Page 104 of Forget Me Not

“Madera is lovely in the fall,” Lis remarked sweetly. “Not nearly as cold as Los Cerros, if anyone wanted to throw themselves on my mercy and visit. And no need for sweaters yet.”

Calvin met her stare and held it.

Cal turned to Benny, all wide eyes and adorably fluttering wings.

Benny started to quietly discuss traffic conditions for that commute. Ray resolved to ask Cal later about Benny’s colors. He had a feeling they were impressive. Cal seemed to surround himself with remarkable people.

A frown came and went after the thought. Ray lowered his gaze to the case notes in his lap without actually seeing them.

He looked for his phone after a while, then realized he didn’t know where it was. Lis handed him another slice of pizza, now cold, but he dutifully ate it. Some tomato sauce landed on the book in his lap, and he stared at that for a while, not certain when Benny had taken his case notes back and replaced them with one of the library books.

He wondered if the library had any books on the town’s history that were from the point of view of anyonebutthe industrialists and early city elite. But with the late fees he must have on these books, Ray doubted he would be discovering that any time soon.

With bookmarks made from torn strips of paper, he went back and forth between a disease epidemic that had essentially decimated a seedier side of the city in its early years and allowed for developers to buy and reshape it into the fashionable district it was today, and brief histories of notable early citizens—some of whom had descendants still holding public office.

He considered Horton, this elf he’d never met, and John Summers, whose hand he’d at least shaken once or twice, and then blinked to awareness when Cal muttered angrily to himself while staring at papers taped to the wall.

The book on Ray’s lap had fallen closed. Ray glanced around. The others had moved, gotten up or changed positions and he hadn’t noticed. He must have been dozing. He scrubbed his cheek irritably and sat up before returning to his book which had to hold some information of value or he wouldn’t have had it and the others in his desk at the station.

“I’ll email her again with my thoughts,” Benny remarked to someone.

Ray opened his eyes to find Lis standing over him, offering him a mug of coffee. He winced and tried to pull himself up.

Lis gestured for him to be still, then pushed the mug into his hands. “You have every reason to be tired.”

“I should be helping,” Ray insisted. The coffee smelled sharp and strong and… spiced.

“Cardamom,” Lis said after watching Ray put his nose into the steam. “For flavor without the sweetness. You might like that better. And as for helping…” She gestured behind him. Ray turned his head to see Calvin, Benny, and Cal all peering at the papers on the wall. “It’s better not to get in the way of that.”

Which just left the two of them. Ray took a sip. The coffee was burning hot and dark, but saved from bitterness by the cardamom. Ray hadn’t known they’d had cardamom in the house. Like the tea, it was as if Lis had brought it with her. Or, more likely, discovered them tucked away in the pantry with fairy luck.

Ray cleared his throat. “Thank you. You and Calvin,” he spoke as quietly as he could without making her lean down to hear him better, “you’re not together?” He shook his head, hoping it was clear she didn’t have to explain anything to him. “If you need somewhere to stay tonight, you’re welcome here.”

Her eyes, still startling, widened and lit with delight. “Why thank you, Raymond, although Calvin’s place would be more than fine.” Ray quickly glanced away from her small, hot smile. But then she added, “However, I think you’re right. We should all probably sleep here tonight. You need us around.”

Ray hadn’t said or even implied that. But he released a breath he must have been holding at the idea of everyone staying close, where he could hear and see and smell them. “We don’t have a spare room. I… Let me do some laundry and you can sleep in our room.” He’d seen a bin marked ‘Blankets,’ so they had more spares, and the heat was already cranked up high for Calvin’s sake.

“Pfft.” Lis plopped onto the couch near him. “I’m an older fairy, but I still barely sleep. Calvin can take the bed, and I will take him.” Her hot smile returned. “Take care of him, I mean.”

She absolutely didn’t. At least, not completely. Ray had another drink of coffee. He would finish the cup, go start the laundry, then find his phone, and message Penn to tell her she was also welcome to spend the night, since she was probably coming over after work anyway.

“Can Benny sleep on this chair?” Ray was in the recliner but he didn’t have to be.

“Benny can sleep anywhere.” Benny apparently had heard his name.

“It’s true,” Cal added in the fascinated tone of someone who barely slept. “As long as he’s tired, he’s out like a light. But he’s going to be staying the night?” Ray had a feeling they were all exchanging looks about him. Then Cal said brightly, “Fun! Ray and I can take the couch.”

Penn would want the couch, if she stayed. One half of it at least, the other half for Cal. But Penn might not stay. She wasn’t one to jump at shadows. Then again, she might also look at Ray with her siren’s gaze andknow, and he’d rather not have any of that said out loud.

“I could sleep on the floor,” Ray offered. When Cal made a blustering noise of protest, Ray added quietly, “As a wolf.” He wouldn’t need a blanket or a pillow that way. And he could hear better, at much farther distances. “It would give everyone more room.”

“In this sleepover we’re having?” Benny asked faintly. Lis stared at Ray with wide eyes. When Ray turned, the others were doing the same. Cal had a funny smile on his face and was surrounded by the tail end of what must have been quite the glitter explosion. Ray looked back at Benny for explanation. A smile was sneaking onto Benny’s face. “You’ve never done that in front of us before, I don’t think.”

“Oh.” Ray was a large wolf, easy to fear on an instinctual level, even if someone knew him. “I don’t have to.”

Lis reached over to pat his arm. “If you’re comfortable with it, then so are we.”

Calvin harrumphed. “But if you’re going to get naked first, do it in the bedroom or something, all right? And Lis will need a place to rest. Where will she be?”

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