Chapter 30
Tess
“Oh, no.”
Jack rolled over and looked at me, one eyebrow raised.
“It’s about the perfume bottle.”
“What?” Eleanor said.
“Nothing. What about the bottle? You didn’t sell it, did you?”
“Well, yes, I sold it. You put it in the system. I found it beneath the counter and figured you’d forgotten to set it out. Pretty scent, too.”
“Ask her if she tried it on,” Jack said, since he could hear her side of the conversation perfectly well. There was no such thing as a private phone call near a shifter.
I put the phone on speaker, because why not, and asked.
“Oh, just a touch. My Bill quite liked it.” She giggled, which was a touch disconcerting coming from a woman in her early sixties who’d definitely never been a giggler.
I looked at Jack with alarm. “How much did he like it?”
“He followed me around all evening.” Another giggle.
We were close to getting into TMI territory.
I pushed the mute button and looked at Jack. “That means nothing. They’re engaged. Anyway, he’s always followed her around.”
“The giggle is new,” he said dryly.
“Tess? Did you hear me?”
I toggled the mute button off. “I’m sorry. What was that?”
“I sold it to the new high school chemistry teacher.”
Dead End had a terrible track record with high school chemistry teachers. Mine, who’d been a snake shifter, had almost killed my Aunt Ruby. The ones we’d had since had caused various catastrophes and then had run away from Dead End as fast as they’d arrived.
“So, what is the problem? Does she want a refund?” That would probably be best. I could toss the thing into the ocean. Or ask Rose to email Shelley directions for how to neutralize the magic.
That thought wanted to go someplace, but Eleanor was talking again.
“She said she tried it on this morning for the first time, and it was weird. Two guys at the gas station tried to follow her into her car. And then the janitor at school sniffed her?—”
“Sniffed her?”
“Sniffed her when she walked by, put down his mop, and followed her to class. She knows about magic, and she asked if the perfume could be a love potion?”
I sighed. “No, but she’s on the right track. I’m sorry. I meant to tell you about it, but then things went haywire.”
“She said she doesn’t mind the janitor so much—I should say not. Rick Peabody is a nice man and a hottie—but she’s worried.”
Jack mouthed the word “hottie” and I put my hand over his mouth to stifle the laugh I could see fighting to burst out.
“Anyway, Rick is going to take her to lunch at Beau’s today, and she wants to know if we can come get the bottle. She doesn’t have time to come back out to the shop until after school, and she’s uneasy and wants to get rid of it.”
“Sure. I can meet her there … no, wait! I actually need to go to Orlando and see Rose, Alejandro, and the babies this morning. I was going to call you to see if you minded working alone until I get back.”
“No problem, but then I can’t meet her at Beau’s.”
I sighed and thought. “Just tell her to lock it in a drawer, and we’ll get it as soon as we can and give her a refund.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Thanks, Eleanor. Oh! Please call Tina and ask her to come in this afternoon to do paperwork instead of this morning.”
“Will do. Say hi to Jack for me.” She giggled again and hung up.
I flopped back down on the pillow. “Is it possible the perfume really is enchanted?
“You even have to ask? May I remind you of the Doltar?”
I could never forget the Doltar.
Jack’s phone buzzed, and he grabbed it and stood, stretching. I admired the view of possibly the best male butt in the world and felt myself blush. Then I wondered how long we’d have to be in this relationship before I stopped blushing at the sight of my boyfriend’s unclothed body.
Not there yet.
He pulled on his clothes and then read me the text.
Celine is coming in for a chat this morning. FYI, she denies everything. Will let you know if we can get this cleared up before the big game.
I glanced at my phone and saw she’d included me in that text. “You know, it’s hard to believe there was a day when I wasn’t included in law enforcement communications.”
“Me, too,” Jack said dryly. He’d worked closely with both law enforcement and the military in his former jobs. “Coffee?”
“Please! And then, let’s go see the babies!”
* * *
They were the prettiest babies in the hospital. Maybe in the entire state of Florida. Their parents were both gorgeous, so I guess they had good genetic soup, but wow. The baby girl had a mop of wavy dark hair, like her dad, and the baby boy had a bit of golden fuzz the same color as his mom’s hair.
“I can never thank you enough,” Alejandro said, casual in jeans and a dark blue shirt. “You brought my daughter into the world, Tess. Anything you ever wish for that I can grant is yours.”
I blinked back tears and smiled at him. “Good, Special Agent Genie. My first wish is that you stop trying to get Jack to take a P-Ops job.”
“Don’t joke about genies and wishes,” Rose said. She was pale and lovely in a pink robe, her glorious golden hair pulled back away from her face. “My cousin Jake is in love with a djinn. It has caused some … complications.”
I didn’t even ask. I just leaned over to stare at their beautiful new daughter. “Oh, Rose. Look what you did. They’re amazing.”
Rose beamed at her daughter. “Yes. They are.”
“Where’s your mom?”
“She went to the cafe to get breakfast. She’s tired but ecstatic, kind of like me.”
Then she held the baby up to me. “Take her.”
“Really?” I carefully lifted the baby into my arms and automatically started rocking back and forth, years of babysitting coming to the fore. “Oh! I love baby smell.”
“Did you tell her?” Alejandro asked his wife.
“Not yet. Why don’t you do it?”
Alejandro turned to me and bowed. “Tess, Jack, meet our new daughter: Jasmine Tess Cardinal Vasquez.”
I was so shocked I was lucky I didn’t drop the baby. “Who? What? Really?”
“You were the first person she saw in this world, and you helped her to be born. Of course, we named her Tess. It’s tradition that Cardinal witches have flower names, so she’s Jasmine Tess, but we’ll be sure she knows all about you,” Rose said.
I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to say. I’m so incredibly honored.”
Alejandro handed the baby boy to Jack, who looked equal parts fascinated and terrified. “His name is Jack, right?”
Alejandro laughed. “Afraid not, my friend. His name is Alejandro Justice Cardinal Vasquez. Carrying my lovely wife to the helicopter doesn’t rise to the level of Tess’s gift to our family.”
“Ah. After Lord Justice. That makes sense.”
“If we ever get another pet, though, you’re in, my friend.”
“A cat. A big, gorgeous cat,” Jack said.
“I was thinking hamster,” Alejandro countered. “Maybe gerbil.”
“You did good,” Jack said, staring down at the baby in his arms with awe. “Obviously the babies get their good looks from their mother.”
“And their brains, undoubtedly,” Alejandro said. “Lucky for them.”
I held baby Jasmine Tess and watched Jack with baby Alejandro Justice, and something inside me twinged. Just a tiny twinge—barely noticeable.
But gosh, did Jack look good holding a baby.
When I realized where my thoughts were going, my eyes widened. Just then, baby Jasmine opened her tiny mouth and let out a surprisingly loud yell.
“She’s got great lungs.” I laughed and handed the baby back to her mother.
Rose expertly popped a light cloth over her shoulder, opened her robe, and put the baby to her breast. She arranged the cloth for privacy and sighed when Jasmine latched on.
“My breasts feel like footballs. Hard footballs,” she murmured to me. “This is such a relief.”
“That means you shouldn’t have any problem nursing twins, at least.” I’d been around a lot of moms.
Rose glanced over at Jack and Alejandro, who were still discussing which progressively smaller animal was going to be named Jack at the Cardinal-Vasquez home. Alejandro was proposing a hissing cockroach now.
I shuddered.
“Tess. I’d like to tell you something,” Rose said, still in a very quiet voice. “A gift, for the gift you gave me.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I protested. “I was so happy I could help you and baby Jasmine.”
“No. I know, and I love you for it. You’ll always be another sister to me.” She held out a hand, and I took it and squeezed. “Did Alejandro tell you about my particular magic?”
I was confused. “You’re a garden witch.”
“Yes, but more than that. I have a special talent. I can tell a person’s deepest desire when I meet them.”
Before I could think, I jerked my hand away from her. “I don’t?—”
“No, not you. The protection spell works both ways; you can’t read us, and I can’t read you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that. It’s just … when you ran away after hearing that Jack hadn’t told you about the job offer …”
“I didn’t …” I trailed off. That was exactly what I’d done.
“It’s new for me. Being in love,” I admitted.
“I know. It was the same for me with Alejandro. So hard to think about giving up my independence, even a tiny bit. But so, so worth it.”
I was confused. “You’re telling me this because?”
“I’ve met Jack before; did you know that?”
I nodded. Jack had mentioned it.
“He surprised me, because he was one of the very few people I’ve ever met who didn’t have a deepest desire. I don’t know why. Maybe during all those years in the vampire wars, he was so sure he wouldn’t survive that he didn’t dare to desire anything.”
My throat was suddenly tight. “Why are you telling me this?”
Her gaze was so warm and gentle. “Because he’s different now, Tess. His deepest desire is you.”