Maddie narrowed her eyes. “I can’t believe you just brought up that story.”
“It’s okay, Mad.” Nick slung his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “I loved you even then. It didn’t matter that you didn’t have anything to cover up.”
Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “Nicky!”
Cooper chuckled at their antics, the easygoing way they interacted with one another serving as a calming balm. “I take it you two have been together for a long time.”
“Actually, not all that long,” Nick countered. “We grew up together but were only friends through graduation.” His eyes briefly clouded as they flicked back to Maddie. “Then she went to school someplace else and we were apart for ten years. After that she returned to town and ... it was on. She took one look at me and couldn’t resist my charm.”
Even though she was horrified by the story, Maddie couldn’t stop herself from laughing. “That’s not exactly how I remember things.”
“That’s because you have a terrible memory.” Nick was matter-of-fact. “You can go with my memory. It’s totally tip-top. That’s why I’m a detective and make the big bucks.”
Cooper stirred, intrigued. “You’re a police officer.”
“In Michigan,” Nick confirmed. “We’re on vacation this week, though, so I don’t even want to think about work.”
“No. I don’t blame you there.” Cooper’s attention switched to Maddie. “Your husband said you went to school in a different part of the state. What do you do, Mrs. Winters?”
“Maddie,” she corrected automatically, wiggling a bit when Nick slid her a sidelong look. “When you say ‘Mrs. Winters’ I look over my shoulder for my mother-in-law.” Realizing the comment could be misconstrued, Maddie quickly leapt forward to clarify. “Who is a wonderful woman I happen to love dearly. She was like a second mother to me growing up.”
Nick chuckled as he shook his head and rubbed his chin. “You are so graceful with words sometimes, Mad.”
Maddie glared at him. “I was just saying that I love my mother-in-law. I don’t see how there’s anything wrong with that.”
“Of course there’s not.” Nick brushed a kiss against her temple.
“As for work, I hire out my time as a psychic in Northern Lower Michigan now,” she offered. It felt weird to say — especially since her mother had been adamant that she keep certain things to herself over the years — but she was no longer ashamed of her abilities. She was proud ... if still a little leery. “I used to own a magic shop, but it was in the house Nick and I share and we decided it would be best to close that business and retake the space.”
“You decided,” Nick countered.
“I don’t hear you complaining now that you can sit on an actual couch and watch your hockey games.”
Nick smirked. “Fair point.”
“We want to start a family eventually,” Maddie explained for Cooper’s benefit. “We don’t think it’s smart to have a store inside our house. My mother did when I was a kid but ... those were different times.”
Cooper nodded in understanding. “I get it.” He ran his tongue over his teeth, debating, and then decided to go for it. “How do you know Velma Sanders?”
“I know of her,” Maddie corrected quickly. “I’ve never met her.”
“What do you know about her?” Cooper lifted a finger to a passing waitress. “I need two sarsaparilla and one IPA.” He waited until the waitress was clear of the table to continue. “I just mean ... have you heard anything specific about her?”
Maddie considered herself a good judge of character. She sensed Cooper wasn’t a man digging for dirt as much as a man looking to act as a shield. She’d seen the same reaction from Nick a time or two, so she knew exactly what she was dealing with. “What’s bothering you about her?”
Cooper opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut when a loud voice started making demands at the front of the room.
“Oh, well, this simply won’t do. The vibes in here are all wrong.”
Cooper let loose a long sigh and briefly shut his eyes before opening them again. “Speaking of the she-devil, there she is now.”
Even though she knew it was rude — there was nothing Maddie hated more than being on display — she couldn’t stop herself from staring at the regal woman standing in front of the swinging doors. She wore a pastel pink suit blazer and open-toed shoes and her sable hair was pulled back in a loose bun, secured with some sort of tie that dripped various gemstones.
“What’s going on?” A blonde in a bartender uniform stepped forward to offer assistance. “Can I help you with something?”
Cooper made a strangled sound in the base of his throat and looked as if he was about to stand. He never made it to his feet, though.
“Yes, I’m Velma Sanders.” The woman extended her hand, as if to offer it to the blonde, but then she retracted it. “I need to speak to whoever is in charge. This space simply won’t do. I need something ... bigger.”
“I am in charge,” the other woman offered. “I own this place. Hannah Hickok.” She held out her hand and didn’t pull it back. “What can I do for you ... that doesn’t involve construction because that’s simply not going to happen?”
Velma’s eyes narrowed as she regarded Hannah with fresh interest. “You own this place?”
“I do.”
“But ... you’re a bartender.”
“We’re short on staff,” Hannah countered. “We all pitch in where we can. What can I do for you, Mrs. Sanders?”
“It’s Ms. Sanders, not Mrs. I never could come up with a reason to hitch my wagon to another person ... and let him drag
