Chapter 30
Chapter
Thirty
ETHAN
Ihad no idea why I was here. Saying I randomly showed up on her doorstep for chocolate chip cookies felt lame, but something had compelled me to come.
My hand hesitated over the door.
“Shit,” I swore quietly and was about to turn when the door opened.
Moira stood there, looking beautiful but haggard.
Deep circles lay under her eyes, and she appeared thinner than normal, which should be impossible. I’d just seen her a few days ago.
“Moira?” I stepped toward her. “Are you alright?”
She waved a pale hand and stepped back to hold the door open. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
She closed the door and went straight to the kitchen. I hung my jacket on the hook by the door and followed her.
Several batches of cookies lay cooling on trays. I inhaled and sighed. Chocolate chip, something with caramel, maybe a sugar cookie, and also something else on the stove.
A small smile teased Moira’s lips. “Hungry?”
For many things. “Yes.”
She lifted her gaze to mine. “For dinner?”
The witch’s words came back to me, but standing here staring at this pale woman made me realize nothing she said was true. Something fucked up was going on, but Moira wasn’t the one responsible. I almost went to her then and had to stop myself.
Sarah.
I had to think of Sarah.
Moira turned away and lifted the lid off something bubbling on the stove. She stirred and turned the burner down.
“Mind putting the strainer in the sink for me?” she asked over her shoulder.
I hurried to do as she asked. Moira drained a large batch of pasta and put it back in the pan.
“I’m having chicken mushroom pasta if you want some.”
“I want,” I said, clearing my throat when my voice came out too gruff.
She smiled again. “Good. I made too much anyway.”
I watched as she poured the sauce over the pasta and stirred.
“Grab some plates?” She pointed to a cabinet.
I was helpless to disobey her. She was feeding me. Did she have any idea how important that was to a shifter?
Moira dished me up an obscene amount of pasta. “Wine’s on the coffee table.”
I took her dish from her and carried both over. She gave me a grateful smile and sank onto the couch with a soft sigh.
“Are you sure you’re alright?”
She wore a pair of leggings and a long off-shoulder sweater. Her hair was loose and hanging all the way to her waist. Moira tucked her bare feet under her thighs and reached for her bowl. “I’m fine, really. Recently, I’ve used much more magic than usual. It caught up to me.”
She dug into her food with gusto. I poured us both a glass of wine and pushed one over to her.
Her grateful smile tugged at my heart. I took a bite of the pasta and almost moaned. Did she have magic in her fingers or something? This was fucking delicious.
I felt her watching me as I ate with single-minded purpose. She chuckled when I finished. “There’s plenty more. Eat as much as you want.”
A smart man would never argue over a statement like that. I filled another bowl and sat back down. “Where’d you learn to cook?”
“Trial and error and plenty of time. I always felt cooking and baking are labors of love. With time and proper practice, all you can do is get better.”
“This is amazing,” I said. “Mind giving me the recipe?”
“For Sarah?” she asked softly.
I blinked, realizing I hadn’t even thought of Sarah. Why did I keep forgetting about her? It was like she wasn’t even there. Sarah used to be the first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about when going to sleep at night. “Um. No,” I said sheepishly. “For Vicki.”
Moira let out a soft snort. “She’s going to be so mad my pasta is better than hers.”
My hand paused in the act of shoveling another bite in. “You’ve had Vicki’s pasta?”
Her eyes widened just a hair, just enough to tell me she’d said something she shouldn’t have. “I have,” she said slowly, “during my last visit.”
My eyes narrowed. I could call her on it. I probably should. But she had fed me pasta, and she made cookies—a lot of them, and was it so wrong to just want some peace and some delicious food while in the company of a beautiful woman?
If this was wrong, I never wanted to be right.
I chose to do what every reasonable man confronted with a dilemma like mine would do.
I shut the fuck up.