Page 57 of Married to the Devil

I thank him by bringing him lunch every so often. He’s actually the one who suggested the cruise, having met Mom and gotten talking about growing things the few times she’s visited my shop. Suspicion has my eyes narrowing.

“It turns out he’s on this cruise too. Isn’t that a wild coincidence?” she asks.

“Wild,” I croak.

Mom laughs a little awkwardly. “Well, we kind of hit it off.”

“Is that so?”

Katarina tilts her head in curiosity at the expression on my face.She met someone, I mouth at Katarina, and her brows rise up in a delight I wish I could share in whole-heartedly.

Mom continues shyly, “He’s offered to be my traveling buddy if I wanted to extend my trip by a week and do a tour that includes the Dominica Botanic Gardens and some rainforest treks!”

“That sounds amazing,” I squeak.

“I know! So, you’d be okay with that?” Mom goes from giddy to concerned in a flash.

“Of course I’m okay with that. Are you sure about Carl?” I ask. The guy seems great. I’ve always really liked him, but this all is way too convenient… “Traveling together is a big step.”

There’s a rustle on the other side of the phone as if Mom is moving to another room. The realization that Carl is probably with her right now is a little jarring.

When she speaks again, it’s with a heartfelt confidence that’s usually absent when she’s focusing on herself. “He makes me happy. I don’t want to be careful about this.”

Because Mom has been careful about things as long as I can remember. And now, with hearing the history of the man she married, I understand why.

“I’m happy for you.” And I’ll kill Carl if he fucks this up for her. Maybe he did maneuver to go on the same cruise as her because he’s always liked her, maybe it’s all one happy coincidence.

And maybe I’m going to ask my husband questions because Carl gained me seven more days on top of the three I currently have to prepare for Mom’s return, but I don’t see how Stoneheart could have had a hand in planning that.

“I won’t keep you if you’re hanging out with Kat, but are you doing okay? You sound a little down,” Mom says.

I grimace, but I don’t want to hide everything from her. She’s always been my greatest champion, and I miss her like crazy. “Just a lot of stuff coming up, and I’m not quite sure how to handle it all.”

“Is it the Council again? Carl did say they were making noise about that zoning rule with charm makers.”

I almost laugh. The Council is definitely a part of it, even if the noise they are making is affecting me differently than before.

“It’s something like that,” I admit. “There are a lot of rules in our world.”

“I can ask Carl?—”

“No, you two enjoy your vacation. I have people on my side.” The truth of that statement rings. Everything feels confusing right now, but I have allies: Ben, Katarina, and Kalos. Even Stoneheart and his people are all working toward the same goal.

I’m just unsettled because I don’t know what role to take toward that goal.

“All right.” Mom’s voice is soft, soothing. “I have the utmost confidence in you. You are Stella Elderflower. You follow your own rules, always have. You are unstoppable when you put your mind to it.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I swallow the emotion, and we bid our goodbyes.

Under all the guilt I’ve piled on myself, there’s a shine of truth that Mom reminded me of. I’ve handled myself for years. I started my business from scratch, and now my charms are sought after throughout the territories.

I brought down my most hated adversary.

I am Stella-fucking-Elderflower.

Katarina and I are silent for a moment, but when I glance at her, there’s a sparkle in her eyes as if she’s holding back her words. I’m glad to have a friend who knows me so well.

“I’m going about this wrong,” I say.

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