Chapter Twenty
Rex
Half an hour earlier
Perchaz Family Group Chat
hey folks
I quit.
Perkatory, that is.
You're on your own for repairs and shit.
Good luck.
Also, my community service is done early. Yay me.
Also, also, I'm staying in Winter Bliss.
And hey, if you need me to wrap up anything from up here, I'm free. Otherwise, stick with the contractors I set you up with while I've been gone. All around good dudes.
and dudettes.
Mom
Rex, what’s going on?
bosshole
You QUIT? Ever heard of giving two weeks' notice?
nerd
You said you were going to break the news gingerly.
bosshole
Rom knew before me?! Before Mom?
:/ sorry mom
And it’s 10 days notice, dingbat. Close enough. I’ve been out for three months if you haven’t noticed and y’all are doing just fine without me.
mom
We have noticed, my emberling. Your work is very valuable. I’m just concerned. Why so sudden? Is everything okay?
bosshole
What did you do this time?
Mom
Holy Darkness, are you in trouble again?
mom
Call your mother, please.
mom
Jaromar?
nerd
He’s fine, Mom.
nerd
He’s in love.
bosshole
Flame and ashes, what's in the water up there?
“ Y ou asshole!”
I was on my way to tear off this shitty Santa costume when I find my nerdy-ass brother hiding in a corner of the breezeway near Birdie’s front door. I tear the phone out of his hand.
“That was personal,” I growl.
I haven’t told Birdie yet. I haven’t even told him I’m in love, and he’s announcing it like a textbook fact to our entire meddling family. This could all go horribly sideways. If Birdie doesn’t want me, if she needs space after all the intensity and shit, I need to respect that.
Regardless, I’m staying in Winter Bliss no matter what happens.
If she’s reluctant to give us a real try, I need to be ready to court her properly.
Woo her, respectfully.
I have no fucking clue how to do that, but I’ll give it the old college, errr, high school try.
After having my brain scrambled with sex hormones during our ride around the property yesterday, the post-nut clarity felt like rainbows shining out of my eyeballs.
I could finally see straight.
Straight past all the stupid bullshit holding me back my whole life, every doubt and dark thought that kept me from taking a chance. Not just on her. On me too.
“I’m not staying just because of Birdie.” I crowd him. “I have plans. Plans only you know about. Plans I told you in fucking confidence. You gonna announce all that without my permission too?”
I check over the family chat to make sure he didn’t spill the rest of the beans. My slow-ass younger brothers are finally chiming in. But no, Rom kept his mouth shut on the other half of the reason why I quit.
“I thought we were cool.” I push his chest until he staggers against the wall. He shoves me back but doesn’t lean forward to lock horns. I’m pissed enough that I’d wrestle his ass to the ground, but nervous enough about what else I have to do today that I don’t have it in me.
“Mom was gonna be on the first plane here as soon as you quit,” he says, lifting his hands defensively. “If it saves her an aneurysm to know that you’re staying for love, at least partly, you know it’d set her mind at ease. You should’ve called her first and talked all this over. I quit. Good luck. In the group chat? Come the fuck on!”
I growl. He’s right. Mom’s the level head in the family business, leading Perkatory to year-over-year growth with an iron fist, but she’s also a romantic at heart. I saw it with my own eyes in how quickly she rearranged the entire corporate expansion strategy so Rom could live in Winter Bliss. Perkatory is still thriving and she’s thrilled to welcome a daughter into the family.
I could’ve warned her about me quitting. I just wanted to talk to Birdie about all this feelings shit first. The old demoness, goddess love her, would’ve sniffed it out of me in two fucking minutes and got me all freaked out.
Birdie should know my feelings first. The rest are details.
I power down Rom’s phone and shake it at him.
“You’re getting this back after I talk to Birdie, asshole. Go makeout with your fiancée and stop poking your big nose in my life.”
“Perkatory won’t be the same without you.” He punches me in the shoulder gently. “Ew. Why are you so sweaty?”
“This fucking Santa suit is a fucking nightmare! I was trying to change when you blew up the group chat.”
“You blew it up first.” He pouts.
I glare at him rather than admit he’s right. Again. Sure, I could have done that gingerly, as he put it. Called Mom first then told everyone else. Sent in a formal notice or some shit. I shrug. Not really my style.
“Noelle is thrilled you’re staying in Winter Bliss, even if the family is losing a lot with you stepping back from the business.”
I harrumph.
“I’m thrilled too,” he adds.
I punch his shoulder back, gently. Such a softie, this guy.
I’m really doing it. I’m striking out on my own. Turns out, Winter Bliss is hurting for skilled general contractors and handymen. I’ve made good connections in town. My orc buddy, Oatmeal, already offered to set me up with his overflow client work. And my week doing pro bono repairs for small businesses along the plaza proved just as fruitful. Turns out almost everyone has a list of easy-as-shit repairs and DIY projects they’ve just never gotten around to, and I’m the guy for the job.
“Promise we can still hire you on contract?” Rom’s eyes swirl orange and red. “A preferred client relationship with a family discount of course?”
“Trying to sneak in a deal without a proper negotiation? When your brother is emotionally vulnerable?” I gasp in mock horror. “Let’s talk business crap later, bro. It’s a fucking holiday. Get your horns out of your ass.”
“I know you don’t love all the paperwork and data of the business side of things,” he presses on. “But I do. How about I help you get on your feet with Rex’s Reliable Repairs ?”
I scoff and shake my head. He’s really pushing alternate names, but I’ve made up my mind.
“It’s Rex Fixes Sh*t . Get it through your thick skull.” I can already see the name on the side of a heavy-duty work truck. It’s gonna be totally badass.
“You’ll put the asterisk in the curse word, at least?” He grimaces.
“That was good advice, yeah. Thanks for that,” I grumble.
“And you won’t entertain the other dozen suggestions I emailed yesterday? Once the paperwork is filed, it’s hard to redo.”
“Gotta lean into my brand,” I say. Iggy gave me that advice. Real marketing whiz, that girl.
“You are good at fixing shit. Maybe even a little better than you are at breaking it.” He cracks a smile.
“Thanks, I think.” I walk backward into the house and waggle his phone at him before locking the dead-bolt on the other side of the door. “Fuckwad.”
I hide his phone in Birdie’s hoard of snacks and shelf-stable cheeses on the counter. Just one of the hundred reasons why I’m crazy about her.
In love , my brother said.
It made my stomach flip to see that in the group chat, to admit it to myself.
I’m in love.
I want to be the demon for her. The dream guy who deserves her. I have to give it a shot. My last shot.
Officer Dale threatened to stop by the ranch today to confiscate the court’s tracker equipment that I stubbornly refuse to return. My time is running out, and I’m not about to let Birdie slip through my fingers.
I tear through the house, wrestling off the itchy red top first. With the last kids photo op behind me, I can take this damn costume off and breathe.
I should’ve gone with the bare-chested approach, wearing little white scrunchies at my wrists for Santa’s furry cuffs or whatever. My skin is already red. Why did I have to suffer through this cheap-ass fabric in the same shade? Ugh. The parents might not appreciate their kids sitting on the lap of a shirtless Santa , Birdie insisted. I mean, the whip was a big hit. What does she really know about the appeal of a Santa photo op?
I’m just shoving the remnants of the fuzzy red suit in her bathroom’s laundry basket when my phone buzzes. The family group chat, no doubt. I really need to set this shit on Do Not Disturb . They can live with a little mystery.
Instead, I see a message from my actor buddy.
Vale
How is the event going?
Any photos? Birdie hasn’t posted anything on Nymphstagram yet.
I squint at the screen. Why the fuck is he asking me for—
Oh. That’s right. Vale’s new holiday romcom is releasing soon so he just landed in Los Angeles for PR. And his lady love is right here on the ranch.
I’m not feeding you photos of your girlfriend like a creepo peeping Tom.
Vale
She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my wife.
He’s a demon obsessed and going through withdrawals. What’s the harm in needling him a little?
Fake wife.
Vale
(?`_′?)
Is she okay? How does she look?
Uhhh, brown hair. Skinny. I dont fuckin’ know, man.
Vale
Mother Below, not what she physically looks like! Is she happy?
I’m not sniffing out your wife’s emotions, bro. That’s gross. Did you text Iggy?
Vale
Of course I did. She hasn’t answered yet.
Second fiddle, I see. Listen, all I noticed is she was in charge of the petting zoo which is pretty much the coolest gig of all. Lots of smiling kids and animal snuggles. That tiny dog of hers was a big hit too.
Vale
Oh man, that sounds cute.
If only I had some photos to help me envision it.
You’re a real piece of work, Hollywood.
Nut up and talk to the lady.
Why isn’t she going to that fancy movie premiere with you, anyway?
Vale
Hmmm
That's a good question.
I chuckle. What a dumbass. The simplest solution hadn’t even crossed his mind. On the Dark Mother’s sacred panties, he’s lucky I’ve got a head on my shoulders. If a woman’s worth fighting for, she’s worth having a single fucking conversation with. I give the poor guy a few more helpful pointers and right as we’re wrapping up, another text comes in.
Unknown Number
Get out here now.
Huh?
Who is this?
Unknown Number
Ethel, you big idiot.
How does Old Ethel have my number? I blink at the screen.
Unknown Number
It’s about Birdie.
Is she okay?
Shit. Why is Ethel texting me about Birdie? If that doesn’t have me hopping into my jeans with hastiness. The closest shirt I snatch up is her favorite. A black pearl snap with subtle metallic threading in burnt orange and a pop of the same color at the pocket and sleeves. Matches my eyes , she says. My heart is racing by the time I get the buttons done and hear my phone chime.
Unknown Number
I guess we'll see.
WTF DOES THAT MEAN?
Unknown Number
Manners, my boy.
“Fuck manners,” I grumble and hustle out of the house, shoving my feet into my work boots in the mudroom. What in the goddesses’s holy name is that demoness on about?
Birdie’s on the last hike of the day. She’s been up and down those damn hills every couple hours, about three or four times total. Maybe she’s dehydrated. It’s easy to forget when it’s cold outside. She could’ve gotten a cramp or twisted her ankle. I don’t like that, but I can easily carry her down, just gotta get moving. If it’s one of the visitors harassing her, I’ll set them straight. Surely couldn’t be that though. This is a free fucking event. What is there to complain about? She put her heart and soul into today and it all worked out beautifully.
I didn’t have the time to talk to her for more than a couple minutes during the whirlwind of activities, but I saw her talking to a guy Noelle said was the superintendent of schools and then a coworker of Chad’s who’s high up in the parks department. A well-dressed demoness from the Emberlight Resort even asked me where to find her while I was wolfing down some kettle corn during a break between photo sessions. That’s gotta be good news.
She must be thirsty or scraped up. It’s the only thing that makes sense.
“Mr. Perchaz, we need to talk.”
I turn to see Gertie Dale walking toward me. My probation officer.
“Fuck. Not now, ma’am. Sorry. Just . . . not now.”
I sprint through the booths and trees until I find the demoness I’m looking for.
“Well?” I wave my arms. She’s perched on a boulder, halfway through a long cigarette. Her gold eyes gleam, a steady, serpentine gaze locked onto the nearby hill. Always looked like a proper villainess, this lady. “What the fuck, Ethel?”
Finally she turns my way, exhaling out her nose as she studies me. I wave the twin curling plumes of perfumed smoke away. Hate the stuff.
“The almost husband is back.”
“Huh?” Almost husband?
One silver eyebrow crooks in a dramatic peak.
“Randy.”
The name sends an icy dread straight through my gut. It spiders out to every limb, freezing me on the spot. Only the words coming out of my mouth start to wake me back up.
“That shit-for-brains thundercunt.” A firestorm follows, heating my blood in an instant, turning my vision a roiling red. What the fuck is that jabroni doing here? The rage builds in a physical desire to get destructive.
“The very one.” She nods with a sneer.
“Fuck!” I look at my phone for the time. Birdie must’ve set off on her last hike maybe half an hour ago, which means she should be on her way down soon.
“Mr. Perchaz!” It’s my probation officer. She just caught sight of me and is striding my way. “There’s no running away this time.”
“Gonna do something about it?” Old Ethel asks.
My decision is made. I tempt fate and one very fit orc lady.
I take off running.
The path up to the viewing platform is well-worn now, after weeks of clearing brush, laying gravel, and adding cute little markers for every tenth of a mile with a new Fun Fact about the surrounding ecology or wildlife. It’s not far, but in my current state, feels like a fucking marathon.
At the first switchback, I find the group on their way down with one of Old Ethel’s sons in the lead. My girl is nowhere to be seen. I grab him by the collar and shake, growling out, “Where’s Birdie?”
“Up there! She’s okay.” Simon rears back, swallowing. “I offered to stay. She said no. Insisted she wanted to speak to him privately.”
“FUCK!” I shove him off and keep running.
She’s okay. How the fuck does he know that? She insisted. That might be a good sign. An okay sign? I don’t know. This is her fucking property and he has a truckload of unearned audacity to dare speak to her after what he did, to sneak up on her like a snake in the grass. I’ll lay him out where he stands.
My head is pounding as hard as my heart. Gods below, I’m not sure I’m cut out for this love shit. I’m gonna stroke out from the stress. It’d be great if she’s really telling him off. I’d love to see that.
Maybe I’m freaking out for nothing.
Maybe I should respect her private conversation.
Naw, fuck that.
My mind spins. The worst case scenarios that float to the top feel the most likely, and I hate it. He’s yelling at her, pushing her around. He’s talking up the fucking cabins again. He’s intimidating her into another business deal she hates.
What I hear instead, as their voices float toward me when I make it to the top, is somehow so much worse.
“You gave me the best day of my life, Randy,” she almost sounds like she’s shouting. “It was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. None of this would’ve been possible without you. So thank you.”
I’m still hidden by the large trail map educational sign when it registers.
None of this would’ve been possible without you.
The best day of my life.
Thank you.
Something chokes out of me. Who knew the sound of a heart breaking was really just an ugly whining grunt? I stagger back and nearly fall on my ass, but knock over a trashcan instead which gives me a second to correct. It clatters to the side.
The best day. None of this would’ve been possible without you. She must have meant how well the event did today. The event was his idea originally. But she’s thanking him for sending one fucking email months ago?
It’s like the future unfolds at hyperspeed before my eyes.
I know where this is going. The best day of my life.
He’s back in town with an apology. None of this would’ve been possible without you.
A few sweet words and she’s already saying, Thank you.
It’s only a matter of time before she takes him back.
I stalk off, blood roaring in my ears, vision so red and stormy I know fire is consuming the fists pumping at my sides. And I don’t give a damn. My body remembers a path, so I take it. The same one I took months ago, when I was panicking for a completely different reason.
The stairs down to the lake.
Fuck it. Time for a swim. Anything to escape what I just heard. The unthinkable. That she’s not mine, and she never will be. Maybe I’ll swim across the lake and live in the woods. That sounds kinda nice. Peaceful.
Forget all about . . . everything.
Her. This beautiful place.
All the dreams I just started thinking could come true for me.
“Fuck!” My fingers card through my hair, wrenching my horns one way then the other, wishing I had a wall to butt up against.
“Rex! Stop!”
It’s Birdie.
And I’m not ready to hear it. The letdown. The explanation. It’s not you, it’s me. Randy is a better fit, always was. He just needed time to get himself together. I work for months—blood, sweat, and tears—and he reaps the reward. Her thanks. Her attention.
“It doesn’t make any fucking sense!” I hit my temple to try and stop the throbbing.
“Stop that!” she shouts. “Right now. Where are you going? Rex, stop!”
I turn down the stairs and almost bust my ass immediately. Fuck, these steps are too damn slippery. Need to fix that before visitors start actually using it. Wait, no. Not my problem anymore.
I shake my head. I mean, maybe I’ll still fix it. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Especially Birdie. I just need to get away. Get some distance. I can come back later, incognito, and carve some divots into the smoothed out stone, maybe find a way to affix some rubber, drill it into the rock or something. There’s got to be a way to make it safe.
My feet land on the wooden deck, a weathered but solid platform jutting straight out over the water. Just before I dive in, Birdie yells again.
“Stop! Right now.” She’s hustling down the steps and my stomach is in my throat.
“Be careful!” I shout back. “Fucking fates. Take it slow, woman!”
“Oh, now you’ve got something to say?” She’s fuming. Goddess only knows why. I’m the one who deserves to be pissed!
“You had plenty to say to dickbag Raul back there.”
“I did.” She laughs. “And I didn’t hold any of my feelings back. You would have been proud. I really gave him a piece of my mind.”
Her solid grip on the handrail is the only thing keeping me from running up there and throwing her pretty ass over my shoulder. That, and the fact I have a worse track record falling off the damn staircase than she does.
“Piece of your heart, too, huh?” I grit out.
When she makes the final step onto the deck, I turn and dive in.
I can’t hear anything right now. I’m too fucked up. Everything feels wrong, wrong, wrong. How can she look at me like she just was? Flushed and happy and relieved! While my heart is crumbling to ash in her tiny grip.
“What did you say to me?” she shouts over the distance when I surface. The water’s warmer than people expect, comfortable. Not hot springs hot, but cozy enough there’s always a light fog coming off the surface in the colder months.
“Go back to Rogan. He’s to thank!” I shoot back as I keep swimming. “He’s responsible for all this. The best day of your life!”
“Are you serious?!” she screeches. “That’s what you heard?”
I wave her off, chest deep in water now as I start trudging forward on the lake bed. My flaming hands drawing a curtain of steam around me as my arms swish. Just around the bend is a shore. From higher ground I can plot the best route across the lake. Find a dry, dark place to go full caveman for a few days.
When I hear a splash behind me, I whip back. Through the water vapor, I can’t see anything except a white circle of water near the deck.
Birdie’s gone.
Then she pops up, sputtering to the surface and swimming toward me. That steely gaze of her is pure trouble.
“Just can’t let me suffer in silence, huh?” I raise my arms. No sense running if she’s determined to chase. “Stubborn as a mule.”
“That’s right.” She’s half wading, half walking so I keep backing up to a shallower depth until she can gain her footing.
“It’s always a fight with you!” I splash the water at my sides as she gets closer. The steam swirls around us with a mind of its own.
“Yes, it is!” she says. “And always will be. I’m going to fight for you, Rex. Get used to it!”
For me? I scoff. “I can’t. I don’t have it in me.” I start to back up.
“Oh yes you do, Ramonarex Cohl Perchaz.” She dives forward and fists my belt buckle. The feral demon in me remembers every time she grabbed me just like that and had her wicked way with me. The boy in me remembers her learning my full name, how she never made fun of me for it. I pause to take her in, a spitfire full of heat and purpose. Just the sight of her makes my chest tight. She pokes me there, right on the heartache. “If you were going to eavesdrop,” she says, “I’m pretty pissed you missed the full monologue. You think you can hear one out-of- context, completely sarcastic sentence and run off? I don’t think so!”
Sarcastic . I narrow my eyes. Out-of-context.
“What’s the context?”
“Well, I can’t remember my exact words, but I said that I thought the day he left me was the worst day of my life, but it was the best.”
“Huh? You said none of this would’ve been possible without him and then thanked him,” I huff. “I remember that just fine.”
“Without him leaving ! And the thank you was sarcastic, goofball.” She tugs at my belt. “You missed the part where I also said fuck you, Randy .”
Now that phrase brings back some pleasant memories.
“You did?” My mouth quirks.
“I also called him an asshole and a manipulator and said that he’s nothing to me. Then I threatened to call the police if he doesn’t leave right away.” Her hands smooth up my wet shirt, picking at the buttons, loosening the last ones that were holding on for dear life until she’s petting up my chest, eyes sweeping over me hungrily. “I didn’t like how he was looking around the place, still saying how much money cabins would make.”
Heat sweeps through my veins, imagining that slick motherfucker trying to weasel his way back into her life. “I’ll cut his fucking nuts off. Light him up! Where is he?”
“Wait, hold on. What’s gotten into you?”
“He’s gonna try and win you back, especially if he’s back in town for good. It’s only a matter of time. Fuck!” I slap at the water and turn toward the shore, tracking the hills to try and get my eyes on him. I see something move and start trudging that direction. If I can just intimidate him a little, maybe he’ll back off. Shit, I’ll offer to pay for his plane ticket back to wherever-the-fuck.
“You make me so mad, Rex Perchaz!” She’s splashing behind me, tugging at my shirt. When I stop to turn on her, she’s furious again. “You think I’d just go back to him?”
I spread my arms. “When I’m your second-best option?”
“Second best?” she barks, blinking rapidly. “To Randy?” She cackles like a failed audition for a Hollywood witch. “I’m in love with you, you misguided doofus! You think I’m stupid enough to get back with someone who jilted me? Weak enough to settle for someone who strong-arms me into decisions I don’t fucking want? Blind enough not to see my perfect fucking match is right in front of me!” She pushes me hard enough I actually stagger back a step.
“Wait.” I press a hand to my forehead and retrace the conversation. “You love me?”
She laughs, this time less insane. More . . . bewildered.
“We’re a perfect fucking match,” I repeat slowly.
Her head cocks to the side, like I’m being purposefully obtuse. “I mean, if you disagree.”
When she starts to slosh past me, I snatch her elbow and haul her up in my arms so I can get a good look at her face. Her knees hitch around my hips. A beat passes as we catch our breath. The wild beauty of the mountains surrounds us, but all I can see is her.
“I'm a mess with you,” she says quietly.
“I know.” I lean my forehead against hers. “I know I'm a disaster. I don’t want to just make you angry and miserable all the time.”
“What? No! I’m a mess .” She laughs. “I can be a mess with you. I can shout and scream and cry.” In the rosy fading light, her eyes shine with emotion. Maybe it’s the tiniest hint of red in the brown, but nothing can turn me into a demon dazzled by firebliss quite like her eyes. A single tear falls, sparkling like a star. “I can cry. I never cried before you.”
“I make you cry,” I say, still stunned.
“You make me . . .” She sighs, dashing the tears away as more come, framed by wet curling lashes. “You make me feel . With you, it doesn’t seem so scary anymore.”
“Oh fuck, honey.” I lean forward and kiss her wet cheeks, every salty trail. “Of course you can cry. Always. Gimme those tasty tears.”
She giggles and squeezes my shoulder. Her sharp little nails sink five points of delicious pain. She makes me feel too. So much it does kind of scare me.
I pull back, heart full of hope. “You really love me?”
She softens, from her body language to the sweet shine of her eyes to the hand on my cheek. Her thumb traces my nose and my lips before pinching my chin with a little shake. “Who wouldn’t fall in love with a demon as tenderhearted, protective, and smart as you?”
I shake my head and start laughing, leaning back to look at the clouds just to try and keep some of these hot tears from falling all over the damn place. You know what? Fuck that. She cries now. I can too.
“No one’s ever said something that fucking crazy, honey.”
“Crazy for you.” She hugs my neck.
“You own my whole fucking heart.” I jostle her in my arms. “But I’m not about to fuck off into the sunset for some long-distance sexting situationship. I need more than that. We’re fucking dating.”
“Good.”
“I’m moving to Winter Bliss.”
“Great.” Her eyes widen, the only hint at surprise, but she doesn’t say anything else.
“And when the weather’s bad, I’m staying here.” I push my luck.
“Fantastic.” She grins.
“And not in the barn either.” I give her a look.
She nods. “My bed.”
I huff, pleased. Easiest negotiation of my life.
“Let’s cut through the bullshit,” she says.
Oh crap, here it comes. The hard bargain. “Listen here, Birdie Lynn. We’re not putting timers and shit on sharing space. I’m just proposing we go by the weather, because I refuse to let you fuck around in the snow with these dumbass animals always trying to kill themsel—”
“Move in with me,” she says, unblinking. I stare back, waiting for the other shoe to drop. “Move in with me, Rex,” she says, gentler.
“What?”
“Stay in Winter Bliss and move in with me. Why not? You’ve been here for months. We’ve already shared a house for a few weeks and haven’t killed each other yet.” She shrugs. “Fuck it.”
A yellow firefly flickers to life behind her, followed by a flashing trio of pink.
“Fuck it?” I laugh. The sunset casts our little world in a warm, rose-tinted haze as more fireflies join in a slow-moving kaleidoscope.
“Yeah. Let’s do it.” She kisses me quick, right on the lips.
It’s not enough. I crush her close, just to suck on her bottom lip. Tangle with her tongue. Taste her sigh. Urge her to bite back. Her nails dig into the back of my neck, and I groan. I’m the kindling and she’s the ember, glowing brighter by the moment, holding nothing back. A fire unlike any other.
This kiss is different. Our first again. Pure magic. My body flashes hot, awakened to some primal memory—the first dance of flames.
A wildfire. That’s us. Nature in chaos.
Breathless, I pull back. Her face is lit up like a swirling rainbow, turning brown skin and brown eyes and brown hair into . . . every color under the sun, a shifting canvas of blues and oranges, of purples, greens, and golds. Their pinpricks twinkle around her on all sides, a hive mind in concert.
“The fireflies. They’re good luck,” I whisper, glancing not at them but at their light reflected off her. Who could look away?
“Maybe they always were.” Her smile is so sure. Fearless.
I think back to the quiet girl with the secret glare, to staring contests and fierce fights, to shared meals and long days of work.
She’s really mine.
“You love me,” I say.
“And we’re living together.” She gives me a humored, if impatient, look. “Is that a yes?”
It still doesn’t seem real that I get everything I want and more. “Don’t fuck with me, Birdie Lynn.”
Her smirk turns teasing as she nips at my bottom lip. “What if I just fuck you instead?”
I growl, the only natural response, and haul her back to plunder.
Between pausing to whisper sweet nothings and dirty promises to each other, we stumble back to the lakeshore near her house, fully dressed and completely soaked.
“If I see that dickcheese Roscoe, he’s getting a fireball to the face, I can promise you that.”
“If he’s still here, I’ll allow it.” She laughs. “He had fair warning.”
From a distance, it looks like only the volunteers are left, helping clean up. Oh, and one more person, striding forward to intercept us.
“Officer Dale.” I nod.
She extends her hand. “Give it.”
Birdie looks from me to her. I kiss her nose and crane my face further down, “Can you pull off my horn clamp, honey? I’m a little overdue on turning it in.”
Officer Dale huffs. “I wouldn’t call three weeks a little overdue, Mr. Perchaz. You’ve been a real thorn in my side.”
“Three weeks?” Birdie squeaks, smacking my chest. “You were done three weeks ago? Is that why my bracelet fell off?”
“I’m technically still on probation! They just wanted me to quit doing my job, and I wasn’t about to leave you until the last possible second. Fuck the rules.”
Officer Dale clears her throat.
“Sorry, ma’am. Just the truth.” I shuffle closer so Birdie can hand over the device.
“Ms. Badem, your bracelet?”
“Of course.” Birdie pulls out the necklace chain tucked under her sweater and slides off the “broken” bracelet she’s been keeping safe there. “I’m so sorry. I would have absolutely returned it if this sneaky demon hadn’t convinced me it was just normal wear and tear of an underfunded government office.”
Officer Dale glares at me again as she drops both into the bag at her side.
Sorry not sorry I think but have sense enough not to say.
“You were supposed to wear that tracker until the end of your twelve weeks, but I had orders to get yours back early to stop the overtime.” She points at me. “You’ve still got a final probation meeting the week after New Year’s, though, so be on your best behavior. Maybe now I can finally take some time off.” She turns to Birdie with a warmer expression. “And thank you for your service as a CSC Officer for the Winter Bliss Court, ma’am. I hope his volunteer hours were of good use to you and the community.”
“He’s the best.” Birdie’s teary-eyed, hands clasped under her chin. “Did you see the viewing platform and outdoor classroom? Is there an evaluation card I can fill out? His work is impeccable, beyond my wildest dreams. And he’s so good with the rescue animals. You have no idea—”
She raises a hand with an indulgent smile. “Feel free to email me your comments. It’ll go a long way to pacifying my leadership about all the hassle he’s caused us with his overtime hours.” She cuts a brief look at me, but it’s lost a lot of its edge, before refocusing on Birdie. “This is such a nice place. I wasn’t too pleased about tracking this guy down today, but seeing what you’ve got to offer here is really something. I’m glad I came, and glad to see Mr. Perchaz’s probation service was a success.”
“The biggest!” Birdie chirps.
“That’s what she said,” I whisper in her ear, earning me a good-natured smack on the chest.
“How’s the kitty settling in?” she asks.
“Matilda Tortellini Dale is a real terror.” Officer Dale’s grin grows wide, her tusks pressing against her top lip with how happy she is. “I already love her to pieces.”
Birdie bites back a laugh. “That’s quite a name.”
“Tilly Tortellini.” I nod. “I like it. ‘Lil TT for short.”
Officer Dale studies me for a second in the way that shows her mind is working. I’d bet my bottom dollar she loves the nickname and won’t admit it.
I grin back.
“Make sure you get a goodie bag on the way out,” Birdie says. “Oh! And email me if you ever want to visit again. Maybe an offender education program? Animals can be very therapeutic.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.” Officer Dale glances around, before nodding once more and walking off. When she picks up one of the last remaining goodie bags on the welcome table, Birdie pumps her fist in the air.
I set her down and she’s back to work. We all clean up as a team, I take care of the animal chores, and by the time I get back, the last of the volunteers are headed out. As soon as that front door closes and our shoes are kicked off, I snatch her back in my arms and crowd her against the fridge. I just love looking at her face. So pretty it kills me.
And now we’re right back where we started. That first time in the kitchen. Hot and fast. The chaos and chemistry that followed. As messy as it’s been, I wouldn’t change a thing.
Winter Bliss is my home now. The place I was always meant to come back to.
But first, we needed time to understand ourselves and find our place in the world before we found a way to each other.
Wild Hearts. Was there ever a more perfect name? Shit, I’m getting misty-eyed.
“Can’t believe it.” I chuckle and squeeze her tight until she’s giggling. She’s all mine. I live here now. Indefinitely. And we’re in love. What the actual fuck ! “A happy ending.”
Her grin is lopsided and just this side of silly. “That’s what she said.”