Chapter 39
There was a knock on the front door before it opened, and Brooke’s voice said, “Cece? You home?”
“In the kitchen,” Cece called.
She smiled at Brooke as she walked into the room, carrying a plant with pretty pink splattered green leaves. “They had the cutest plants at the Co-op, and I know grocery store plants are probably not the greatest, but… whoa.”
Brooke stared at the women gathered around the kitchen island. “Is there a party I don’t know about?”
Her mother laughed. “No, darling. More like an impromptu gathering.”
Brooke slid into an empty seat, setting the plant on the island. She smiled at the pretty Black woman sitting beside her. “Hey, Imani. Your braids are looking fantastic.”
“Thanks, Brooke. I went to Fairbanks yesterday and got them done.” She studied the plant in front of them. “That’s a really cute plant. What is it?”
“No idea,” Brooke said, glancing at Cece. “Cece?”
“It’s a polka dot plant,” Cece said.
She picked up the plant, and when the leaves vibrated lightly before turning toward her, Brooke said, “Man, I will never get over how cool that is.”
“It’s very cool,” Imani said. “Does that happen to all green witches, Cece?”
“It depends on how powerful their magic is,” Cece said.
“Yours must be pretty powerful,” Mari said as she studied the plants that Brooke had brought Cece last week.
They were already starting to climb the walls, and their leaves and vines were lush and vibrant-looking.
“Earlier, some of the vines were actually curling around her arms while she was making coffee.”
“Oh, that is so cool,” Brooke said.
Cece busied herself misting the polka-dot plant with water before setting it on the counter with the others. Her magic was particularly strong today because she and Briggs had spent most of the morning fucking in his spectacularly giant bed.
She smiled to herself. She’d been sleeping in Briggs’s bed for a week now, and she was certain she could never go back to sleeping in a normal-sized bed again.
She wondered idly if she could buy a bed like Briggs’s back in Ashdale or if they’d have to have it custom-made. Probably custom-made. Not many -
“Cece?”
She turned around, smiling at the blonde woman sitting next to Mari. “Sorry, Anna. What did you say?”
Anna waved her phone at her. “I’m just texting with Rosalie, and she said to remind you her African Violet plant is looking terrible again, and she needs you home asap.”
Cece laughed. “She texted me a picture of it last night. It’s lost a few leaves, but it’s not as bad as she thinks.”
“My boy’s mate is wonderful, but plant care is not one of her strengths,” Anna said with a smile.
Cece grinned at her before sliding into her seat beside Brooke. She had met Hudson’s parents the third day she’d been in Wellington, and she’d liked them instantly. Anna, in particular, was warm and kind, and she made no secret of how much she loved Rosalie.
“Where’s Briggs?” Brooke asked.
“He went for a river swim,” Cece said. “He should be home soon, though. He’s usually only gone for -”
The door opened and slammed shut, and Cece’s magic flared when Briggs walked into the kitchen. He studied the women in the kitchen without surprise before leaning over and kissing Cece. “Hello, my mate.”
She inhaled deeply. Briggs smelled like snow and river water and crisp pine trees, and her magic flared again, a delicious flicker of power and pleasure that she would never tire of.
“Hi, honey. How was your swim?”
“Good.” He walked to the counter and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl. “Hey, everyone.”
“Hi, my darling,” Mari said.
He bit into the apple, and Cece could hear Imani’s soft gasp when the vines slithered across the counter to wrap around his arms and slide across his shoulders. They caressed his chest with soft strokes as the women in the room watched in fascination.
Blushing a little, Cece waved her hand, and the vines retreated. “Sorry, honey.”
He just shrugged and ate another bite of his apple as Anna’s phone buzzed. She stared down at the screen before standing. “I need to go. Charlene’s gone into labour, and I need to meet her at the medi-center. Imani, I can drop you off at home on the way if you’d like?”
“Oh, that would be great. Thanks, Anna.” Imani stood and hugged Cece. “Are we still on for coffee on Thursday, Cece?”
“We are,” she said. “I’ll see you then.” She had met Imani on her second day in Wellington, and they’d become fast friends. She’d had coffee with Imani twice since then and enjoyed both coffee dates.
The two of them left, and Mari checked her phone before nudging Brooke. “My darling, come back to the house with me for a minute, would you? I need your help fixing my Instagram. I’ve locked myself out.”
“Again?” Brooke said.
Mari laughed. “You know I’m terrible at technology. Which is why it’s perfect that my daughter works in IT.”
Brooke followed her mother toward the door. “I never thought my degree would be used so much on my mother’s social media habit.”
“The world works in mysterious ways, Brookie,” Mari said before she blew a kiss to Briggs and Cece. “Goodbye, my darlings. Cece, I’ll pick you up tomorrow at nine.”
“See you then, Mari. Thank you for the plant, Brooke,” Cece said.
“You’re welcome. We’re still on for tonight, right?”
“Yes,” Cece said. “I’ll have Briggs drop me off at your place after dinner.”
The two women left, and Briggs slid his arms around her waist, tugging her back against him before nuzzling her neck. She shivered at the boost of magic and rubbed his forearms in slow circles. “Hi there.”
“Hey, beautiful. Why am I taking you to my sister’s after we have dinner with the Markinsons?”
“Some last-minute anniversary party planning. With the party this weekend, Brooke is starting to panic a bit about how we’ll get all the decorations finished since we don’t get the hall until three o’clock.
She, Leigh, and I are making a spreadsheet of what needs to be done and assigning individual jobs.
So expect lots of bossing around that day. ”
Briggs laughed. “It’s Brooke, of course there will be bossing around.”
She squeezed his forearm and arched her back when Briggs cupped her breast gently. “And tomorrow at nine?”
“Your mom has convinced me to try yoga.”
He chuckled and kissed her neck. “My mate, you know that you can say no to her and to my sister, right?”
She turned and looped her arms around his neck. “I know. I don’t want to say no. I love spending time with them.”
He studied her before brushing a strand of her hair back from her face. “Thank you for being so kind to my family.”
“It’s easy to be kind to them when they’re so wonderful,” she said. “I mean that, Briggs. I’ve been so lonely and sad, and being here with you and your family… it’s made all the difference. I still miss my aunt and I always will, but for the first time since she died, I feel like I’m not alone.”
“You aren’t,” he said fiercely, holding her close and pressing a kiss against her mouth. “You’ll never be alone again, my mate.”
“I know,” she said.
He studied her, apprehension crossing his face again.
“What?” she asked.
“Has it been too much that most of the town has wanted to meet you?” he asked. “Humans are still a novelty here.”
“Not at all,” she said.
“Are you sure? We’ve been having dinner with someone new nearly every evening since you got here.”
“I like it,” she said. “I like the community, I like Wellington, and I love your home and being here with you. I’m happy, honey. I promise.”
She kissed him again, the sweetness soon turning to a heated urgency that made her want to take Briggs upstairs to that perfect bed of his.
As if he’d read her mind, Briggs picked her up, making her squeal with surprise before she hooked her legs around his waist. He palmed her ass, squeezing it lightly as he headed toward the stairs.
“We’re having dinner with the Markinsons, remember?” she said.
“I remember,” he said. “But not for an hour. That gives me more than enough time to eat your pussy.”
“Opting for dessert first tonight, I see,” she said.
He laughed and squeezed her ass again. “I love you, my mate.”
“I love you, Briggs.”
“Did you like the Markinsons?” Briggs asked as he lifted Cece out of the truck. He shut the door and took her hand, leading her through the garage toward the side door.
“I did,” Cece said. “It did get a little awkward when Mrs. Markinson asked me where I found such bright green contacts. I don’t even know how she knew my eyes are normally brown.”
He shrugged. “I told you, everyone knows everything in Wellington.”
“Not everything,” she said with a saucy grin as she followed him into the house. “Otherwise, she’d have known my eyes were green because we fucked so much today.”
He laughed as Cece gave him a cat-like grin of satisfaction before waving her hand in the air. Glittery green light flowed from her fingertips, and she hummed happily to herself.
“You’re doing really well at controlling the magic, my mate,” Briggs said.
“I am, aren’t I?” Cece gave him a gleeful grin. “I even blocked out the sound of the trees calling to me yesterday morning when we went for our walk. The river was harder to block, but -”
“The river calls to you?” he asked.
She nodded. “I actually think it’s more the plant life in the river, though, you know?”
“Weird,” he said.
“I’m not weird. You’re weird.” She burst into giggles, and he couldn’t help but laugh. He hadn’t seen his mate this happy and relaxed before, and he would do anything to keep her this way.
“You know, you shouldn’t have looked so happy when Brooke cancelled for tonight,” Cece said as they stopped at the front closet. “Especially since she cancelled because a client is having a technology crisis.”
“Yes, yes, such a shame. Get upstairs and get naked.” Briggs kissed her, loving both the taste of her mouth and the hit of magic it gave him.
She shrugged out of her jacket, handing it to him before staring cheekily at him. “Mrs. Markinson made a tasty meatloaf, and I’m pretty full from dinner. I’m not sure I’m up for a sex workout.”