Chapter 13
13
S o this is weird.
Cass leans against the ice cream truck parked at Lakeside while he waits for Melinda to finish preparing their sundaes, watching JJ and Desi race along the shore. They’re at a bit of a distance, just enough that Cass needs to concentrate to maintain their glamours, but right now, he’s having some trouble focusing.
Namely, because JJ and Desi are playing tag.
He can’t figure out why that’s so distracting today. After all, he’s watched JJ sit down and play dragons with Desi, watched him toss her up into the air and catch her again, watched him lift her onto his shoulders and do squats just to make her laugh??—
Now, JJ is actively letting Desi win their game, slowing down ever so slightly whenever Desi starts to fall behind. The shoreline of Redwater’s small western lake is the perfect place to run around like this, the wide expanse of grass that houses the food trucks and picnic tables bleeding into a soft slope of sandy beach. JJ comically dances away whenever the waves get too close to his sneakers, and Desi breaks into a fit of giggles every time.
Cass likes watching them. He likes how Desi always peeks behind her to keep JJ in eyeshot while she’s racing away, and he likes how JJ gives their little game one hundred percent of his attention, and he especially likes how JJ smiles every time Desi dashes into view. There’s something very particular about JJ’s smiles when they’re directed at Desi, something soft and warm and overwhelmingly fond, and Cass can’t get enough of them.
Which is starting to become a huge problem, and one he really isn’t inclined to dwell on right now.
Or ever, hopefully.
Cass bites back a grimace. He knows something changed between them after Desi’s nightmare two days ago, of course. He could see it in the way JJ’s entire demeanor shifted afterward, the way his shoulders were the slightest bit more relaxed than normal and the way his deep brown eyes softened from their usual steel.
The way he leaned against Cass’s chest while they were curled up together and quietly shared his doubts about the Sanctum and took such care to make sure Cass wouldn’t get burned again and??—
Cass forces his thoughts back to the present, scowling. So he’s aware that their relationship shifted from passive dislike to mutual respect, but that’s no reason for his brain to start imagining they’re something more.
No reason for him to get caught up watching JJ play tag with Desi and fleetingly wish his co-parent were here to do that every day.
“All set,” a voice behind him says, and Cass turns to see Melinda carefully wedging three ice cream sundaes onto Cass’s already-packed tray. “Quite the spread you’ve got here.”
Currywurst for Cass, samosas for JJ, and poutine for Desi. Cass smiles. “Yeah, we disagree about everything except ice cream. And we’re all very protective of our favorites.”
“I hope you enjoy,” she says, and she smiles over at where JJ is dramatically collapsing to the ground, letting Desi jump on top of him with a laugh. “Your husband is really good with kids.”
Cass fights back a flinch. “Uh, boyfriend,” he corrects awkwardly, forcing a smile. “I don’t think either of us is ready to pop the question yet.”
Melinda looks amused. “Well, don’t put it off too long. He seems like quite the catch.” She points towards a few college girls sitting around a table farther down the shore?—a few college girls who, Cass realizes with a start, are watching JJ with undisguised interest. “And I think they agree with me.”
Cass’s brain short-circuits. There are at least five of them gathered for what looks like a lunchtime study session, tortilla espa?ola and bibimbap and textbooks spread out between them, but instead of reading or taking notes, they’re all peering at JJ and whispering to each other.
They’re too far away for even Cass’s enhanced hearing, but he can make some educated guesses about what they’re saying. After all, as Cass was vividly reminded during his trip to the Sanctum’s training grounds, JJ is an attractive man. Obviously, he has a glamour modifying his features right now, but even with that??—
Even with that, there’s no disguising his easy grace and perfect posture. There’s no disguising his deep voice and warm laugh.
There’s no disguising that amazing smile.
But there’s nothing for Cass to worry about, right? JJ doesn’t seem to notice them at all, and even if he did??—
I generally prefer men.
But just what the hell does that mean? Is JJ gay? Is he bisexual, but swings harder towards guys?
Is there any chance of him being just as interested in those girls?
Cass isn’t about to stand around and find out. “Thanks for the warning,” he says, grabbing his tray and making a beeline towards where JJ and Desi are play-wrestling. Steeling himself, he raises his voice just loud enough for JJ?—and the college girls?—to hear. “Hey, babe?”
Cass doesn’t know whether to be flattered or appalled when JJ looks up like that nickname in Cass’s voice is familiar to him. JJ’s face quickly flushes with embarrassment, but he just clears his throat as he stumbles to his feet and pulls Desi onto his hip. “Yeah?”
Cass hefts the tray. “Come on. Ice cream’s going to melt.”
“Ice cream!” Desi cheers, throwing her arms up. JJ hastily tightens his grip to keep her upright. “Did you get mine with sprinkles, Cass?”
“Of course I did. What do you take me for?” Cass meets JJ and Desi halfway, shifts the tray onto one arm, and decisively places his other hand on the small of JJ’s back.
JJ twitches. “What are you doing?” he mumbles, keeping his eyes straight ahead as they walk.
“Selling the con,” Cass whispers back, resisting the urge to shoot a glare at the table behind them. “Apparently, you have some admirers.”
JJ’s eyebrows furrow. “Really?” he says, peeking over his shoulder.
Cass’s hackles rise. “Yes, really. You’re the one who decided to let everyone think we’re dating, Jackson. Act like it.”
JJ scoffs, settling Desi on the bench seat next to him. “I didn’t even notice them, Chin. They were probably just watching Desi. She’s adorable.”
Desi hugs his arm. “Thanks, JJ!”
No, they were definitely looking at you. Cass bites back the words. “She is indeed,” he agrees eventually, placing the tray in the middle of the table. JJ grabs his plate of samosas, Cass takes his currywurst??—
Desi goes straight for her ice cream, as is her right. JJ looks like he wants to coax her into eating lunch before dessert, but considering that her “lunch” is just poutine, he seems to decide against it. “And not everyone thinks we’re dating,” he adds, putting one of his samosas on a napkin and sliding it to Desi. “Right?”
“Of course they do,” Cass says, popping a piece of currywurst into his mouth. “They talk about us all the time.”
JJ’s eyes widen. “What?”
Right. Without demonically enhanced senses, JJ isn’t as attuned to Redwater’s legendary gossip mill as Cass is?—especially in the Courtyard and Lakeside. “The food truck crowd in particular is convinced that you work from home and I come from money, which is why we’re always here on weekdays, and they also have a betting pool for who they think is going to propose first.”
JJ squints at him. “Why do they think I work from home and you come from money?”
“Because you pay attention to prices and tip exactly twenty percent,” Cass says, “while I just throw a fifty at them and tell them to keep the change.”
JJ rolls his eyes. “No wonder they all love you.”
“Well, they love you, too,” Cass says without thinking, and he immediately snaps his mouth shut, mortified. “I mean, they?—they think we’re cute. The three of us. Young couple that’s really involved in raising our daughter together. You know. Cute.”
Even with the glamour, JJ’s cheeks are noticeably darker than usual. Looks like Chester Locke isn’t the only one capable of making him blush. “That’s?—that’s good,” he says haltingly. “I guess. Keeps them from getting suspicious.”
For some reason, a tendril of disappointment snakes through Cass’s chest at the words. Determinedly, he shoves it down. “Right,” he says, and he turns back to Desi, who’s somehow managed to smear ice cream all over her face and get sprinkles in her hair. “Is it good, Desi?”
“The best!” Desi says cheerfully, taking another huge spoonful. “I love it here. The Courtyard and Lakeside are so much fun! I want to be here every day!”
Cass’s heart melts a little. JJ ruffles Desi’s hair affectionately. “I always loved the Courtyard and Lakeside when I was a kid, too,” he says softly. “I came here all the time with my family. My sister and I?—?” He cuts himself off, glancing behind him. “We’d, uh, always play tag on the shore, too.”
Cass’s chest hurts. “How old was she when…?”
JJ doesn’t look at him. “Six,” he says quietly. “Four years younger than me.” Clearing his throat, he grabs a napkin and turns to Desi. “Desi?—Desi, you got ice cream in your hair. How did you get ice cream in your hair?”
And, as JJ sets about futilely trying to clean Desi’s face, Cass takes a deep breath to clear out his whirlwind of emotions and tries to remind himself that they’re just here for Desi. Just co-parents.
Nothing more.