Chapter 25
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Ihadn’t seen Caelan in two days, but boy were the rumors flying around town. Business had dropped in the shop, which was unusual due to the time of year, but I didn’t think much of it until I overheard some people talking in Marnie’s diner.
“He’s got that new girl living in the Keep. From what I hear, he dumped the florist.”
I was sitting toward the back of the diner eating a bowl of tomato bisque with addictive garlic croutons I couldn’t stop shoveling into my mouth when I heard the whispers. My hearing was far better than average, but the two women weren’t keeping their voices down.
Small towns and their gossip mills. I shifted a little more so if one of them looked up they wouldn’t immediately know it was me. I didn’t recognize them, but thanks to Caelan and all the events the shop did, most people in town knew who I was.
“Things between them have been a bit rocky for a while, haven’t they?”
The other woman sighed. “He could have any woman he wants. I wonder why he settled for a florist.”
The soup soured in my stomach. I should stop listening. I should put down my spoon, get my purse, and walk out—pretend I’d heard nothing at all. Ignorance was bliss after all.
“I heard she has more magic than Caelan. Someone told me she has fae blood.”
My spoon froze halfway to my lips.
The soft gasp made me lean back and strain to hear the next whispers.
“Think she put him under a spell?”
A snort. “Not if he’s already involved with another woman.” The woman paused. “Foolish in hindsight, I suppose, when she could have bagged the Lord for good.”
I refused to believe Caelan had already replaced me. Just because we hadn’t spoken didn’t mean we were finished. Granted, I was the one who kicked him out of my house. Maybe I should be the one to reach out.
I wish I had the type of small magic that could tip her bowl over or make her nose grow. Maybe one day I would, but I had an issue with fine control on anything other than plant life. Dad said I’d get better with time, but even that seemed in short supply these days.
“Maybe the Lord is a cheater and that’s why she left,” the other woman whispered.
The other woman let out a wicked laugh. “Feasible. Have you seen that ass?”
Marnie happened to pass by at that second, her brow furrowing when she noticed my expression. Her ears must have caught the tail end of the women’s conversation.
Her expression turned to stone. She pivoted and went to their table, reaching for the cake in the middle of the table they were sharing.
At their squawk of outrage, Marnie leaned in. “I’ll have none of that vicious talk while you’re in my establishment. Not about Caelan and certainly not about Evie! This is your one and only warning. If I catch you again, you’ll be banned from the diner permanently, you understand?”
No one wanted to be banned from Marnie and Twila’s diner. The two hedgewitches had the best restaurant in the area. Their pastries were divine, their soups a work of art.
“We understand,” the women murmured. “Can we have our cake back?”
Marnie snorted. “You certainly may not! Gather your bags and skedaddle. You don’t deserve cake after letting your mouth lead you to dangerous waters, but I’ll process a refund for it back to your card.”
“Yes, Marnie,” one of them said. The women scooted out of their chairs and shrugged their jackets on before hurrying out of the restaurant.
Marnie watched them until the door closed then hurried over to my table, her shoulders slumping. “I’m sorry about that, Evie. People are awful sometimes.”
I swallowed the lump building in my throat. “It’s alright. Not your fault.”
Her blue eyes held sympathy. “Are you okay?”
According to the Joy Springs gossip network, I was either a sorceress or a terrible fiancée, and my handsome boyfriend had left me for greener pastures. I mustered up a smile. “I’m fine.”
Marnie snorted. “Sure you are, dear.” She sighed. “Hold that thought.” She bustled away, leaving me staring down at my bisque feeling sorry for myself.
A moment later someone set a giant slice of lemon cream cake in front of me and scurried away. I looked up to see Marnie at the counter waving. “On the house!” she called.
I waved back and pushed my soup away. If it was a battle between cake and soup, dessert won the day every time.
Especially today.
Against my better judgment, I went to the Keep and rang the doorbell.
The door jerked open a few seconds later, and a feminine hand jerked me inside. I squawked and stumbled.
“Hurry,” Simone hissed.
My feet twisted and tangled together. “Can you wait until I stand up at least?”
“No.” She dragged me into a side room and shut the door, holding me by the arm until I got my bearings.
I brushed the dirt off the knees of my pants. “Gods, Simone. What the hell is the matter with you?”
“There’s something wrong.” Her eyes were wild, her normally pristine hair standing up in places like she’d stuck her finger in a light socket.
She clenched her fists at her side, and her breathing was heavier than normal. I watched her pace the room, each step clipped and short, back and forth, back and forth.
“Simone?”
She spun to me. “When’s the last time you heard from him?”
“Umm. Two days.”
“See?” she hissed. “That’s insane! He’s obsessed with you!”
“I—um. Okay? It seemed unusual, which is why I’m here, but we had a fight.”
Her nostrils flared. “Again?”
“Yes,” I snapped. “Again. We’re working some things out.”
Her hand came down in a slashing motion. “Doesn’t matter. Even when he’s pissed at you, he’s obsessed with you. He’s been fine, Evie. Something is very, very wrong.”
I blinked at her. “He’s fine?”
“Yes. He gets up. He eats. He goes to his meetings. Caelan laughs and smiles and jokes. Everything looks normal, but he’s not normal. He’s forgetting things. Important things.”
I stared at Simone for a long moment. “Do you need to sit down?”
“Are you listening to what I’m telling you?” She scraped a hand through her hair and glared at me.
“I am. But I think your head might explode if you don’t take a beat.”
We stared at each other before Simone let out an explosive sigh and sank into a leather chair. Her eyes fluttered shut and a deep sigh racked her body.
“Alright.” I took a seat closer to the door. “What you’re saying is everything is normal with Caelan but it’s…not normal?”
One eye cracked open. “I’m not crazy.”
“You are the least crazy person I know,” I assured her. “Tell me what’s not normal about his behavior.”
“That bitch is here and he has yet to follow up on the reason why. He was supposed to call her father days ago and he still hasn’t done it.”
I nodded. “Okay. Can you do it?”
Simone stared at me like I had a third head. “No. I cannot contact a Shifter Lord in Europe and question him about his heir.”
Her voice practically dripped acid.
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing at her affronted tone. “Fine. Protocol, I guess?”
“The Lords live and die by their protocols.”
“You could have fooled me,” I muttered. They’d violated their supposed protocols every time one of them came after me and no one seemed to care.
Simone let her eyes drift shut again. “This is not about you, Evie. Let’s stay on track.”
Had I walked into an alternate universe? “Fine. Caelan didn’t call Rachel’s father. That is unusual, but is it so weird that you feel like you need to spiral about it?”
“No one needs to spiral. It just happens. But this? It’s weird. Rachel randomly showed up and he isn’t the least bit suspicious about her motives?” She shook her head. “Something is rotten in Joy Springs.”
“Alright. Fair enough. What else?”
She cracked open an eye. “He’s not out stalking you. No texts, no calls, and he’s not at the Keep waiting for you to throw yourself on his mercy.”
I huffed. “As if I would ever do that.”
One of her eyebrows rose.
“Fine. I might be here, but the rest is an exaggeration.”
“Whatever,” Simone said with a slight smile. She bent over and plopped her face in her hands. “I’m telling you, something isn’t right.”
“Want me to talk to him?”
“I’ve already tried. He insists everything is fine.” She frowned. “What kills me is he sounds so reasonable, and I walk away feeling like I’m the crazy one.”
“Is he in his study?” I wanted to talk to him, anyway, so I might as well kill two birds with one stone.
Simone swallowed and said nothing for a long moment. “No.”
“Okay,” I said slowly. “Where’s he at? I usually call first, but I wanted to surprise him.”
Simone wouldn’t meet my eyes. “He’s not in the Keep.”
My stomach twisted, but I didn’t overreact. “Oh? Do you know where he is?”
Simone sighed.
I knew where he was, and the thought sent a crack through my already wounded heart. “He’s with Rachel, isn’t he?”
She didn’t have to nod. Her face told me everything I needed to know. “I told him it was a bad idea.”
“But he did it anyway?”
She nodded. “He said it was good for European relations.”
I swore I wouldn’t jump to conclusions, but Caelan was making it extremely difficult for me not to want to stab him with a rose bush limb. Maybe he felt the same way about me.
Aaaargh.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and sent him a message. “What restaurant?”
Simone chewed on her thumbnail and watched me carefully. “If I tell you, you cannot cause a scene.”
“I think I’m more mature than losing my shit in public if my fiancé suddenly decided he doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”
Her eyes narrowed. I laughed at her expression. “Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a scout, were you?”
“No, but I promise. I’m well aware of Caelan’s position in this town, and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his reputation in the eyes of the townspeople.”
Simone was still reluctant, but she rattled off the name of the restaurant.
Slightly sick when she told me the name, I struggled to speak. The place was new to town, and I mentioned I wanted to go a few weeks ago. Caelan said he didn’t have the time yet, but he’d take me soon. “Alright.”
I glanced down at my phone. Nothing. “I’ll head over now and see if he’s still with her.”
Simone’s face turned sober. “Evie.”
Annoyance heated my blood. “I already told you I won’t do anything crazy. You don’t need to tell me again.”
“It’s not that.” She reached over and took one of my hands. “Don’t jump to conclusions. Okay?”
It was a little too late, but I was doing my best not to lose it and drown myself in a vat of ice cream. “I’ll see what’s going on with my own eyes and take it from there, okay?”
“He loves you,” she insisted. “More than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“The feeling is the same.” I extricated my hand and left the Keep.
I had an errant fiancé to find.