Page 50 of Tamiko and the Two Janitors
“Encouraged her to sleep. It was just a little nudge. Noharm done.” Kip pointed to his tail. “Or did you want to help me explain this?”
“Definitely not.” He gathered her into his arms, heartslamming, thoughts reeling.
Kip’s hand settled on top of his head. “You okay?”
“Definitely not,” he repeated. His every instinct—or atleast what he understood about them—had fixated on Tami. She was his choice,and the consequences were terrifying. His lifespan was taking the Amaranthinecourse, so he was doomed. Tami’s lifespan meant she’d leave him lonesome. Notthat he’d really be alone. Well, not unless Kip went off with some prettyredheaded squirrel lady and ….
Ash swallowed against the hopelessness of his situation andasked, “Have you ever been in love?”
His best friend offered a bland stare. “If I had, wouldn’tyou be the first to notice?”
“Guess so.”
Kip steered him toward the nurse’s office. “Kith-kin aren’texactly in high demand, and besides, my friend needs me.”
It had never occurred to Ash that Kip might have put hisfuture on hold in order to keep him company.
“You aren’t inconveniencing me, Ash. I don’t want any othernest than the one we share.”
“But what about … all the good things that are part ofhaving a bondmate?”
“I haven’t met a female yet—inorout of theclans—who makes me feel the right kind of frisky. Maybe I will someday. Maybe Iwon’t. What does it matter?”
Ash supposed there was some truth to that. Tami hadn’t beensomething he could have planned for or avoided. She’d just sort of happened. Maybeit would be the same for Kip. A cute squirrel lady could come waltzing intotheir lives. If she was a good cook, Kip would fall head over heels and gochasing her through the trees, then settle down in a nest of his own, withfreckle-faced babies with names like Willow, Birch, and Rowan.
He asked, “Are you sure?”
“Sure, I’m sure. Our arrangement suits me. If I still livedover the bakery, you gotta know my mom would lovingly haul my fluffy tail toall sorts of marriage meetings.Notmy idea of fun.” Kip offered aprosaic shrug. “There’s no avoiding the usual festival matchmaking, but I’m achamp at hide-and-seek and hard-to-get.”
Ash’s head and heart and hands were full of Tami, whose pullon him was impossible to ignore. He wanted her in ways he couldn’t fully understand,but he also wanted Kip to be happy. After everything Kip had done to give Ash anest of his own, he struggled against the possibility of parting ways.
“Geez, you’re hopeless.” Kip kissed his forehead. “Stopfretting. I’ll be here for as long as you need me. Same as always.”
She opened her eyes to the barrenwhiteness of an unfamiliar ceiling and florescent lighting. Random factsskittered through her thoughts, failing to make sense. Joe was unhappy aboutsomething. Melissa was a reaver. Biddie was a tree. Her feet were cold. Wardswould keep the children safe. Was she late for work?
Someone was holding her hand.
Turning her head, Tami winced. There was a tender spot onthe back of her head. But the room was making more sense now. She couldremember driving in. This was the nurse’s office at school. And the one holdingher hand was Ash. He knelt beside the bed, watching her face with big, mournfuleyes.
She gave his hand a little squeeze. “Hello.”
“Hey. You okay?”
“Never better,” she said wryly.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Not your fault. I was running in the halls.” She laughed alittle. “I feel foolish.”
“Don’t.”
Tami couldn’t think of a thing to say, not when Ash was soclose and still clinging to her hand. If her head wasn’t throbbing, she mighthave appreciated the romantic potential of the situation. “Ow.”
He stiffened. “Do you need anything. Aspirin or …something?”
“Yes, please.” She propped herself up on her elbows.
Ash took no time at all bringing a paper cup of water and asingle dose in a sealed packet. Handing her the former, he tore open thelatter. But instead of putting the two white tablets in her waiting hand, helightly touched one to her lower lip.
