Chapter 40
Gideon set his duffel bag on the floor next to Sabrina’s couch. He’d never expected to be back at her house, let alone be spending the night. Her concern for him was deeply touching, more than he was willing to admit.
How easy it would be to fall in love with a woman like her. How incredible that imagined life seemed to him. He blinked and realized she was talking to him. “What was that?”
“I said I’ve got cake and ice cream left over. You want some?” she asked.
Korrie sped up and flew straight into the kitchen. “Yes!”
She shook her head at the sprite. “I know you want some. I was talking to Gideon.”
Despite his mood, Gideon laughed. “For breakfast?”
She shrugged. “It’s been a morning.”
He couldn’t argue that. “Sure, I’ll have some. You want some help?”
“I don’t need—actually, I’d love some. Thanks.”
He followed her into the kitchen, an unfamiliar warmth spreading through him. Something that could only be happiness. Or maybe its precursor. Either way, it was better than he’d felt at his house.
“Ice cream’s in the freezer.”
He went to the fridge and opened the freezer. Lots of frozen budget meals but not much else. She deserved better. Hopefully, that money from Amelia would help. He closed the freezer without getting the ice cream. “Would you rather go out to breakfast? My treat since I’m the guest.”
Korrie flew in between them. “Can we get pancakes?”
Gideon would have promised him dinosaur eggs if it got the sprite to let them go alone, but that wasn’t possible. “I don’t see why not.”
Sabrina already had the cake box in front of her. “Don’t you need to get your shop open? You’re already behind schedule.”
“It’s okay. One day won’t hurt.”
Her brows lifted half an inch, like he’d said something revolutionary. “All right. Let’s go get some breakfast. Where do you want to go?”
“I’ve heard good things about the Sunshine Diner. Ever been there?”
She closed the cake box. “Julia and I go there for dinner once in a while just to get a vitamin D fix. They have UV bulbs, you know. Anyway, I’ve heard good things about their breakfasts, too.”
It only took them a few minutes to get there, which made Gideon happy because Korrie talked nonstop during the drive, asking more questions about pancakes than Gideon knew existed.
They found a booth. Sabrina sat on one side with the sprite, Gideon on the other. A server approached them and handed out menus.
“Morning, folks. I’m Lola, and I’ll be taking care of you today. What can I get you to drink?”
“Water,” Sabrina said. “And do you have a kid’s size chocolate milk?”
Lola glanced at Korrin. “That for you, hun?”
He nodded.
“I’ll fix you up.” She turned to Gideon.
“Coffee.”
“You got it. Specials today are the Everything Omelet and we have Cookies and Cream pancakes. I’ll be right back with those drinks.”
Gideon already knew what Korrin would order. He shook his head as he read the menu. “See anything?”
“I think so,” Sabrina said. “Might splurge and get the peach pancakes. They sound so good.”
“Get whatever you want.” He almost added, money is no object, but he didn’t want to make her feel self-conscious.
She looked over her menu at him. “What are you getting?”
“Might do an omelet.”
Korrin flew around the side of Gideon’s menu. “I want those cookies and cream pancakes.”
Gideon barely suppressed a smile. “I had a feeling.”
Korrin flew in closer and tapped at an item on the menu. “But if you order that hungry man special, I could also have French toast.”
Gideon cut his eyes at the sprite. “You could have French toast? You mean the French toast that would come with my breakfast?”
Korrin had the nerve to make puppy dog eyes at him. “Only if you didn’t want it, of course.”
Gideon just stared at him, wondering what ploy he might try next. He wasn’t disappointed.
“Well …” Korrin said. “Having French toast might also mean I could help you find the book in the Enchanted Forest.”
Gideon dropped his menu. “Are you serious? Because that’s not something to joke about.”
“He’s right,” Sabrina said. “Can you really help us?”
Korrin shrugged, one side of his mouth bunched up in thought. “I won’t exactly know until I get there. I’ll have to talk to the animals. Look at the moss. See what the trees have to say. But I’ll try. I mean, I’ll do my absolute best.”
Sabrina looked a lot less happy than Gideon had expected as she addressed the sprite. “Do you mean that this is something you could have done anyway, but you weren’t going to help us unless you got something in return? After all we’ve done for you?”
Korrin seemed to realize he’d miscalculated. “No, no, no. I was always going to help you. I was just going to surprise you with it when we got there.” He hesitated. “But I also really want French toast.”
She looked at Gideon, eyes narrowed, mouth quirked to one side. He got the sense she was either going to laugh or reprimand the sprite. “What do you think?”
“I think a plate of French toast is a small price to pay. And if he doesn’t help, you can always sell that gear to the highest bidder. You never know what an on-demand sprite might go for.”
“Hey,” Korrin grumped. “I said I would help.”
Lola returned with their drinks. Korrin’s chocolate milk was in a lidded child’s cup with a straw. Gideon immediately doubled her tip.
She set the drinks down and tucked the tray under her arm. “You folks decide what you’d like to eat?”
Sabrina ordered the peach pancakes, Korrin got the cookies and cream, then Lola turned to Gideon. “And for you?”
“I’ll have the everything omelet.” Out of the corner of Gideon’s eye, he saw Korrin’s lower lip protrude in a pout. Gideon smiled up at Lola. “And can we get a side order of French toast?”
“You got it.” She gave him a nod, gathered the menus, and headed off to put their order in.
“Thank you,” Korrin said quietly.
“You’re welcome.” Gideon understood the sprite had a low opinion of him. Somewhat deserved, he imagined. He felt bad about that. Being kind was something he needed to get better at. “If you want something, all you have to do is ask.”
Korrin narrowed his eyes. “You mean that?”
Gideon glanced at Sabrina before answering. “I do.”
She reached across the table and took Gideon’s hand. “Thank you.” She held on to his hand. “So what do you think? Want to visit the Enchanted Forest tonight?”
The warmth of her fingers around his was a seductive thing. “Tonight? Isn’t that asking for extra trouble? Daytime would be safer. And we wouldn’t need flashlights.” Which in his case would probably fail anyway.
“That would mean waiting until Sunday. If you close on Sunday.”
“I don’t, but I could put up a sign.” He doubted he’d miss much business. And just yesterday he was planning on closing for good, so what did it matter? “It’s only a day away. What’s one more day?”
She smiled. “Then you’ll go? On Sunday?”
He hesitated. He did not want her to get hurt. But ridding himself of the curse would rewrite the course of his entire existence. “You promise you’ll be careful?”
“I swear.” Sabrina nodded. “I’ll even ask Julia if she wants to come with us. Safety in numbers and all that.”
He took a few breaths, thinking, doubting, knowing this might be his only chance. “Okay. Sunday it is.”