Chapter 57
Thomas knocked on Zachariah Dunmore’s bright-blue door, the healed cat cradled in his arms.
“Do we have to tell him?” Jeff asked. “He’s never gonna let me roam again.”
“Ah, he’ll forget about it in a few weeks. Humans always do,” said Taz, his head popping out of Thomas’s shirt pocket. “Trust me.”
Thomas scratched behind the cat’s ears, wondering about the wisdom of arguing with familiars. “Yes, we have to tell him. Zach’s a wizard like me, and we have better memories than humans.”
The door opened, and Zach leaned against the frame. He crossed his massive arms and sighed. “What did he do now?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” said Jeff. “But I found your future wife.”
Zach swiveled his head so fast that Thomas wondered if he got whiplash. “Does he have a concussion?”
“He got hit by a car.” Thomas handed Jeff to Zach. “An out-of-towner brought him in, and I healed him.”
“A hot, age-appropriate out-of-towner,” Taz said. “She’s not too observant, though. This one magicked away a bunch of blood and cuts and—”
Thomas interrupted his familiar. “Jeff is fine. Keep him inside for a few days, though.”
“Grounded until further notice,” Zach said, but Thomas didn’t see anger so much as fear in Zach’s eyes. “There’s hope for humans after all.”
“If you say so.” Thomas gestured behind him. “I’m headed to dinner. Want to join me?”
Zach’s brow furrowed. “Jeff and I need to chat.”
The cat’s ears flattened, and Jeff hissed at Thomas.
The vet chuckled, waved goodbye, and walked to the Hex & Hearth, despite knowing he had a perfectly good frozen dinner at home. His encounter with Nell had made him uneasy, and he wanted to purge the feeling from his system.
“Can Rowan fix a drink strong enough to vanquish that?” asked Taz.
Thomas tapped his familiar’s head. “Stop reading my mind.”
Taz snorted. “This is the first time you’ve noticed a woman in years. No way I’m doing the polite thing.”
“Rowan could whip up a Mind Eraser. If I were affected. And I am not,” Thomas added in his sternest tone. He stopped in front of the door to the bar. “Behave.”
Nell’s presence enveloped him even before Thomas’s eyes adjusted to the dim light.
He didn’t know why he recognized the woman’s soothing energy, but it spoke to him in a way that he’d never experienced from a human.
Sure enough, she sat at the table next to the fireplace, eating what looked like the bar’s signature lobster rolls.
He stepped toward the table, then changed his mind and detoured to the bar where Rowan was putting an orange slice on Thomas’s usual, an old-fashioned.
“If you want to eat here,” said the bartender as he slid the drink to Thomas with a frown, “send the creature home. Otherwise, I’ll box it up.”
Thomas glanced at Nell. Her hair was a mess, and her outfit screamed tourist. She moaned with pleasure as she ate, oblivious to the fact that she sounded like the soundtrack to a low-budget rom-com.
Thomas didn’t understand it. He hated socializing, particularly with strangers, but Nell pulled at him like a tractor beam.
“Sorry, Taz,” he said.
“Wait, I wanna see what—”
The sentence remained unfinished when Thomas crossed his index and middle fingers and flicked his hand over his shirt pocket, the fabric collapsing into the space where Taz had been a second before.
Rowan gave him a curt nod. “Sit.”
Thomas gulped his drink, admitting to himself that a little liquid courage never hurt anyone. Squaring his shoulders, he walked toward the table. Evelyn Cross winked when he passed her at the bar, causing him to trip in surprise. What was going on around here?
He regained his composure by the time he reached the table where Nell sat, her plate empty except for a few waffle fries.
“Can I join you?”
Nell stopped mid-chew. She lifted her face to him, her eyes darting in all directions.
Thomas clenched his jaw, wanting to run, not walk, back to the bar and eat his dinner alone.
But his strange attraction to Nell had frozen him in place.
“A nod is sufficient.” He winced at his word choice.
If she accepted his request, he swore he’d would keep his mouth shut, although how that was being social was beyond him.
She nodded.
Thomas relaxed his jaw. He hadn’t messed things up. Yet.
While he sat down, Nell sipped her gimlet, then said, “Actually, I’m glad you’re here. How’s the cat? Did you find its owner?”
“Jeff is fine. He’s grounded.”
He wished he could be as comfortable around humans as he was around animals. Everything that came out of his mouth sounded ridiculous. Especially in front of a non-magical person.
“Having raised a high-spirited daughter, I can understand, though how you ground a feline is beyond my comprehension.”
Thomas stared at the rosemary sprig sticking out of her glass. He made a mental note to ask Rowan what he served Nell so he could make it for her the next time they got together.
Then he caught himself. He had met this woman less than an hour ago, and he was already planning to make her a drink. What was the matter with him? If he were smart, he should magic himself home. Getting an earful of snarky remarks from Taz would be his punishment for being socially awkward.
“Thomas?”
The sound of his name drew him out of his own thoughts.
He looked at Nell, who was staring at his hands.
He took a chance and glanced at her mouth.
A dab of mayonnaise clung to her lower lip.
Thomas sat on his hands to keep from wiping it away and focused his gaze on the rogue strand of hair sticking out by her ear.
“Yes?”
“How did you heal the cat? You didn’t take X-rays or use medicine or even examine him. He looked bad, but he was fine after you held him.”
Thomas glanced over the top of his drink, taking in Nell’s expression.
Her forehead crinkled, and she rubbed her temple.
Nell seemed more confused than alarmed, but that made what he had to do next even worse.
His magic required secrecy. He protected his craft, his people, and the town of Driftwood Pointe.
He had no choice but to lie to this woman.
The same woman his mind, body, and soul craved.
Rowan delivered Thomas’s food to the table and placed a glass of water in front of Nell. He shot Thomas a look, as if he could read his thoughts, before returning to the bar without a word. The bartender’s timing was impeccable as always.
Thomas picked up his lobster roll. “The injuries weren’t bad. Anyone could have helped him.” He took a bite, but the food tasted sour.
“I couldn’t have helped him,” she said, her voice quivering. Nell slid her hand across the table, reaching for him.
Thomas glanced up. He saw her eyes sparkle, then dim.
Nell pulled her hand into her lap. “It was like magic.”
The statement caught him off guard, and Thomas choked on his food. He coughed, then asked, “What?”
She grabbed her purse and stood up. “It’s been a long day. My friend’s waiting. Good night.”
He rose, but Nell placed her hand on his shoulder.
A low hum vibrated where their bodies connected, and he dropped into his chair.
Whatever was happening, it was stronger than he was.
He knew she felt it, too, because Nell jerked her hand back.
She beelined for the exit, narrowly missing Rowan as he approached.
Both men watched the door slam behind her.
“What was that?” asked Thomas.
Rowan shrugged and slid another old-fashioned onto the table. “Don’t know. But you need this.”