Chapter 7 Bruno
brUNO
While he was killing the last few minutes before he had to pick up Gil, Bruno flipped through the houses that Clarice had printed for him, lingering over each one, waiting for a sizzle of instinct or a flow of rightness.
He liked the places she’d added to his choices, but none of them suggested an unmistakable yes, or now.
Magic could be a very useful tool, or completely unhelpful, and it was clearly the latter now.
Don’t rely on unreliable tools, Bruno reminded himself. Something had led him into that office at that moment, but maybe it wasn’t a place he was looking for. Maybe it was a person.
Bruno waited for defensive prickles that didn’t come. Was he actually ready for a new relationship? He recognized his own baggage and knew he’d been keeping people—particularly romantic prospects—at arm’s length. What was it about Clarice that undermined that armor?
She seemed easy-going enough, with a ready smile and a self-conscious blush.
But she’d also been trying to sell property to him, which would make anyone more agreeable.
She hadn’t been pushy, but he guessed she was a people-pleaser by nature.
Had her little slip about the property value been sincere, or was it a deliberate act to lower his defenses?
You’re overthinking this, his armadillo scolded. She’s nice and we can trust her. She brought back our pup.
His armadillo was probably right. Bruno tended to overthink everything.
Still, he couldn’t help but ask Alan about her when he came to get Gil, “Do you know anything about Veronica Chase’s assistant? Clarice?” He liked the way her name sounded in his mouth.
Alan handed him Gil’s paper lunch bag (Bruno hadn’t replaced the damaged lunch box yet) as Gil scrambled over the gate without opening it and ended up on his face on the floor. “I’M OKAY!”
“I know a bit,” Alan admitted. Neither of them made a move to help Gil up, and when he realized that, he scrambled to his feet and went to find his boots.
“A secret agent bit, or an I’m buying a house from her bit?” Bruno asked, keeping an eye on Gil.
Alan chuckled. “A little from column A and a little from column B.”
“And?” Bruno pried.
“No alarm bells. She seems really sweet, and has done a very capable job closing for me and Kendra.”
No alarm bells. That was always a good sign from a shifter, but was it enough?
“Why do you ask? Are you house hunting?” It was an innocuous question, but Bruno saw the mischievous twinkle in Alan’s eyes. “Or are you hunting for something else entirely?”
“I’m not sure,” Bruno said honestly. “Instinct said I should stop by the realty office today.”
“And?”
“I FOUND MY BOOTS!” Gil held them up to prove it.
“Great, will you put them on, please?”
“And?” Alan insisted.
Bruno shrugged. “I don’t know. She works for Veronica Chase. I just wondered if she was as…”
Alan nodded his understanding. “As self-centered? As cold-hearted?”
That was better than the words Bruno had been thinking of. “As dangerous.”
“It’s hard to think of Clarice in the same category as Veronica,” Alan said.
One of the toddlers, Shane, was tugging on his pants and he bent to pick him up and bounce him easily in his arms. Bruno almost missed the days that Gil was so easy to lift and willing to be held. “She certainly seems nice enough.”
“Veronica can turn on the charm, too,” Bruno reminded him. But Clarice’s charm had felt much more genuine.
“I’m not sure what you’re looking for here,” Alan said frankly.
“I like her. There are no red flags in her file. As far as we can tell, she’s just a junior realtor with an uncomplicated history and a problematic employer.
Your own instincts will tell you more than I can about whether or not you’d suit each other. Take her out and see, if you want!”
Bruno wondered if he had been fishing too hard for the answer he wanted. “I might.”
Vivian, Tara and Shane’s mother, came in then, and Bruno nodded his thanks to Alan as Tara and Franzi came galloping (on two legs) to the gate.
“We painted Christmas ornaments!” Franzi announced. “Tara’s is nicer!”
“I only did one,” Tara said quietly.
“I did SIX!”
“I ATE SIX ORANGES!” Gil interjected.
“That’s great, Gil. Please put your boots on.”
“We’ll see you at swimming tonight?” Vivian asked Bruno, as she zipped Tara’s coat. “I’ve been too afraid to take the kids to public lessons. If they got scared and shifted, I wouldn’t have any warning.”
“It’s a big risk, for sure,” Bruno said, carefully neutral.
He liked Vivian and thought they might be friends, but he had counseled her after her husband died and he didn’t want to confuse professional and personal relationships, even if she was no longer having sessions with him.
It had stopped him from offering to bring Tara to Tiny Paws after kindergarten and save her a trip, even though it would save her having to leave work in the middle of the day.
“It was very nice of your friend to give us this opportunity.” Being careful made him sound like the most boring person in the world.
Did Clarice think he was boring? Why could he not get her out of his head?
“I think she’s happy to have a little under-the-table cash before Christmas,” Vivian said candidly.
“MY BOOTS ARE ON THE WRONG FEET!” Gil announced cheerfully.
Vivian left with Shane and Tara while Bruno was still sorting Gil’s boots onto the correct feet and he felt a pang of guilt. It was easy to isolate himself in the name of professionalism, but how much of it was just to protect himself?
Would he ever be ready to unroll for someone?