Chapter 4
Chapter
Four
The next morning proved overcast and cooler than normal. I had several things I needed to do to get the shop ready to open, but today was a perfect day to curl up beside the fire and read. Doing that sounded way better than going into the store.
Maybe I could go in and work half the day, then spend the rest of the day rotting on the couch.
I shrugged on my heavy cashmere cardigan and took my coffee to the backyard.
Squirrels chased each other through the trees, shaking spring blossoms from the limbs, sending them floating down into a shower of fragrant color.
There was no yard here at the cottage, only Rowan’s expansive land as far as the eye could see.
My claim would remain for as long as it took for the spell to diminish, something Moira and I were working on.
When Tess and Moira burst into the Lord’s meeting, Moira never got the chance to tell me the origins of the spell, something she found out when she made a brief return to Joy Springs.
Everyone was too distracted with the screaming banshee to worry about where the spell came from, but when we returned to Emberwood, Moira told us she was almost positive the spell came from Joy Springs.
Someone there had started the entire thing, more than likely working with one of the many gods and goddesses who enjoyed trying to screw up my life.
We were relatively positive Caelan had nothing to do with it since both he and his land had become infected, but we weren’t ruling anything out.
The sound of soft footsteps revealed Rowan coming around the corner, holding his own coffee. His eyes crinkled at the edges.
“You’re up early.” He took the seat beside me, the scent of pine and wild things following him.
Rowan dressed more casually here than when he was with the Lords, preferring jeans and pullover sweaters or athletic wear when he was indoors.
His shaggy brown hair was in worse disarray than usual, but his hazel eyes sparkled.
This morning, his green pullover was—I reached over and drew the material into my fingers, rubbing them together—a blend of cashmere and silk. Nice.
Rowan chuckled. “Does it please Your Highness?”
“Very much so.” I eyed him. “Do they make them for women? I’ve tried to find the cashmere silk blends and strike out a lot. Thrifting isn’t what it used to be.”
Rowan shook his head, amusement tipping his lips up. “Even with my new wardrobe of all natural fibers, you still make me feel like an environmental wretch sometimes.”
“Every little bit matters. I like the thrill of the hunt. If I really want something and can’t find something comparable at the thrift store, I’ll purchase new.
But things like cashmere and wool are usually plentiful in the secondhand market.
” I eyed his pullover. “I might make an exception for that, though.”
“I’ll text you the name of the shop later.”
“Thanks.” We sipped our coffee in silence for a little while.
I liked sitting with him like this. He had a steadiness that was uniquely Rowan.
The Lord lived in the moment, especially in the morning.
There was nothing out there so stressful that he couldn’t sit down and have a cup of coffee.
Most mornings, he drank that coffee with me.
“Are you heading into the shop this morning?”
I stretched my legs in front of me and wiggled my sock-clad toes. “I need to, but it’s such a wonderful, overcast day that lazing in front of the fire sounds amazing, too.”
Rowan grinned. “Bears like to laze, you know.”
“I know one bear who’s far too attached to that spot in front of his fireplace.”
“No regrets,” Rowan said. “It’s warm and cozy.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You could join me there sometime, if you wanted.”
“Hmm. Have you ever tried the spot in the cottage?”
Rowan tilted his head and thought about it. “Can’t say I have, but there’s no cozy rug in there to lie on.”
I snorted. “Says who? You haven’t been inside in a while.”
His eyebrows lifted. “If there’s a cozy rug one grizzly bear can avail himself of, he would be happy to give another fireplace a try.”
“Good. How about we meet for lunch here at one?”
“Done. I’ll have Hope move some meetings around.”
My heart did a little leap. “You don’t need to do that. We can always try again another day. I know how busy you must be.”
Rowan gave me a quelling look. “When a beautiful woman asks you to try out their rug, you try out their rug.” He laughed at my expression and picked up my hand to press a kiss against the back of my palm.
“Life is meant to be experienced as it comes. Plans have their place, and work is just work, Evie. If I have the chance to spend my time with you or people I care about, I will always choose them. Besides, the Lords have too many damn meetings anyway, and ninety percent of them are mostly so they can bluster about shit that doesn’t matter. ”
My palm tingled where his lips had touched me. “If you’re sure.”
“If you’re not here at one, I’ll break into the cottage and use the rug anyway, so make sure you’re here.”
I snorted. “It’s your cottage. You can come in anytime you want.”
He scooted his chair to the side so he could face me, his expression serious. “No. The cottage is on my land, but it is yours for as long as you choose to use it. I will not avail myself of the facilities.” His lips twitched. “But I will be here sitting on your porch, so you better be here.”
How did he always manage to say all the words I needed to hear? “I will,” I said softly.
“Good.” He took a sip of his coffee. “Hope needs to go into town this morning and offered to drive you, if you’re interested. She’s leaving at nine.”
My car was here, but Tess and Ash were using it for now. Neither would tell me what happened to theirs, and I had a terrible feeling whatever it was had to do with me. “That would be great. Ash is supposed to be looking at a car this week.”
Rowan’s jaw tightened. “Have him hold off. He and Tess will be receiving a check in the mail soon for the damages their vehicles sustained during Lugh’s reign of terror.”
“I knew it,” I whispered, guilt flooding me. “Neither one of them would tell me what happened.”
Rowan exhaled heavily. “Lugh had nothing to do with it. The check is coming from Caelan’s Keep. His shifters got a little overzealous in Rachel’s presence.”
My chest tightened at the mention of the woman’s name. She had a lot to do with what happened to me and Caelan, but so did Lugh. And so did Caelan. And if I really thought hard about things, I had a little bit to do with how things ended, too.
“I’m surprised mine wasn’t damaged.”
“Yours wasn’t downtown. The damage was localized. Either way, that never should have happened. I negotiated what I hope is more than a fair amount.” His lips twitched. “They should be able to purchase whatever they want, within reason.”
I reached over and took Rowan’s hand. “Thank you.”
He inclined his head. “Your people are my people now. I’d do the same for anyone.”
“Thank you anyway.” I sighed and tilted my head up to look at the cloudy sky. “I love the cottage, Rowan, but I was thinking I might need more room soon. Can you put me in touch with a realtor or direct me where to go downtown?”
He was silent for a long moment. “Of course.”
“I plan to stay for at least a few more months, but if you haven’t noticed, I have an indoor plant problem.”
He smiled. “You want a larger space, maybe a screened in porch?”
I nodded. “Maybe I could design something this time. I always wanted to have a place built around my power. Might be nice.” A tree growing through the middle of the floor would be cool, but I’d have to ask Dad about the logistics of something like that.
Rowan shifted, stretching his long legs before him. “We have a talented Pack architect living in the dorms. I’m happy to ask him to meet with you.”
“Gotta find the land first and figure out a budget. The shop wasn’t doing as much business over the last several months after everything happened.”
Rowan’s face darkened, but he held his tongue. “How about you build on my land?”
I blinked and stared at him. “You’ve already done so much for me.
As soon as we figure out who’s responsible for that spell and get rid of it, I’ll turn your land back over.
As much as I love being here and nurturing these woods, I need to have a space of my own.
Everything I do here affects you and your shifters.
” A chuckle slipped from my throat. “And you already have several females pregnant. Eventually, they’ll stop thanking me. ”
Rowan shook his head. “Shifters have trouble getting pregnant. Your presence remains a gift to them.” A sly grin curled his lips up. “Besides, they all have the ability to curb their urges, they just don’t want to.”
I snorted. “The Keep is going to be so cute in a year. There are going to be so many cheeks to squish.”
“Evie.” Rowan leaned forward. “Let’s work out a deal.
Even if you choose not to accept what is between us, you are good for this place.
My shifters love having a Floromancer around, and we’ve never had one as powerful as you.
My land is happy. I am happy. We can come up with a deal where you buy ten or more acres, and I can knock off some of the price if you agree to continue tending the territory once your claim is gone. ”
“And the mating bond?”
He laid a hand over his heart. “My hope is you accept the bond between us one day. But if you don’t, you will have to stop tending the land.
You’ll keep your piece of property and still live within the boundaries of my territory, but you won’t be able to come onto Keep land without the bond starting up again. ”
“I am not a cruel person, Rowan. And that sounds cruel. Losing your friendship will break my heart, but if I don’t accept the bond and choose to live here…
” Tears filled my eyes. “I wouldn’t do that to you.
I can’t say whether I’ll accept or not. I feel it here, every time you’re close and sometimes when you’re not.
” I touched that space in my chest where Rowan lived.
“But I’m not ready. We know there’s something between us, something good, but what happened before—” I cut myself off and took a moment to gather my thoughts.
“Caelan broke my heart a little at a time until the pieces lay in a mixed-up pile. I still haven’t figured out where all the pieces go yet.” To soften my words, I reached out and took his hand. “The work is slow, but it’s happening.”
He scooted his chair closer and touched my cheek.
“You’re doing the work. That’s all that matters.
” Rowan tapped his knee. “Let’s do this,” he said suddenly.
“Agree to stay in the cottage for six months. I’ll see about renovating to add a large, screened porch and another room for your plants.
” I opened my mouth to argue, but Rowan shook his head.
“The cottage is for Keep use. A screened-in porch is always popular with shifters, and an extra room can be turned into whatever a new tenant might want. Six months, Evie. Let’s see where we are then.
By then, things should be resolved with the spell, and you will have had time to deal with Caelan. ”
His offer was a good one. Much could happen in six months, and the extra time would allow me to figure out what was going on with this insane tug I kept feeling toward him. If this was a fae bond or something else…six months was enough time to make a plan.
His thumb traced the back of my palm, sending heat down my spine. Every time he touched me, I wanted to straddle his lap and run my fingers through his hair and—
Rowan’s eyebrow rose. “Evie?”
I cleared my throat and pulled away. “Six?” I asked, my voice a little too high-pitched.
A slow grin spread over his face. “Six months.”
I could do six months. “Agreed.”
He held out his hand. “Shake on it?”
“Are we businessmen making a backroom deal?”
Rowan waited. With a loud sigh, I shook his hand.
“Good. I’ll send Harry over tomorrow.”
“Harry?”
“The architect. He’ll sketch out the new areas for you.”
“I’d like to do something for you.”
Rowan shook his head and stood. “You breathed life back into the Keep, Evie. You’ve given my shifters gifts beyond their wildest dreams. The least I can do is make your living quarters a little more suited to your magic.
” He leaned over and tucked a piece of stray hair behind my ear.
“One p.m. You. Me. A warm fireplace and a rug.”
With a wink, he turned and walked away.