Page 3 of Vow Of A Fox

“Maybe.” She smiled, her tone soft. “But it’s been nice having you here. Keeps things lively.”

I softened at that, feeling a rush of warm gratitude for my cousin flood me. Cassie always did have a way of making people feel good. Watching her work the espresso machine or chat with the customers, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of pride toward her.

“Thanks,” I said. “You know, you really have a way with people. You make them feel like they belong—especially your customers.”

She smiled and looked at me, her gaze soft. “Awe. That’s sweet of you to say. I guess I just like making people feel like they belong somewhere. Even if it’s just this little coffee shop. It’s important to me that folks feel good about coming here, you know?”

I nodded, struck by her words in a way I hadn’t expected.

Belonging.

It was something I’d been searching for in my own way for a while now, but here Cassie was, creating it for everyone who walked through her door. She didn’t need to be flashy or fierce. She was just a friendly face with a heart of gold.

Cassie wasn’t floundering through life—unlike me.

Sure, I was covering shifts here for her until she could find someone more permanent, which counted as helping family, but other than that, all I had going for me was a dog grooming business I couldn’t get off the ground.

Then there was the situation with Xander’s raven.

I still needed to figure out how to get a feather from him for Maribel’s ritual and I had no idea how to go about it. I’d only said I would handle it because everyone else had found solid ground lately, including their person, and I was the only one in the crew who was still out there searching for both.

I’d stepped up so none of them had to.

Even so, being here, in Cassie’s world of lattes and regulars, it felt good to be reminded of the other side of life—the brighter side that didn’t involve possessed shifters, evil spirits, and a longing to find a sense of home.

My phone buzzed with a new voicemail, startling me. I hadn’t even heard it ring. Cassie glanced at me.

“You can check that,” she said.

“Probably just spam,” I replied, but I pulled it out of my back pocket anyway.

Cassie grinned. “Maybe it’s love calling.”

“I didn’t know you were such a hopeless romantic,” I countered, glancing at my cell.

It was a voicemail from an unknown number. Curious, I tapped play and a man’s voice filled my ear, sounding slightly overwhelmed, endearing, and tired.

“Uh, hey. This is Ben. Dr. Ben Andrews, the vet you brought Rosco to. Just wanted to check in and make sure he’s, uh… mellowing out all right. I know his situation with the edible had you worried, but like I said, he’s not the first dog to have a run-in with some unexpectedtreats. Just let him sleep it off, make sure he’s got plenty of water, and maybe keep him out of trouble for a while.” He chuckled softly, sounding a bit amused withhimself and a snort escaped me. “Anyway, if he decides to stage another snack attack, feel free to call me. This is my personal cell. Thanks.”

“Who was it?” Cassie asked, curiosity flaring through her eyes. “I thought I heard something about an edible?”

“Yeah. It was a wrong number. A vet who was calling to check on one of his patients—a stoned dog from the sounds of it—who came in today, which sounds kind of hilarious. Could you imagine?”

She cracked a grin. “Oh, no! I’m sure that was scary for both the dog and the owner!”

“Probably more so for the owner.” I chuckled.

“Are you going to call him back and let him know he has the wrong number?”

I blinked. “Should I?”

The thought hadn’t even crossed my mind, even though my fox seemed to love the idea.

“I would,” Cassie said. “What if the owners need to get in touch with him?”

I pursed my lips together, thinking. “Okay, give me one second,” I muttered.

“Take your time.”

---