CHAPTER SIX #2
“Right.” Scanning the room, I picked up the folder of information Nash had given me. “See you shortly.”
I had changed into casual clothes—walking shorts and a floral blouse over a T-shirt—after work and before Nash had come over, and they would have to do. Because I certainly wasn’t going to change my outfit now, Montgomery’s penthouse apartment be damned.
Mashing my feet down inside of my tennis shoes, I locked the house and paused long enough to pluck a flower head from the red verbena in my window boxes. Then, I hurried across the backyard to my garage.
Reminding myself to slow down, I backed carefully out and onto the alley behind the house and headed for uptown. To try and settle myself, I did square breathing as I drove to his apartment.
I won’t shout at him, I told myself. I was the Magistra, the most talented Witch in the area.
I was going to conduct myself with serenity and dignity...
right before I smacked him upside the head with my purse for the sheer stupidity of keeping a Fae manuscript in his private collection, whether it had been magickally warded or not.
By the time I hit the elevator to his apartment, my anger was on a low simmer, and I had mostly regained my composure. Hooray for me.
The elevator door slid open and I glanced up to find him waiting for me.
“Lorna,” he said with a polite smile. “Good evening.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but my words failed me. Because while Charles Montgomery was wearing his typical expensive clothes, they were also soaking wet. Almost as if he’d gotten into a water fight and lost.
On cue, the sound of splashing and a child’s off-key singing filled the penthouse.
Doing my best to ignore that his white dress shirt was practically see-through—and the fact that there were some impressive chest muscles on accidental display— I inclined my head. “Chloe’s bath time?” I asked.
He squinted down at himself and shrugged. “I got nailed with a bath toy that squirts water.”
More laughter and splashing sounded from the other room.
“You better go get in there,” I said, “before she floods the bathroom.”
“Please, make yourself at home,” he said. “There’s bottled water in the fridge. Help yourself. I’ll be back in a moment.” He disappeared down a hall and the splashing stopped a moment later, but not Chloe’s giggles.
I stepped into the living area and cast my gaze around with interest. Truthfully, I had expected sleek and ultra-modern décor in all grays, black and white.
Instead, I found a massive leather sectional upholstered in a warm brown, deep forest green rugs scattered over wooden floors, and end tables that were sturdy and more suited to a farmhouse than a modern apartment.
Grateful that he wasn’t around to see what was likely a shocked expression on my face, I moved farther into the area and discovered one of the end tables was actually a beautifully maintained antique.
The windows were massive and looked down on the Birmingham streets below and an entire child’s play area had been arranged on one side of the room with a pink playhouse and two very large baskets filled with colorful toys.
Across the space the kitchen was arranged with black, sleek cabinets and countertops that at a guess I’d say were marble.
The backsplash was a deep emerald green pop of color that was gorgeous and copper cookware hung from hooks on a metal rod above a massive professional-grade range.
A line of terracotta pots on the counter held fresh culinary herbs that somehow made it seem more homey and less formal.
Walking closer, I found a container left out with the lid off to one side and a trail of Cheerios that went across the counter. I guess Chloe had helped herself to a snack before her bath.
Reaching for the handle of his top-of-the-line refrigerator, I wasn’t surprised to see fancy spring water in glass bottles.
Alongside that were juice boxes—clearly for Chloe.
I took a bottle of water and closed the fridge.
Twisting the cap from the bottle, I took a sip and considered his luxury apartment.
Despite the fact that this was a penthouse, there was a real sense of it also being a family home.
It was the last thing I expected, and I found it very confusing.
Because none of this added up for me. The Charles Montgomery I’d known socially for the past two years bore very little resemblance to the man I’d come to know over the last few weeks.
I took a seat on the big leather sectional and discovered it was buttery soft and exquisitely comfortable. It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of feet rushing across the hardwood floors.
“Hi Lorna!” Chloe dove right on my lap and made herself at home. Any aggravation I’d had over the current situation simply vanished.
“Hey, Chloe,” I said as she snuggled right in. Her hair had been combed out but was still wet. She smelled like children’s shampoo and was wearing a Disney princess nightgown.
“Daddy said you came to visit.”
“I came to speak to your Daddy,” I tried to explain.
“Daddy said I could come out and talk to you while he straightened up the bathroom,” she said.
“Ah, I see.”
“I have lots of bath toys. It gets messy sometimes. But Daddy always cleans it up.”
My lips twitched.
“I’m glad you’re here!” Chloe was saying next. “Would you read me a book?”
“Well, I...” was as far as I got because she leapt from my lap, raced across the room to grab a book from one of her toy baskets and was back in a flash.
“Daddy said you have a bookstore.”
“I do.”
“I bet you read real good,” she said, shoving the book at me. “Read this one! I like the story about Anna and Elsa.”
Maybe a sterner soul would have found a polite way to decline. But one look at that sweet face and I was a goner. “Sure,” I said. Placing my water bottle on a stone coaster on the side table, I opened the book and began to read.
Montgomery joined us a short while later. He’d taken the opportunity and changed out of his soaked shirt and pants and was now sporting dry clothes. To my shock he was wearing a pair of gray sweatpants and a snug navy T-shirt. Both fit him exceptionally well.
Not that I had any reason to care about those things.
My eyes traveled slowly up to his face as he stopped before where I sat with Chloe. “We just finished reading a story,” I explained, as he smiled down at the two of us.
“Honey, it’s time for bed,” he said, and my stomach gave one hard lurch at the innocent words for his daughter.
Get ahold of yourself! I scolded myself.
Chloe made a loud whine of disappointment but hopped down from my lap.
“Tell Miss Lorna goodnight,” he said, taking her hand.
“Night!” Chloe grinned at me. “Can I come see you at your bookstore?”
“Sure, come by any time.” I reached into my bag for the stem of verbena that I’d picked. “This is for you, Chloe. I want you to keep it in your room.”
“Is it a magick flower?” she wanted to know.
“It’s verbena,” I said, with a smile, “and yes, it is.”
“Okay!” Chloe said, twirling the stem.
“Put it by your bed,” I suggested.
“We absolutely will,” her father promised. “Be right back.”