Page 38 of Christmas Mittens Murder

“I’ll grab us a couple more drinks. White wine again?” When Mia nodded, Christina hurried away toward the bartender.

Mia watched as Christina’s professor moved away from the bar and headed out the door. Apparently being cut off had made it the end of the party for him. Mia threw a blessing at him and got back a vision from the Goddess showing her that he had a car and driver sitting out in the parking lot waiting for him.

“You can’t worry about every drunk driver,” her grandmother said as she followed Mia’s gaze to watch Geoffrey stumble out of the room.

“Maybe not, but if he hadn’t had a driver, I would have asked one of the staff to drive him home. We don’t need that on our roads. Especially on snowy nights like this.” The snow had just begun to fall when they’d come into the Lodge an hour before. “I’ll use my power for good, as long as they let me.”

“Okay, Glenda, I just wanted to tell you that Robert is taking me to Sun Valley for a late dinner. He’d assumed, since you catered the last Lodge staff party, the food would be edible, not this crap.” Grans shook her head at the trays being passed.

A waiter frowned at them as he tried to push a tray of undercooked egg rolls.

“I wasn’t in charge of making that decision.” Mia waved Abigail over. “Before you leave, let’s get a picture of the four of us at the tree.”

Abigail hurried over, and then Christina met them at the tree. They took several pictures, including one of just Mia and Grans. Grans was in a little black dress with black heels. She still looked younger than her actual years—a magic spell gone wrong—but at least she looked closer to her age than Mia. Abigail showed them the last picture. “You two look like sisters.”

Mia grinned as Grans shook her head. She handed the phone back to Abigail. “Not now, but we did.”

“And I liked it that way.” Grans gave her a kiss on her cheek. “We should have taken a picture of the two of us when we did look like sisters. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Mia watched as her grandmother rejoined Robert, who stood by the door with her coat on his arm. She’d met him once before when they’d stopped by the school. Mia liked him. He seemed to fit in well with her grandmother’s life. And, since he was involved in the local coven as well, nothing had to be hidden from his view. Hiding her witch life wasn’t something her grandmother did well. Especially since she tended to make her potions in her bathtub.

Abigail tucked her phone back in her pocket. “I haven’t seen Robert this happy since his wife passed several years ago. I mean, since before she passed. They were a cute couple, and it was obvious that they were still in love. I hope Mary Alice and Robert find the same joy.”

“Mia’s Morsels may be catering a wedding soon,” Christina teased, and then pointed toward Mia. “Oh, my goodness. You should see your face. You look scared.”

“I’m not sure who I’m scared for, Robert or Grans?” Mia nodded to a table. “Let’s sit for a bit, then as soon as eight hits, let’s get out of here. I’ve got lasagna ready to warm up in the oven, and if you want to stay over, Abigail, I’ve got a few bottles of wine in the house.”

“Sounds like a real party.” Abigail sat down and slipped off her shoes. “My feet are killing me. We used to do the party scene probably twice a month when we ran the grocery store. Now it’s rare for me to get dressed up unless I’m catering. Then I’m in sensible shoes.”

Mia giggled at the older woman’s gripes. She liked spending time with Trent’s mom. His dad, he still was an unknown, but his mom was fun.

“Since the boys are all gone, we should have a sleepover. I’ll make brownies and we can watch rom-coms until we fall asleep.” Christina sipped at the wine she’d gotten from the bartender. She kept looking at the door, distracted.

“Are you waiting for someone?” Mia asked.

Christina turned back and shook her head. “No, I’m just a little worried about Professor Brewer. I know Sun Valley isn’t that far, but his place is up in the mountains and the roads aren’t the best.”

“He had a driver,” Abigail told her.

Mia turned to her. She’d been told that by the Goddess, but sometimes the messages weren’t totally clear. “How do you know?”

“Kate insists on it when she’s out of town. Geoff has an issue with alcohol. It’s been a problem for a while.” Abigail saw the shocked look on Christina’s face. “Oh, I’m sorry. He’s your professor, isn’t he? Just because someone has a drinking problem doesn’t mean they’re not a good person. He’s just troubled.”

“How do you know his wife?” Mia figured the answer was obvious, but she asked it anyway.

“She’s a member of the coven. He’s not. Not a magical bone in his body, so to speak, but Kate’s quite adept at magic. It’s probably why she’s so good at her job. She makes magic in the movies for mortals.”

About an hour later, Mia had made her final rounds at the party to say good night to her employees. She met Abigail and Christina at the ballroom door. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”

Abigail dangled her keys. “The designated driver is at your service. I’ve already told Thomas that we’re having a girls’ night at your house. He says to expect a delivery from the grocery store when we get there.”

“What is he sending?” Mia asked as they got their coats from the coat check and bundled up. Now that they were heading home, she pulled a beanie over her head, tugging it down over the updo. She pulled on her warm gloves.

“I’m not sure, but you two can stay inside while I get the SUV warmed up.” Abigail pulled on her hat and winter gloves too. “I’d hate to see you fall in those shoes.”

For the first time that night, Mia envied Abigail’s pants. The fabric wouldn’t be the warmest, but it was thicker than the tights she wore under her dress. “We’re not that far and the Lodge keeps the sidewalks clear. We’ll come with you.”

“Definitely,” Christina said, but her tone didn’t sound as certain.

---