Chapter 9
Wednesday after his shift, Venice picked up Tessa at the bookstore when she was done for the day.
They’d both worked a later shift, so the sun had set, and he’d been looking forward to their evening ahead.
He greeted Kinsley and scratched her cat familiar, Nysa, behind the ears as the cat sat on the counter.
“Where are you two headed?” Lyra asked as she scanned a book’s barcode for a customer, handing it to Kinsley to bag.
“Brody and Delaney’s for dinner,” he said.
“Have fun! And see you tomorrow, Tessa.”
“Sure thing,” she said.
They walked out of the bookstore, and Venice noticed she grabbed a paper sack and tucked it in the crook of her arm.
He opened the passenger door of his truck for her and said, “Is that an antique or something?”
“No,” she said. “I picked up something at lunch for Delaney.”
He got behind the wheel and started the engine. “That’s nice.”
“Well, I think it’s good manners to bring a hostess gift, but also I want your friends to like me.”
“They’ll love you, I promise.”
He pulled in behind the center and got out, coming around to open Tessa’s door. She took his hand, and they walked inside.
“Hello,” he called.
“We’re in the office, hold on, we’ll be right out,” Brody called.
“So this is where they keep the familiars available for adoption,” Venice said, gesturing to the row of large kennels. The doors of the kennels were open, and one of the cats was lounging on the chair at the desk, but the others, and Kenny the raccoon, weren’t visible.
“Familiars, huh?” Tessa asked.
Delaney strode from the office with Brody. “Yep! We have three cats, an owl who is hanging out in the trees right now since the sun has set, and a raccoon for adoption. But only witches and warlocks can adopt familiars, and the familiar has to choose the person who will become their master.”
“Oh wow, I didn’t realize the familiar got to choose,” Tessa said.
“Both the familiar and the witch or warlock recognize each other when they meet. It’s very cool to witness. I’m Delaney, one of the witches who own and operate the adoption center.”
She extended her hand, and Tessa shook it. “Nice to meet you. I’m Tessa.”
“How do you like living on the beach? That cottage is darling.”
“I love it. Falling asleep to the sound of the waves on the shore is so peaceful.”
“I agree,” Venice said, wiggling his brows at Tessa.
She grinned, her eyes dancing.
Brody introduced himself and shook Tessa’s hand. “We’ll have dinner in the house. Let’s head over.”
“Sounds good,” Venice said.
They followed the couple through the adoption center to the attached home that had been built after the couple had gotten together.
“Here,” she said, handing the paper bag to Delaney when they reached the kitchen. “Since I’m not much of a drinker, I would have no idea what kind of wine would be good to bring, but I was out for lunch today and stopped at a roadside stand and thought this would be perfect.”
“What is it, babe?” Brody asked as Delaney lifted a glass jar tied with twine and ribbon out of the bag.
“Oh, it’s honey!”
“Wildflower,” Tessa said. “The woman said it’s from a local beekeeper.”
“That’s so cool, thank you so much,” Delaney said, giving Tessa a hug.
Venice watched Tessa’s face as they hugged, and he saw the moment that she felt it—belonging. Her smile grew softer, more real, and he knew that this wasn’t just a dinner with his friends. It was the beginning of Tessa finding a place in his world.
“You’re welcome,” Tessa said.
“Now that you’re here, I’ll get the steaks on,” Brody said. “How do you like yours, Tessa?”
“Medium is good.”
“I’ll help,” Venice said. “I don’t want you overcooking mine.”
“I only did that once.”
“Yeah, once, and I had to cut it with a chainsaw.”
He winked at Tessa and followed Brody out onto the back patio, leaving Delaney and Tessa in the kitchen to get to know each other.
“How’s it going?” Brody asked as he turned on the gas grill.
“Awesome,” Venice said. “She’s amazing. I’m so damn lucky to have met her.”
“I’m happy for you,” he said.
When the grill was heated, Brody set the steaks on the grate and turned to face Venice. “So do you know what brought her here?”
“Not really. She hasn’t told me much about her past. I know she doesn’t have any family left, and while she’s kind of hinted about a heartbreak that sent her off somewhere new, she hasn’t given me any details.”
“Hmm. Do you think it’s bad? Is she in danger?”
“I don’t think it’s anything like that. She’s just not ready to tell me that part of her past yet, and that’s okay. We’re still taking things a day at a time.”
“I’m sure she’ll tell you when she’s ready.”
While his feelings for her were deepening every day, and he could feel that she was growing closer to him too, he knew that things were still new between them. He had no right to know everything about her right off the bat, and he was looking forward to getting to know her on her terms.
“I’m glad you brought her here,” Brody said, flipping the steaks. “You’re like a brother to me, and I want my mate and yours to be like family too.”
Venice looked through the open back door to the kitchen, where the two females were laughing and smiling. “I think we’re well on the way to that.”
Brody looked over his shoulder and grinned. “Thick as thieves already, it seems.”
When the steaks were done, they joined the females at the table. Venice grabbed the side dishes while Brody filled everyone’s glasses with iced tea.
Venice took a seat next to Tessa and said, “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until the steaks hit the grill.”
“Me either,” she said.
Brody lifted his glass. “I’d like to propose a toast.”
They all lifted their glasses. He continued, “To good friends who are like family, and to new beginnings.”
They clinked their glasses together, and Venice leaned over and brushed his lips against Tessa’s. “To new beginnings.”
“To us,” she said, quietly.
As the meal continued, with Tessa and Delaney talking about the bookstore, and Brody and Venice rehashing some issues they’d had at an empty warehouse with vandals, he marveled at how normal the whole scene was.
He’d longed for this and hadn’t even really known what he was missing. He’d had dinner countless times with Brody and Delaney, but it had never been like this. Never so sweet and warm, so accepting and loving.
When the meal was finished, and they said goodbye, Venice asked Tessa if she’d like to see his place.
“Yes, definitely,” she said.
He drove to the other side of town to the small house he rented. The owner lived next door, an older male who lived alone and kept busy in his garage tinkering with an old car he was attempting to restore.
“This is nice,” she said when they walked up the sidewalk to the red front door. “Do you own it?”
“Nope, I rent from the guy next door.” He opened the door and let her in, then closed it behind them. “I’m not much for knick-knacks,” he said, looking around the family room that was pretty bare save for the couch and TV that had been there when he’d moved in.
She turned in a slow circle and then stopped to look at him. “This isn’t home.”
His brows rose. “What do you mean?”
“You haven’t decorated it because it doesn’t feel like home.”
Something tightened in his chest. “Yeah.”
“It’s been six years,” she pointed out.
He hummed, noncommittally.
She moved close, her sweet scent enveloping him. “Sable Cove felt like home when I came here, and I’m convinced that it’s because you’re here. So where does it feel like home for you, Venice?”
“Truth?” he asked, his voice suddenly rough.
“Always.”
“The cottage with you.”
She smiled. “It feels like home to me when you’re there, too.” Then she took his hand and led him to the couch. “I want to tell you about why I came to Sable Cove.”
He sat next to her and put his arm on the back of the couch, resting his fingers on her shoulder. “I don’t want you to think that I didn’t want to know about your past, but I figured you would tell me when you were ready.”
“It was tempting to just tell you everything right away, but I still feel a little raw and weird about the whole situation. But,” she said, twisting her fingers together in her lap, “I want you to know about my past because we’re getting closer.
I’m…falling for you. And I don’t think it’s smart to start a new chapter of my life with the best guy I’ve ever known, while still keeping some part of me in the past.”
Damn, she always said the most incredible things to him. How had he survived this long without her? He pressed his lips to her temple. “I’m falling for you, too, Tessa.”
Her shoulders lifted as she inhaled deeply, and then she exhaled on a sigh.
“I went over to my then-boyfriend, Evan’s house, after work one day, and found him and my best friend Lila in bed together…”