Pandora couldn’t care less about Russ anymore. She was too stunned by the rest of Fifi’s words. She thought Pandora was on the same level as Cassiopeia? Fifi and the customers considered her one of the gifted Easton women?

It was like being enveloped in the biggest, brightest hug in the world. Pandora’s heart swelled. Her smile spread from ear to ear and tears sparkled in her eyes.

“You okay?” Fifi asked, her own eyes huge with worry.

With a shaky sigh, she forced herself to focus and pull it together. There was nothing empowering about sniveling like a baby over validation.

“Sure. Yeah,” Pandora sniffed. “I’ll call Cassiopeia and get this fixed. Go ahead and start taking tentative bookings, letting people know that they might change depending on her schedule.”

She glanced at the café and added, “Be sure to make the bookings for after two, when the café is closed. That way she has as much time and space as she needs.”

Four hours later, the store was filled with week-before-Christmas shoppers. Both locals and out-of-towners browsed, compared and purchased enough throughout the morning that Pandora was ready to do a happy dance on the sales counter. She’d barely had time to leave her mom a message, let alone worry about how she’d patch things up.

By the end of lunch, her feet hurt, her cheeks were sore from grinning and she was sure they’d just had the best sales day in Moonspun’s history.

She’d just pulled up the numbers on the cash register to check, when there was a loud furor at the door.

She glanced up, but couldn’t see what was going on because of the throng of bodies. Then she caught a glimpse of red curls.

Showtime.

Cassiopeia took her time crossing the room. She spoke with everyone, stopping to offer hugs and exclamations to friends and strangers alike. With Paulie draped over her shoulder like a purring fur stole, and her flowing hunter-green dress and faux-holly jewelry, she was the epitome of famous-psychic-does-holiday casual.

Pandora leaned against the counter and watched the show. She didn’t realize she was grinning until Russ stepped closer and whispered, “Who is she? She’s famous, right?”

Her smile faded as she looked at Moonspun’s newest employee. Fifi had said she’d known him, like, forever. And hadn’t his application indicated he’d lived here for years? How could he have lived in Black Oak for any length of time and not know who Cassiopeia was? Heck, everyone in the five neighboring towns knew her by sight.

Before she could ask, though, her mother swept close enough to catch her eye.

“Russ, will you help Fifi cover the store?” Pandora quietly asked him. “My mother and I will be in the back. Please, don’t interrupt unless it’s an emergency.”

His pale brown eyes were huge. The guy was a basket case. He was probably afraid they were going to concoct some magic potion or poke pins in a doll.

It was kinda cute, in a silly sort of way. She just patted his arm, then walked over to her mother. She heard him sputtering behind her as she went.

“Mom, do you have a minute?” she said, interrupting her chat with Mrs. Sellers. “I’d really appreciate it.”

“Oh, here I am hogging your time and you must want to see your daughter,” Mrs. Sellers said with a sweep of her hand. “You probably have so much to discuss. And you must be so proud of Pandora. She’s definitely a chip off the old block. Or in this case, a crystal off the sparkling quartz.”

Pandora glanced at her mother’s face, expecting to see at least a hint of disdain. Instead, she saw just what Mrs. Sellers indicated. Pride.

Joy, as warm and gooey as her Hot Molten Love chocolate cake, filled her. Had her mother ever looked at her like that before? Or had she always, and Pandora had ignored it since it meant she’d have to move that chip off her shoulder?

“Mom, I’m so glad you’re here. People have been asking about you all day.” Pandora came around the counter and held out her hand. She put as much love and apology into that move as she could. “They’re hoping you’ll be available for readings soon.”

Her mother’s smile trembled a little in the corners and her eyes filled before she blinked thickly coated lashes and tilted her head in thanks.

“I’m glad to be here as well, darling.” She rubbed a bejeweled hand over Pandora’s shoulder, then spoke to the room at large. “I’m going to be spending some time catching up with my daughter. But I’d love to do readings. Fifi, will you go ahead and set up appointments?”

The perky blonde nodded. Before she’d pulled out a small spiral-bound notebook, there was a line of excited customers in front of her.

“You’ve brought in a stellar crowd, darling. Shall we go back and celebrate with cake or something sweet?” Cassiopeia said to Pandora, twining her fingers through her daughter’s in a show of both pride and solidarity.

Pandora didn’t trust her voice, so she offered a smile and a nod instead. Before they got more than two steps, though, the bells chimed on the front door again. Pandora’s heart raced when she glanced over and saw it was Caleb. His sexy friend was with him, and the two of them made such a sight. Pure masculine beauty, with a razor-sharp edge.

“Can we talk a little later?” she murmured to her mother.

“I’m glad to see you have your priorities straight,” Cassiopeia returned quietly.

Pandora glanced over, trying to see if her mother was being sarcastic. But her vivid green eyes were wide with appreciation. She gave Pandora an arch look and mimicked fanning herself, then tilted her head. “Go say hello, dear.”

“Caleb,” Pandora greeted, crossing the room. She knew at least twenty sets of eyes were locked on her, but she didn’t care. Not anymore. She reached out and took his hand, then, determined to push her own comfort envelope, leaned in and brushed an only slightly shaky kiss over his cheek.

There. That’d show everyone. She was dating that bad, bad Black boy and she didn’t care who knew. Or what they thought.

“Hello,” she murmured. She was so caught up in her own internal convolutions that it took her a few seconds to notice his lack of a response. Chilled a little, she stepped back to get a good look at his face.

Closed. His eyes were distant and cold. There was something there, in the set of his shoulders, that carried a warning. As if he was about to tell her a loved one had died. But she glanced around, making sure her mother and the two cats were still there, all her loved ones were front and center.

Her gaze cut to Hunter, who looked even more closed and distant. Was Caleb leaving with him? Was that why he was here? To tell her goodbye?

Then he smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Confused, Pandora stiffened, trying to figure out what was going on. He didn’t feel right.

“Sweetheart, I’ve been telling Hunter how great your cooking is. We stopped by so he could check it out.”

She glanced at Hunter, dressed in jeans and a black sweater that should have been casual but wasn’t. Yeah. He looked like a guy stopping by to sample cookies.

“Sure,” she said, not having a clue what was happening. But it felt important, and secretive. So she’d wait until she had Caleb alone to ask. “Why don’t you both come into the café. We have some pasta salad left, and sandwiches, of course. The cookies are fresh this morning and I have a wooable winterberry cobbler that’s fabulous with vanilla-bean ice cream.”

She babbled more menu options as she made her way through the curious onlookers, achingly aware of Caleb just a few inches behind her.

Once she and the two much-too-sexy-for-their-own-good men were in the café, though, she dropped the pretense.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her gaze cutting from one to the other.

Their faces didn’t calm her nerves at all. Instead, her stomach knotted and black spots danced in front of her eyes. Something bad was happening here.

“We have evidence that drugs are being run through your store. We want to use this space, today, to make the bust.” The words were fast, clipped and brutal.

“Bust? Drugs?” Pandora’s brain was reeling. “What? I don’t understand.”

Her knees weak, she grabbed on to a chair.

“Ms. Easton, there’s a drug ring operating out of Black Oak. Caleb came to town to stop it. His investigation led to your store. We’d like your cooperation in apprehending the people behind the drugs, especially the ringleader.”

She gaped. What the hell? Drugs? In her store? No. She’d changed the inventory, she knew every single item being sold here and unless saffron was now illegal, Moonspun Dreams was clean.

But before she could worry about that, she had to sift through the fury pouring into her system like a tidal wave. Betrayal raced behind it, adding a layer of pain to her reaction.

“Wait,” she demanded, holding up one hand. She arched a brow at Caleb. “You’re a cop? You’re not unemployed?”

“No. I’m not a cop and I am unemployed.” He was, however, as distant as the moon right now. She noted his body language, how he was leaning away from her, rolling on the balls of his feet as if he was going to run at any second.

“Actually, you’re on hiatus since your captain hasn’t accepted your resignation,” Hunter interrupted.

Pandora pressed her fingers to her forehead, hoping the pressure would help her sort it all out.

“I don’t understand,” she muttered. She took a deep breath and looked at Caleb again. She could see the regret in his eyes, as if he knew he was ripping her heart to shreds and was sorry. But he was going to continue to rip anyway.

“You think I had something to do with this? The drugs?” Her voice shook and she wanted to throw up. It was like déjà vu times a thousand. The humiliation, the pain, the heart-ache…