … balls ."
    Starley exchanged glances with Juliette, and the three of them cackled with laughter.
    "Language, Frank," Starley chastised.

CAREFUL IS MY MIDDLE NAME
     
    Bright and early Monday morning, Francesca sat at the counter of The Perfumery poring over the books and figuring out what supplies to order. The door wasn't unlocked yet, and Juliette was still at home.
    Someone knocked on the front glass, and Francesca glanced up from her paperwork. She gasped when she saw Pastor Byrd's red face peering through the door at her. Francesca slid from the stool and fetched the door key from her jacket pocket.
    She wasn't in a big hurry, and if she thought she could have stalled any longer, she would have. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out slowly and crossed the floor to let Pastor Byrd inside. The key turned in the deadbolt, and Francesca pushed open the door.
    "Pastor Byrd, the shop doesn't open for another forty-five minutes," she said.
    She had to force herself to be civil to him. There was something about the man she didn't like. From the visions she picked up when his wife had been there, she knew he was a controlling bastard and Francesca despised men like that.
    "Good morning, Miss Duchesne," Pastor Byrd said removing his hat. "I