Page 86 of Kidnapping Their Third

“Heya sweetie!” Charlotte called out as Cora entered. The office came with a small industrial space in the back that Cora used for storage.

Looking around, she noticed Charlotte had made some changes. The small office looked better with a few pieces of art on the walls and new matching chairs.

“Please tell me you didn’t pay for any of this,” Cora begged, flopping down into one of the chairs.

“Nope, it came out of the office supply account,” Charlotte said as she got up and poured them both cups of coffee. The woman loved her coffee and had a nice little coffee bar set upbehind her desk. After handing Cora a cup of perfectly prepared java, Charlotte retook her seat and started pulling out paperwork.

“I need you to go over this contract for the Johnson house and make sure all the numbers are correct. Then you need to approve these.”

Cora leaned forward and started going over the paperwork. She gave up halfway through, sat back, and rubbed her hands over her face. “No more!”

Charlotte chuckled. “This is what happens when you don’t come by often enough. I send you emails and texts, but you never respond. I’m forced to print out actual paper!”

An idea hit Cora. Dropping her hands from her face, she pointed a finger at Charlotte. “You!”

Charlotte tilted her head, her short, curly hair bouncing a little. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” Cora said. “I want you to become a partner. Then you can sign all this shit, and I’ll only need to stop by to get something out of storage.”

The woman’s eyes went wide, and she sat back, obviously stunned. “I’m sorry, what?”

Cora put her forearms on the desk and leaned in close. “You buy into the company, and we become partners.”

“But I’m not an electrician,” Charlotte protested.

“Who cares?” Cora answered. “You know how to type up the bids. You do all the scheduling and customer service. Some things have changed in my life right now, and I don’t want to spend any more time doing the stuff I don’t like.”

“Do the changes have anything to do with you having a vampire and a bear shifter clinging to your aura?” Charlotte asked.

“What the hell?” Cora said, throwing her hands up. “Did everyone know but me?”

“Probably,” Charlotte said with a chuckle. She stood up and stretched a hand over the desk. “Nice to meet you. I’m Charlotte Davis, member of the Ember Druid Clan.”

Cora grabbed her hand to shake. “Druid, huh? Would that stop you from being a partner? Like would the other druids not want you to do business with me?”

Charlotte shook her head and sat back down. “We aren’t a conservative clan like the Foundation Druids. Even if someone said something, I’d ignore them.”

“Then let's talk to a lawyer about getting you on board,” Cora said.

“Are you sure about this?” Charlotte asked. She looked both excited and intimidated.

Cora gave her one, slow, emphatic nod. “I’ve never been more sure. Don’t worry about the money. We can figure that out. The important thing is that I never have to deal with paperwork again!”

***

Assured that Charlotte was going to make her life even easier; Cora left the office with a spring in her step. The rest of the day flowed quickly, and the next thing she knew, she was packing up and ready for a shower.

After belting herself into Van Guts, she stared at the vehicle’s dashboard. “Should we go to the Cedar Street house first and pack up clothes or drive straight home?”

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she went still.

Home?How had the Palomar Mountain compound become home to her unconscious mind so fast?

Apparently, it only took her several days to start thinking of Kimble’s place as home instead of her little house. He’d repeatedly offered to split their time between locations, but it seemed like there was no point. As much as she loved the house on Cedar, it didn’t feel right anymore. She should pack as much as she could in the van and come back for the rest later.

She debated selling versus renting her little house the rest of the drive. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the car parked in front of her house or the person sitting in it. Hitting the automatic opener, she eased Van Guts into the crowded garage. Getting out, she was surprised and wary to see a familiar figure striding up the short driveway.

“You bitch!” Lucy hissed, stopping at the back of Van Guts and effectively blocking Cora. The door from the garage to the kitchen was between them, and she knew the bear shifter would be faster than her.

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