Free Faerie Dust Dead (The Luna Devere Series Book 2) by J.M Griffin Page B

answered.
    I glanced at the clock and
wondered what time would work for all of us.
    “I’m off work today, so any
time is fine, Luna.” Stephanie finished off her cupcake and sipped tea,
smacking her lips afterward.
    I grinned and agreed to meet
with her mother around three o’clock.
    “Great, three it is. I think
Mom will fit in perfectly with Annie and Dilly.” Stephanie leaned forward and
said softly, “She doesn’t gossip, you know.”
    Chuckling, I said, “We all have
to be thankful for something, and I’m thankful for that.”
     
    *   *   *
     
    A few stragglers remained when
Stephanie arrived with her mother, Leslie Jones. I sized the woman up the
moment she entered the room and knew she’d be a good fit. Hoping my instincts
were in order, I summoned Leslie to follow me to my downstairs office.
    As we started toward the
stairs, Annie drew me aside. “Riddles is begging to come in, should I put him
in your loft? I couldn’t find him earlier.”
    “Please do. He’s probably
hungry, too” I said.
    When Annie walked along the
hall, I caught sight of Dilly peeking around the kitchen doorway. I gave her a
smile and motioned Leslie down the steps.
    Settled in the office, after
giving Leslie a quick tour and an explanation of the creation station, I asked
questions concerning her work history, waitressing, and gift shop experience.
    Her eyes sparkled with
enthusiasm as she answered. “When I lived in Salem, Massachusetts, I ran a gift
shop of my own. My husband and I returned to Swanscott when Steph was ready to
begin school. Ralph got a job with the fire department which was perfect.”
After Leslie had explained her shop, I told her what I was looking for.
    “The hours are few, but daily from
eleven in the morning until two in the afternoon, five days a week. We’re
generally swamped at that time of day. The treatment of our customers is most
important to me. If they go away happy, it means they’ll share their experience
and business will increase, which is good for all of us. We aren’t able stand relax
for a minute while there are people to feed and gifts to package for buyers,” I
said. “If you think you’d like to give it a go, and see if you’ll like working
here, you can start tomorrow. What do you say?”
    Leslie gave me a huge grin,
asked if she needed special clothes or shoes, and then said, “After my husband
passed away, it took me ages to get my life together. Now that I have done that,
I’m ready to face the world and this will be good for me. I hope to meet your
expectations, Luna.”
    “I didn’t realize your husband
had passed on, Leslie. I’m sorry to hear that,” I said. “I’m sure you’ll be a
great addition to our staff. Dilly and Annie are easy to work with, and I’m
sure we’ll all get along just fine.”
    We discussed wages, and then
rejoined the crowd upstairs. Annie gave me a look of relief and tipped her head
toward the now-filled tables. Diners sat in nearly every seat as shoppers
browsed gifts. Stephanie stood near the front door, eagerly awaiting Leslie.
When she saw her mother, she quickly motioned her forward and said something to
her. Leslie nodded and headed for the porch.
    I watched Stephanie start
across the room and met her halfway. “Is something wrong?” I asked.
    “Not at all, I just wanted a
word with you before I left. Can we speak privately?” Stephanie asked.
    My nerves tightened, and
suddenly, wariness cloaked me. When we headed toward the rear porch, I glanced
over my shoulder. Calis stood inside the entryway, his expression ominous and
his blue eyes storm-filled. Not again. What now? The thought hit me like
a blast of cold air. I gave him a nod, and followed Stephanie through the door.
    “I have to hurry back to help
the staff but, you look worried, what’s wrong?” I asked as soon as I closed the
door behind me.
    She shrugged. “I wanted to say
how much I appreciate you hiring my mother. She needs to feel useful and this
will