Page 3 of Witch Upon a Star
She wasn’t wrong. Ihadplayed her, manipulated events without her knowledge. But never in malice. I loved Dosia, and all I wanted for her was her happiness. If I couldn’t have my man, I wanted to make damn sure she got hers.
On Dosia’s twenty-first birthday, she had a one-night stand with a local. I was nineteen at the time and couldn’t go bar hopping with her and her friends. Dosia had offered for them to do a different activity, but something had told me that she needed to go. It wasn’t until about a week later that I understood why. A tiny little pumpkin had started to grow inside her womb. I saw it grow as her daughter grew, and while Dosia did not tell the father of her baby about her, I knew that pumpkins were significant to her future. I just didn’t know how.
After she moved back to Mount Grove almost two months ago, it became even clearer. The father of her babywasPumpkin. Not a pumpkin in a literal sense, but his name was Pumpkin. Like Quinten, he was a member of theVia DaemoniaMotorcycle Club, and that was his road name.
He also had a son named SJ.
It was like a puzzle finally coming together when visions played out so perfectly. But I knew that Dosia would fight getting together with Pumpkin. She was afraid of being hurt by him, and certainly wouldn’t have given him the time ofday or even allowed him to know he had a daughter if I hadn’t interfered.
It hadn’t been my place, and I knew that. I didn’t overstep my bounds often.Ever, really. From the time we realized the extent of my gift, my parents had been extremely strict with me about overstepping. Basically, unless it was life or death, I wasn’t to. But this wasDosia. She was my best friend. Biologically, she might be my niece, but I loved her like a sister. I couldn’t let her stubbornness and fears keep her from her happiness.
And I was willing to pay the price of her anger at my deeds to give that to her.
I knew she would be here today, though. Mom had told me that she and Pumpkin spent most of their days, and a good number of nights, together. Their kids were getting to know each other, becoming the siblings they were meant to be. Dosia would someday soon have a ring on her finger.
I was thrilled everything was working out for her and that she was able to get over her fears enough to allow Pumpkin back into her life. But I missed my best friend. I had a major change happening in my life right now, and she was the only person I wanted to share it with. I needed to find her, apologize again, and hope beyond hope that she found it in her heart to forgive me. I wanted her opinion of my new store, wanted her to be a part of my Big Day.
I found her sitting at one of the few tables on the lawn by the center square of Main Street. The entire road was closed to vehicle traffic for the day. People had to park at either the elementary school or the high school and be shuttled down or walk to come to the festival. Since Main Street was the only way through town, people had to travel around the mountainto get to the other side of town today. Not that there were many townsfolknotpresent. This festival was a big deal, and it helped to raise funds for a lot of local charities. Local vendors and even some Amish families had booths up and down Main Street. The diner’s famous apple pie was a staple. Farmers brought crops, and one or two offered pony rides and had a variety of animals in a small petting zoo. Bounce houses filled part of the closed road. Ladies’ groups had craft or jewelry tables to help raise money for their churches.
The big event, though, was the Bachelor Auction. The club, some firefighters and police officers, a teacher, and other local men were being auctioned off to raise money to build a new wing in the town’s library.
As I headed towards Dosia’s back, I saw Pumpkin step onto the stage. Dosia sat straighter. “Whatever happens, I need to win this bid,” she said to the woman next to her. “I promised him. He thinks all he’s going to get are pity bids.”
I knew this was Frankie, the club’s nanny and Dosia’s new friend. I was trying not to feel jealous that she was making friends aside from me. She would soon be introduced to the club, to meet the women who would become like sisters to her. While I… Well, I still had two more years before I would become one of them.
Frankie gave Dosia an exasperated look. “Sweetie, I hate to tell you this, but Pumpkin’s a bit of a reclusive celebrity around here. The entire town knows about his accident and there are a lot of women here who want to win a date with him.”
I saw Dosia scowl, which only made Frankie laugh.
I stepped up behind my niece just as Pumpkin’s bidding started. “Um, Dosia?”
As Dosia turned in her seat to face me, JJ gasped out, “Auntie!” My great-niece scurried off Dosia’s lap to run to me. I knelt, conscientious of Oolong hanging onto my dress at my shoulder, to greet her. I loved this little girl more than I could say. She’d been my little pumpkin for years, long before I figured out why pumpkins would be so important to her.
“I missed you!” JJ was saying as she squeezed me around my neck.
“I missed you more,” I told her. Over her little shoulder, I saw Frankie nudge Dosia to get her attention.
Dosia spun around to face forward as someone bid a hundred dollars for a date with her man. Her entire body stiffened. Standing up, Dosia shouted loudly, “Five hundred!”
Everyone in the crowd turned to stare at her. I had to school myself from smiling at her embarrassment. She squared her shoulders, though, and held her ground. Good for her. I had a feeling it had more to do with the utter relief on Pumpkin’s face at her bid.
Unfortunately, though, someone else yelled, “Five hundred and fifty!”
As JJ stepped back from me to show Oolong some attention, I saw Dosia look to Pumpkin on stage. The expression he gave her was nothing short of a plea. Clearly, he did not want to go on a date with anyone other than the mother of his daughter. Although, from how I saw Dosia acting towards SJ when I approached, I wouldn’t be surprised if he thought of her as the mother of hischildren.
“Six hundred!” Dosia shouted.
Louisa, the announcer, let out a nervous laugh. “I thinkwe have a bit of a bidding war on our hands. Ladies, please make sure you can pay. Is there?—”
“Seven hundred!” another woman shouted, a different one than before.
JJ was completely oblivious to the drama going on as she continued to pet Oolong.
Panic covered Dosia’s face. There seemed to be a silent conversation happening between her and Pumpkin before she yelled, “A thousand!”
A hush of amazement fell over the crowd. So far, the highest bid had been for seven hundred and fifty dollars for a man and his service dog.
“A thousand,” Louisa said into the microphone excitedly. “Going once, going twice…” She waited a heartbeat and then yelled, “Sold!” before hitting her gavel on the table.
