Free A Spell Of Trouble (Silver Hollow Paranormal Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Leighann Dobbs, Traci Douglass Page A

partner on this case, but the two of them were worlds apart when it came to their views—especially about paranormals. Dex was, after all, only here because of what had happened on that last kidnapping case, and Stan… Well, Stan seemed to have made it his personal vendetta to capture as many of these so-called paranormals as possible and make their lives a living hell.
    The thought of him doing such a thing to sweet, kind, pretty, innocent-looking Issy Quinn made his skin crawl and his gut knot with tension. That same odd protectiveness he’d felt around her earlier returned with a vengeance, and he vowed to himself not to let another innocent life be lost, not let the real bad guy go free, like what had happened in that kidnapping. Not following his instincts, his gut, had cost him everything.
    “Nolan?” Stan squinted, looking through the trees at him way up at the crest of the hill. “You just gonna stand out here all day? We’ve got a house to search and evidence to collect. The locals have already been in there for at least ten minutes.”
    Dex started down the hill, images of that knife in Issy’s back pocket swirling in his mind. She wasn’t the weapons type, at least from what he’d seen, which meant it most likely came from the victim’s home. But why would she take it, and whom did it really belong to?
    Either way, he knew one thing for certain.
    He wasn’t going to let Issy Quinn suffer for a murder she didn’t commit.

10
    I ssy tossed and turned most of that night, unable to sleep for worrying about why her cousin’s knife had been hidden in Louella Drummond’s desk and picturing the temptation of Dex Nolan in the woods. She ended up getting out of bed before dawn, showering and dressing, then sitting out on the small deck overlooking the lake while the sun rose, sipping herbal tea and idly stroking Bella’s silky orange fur.
    Finally, when it was time for the shops to open, she gathered her things for the day then bundled herself and Bella into Brown Betty and headed into town. Confrontations weren’t exactly her forte, but she needed answers, and the only way she was going to get them was to talk with Gray.
    She parked her truck in her usual spot in front of Enchanted Pets and let Bella out to potty then walked across the small town square to Shear Magic. The lights were on and glowing merrily through the front windows on this overcast day, as if mocking the seriousness of the conversation she and her cousin were about to have.
    “Hello?” she said, pushing inside the shop. A string of silver bells jangled above the door, but no one greeted her. That was weird. Gray was always at his shop early, and Issy knew that old Ms. Weber would be coming in for her weekly blue tint any minute. Issy closed the door behind her and reached down to pat Bella on the head. From one corner, Gray’s familiar, Cosmo, squawked loudly.
    “ Welcome to Shear Magic, ” he said in his birdie singsong tone. “ Welcome to Shear Magic. Bwaaakkkkk! ”
    Bella yipped and ran over to stand near the large bird’s perch, watching the cockatoo prance and weave with rapt fascination.
    At last, Gray poked his head out of the back of the store, his black hair uncharacteristically disheveled and his aqua eyes wary. “Oh, it’s you.”
    Issy raised a brow at him. “You were expecting someone else?”
    “No.” He walked out into the room, wiping his hands on a towel. “I’m just a little out of sorts this morning.”
    “I can see that.” She set her small bag on the counter then crossed her arms and gave him a once-over. Gray was the resident stud in Silver Hollow, all solid muscle and six-feet-plus of gorgeous. Today, though, there were shadows under his dazzling blue eyes and a tightness at the corners of his mouth. For a man who prided himself on his charm and ability to make women swoon over his abilities to make them look younger and thinner with just a twitch of scissors, it was a startling change. The unease