Chapter 10
Gunnar wasn’t averse to hard work or long days. They were part of any job. Today hadn’t been that long or that hard, and the issue with the teenagers was already forgotten. But spending the day with Blueberry had tried his patience in ways he hadn’t been aware his patience could be tried.
Not to mention, he’d gone without his afternoon protein bar thanks to that menace.
By the time he got home, he was ready to eat and relax.
And ignore the flying creature who’d made his day barely tolerable.
His home was his sanctuary but less so with an imp invader flying sorties through the rooms.
As soon as he got inside, he hung his hat on a peg by the door and went to work on dinner.
Which was going to be spaghetti with meat sauce and plenty of cheese, since he was no longer in the mood for pizza.
He’d have that tomorrow. He put a big pot of water on the stove, covered it, and turned the burner on high.
Blueberry flew over to see what he was doing. “What’s for dinner?”
“Spaghetti with meat sauce.”
“Is there sprinkle cheese? I love sprinkle cheese.”
Gunnar didn’t even look at him. “Yes.” He started for the bedroom. All he wanted was a hot shower, a big bowl of pasta, and to watch a few more episodes of Time Traveling Accountant. Followed by some kind of dessert.
He really hoped that wasn’t too much to wish for.
A few steps into the bedroom and he stopped. Should he wish for that? Or was the request for a peaceful night too easy for Blueberry to turn into something chaotic?
Gunnar shook his head. He was tired of trying to work these things out. He stripped down and got in the shower, making sure the door was locked behind him.
The hot water felt better than good, but he’d be quick since the pot was on the stove. He let the water run over his head for a second longer, then reached for the soap.
“You missed a spot.”
He startled, turning toward the sound of the voice. Blueberry sat on the shower bar, staring down at him. “Get. Out.”
“I can’t. You locked the door.”
Gunnar grabbed the showerhead, lifted it off the holder, and aimed the spray at Blueberry.
“Don’t you dar—” The imp disappeared in a cascade of water and sputtered curses.
Gunnar replaced the showerhead, rinsed off the soap, and grabbed the towel he’d hung over the end of the bar. He dried off, then wrapped the towel around his waist.
Still irritated, he whipped the curtain back.
Blueberry was standing on the shower mat, his wings damp and droopy, muttering under his breath.
Gunnar had no sympathy. “Do you know what the word privacy means?”
Blueberry glared up at him.
“I’ll take that as a no. You got what you deserved.” Gunnar grabbed a washcloth off the rack and tossed it to the imp. “Dry yourself off. You’ll live. You needed a bath anyway.”
He walked out of the bathroom, leaving the imp behind.
Steam rose from around the edge of the lid. He lifted it, added a good amount of salt and put the lid back. He got a box of spaghetti and a jar of sauce from the small pantry and set them on the counter, then went back to the bedroom to change.
He’d just zipped his jeans when someone knocked on his door.
He never used the front door, preferring to come and go by the back, which led straight into the kitchen. It was more convenient. But packages did get left there.
The front door had a small half-round window at the top, but he still couldn’t see who was outside. He opened it and found Mattie standing there with a cake in her hands.
She stared at him, eyes widening at the sight of his bare chest, then she blinked and made eye contact. “You look, um, busy. I should have—um, sorry. Hi.”
“Hi,” he said back, mildly amused at the color that had suddenly appeared in her cheeks. He rested his forearm on the doorframe and leaned closer, inhaling the delicious aroma surrounding her. Honey. And lots of it. His mouth watered. He swallowed. “What can I do for you?”
“I …” Her brow furrowed. She blew out a frustrated breath. “I have no idea.”
He straightened and pointed at the plate in her hands. “Does it have anything to do with the cake you’re holding?”
She glanced down. “Cake. Yes. Yes!” She looked at him again. “I thought I’d come over and give you some help with Blueberry. With keeping him happy, which will reduce his need to act up, and if you want it, offer my tips on making wishes.”
He nodded, really taking a look at her. She was a beautiful woman, no question about it. But he wasn’t interested in help with the imp or with the wishes he wasn’t going to be making. Having the imp in his house was complicated enough. He opened his mouth to explain that to her.
“Mattie!” Blueberry’s shriek of joy carried through the house like the whine of an incoming missile. He flew right to her, landing in a hug around her neck.
She shifted the cake to one hand, reached up with the other to touch him and made a face. “Why are you damp? What have you been up to?”
Blueberry shook his head. “The mean man sprayed me with a hose.”
Gunnar rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest. He really should have put a shirt on. “I did not spray him with a hose. I sprayed him with the showerhead for being a peeping Tom. I was in the shower at the time.”
Mattie pulled the imp off her neck to hold him in her palm. She gave him a stern look. “Blue, we talked about privacy.”
The imp’s pupils expanded, and he looked at her with what could only be described as puppy-dog eyes. Such a manipulator. “I didn’t know that was for everybody.”
She frowned at him, clearly not buying it. For that, Gunnar gave her points. “If you’re going to be a guest in someone’s house, you have to behave.”
Blueberry sighed and slumped onto her palm. “It’s so hard.”
“No, it’s not. Now act right. I mean it.”
Gunnar was starting to like Mattie more and more.
“Fine.” The imp breathed the word out as if it had taken every ounce of energy in him. He tipped his head at Gunnar. “Your water’s boiling.”
Gunnar muttered a curse and took off for the kitchen.
The water was indeed boiling. So rapidly it was jittering the lid. He turned the heat down a little, ripped the top off the box of spaghetti, and dumped it in.
Blueberry fluttered alongside him. “Told you.”
“Yeah, I see. Thanks.” He gave the pasta a stir, then set the lid off center so some of the steam could escape.
“Can we invite Mattie for dinner?”
“There’s no ‘we’ in this—” He turned to see that Mattie had followed the imp in.
She lifted the cake. “I just wanted to bring you this honey cake. It’s one of Blue’s favorites.”
Honey cake? So that’s what that was. He’d never had it before, but it was two of his favorite things in one, so how bad could it be? “That was nice of you.”
“I love honey cake,” Blue confirmed to Gunnar before flying off toward Mattie again. “Gunnar said you can stay for dinner.”
Gunnar inhaled. He had not said that.
Mattie smiled weakly. “No, he didn’t, Blue. Lying is also not being on your best behavior. You know that.”
“It’s okay,” Gunnar said. “Do you want to stay?” What had possessed him to ask that, he had no idea. But she’d gone to the trouble of making a cake. And she’d just chastised the imp for not acting right. He couldn’t very well say she wasn’t invited after that.
She studied him like she could read his thoughts. “Sure. Thanks. You need help with anything?”
“No, I’m good.”
Her brows arched ever so slightly. “You don’t want me to keep an eye on the pasta while you put a shirt on?”
He didn’t need to look down to remember he was still bare-chested. “Uh, yeah, that would be good.”
He slid past her to go do that, the imp giggling softly behind him.
“Blueberry,” Mattie hissed.
The imp stopped laughing.
Gunnar was impressed. Maybe having the witch around wasn’t so bad after all.