21. Chapter 21
Chapter 21
S tone waited until Sophie was asleep before pulling out his laptop and digging into Oliver’s background. The dim light from the screen cast shadows in the living room, mirroring the unease in his heart. It didn’t take much effort to discover that Oliver had recently been on a couple of dates with a supermodel during fashion week.
Other than that, his profile was low. He’d lost his wife and unborn child due to pregnancy complications three years ago. Stone’s fingers paused over the keyboard, a pang of unexpected sympathy piercing through his professional detachment. He could only imagine the weight of that kind of loss, the void that would never fully close. Was that why Oliver was open to the adventure Sophie had tossed his way? Had he come out of his tragedy with a lesson learned—one that proved life was fleeting, and a person should embrace the now instead of waiting for the later? The same lesson Sophie had learned from the loss of her parents?
In complete contrast, Stone had taken a stab at love once, had been burned, and shut his heart down forever.
Which of them had the right approach?
He continued reading.
Oliver had inherited the bookstore from his grandfather. He was an only child. He volunteered in a half-dozen organizations, one of which was where he and the supermodel had met. Stone rubbed his jawline. As much as he wanted to dislike Oliver, he couldn’t ignore the man’s dedication to others, the genuine goodness that seemed to flow through every aspect of his life.
Stone leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. His emotions were a tangled mess of jealousy, admiration, and a strange sense of begrudging respect. The man he wanted to see as a rival was becoming increasingly complex, challenging the simple narrative Stone had constructed of cinnamon roll heroes to keep his own feelings in check.
Finding nothing alarming, he shifted his focus to the model. That’s where things got interesting. She had no prior arrests, but her name appeared in some posts accusing her of bullying the girlfriends of her male friends if she didn’t feel like they were good enough. If she’d felt the need to bully Sophie, did that mean Oliver had confessed to the supermodel he was interested in Sophie? And the woman had deemed Sophie not good enough?
In what world would Sophie be not good enough for any man? She was kind-hearted, optimistic, intelligent, and a hard worker. Cuter than any woman he’d ever known. And sexy as hell.
Stone’s jaw tightened. He sent the information to his brothers, demanding they dig deeper. No way was he letting some pretentious model dim Sophie’s brilliance. He was about to call it a night when his phone chirped. Clarabelle wanted to Facetime.
He accepted the call. “Hi, everything okay? It’s late for you.” He quietly let himself out onto the balcony, careful not to wake Sophie. The cool night air did little to soothe the fire in his chest, but seeing Clarabelle’s face brought a semblance of calm.
“Sorry. Couldn’t be helped. I’ve just gotten back from a meeting with the Grand High Enchanter of Fairy Affairs, Lady Seraphina, and I have fabulous news.”
“The who?” Stone frowned.
“The Grand High Enchanter of Fairy Affairs.”
“I’ve never heard you mention this person or this position in the Fairy Godmother organization.”
“That’s because Lady Seraphina took a ten-year leave of absence. But she’s back, and she summoned me to her chambers.”
He shrugged. Who was he to question the ways of the Fairy Godmother world? “Why were you summoned?”
“Zuberi, the wizard we sent your broken wand to, reported the incident to her. They are apparently lovers and are into kink.”
Stone closed his eyes. Nope. He wasn’t touching that one. “And why would Lady Seraphina care about my broken wand?”
Clarabelle tittered. “Because that’s part of her job duties.”
“And they are?”
“There are lots, but the one I’m calling about is she manages magical resources. And the news that yours was broken due to a bullet alarmed her. So, she sent for me, since I’m the one who trained you in the proper maintenance and protection of your wand.”
“Did you get reprimanded because of my momentary lack of concentration?”
“That’s not the point. The point is, after I explained what happened, I then proceeded to share with her the glitches you’ve been having with your magic, and how Sophie appears to make them worse. And then, I told her of my theory that she may be magical and that your magic from your wand is now inside of you and you don’t want to fall in love and… Well, that about sums it up.”
“Mom, what did she say? Have you been instructed to retrieve my wand and strip me of my title?”
“On the contrary, she gave me a spell to use on you. It will temporarily resolve your glitching. Actually, it will permanently resolve the matter unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless the two of you are meant to be.”
“Why would it have that caveat?” Stone asked, sensing Clarabelle wasn’t telling him everything.
“Because I asked her to.”
He sighed. “I’d ask why, but I know why.” He shook his head, trying to push down the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. “Go ahead, cast the spell. We’ll let the hearts fall where they fall.” The words slipped out easily. As if his heart had taken control and made a demand decision without bothering to confer with his brain.
He opened his mouth to retract but shut it. What if Sophie was the person he was meant to be with? Did he really want to turn his back on all that implied? Out of fear? Without exploring options? If a damn cinnamon roll hero could be brave enough to search for love after a loss, couldn’t Stone at least be brave enough to keep his options open?
“That’s my boy. I knew I hadn’t raised a man afraid to feel. You’ll see. Everything will turn out in a way that will be perfect.”
Stone glanced back toward the house, where Sophie slept peacefully. Despite his reluctance to admit it, the thought of her had a way of sneaking into his decisions, making him wonder what it would be like to let his guard down, even just a little.