Chapter 11
Clipped Wings
SOPHIE
Granny’s spell to clip my wings struck my magic with the force of a giant sledgehammer hacking out a piece of my soul.
It hurt my spirit so much I burst into tears on the spot.
But despite my weeping and hiccups, I’m feeling unexpectedly comforted…
and warm… and kind of cozy. It slowly dawns on me, I’m leaning against someone’s brawny chest.
Wait… is it?
No blasted way!
Teddy Freaking Barker isn’t just giving me a little pat on the back; he’s wrapped his massive arms around me and pulled me so tight against his body I can feel his heart hammering through his tan safari shirt.
I give him a hard shove in the chest. “What are you doing, Teddy? I’m your boss, remember?”
Teddy drops his arms like I’m radioactive and scurries back a few steps. Although I miss the warmth of his arms around me, it’s inappropriate, even if he was trying to be nice. “I’m sorry, Sophie.” Teddy glances down at the toes of his giant combat boots. “You were so sad, and I wanted to help.”
“Well don’t! We have to maintain professional decorum.”
He mumbles. “Of course.”
“Make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“I’ll try.”
“What do you mean you’ll try?” I snap at him.
“I… I mean yes, of course, it won’t happen again.”
Then he reaches into his breast pocket, pulls out a neatly pressed, white handkerchief, and hands it to me.
Since my nose is dripping like a leaky faucet, and I don’t have a tissue handy, I accept it and start mopping my face.
By the time I’m done, black mascara streaks Teddy’s formerly pristine hanky, which is now damp with my tears and snot.
Even a normal guy wouldn’t want this thing back; Mr. Clean would probably gag if I tried.
I stuff the balled-up hanky down my front pocket and survey the interior of my shop, which looks even worse in the morning light, probably because Granny magically cleaned the plate glass windows when she installed the shades.
She wanted to protect our privacy, and I think also give me a little parting gift before she stripped away my magic; new window shades are one less thing I’ll have to invest in later.
“I don’t even know where to start,” I say lamely, feeling sorry for myself while also trying to process the fact that being held by Teddy wasn’t really all that bad. In fact… it was pretty nice.
But I remind myself it’s a bad idea. Besides, there’s another werewolf who promises to be more edgy and less uptight than Teddy, and who comes without any of the employer-employee complications to worry about. My phone pings, and I pull it out of my back pocket.
Speak of the devil—it’s Rafe!
I grin at his message. “Vreeland is taking Pru out on his boat tomorrow afternoon. He invited me and said I could bring a plus one. You’re the only plus one I want to bring. Can you make it?”
“What time are they leaving?” I text back.
“Five-thirty. They want to do a sunset cruise, and Pru’s packing a picnic dinner.”
I know where Vreeland docks his boat; it’s about a half-hour drive for me. “I can make it work. I’ll meet you at the dock at five-thirty.”
Rafe sends me a thumbs up. “Cool. See you then.”
I’m still smiling as I tuck my phone back into my shorts. When I glance up, I notice Teddy’s brow is puckered. “What was that about?” he asks. “You went from tears to grins in a matter of seconds.”
I fold my arms. “Not that it’s any of your business, but that was my prospective boyfriend.”
“Your what?” Teddy screeches.
I jump back, startled. “What’s wrong with you? You just scared me half to death.”
“Sorry,” Teddy mumbles and then walks stiffly toward the storage area in the back of the shop. He returns with the broom and dustpan and starts sweeping in large, methodical strokes.
My phone buzzes again, and this time it’s a message from Cassia, who wants to know what happened with Mom and Granny.
I fill her in about my clipped wings—which I’m super upset about, but the date with Rafe has momentarily overshadowed my despair—and I tell her about seeing Rafe, Vreeland, and Pru tomorrow.
Cassia doesn’t respond right away, which happens a lot because she’s working in my parents’ restaurant. Then she texts, “I’m glad it’s a double date.”
I blow out a puff of air. Cassia means well, but she’s such a fuddy-duddy; I know she’s worried about Rafe’s lone wolf status. She’s probably heard all sorts of negative stories from Jake about the problems caused by loners. “He’s Vreeland’s friend. What can go wrong?”
“He gives off bad-boy vibes.”
“Exactly!” I text her. “I’m bored.”
Cassia sends me an eye roll. “Just be safe.”
When I slip my phone into my back pocket for the second time, I sense Teddy’s eyes on me, but he quickly glances away. He’s acting weird today, which is exactly why employees should never embrace their bosses; it messes up everyone’s pheromones.
When Teddy finishes sweeping the floor, he bags up all the dirt, dust, and broken bits of wallboard and then carts it outside to the trash bin.
He’s gone maybe ten minutes, which gives me time to make a hair appointment tomorrow with Spectra, who squeezes me into her schedule.
I know I’m going on a boat, and my hair will be wild in a matter of minutes, but I want to start my date with Rafe looking my best.
Teddy returns carrying a lined pad of paper, a pencil, and a tape measure. “What’s all that for?” I ask.
“To take measurements so I know how much wallboard we need.”
“Why?”
Teddy waves a hand at the gaping hole I made in the shop. “So I can put up a new wall. How else were you planning on repairing it?”
I shrug. “I thought I’d have to hire a contractor.”
“You should save what you have left of your inheritance for buying supplies later.”
“Do you know how to install dry wall?” The skepticism is evident in my voice. Perhaps I’m being unfair, but Teddy’s singular skill seems to be cleaning.
“I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t know how,” Teddy chides me gently.
“My next-door neighbor owned a construction company; I worked for him every summer until I graduated from college. I can do the repairs, put in new light fixtures, put up new trim, and paint the shop. But if we’re going to get this place ready for its grand opening in time, you’re going to need to do your part. ”
I sputter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means it’s time for you to put your phone away and do some manual labor.
You can begin by stripping the wallpaper from the rest of the walls using glue remover, a scraper, and some elbow grease.
Getting this bakeshop ready is a two-person job.
You need to pull your weight every single day until we open. ”
“How dare you speak to me like… like…”
“Like you’ve been addressing me since I arrived yesterday?
Like I’m little more than a nuisance, someone you’re stuck with because of Miss Dragonfly’s will?
” Teddy heaves a sigh. “Look… we both want this bakery to succeed, which won’t happen if we spend our time arguing.
Here—” he hands me one end of the tape measure “—let’s just get to work. ”
I stare down at the tape measure, then up at Teddy.
It’s true I’ve been treating him like a nuisance, because he is.
And like someone I’m stuck with, because I am.
But if he really can help me get this bakery ready for the grand opening, Teddy deserves a little respect, even if I’m still resentful about his ten percent ownership stake.
“I agree we need to work together, and of course I’ll pitch in and do my part.
But just to be clear, I already have plans for tomorrow.
” Then I add, because I feel like I need to say it aloud. “I have a date.”
“With your ‘prospective boyfriend’?” Teddy says it with annoying little air quotes.
“Yes.”
Did Teddy just wince? It was so fleeting I can’t be certain.
He doesn’t say anything else, and we get to work taking the measurements.
Then he shows me how to strip the wallpaper, which I hadn’t been doing correctly.
It goes much faster once I score the paper first, then soak it with the glue remover, and then scrape it off.
It’s still tedious, but it’s no longer impossible.
Around noon, Teddy straightens from hand-scrubbing the floor. I have to admit, the portion he’s cleaned does look remarkably better. “I’m going to run out and pick up some lunch. What would you like?”
“You don’t need to get me anything,” I say with a sniff, even though I’m half starved.
“Actually, I do. Your stomach’s been growling for the past thirty minutes.” When Teddy smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkle ever so slightly.
“Well, I certainly wouldn’t want my growly stomach to interfere with your concentration, so I suppose a turkey sandwich wouldn’t go amiss. And some iced tea. And maybe some apple chips.” I pause and retrieve my purse. “Here, I can contribute.”
“I’ve got this.”
A short while later I hear the purr of his car engine as he returns, pulling into the driveway. I open the rear door, surprised to see Teddy lugging a blanket along with a bag of food and a cardboard tray with two iced teas.
“What’s all this?” I ask, helping him spread out the blanket.
“Indoor picnic.” He waits until we’re both seated on the blanket and then hands over my drink, sandwich, and apple chips.
“Ooh, you went to Vlad’s Victuals.”
“It seemed safer than going to your parents’ café. I don’t think your mom likes me very much,” says Teddy. “She scowled at me the whole time she was here.”
“She probably can’t figure out why Auntie Dragonfly left you ten percent of this bakeshop.” I unwrap my turkey and Havarti on rye. “And frankly neither can I.”
“I didn’t twist Miss Dragonfly’s arm or anything, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Teddy takes a bite of his roast beef sandwich, chews carefully, and swallows. “She told me her plans after her attorney visited for the last time, which was about three months ago.”
“Were you surprised?”
“Shocked… and incredibly grateful. But I refused at first, explaining to Miss Dragonfly that you and your family would resent me. But she said her mind was made up, and what was done was done.”
“Did she tell you why she made you partial owner of my bakery?”
“Our bakery,” replies Teddy with a twinkle in his eye.
“As ninety-percent owner, I think I can safely call it mine,” I huff.
“Fair enough. You’re the baker, after all.” Teddy glances down at the blanket for so long that I’m not sure he’s going to answer my question. When he looks at me, his blue eyes have a sheen that makes them even bluer, if that’s possible.
“Miss Dragonfly wanted to give me a fresh start in a new supernatural village, a place where she knew the local pack was well run, and where I’d have a fighting chance at making friends…
or at least, not making enemies.” He gives me a sheepish grin.
“She also felt you needed someone with a good head on their shoulders to help you with the business; your auntie said you were an ‘impetuous faerie’—her words, not mine.”
Shaking my head, I snort. “She knew me better than I realized.” Then I think about what else Teddy said, about the need to start over, find a pack, and make friends. He shared a lot in very few words. “Why do you need to start over in Riddle Hill? Don’t you have any family?”
Teddy’s shoulders slump. “My parents split up recently; my dad took a new job on the west coast, my mom is sweet but unreliable, and my sister is busy with her own family.” Teddy shrugs.
“My dad was an only child, and my mom’s extended family lives in Scotland.
So… I do kind of need to figure things out for myself. ”
I think about my mom and dad, Cassia, Jake, Granny Catbeam, and all my unalive ancestors hanging on the walls of my parents’ café. “My cup is overflowing with relatives; too bad we can’t trade.”
“You don’t really mean that.”
“My grandmother clipped my wings today, and my mother did nothing to stop her. What do you think?”
“I think you know, deep down, they love you.”
I shrug. “I’d still trade places with you.”
“Actually Sophie, I don’t think you would,” says Teddy so softly I have to lean closer to hear him.