Page 19 of Bright Dark Curses

“If you say so. I suppose the place was much cheaper than the corner building.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“You sure about that?”

“Dru doesn’t consult me on her buying decisions. Or her budget.” Of course, I knew her budget since I’d been the one to transfer Bagley’s money to her account, but since no actual consultation had taken place, karma couldn’t bite me for lying—it was all in the wording.

Or so the couple of Fae fantasies I’d read told me.

“I didn’t know her previous job left her with enough savings to make the purchase,” Preston remarked in an off-handed way. “I was under the impression the bank wouldn’t give her a loan for the Corner Rose based on her lack of funds. Curious that she can afford it now.”

“Search for wonders in each day, for they’ll make your dreams all the sweeter.”

Preston blinked. “Pardon me?”

I grabbed his half-filled mug and dumped it in the small sink. “Sorry, I need to start cleaning up. Busy night ahead of me.”

Preston studied me for a few moments, then conceded defeat and stood. “I want what’s best for Dru.”

Sure, that’s why he was here asking me questions instead of talking to her. “Mm-hmm.”

With a sigh, he took out his wallet, ready to pay, but I waved it away. “On the house.”

His fake smile matched mine. “That’s nice of you. Thank you. I’ll make sure to drop by again, then.”

He was gone before I could tell him I’d changed my mind and he owed me four bucks.

Dru was not going to be happy about his visit. I’d tried to pry the tale of their epic relationship ending before, but every time I raised the subject, her nails would grow sharp points, and a bit of horn would begin to peek among her curls, so I’d decided that, for the sake of our friendship and her stress levels, I’d wait for her to tell me the full story whenever she felt like it.

And if she never did, well, that was the price of friendships, wasn’t it?

I prepped the shop for tomorrow, then brought Fluffy and Rufus up to the living quarters for our dinner. I had some leftovers from lunch, so I made fast work of them before settling in bed for my favorite part of the day.

Calling Ian.

Okay, “favorite” was not the best word for this situation, considering I’d rather he be here in person, but all things considered, it was the most fitting. Just thinking of his name made butterflies flit inside my stomach.

The way he had looked at me during Halloween, the sight of his wolf, big and majestic and so rare, because he never shifted, ever. But he had, for me, to protect me. I buried my face in my pillow until I got my heartbeat back under control, and didn’t even mind I was acting like a squealing teenager with her first crush.

I loved taking care of my customers and watching my shop run like a well moon-watered spell, but it was important to have fulfilling goals outside of work.

Rather than call right away, I sent him a text first. I didn’t want to interrupt him if he was busy with the guild.

Turns out, he wasn’t. My phone started ringing, and I answered breathlessly. “Hi, Ian!”

“Hello, Hope,” he said with clear amusement. “I’m free now.”

“Excellent.” I settled back against the pillows. “How was your day?”

“Boring.”

“Then you should definitely come back faster.” I couldn’t help the slight note of whine that accompanied the words.

“I should be done soon.” He didn’t sound irritated or put upon by the delay, just relaying information in his usual matter-of-fact fashion. It was one of his best qualities.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” I said lightly. Inside though, I was thinking that me and the bounty hunter guild were going to have a big problem if they didn’t let Ian return soon. Paranormal justice was renowned for its swiftness. Shouldn’t Hannah be locked up by now? We had caught her red-handed, and she had confessed!

He laughed softly, a sound that reverberated all the way down to my curling toes. “Same.”

---