Read Online Spellbound Falls [5] For the Love of Magic by Janet Chapman - Free Book Online

Julia interjected. “Not only is it within walking distance of town, it’s right on the shore of Bottomless.”
    “Which makes it perfect,” Vanetta countered. “The women deserve a
beautiful
place to stay while they’re getting their lives back on track, and being able to sit by the water is healing.” She shook her head. “The real problem will be getting them to leave their abusive husbands and boyfriends in the first place. But thanks to our esteemed councilmen finally getting their acts together, we can promise the women our new police chief will keep an eye on them. And between running the Bottoms Up and the Drunken Moose, I’ll be too busy once the tourist season kicks into full swing to help with the everyday operations of the shelter. So for my part, I’m donating my house.”
    “But that’s too generous, Netta,” Olivia said. “We decided to raise the funds for the shelter because we want
community
support.” She winced. “As well as to include the grange ladies before they come up with any more cockamamie schemes.”
    Vanetta rested her arms on the table again, her eyes growing haunted as she wrapped her hands around her mug. “Getting this shelter up and running as soon as possible is important to me because it’s personal. I begged for a place like this fifteen years ago in rural Alabama.”
    “You’re right,
Mrs. Thurber
,” Rana said. “Your home is perfect. And on behalf of the women desperately needing this shelter, we accept. This is wonderful, ladies,” she continued, looking around the table again. “We should be able to receive guests in what . . . a couple of weeks?”
    “Assuming someone answers our ad,” Olivia said. “Even the great salary we’re offering doesn’t appear to be enough incentive to lure a qualified social worker to the wilderness.” She looked at Maude and then Rana. “Are there any women from . . . your island who might like a change of scenery?” she asked with a furtive glance at Vanetta—who had no idea that Atlantis actually existed.
    “None who would understand the needs of our shelter residents,” Rana said with a sad smile. “Since domestic violence is virtually unheard of on the island.”
    Vanetta stilled with her mug halfway to her mouth. “Really?
None
of the men in your country ever raise a hand to your women? Well, hell,” she continued when Rana shook her head. “Why are we wasting our efforts building a shelter? Let’s just ship all the women who come to us for help to . . . to wherever it is you and Maude are from.”
    “Because running away from a problem solves nothing,” Rana said, ignoring the fact that she had run away from
hers
. “Our goal is to offer programs that will give these women the skills to help themselves, and merely sending them someplace safe is in essence treating them like children.”
    “Yeah,” Vanetta said on a sigh. She suddenly brightened again. “Maybe we should send the husbands and boyfriends to your island and let your men teach the bastards how to treat women.”
    “I second that motion,” Peg said, lifting her cup in salute before taking a sip, only to shudder all over as she swallowed. “Curses, that’s nasty.”
    “Curses?” Vanetta repeated.
    “I’ve given up real cussing,” Peg explained, aiming an angelic smile at Maude, “because I read that babies start developing language in the womb.”
    Julia choked on the sip of tea she’d just taken. “You gave up cussing
again
,” she said, using her napkin to wipe her chin, “because Charlie ran up to Christina Richie in the Trading Post yesterday and told her that Jacob had taken his
friggin’ cock
.”
    “Clock!” Peg said, her cheeks flushing. “Charlie still has trouble with his
L
s and was trying to say Jacob had taken the
clock
he was looking at.”
    “Hmm,” Julia murmured, her eyes dancing with mischief. “I guess that means he was telling Christina his brother had taken his
flying
clock.”
    Peg looked at