by Zoe Chant
Who knew what Hardwicke would do if he didn’t check in? He had a sudden, terrible vision of Hardwicke appearing in Fairhill to ream him out in person.
“No luck?” Emilia asked. “I didn’t think so.” She hesitated slightly, glancing toward the window. “I’ll tell you what: provided this storm blows over in the next couple of hours, I’ll drive you into town. You can make your phone call there, if you like.”
“I’d really appreciate that,” he said. “Provided it’s no trouble.”
“None,” Emilia said. “I was thinking about going in anyway.” She grimaced a little. “Well... maybe. The whole town goes a little Christmas crazy at this time of year. Just so you’re warned.”
“Warned?” Rowan looked at her, confused. “You don’t like Christmas?”
That was unexpected. He’d just assumed all humans loved Christmas.
“It’s... a long story,” Emilia said, after a slight hesitation. “And not a very fun one. Let’s just say it’s not my favorite time of year.”
There was a sadness in her tone that told Rowan not to press things, regardless of how curious he might have been about it – and despite the sudden urge he felt within him to comfort her.
Maybe you should, his griffin said, preening slightly.
Or, Rowan retorted, maybe I should mind my own business.
He couldn’t deny that the feeling was there, though. The thought of Emilia being sad or lonely – especially at a time when he’d believed all humans were surrounded by their loved ones – was something that poked at his heart like a needle.
“Hey, look,” Emilia said, going to the window. “Seems like the storm’s starting to blow over – I can see the trees in my yard again, at least.”
“So soon?” The words were out of Rowan’s mouth before he could stop them. He had to admit he was surprised – and disappointed.
Which was ridiculous.
He had a duty. He should be glad he could get back to it, not regretful he couldn’t spend more time talking to Emilia, regardless of how beautiful she was, or how strangely comforting her home was.
“I guess we should get going then,” Emilia said. “Breaks in the weather can be fickle.”
“You’re right,” Rowan said, pushing his regret aside. “I suppose we should.”
“Don’t forget your – my – coat,” Emilia said, turning toward him with a smile. “You can freeze just walking out to the car.”
Rowan laughed. “I can believe that.”
As he reached out to take the jacket from her arm, their fingers brushed against each other. It was only the briefest moment of contact – and yet, it was almost as if someone had touched him with a live wire. A jolt of electricity ran through him, making his heart pound within his chest, and his griffin reared up as if in triumph, letting out a mighty cry.
Our mate. She’s our mate.
Rowan’s head spun.
No wonder I thought she was an angel.
Suddenly, everything made sense: his griffin’s strange behavior; his reluctance to leave Emilia’s side; the strange sense of comfort he had felt just by being near her.
He wondered if, somehow, she might be able to sense it too, despite the fact she was human. Maybe that was why she’d felt compelled to help him, and had seemed to believe his admittedly bizarre story about how he’d come to be in her shed – or at the very least, had understood that he was no danger to her.
And now, she was looking at him, face slightly flushed, dark eyes wide, her beautiful rosy lips parted.
Did she feel that too? Rowan wondered in a daze. Did she feel that spark between them, even though she wasn’t a shifter?
For a moment, they stared at each other, as if frozen in place.
The air between them seemed to crackle with energy – and then, Emilia blinked, her mouth snapping shut.
“I – I’ll go get the car,” she stuttered, before turning and hurrying out of the room, leaving Rowan staring after her.
Chapter Three
Emilia
What the hell was that?!
The words had been repeating themselves in her head in a rapid refrain ever since she'd scuttled out of the living room and into the garage. In this weather, the car usually took a long time to start and needed a while to warm up, and she'd spent the entire time staring down at her fingers, looking for any evidence of the strange, electric shock that had passed through her at the touch of Rowan's skin against hers.
But there had been nothing.
Her fingers showed no sign of anything – not, honestly, that she’d expected them to. But still, the sensation that had passed through her had been undeniable.
Undeniable to me, anyway, Emilia thought now as she glanced at Rowan out of the corner of her eye. They'd been driving for ten minutes, and, far from the remarkably easy conversation they'd been having in the living room, an awkward silence seemed to have descended.
Or at least, it felt awkward on her end. Rowan seemed almost... contemplative, as he stared out of the window at the winter scenery rushing by outside.
This is silly. Say something, she thought. She wasn’t usually such a shrinking violet. True, Rowan was the most attractive man she’d ever seen, but did that mean she had to get all tongue-tied? Especially since she’d felt so... so comfortable with him before, in a way she hadn’t really been able to understand or explain. And despite the fact his story about how he’d gotten into her shed just hadn’t really added up at all.
“So... how long have you been a cop?” she blurted out, unable to stand her own silence anymore.
Rowan turned to her, blinking. “Ten years now, give or take a couple of months,” he said. “Ever since I turned eighteen. It’s really the only life I've ever known.”
Emilia nodded. “What made you choose it, if you don’t mind me asking? It’s kind of rare to find someone who knows what they want to do so young.”
Curiosity welled up inside her. Of course, she wanted to know more about him – but there was also the fact that while he seemed like such a straightforward guy, there was obviously something he wasn’t telling her.
“I wanted to protect people,” Rowan said, without hesitation. “I guess you could say I grew up in some rough circumstances. I lost my parents early, and was raised by relatives in a little place not unlike this one. One big difference, though – it was run by criminals.”
Shocked, Emilia glanced at him, eyes wide. “What do you mean?”
Rowan grimaced. “I won’t go into all the details – you wouldn’t want them anyway. Suffice it to say they were bad guys. You either fell into line or you caught trouble from them. But I didn’t want that, so I got out early.”
“And... did you ever go back?” Emilia asked.
Rowan nodded. “I sure did. I busted their gang and put the leader behind bars. Living there as a kid meant I knew all their hiding places. Nothing feels better than knowing the place I grew up is free of them now – and the people there can live their lives the way they want to.”
Emilia felt warmth spreading through her chest. The pride in Rowan’s voice was unmistakable. She swallowed, her throat feeling tight.
He seems too good to be true, she thought. What’s the catch?
“I’m sorry to hear you had to grow up in such a tough situation,” she said, and she meant it. She realized how easy it might have been to fall into line with the criminals – but instead, Rowan had chosen the opposite path.
“In some ways, I guess it made my choices easier,” he said. “I knew what I didn’t want, anyway. And I suppose I wanted to know that if it came down to it, I could protect what I thought was important in life. This just seemed like a good way to do it.”
“I can understand that,” Emilia said – and she could. Wasn’t that why she’d gotten involved in animal rescue? To protect animals who’d been mistreated, who couldn’t protect themselves? She understood the urge perfectly, even though they’d chosen different ways – and things – to protect. Their paths migh
t have differed, but it seemed their values did not.
Glancing at him again, Emilia felt a strange surge in her heart. It was as if the spark she’d felt when their fingers had touched had kindled something within her – something that was still burning now, like a small flame within her chest.
And there’d been something else, too – something she was only just now beginning to recognize. When Rowan had been sitting on her couch, wrapped up in her ratty old blanket, he had... he had looked almost like he belonged there. Like he felt at home, despite the strange circumstances under which he’d come to be there.
After Tom, she’d always told herself she didn’t need a man. And it was true – she didn’t. All her friends seemed to be growing up and getting married, and most of them had even had a kid or two by now. She’d grown up in Fairhill, so there wasn’t anyone’s life story she wasn’t familiar with, going all the way back to elementary school. Some of her friends had married people from out of town, others had married their high school sweethearts. Sometimes it had felt like she was the only one left. She’d been over the moon when she’d met Tom, and thought she’d finally found her own happily ever after.
What a mistake that turned out to be, she thought, feeling bitterness swell inside her.
She’d told herself her grandmother’s property and her work with animals were enough. And they were – once she’d gotten over her initial heartbreak, Emilia had realized that she was happier without Tom than with him. He’d been all wrong for her. He hadn’t really shared her values at all, and had always been pushing her to get rid of the house and buy something in town – or better yet, in the city. Of course, that would have meant getting rid of all her animals as well, and to stop fostering new ones. They hadn’t been compatible, even before he’d confessed to cheating.
Emilia had come to realize she was better off without a man than with the wrong one.
But if I found the right one...
The thought was in her head before she could stop it. Unconsciously, she found her gaze drifting back to where Rowan sat in the passenger’s seat of her rickety old car.
Stop that, she told herself sternly. You just think he’s hot. That’s it. And, well, he definitely is hot. But you barely know him. Just because he seems like a gentleman and your dogs all inexplicably love him at first sight doesn’t mean a thing.
“We’re almost there now,” she mumbled, as they passed the sign officially welcoming them to Fairhill. She forced her eyes back where they belonged: on the road.
“You live a fair way out of town,” Rowan observed, his voice a low rumble. “You like it out here?”
“I love it,” Emilia answered, hearing the warmth and enthusiasm in her own voice. “I visited big cities a couple of times as a teenager, and then I lived in one for college. It just wasn’t for me – I like my peace and quiet, I guess. Plus I need room for the animals. There’s no way I could do what I do in a city apartment.”
“That’s very true,” Rowan agreed. Out of the corner of her eye, Emilia saw his shoulders rise and then fall, as if he was sighing. “I sometimes thought about coming back to the countryside one day, but I never really made any proper plans. I can’t say I don’t miss it, though. All this open space – it’s beautiful. I feel like you could get lost in it.”
“You can,” Emilia said, laughing a little. “It looks beautiful, but every year it seems like there’s a hiker who underestimates the weather, or manages to lose their way after wandering off the trail.”
“Now that I can believe,” Rowan said, laughing along with her.
Emilia shivered at the sound. Deep and rich, it reminded her somehow of summer sun and dripping honey – in other words, two of her favorite things.
“So I’m guessing your work doesn’t take you out of the city very often, then,” Emilia said. Now that the conversation had started again, she was reminded of just how easy he was to talk to. She’d just have to forget all about the imagined spark between them. It was all in her head, anyway. And there’s no way a guy like Rowan doesn’t already have a girl, or several, she reminded herself. It wouldn’t pay to get too wrapped up in him.
“Not often,” Rowan said. “I suppose I’ve acclimatized to it now, but when I’m back out here, I remember how much I miss the wild. Criminal gangs aside, I guess I’ve come to realize how lucky I was to grow up in a place like that.”
Emilia nodded as she took a corner, driving past the first few houses of Fairhill.
“Yeah, you can say that again. I suppose for me this has always been what I’ve wanted. I’ve never really even thought of moving – the city holds no temptations!”
Not strictly true, she thought, as Rowan flashed her a grin.
“So you’re a country girl through and through?”
“As country as it gets. That’s me,” Emilia laughed. Then, inexplicably, she added, “Yeehaw.”
Oh my God, what is wrong with me, she thought, wanting to sink into the car seat with embarrassment – but Rowan was laughing his rich, deep laugh, his golden eyes warm, as if she’d just said something incredibly charming, and after a moment, Emilia found herself laughing too, her embarrassment evaporating.
They were in Fairhill proper now – the houses, sparse between the trees before, were now lining the streets. Christmas decorations, dazzling even in the haziness of the post-storm air, seemed to cover every square inch of them. Flashing green and red lights were strung across porches, while neon Santas stood on rooftops, accompanied by nine neon reindeer, one, of course, with a red shiny nose. Everyone in town seemed to have their curtains drawn back so passersby could look in their windows and see the massive, sparkling Christmas trees in their living rooms. The whole town seemed to glow with Christmas cheer.
Emilia grimaced. Usually she loved coming into town, but at this time of year it just made her feel like a fish out of water. Fairhill loved Christmas.
And coming here now meant that soon Rowan would be on his way out of her life again, just as suddenly as he’d entered it.
Emilia frowned, unsure of how to explain the strange coldness in her chest at the thought. It seemed too soon, somehow.
I suppose... I suppose I could ask for his number, she thought. So what if he’d crashed into her shed under mysterious circumstances, and was only here for work? She didn’t think she’d ever felt such an instant connection to anyone before in her life. What was the worst thing that could happen?
He could say no.
Emilia swallowed.
Yes, he could say no.
But did she really want to go through the rest of her life letting one terrible heartbreak ruin her chances of finding love?
“I really appreciate this,” Rowan said as she drove. “You’re doing me a big favor here.”
Emilia could feel her cheeks coloring, and internally cursed herself. Had she suddenly turned into a blushing maiden?
“It’s no problem,” she said. “Really. I didn’t have any plans for the day. Just sitting inside and waiting out the storm.”
It was the truth – she’d planned on spending the day cuddled up with her dogs and cats, watching trashy TV and eating custard out of the carton. So if nothing else, Rowan had saved her from that particularly grim fate. To be honest, after the whirlwind in her head ever since she’d first laid eyes on Rowan, she hadn’t even thought about her lost custard time.
But as she spoke, her stomach chose exactly that moment to let them both know that it hadn’t forgotten about it. The grumble it made was a loud and clear reminder that in fact, she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast.
“Uh, excuse me,” Emilia said, feeling her flush from earlier creep a little higher up her cheeks.
Rowan’s golden eyes were glinting with laughter as he grinned at her. “Hungry?”
“I guess so,” Emilia laughed, unable to help herself. She bit her lip as she wondered whether she could force herself to be bold. Yes, she decided. Yes I can.
“Look, do you want to grab some lunch?
” she asked, as she pulled up to wait for a red traffic light. “I know a great little diner that’s run by some friends of mine, and they’ll definitely let you use their phone if the cell phone signal is still spotty. The food’s amazing and it shouldn’t be too busy on a day like today. It’s really not far from here, and it’s not that fancy so we can be in and out pretty quick if you –”
“It would be my absolute pleasure,” Rowan cut her off, his voice soft but firm, a smile on his lips. “As long as you let me pay. To say thanks for everything you’ve done for me.”
Blinking, she turned to look into his eyes, and was struck once again by their unusual beauty. She’d never seen eyes like Rowan’s before: a warm, rich gold, shining like amber. They seemed to fill her belly with heat, making her feel as if she was falling into them, the rest of the world melting away, the only sound the pounding of her heart in her ears...
... Until, at least, the sound of the horn of the car behind her broke the spell, blasting loudly through the air to let her know the traffic light must have been green for at least ten seconds by now.
Emilia gasped, blinking, feeling almost as if she was emerging from a trance. To her shock, she found that she had unconsciously moved forward a little, leaning her face toward Rowan, as if...
As if I were going to kiss him, she thought, at last fully snapping out of her dazed state. Like he was a magnet, drawing me closer to him...
It felt silly to think of it in those terms, and yet, that was exactly how it had felt. She hadn’t been able to stop herself – her attraction to him had been utterly irresistible.
Trying to get her head together, Emilia rapidly put her foot down on the gas pedal, causing the car to lurch forward and jerking them in their seats.
“Sorry!” she said, feeling like an idiot. It had been years since she’d done that!
“It’s... it’s no problem,” Rowan said, his voice sounding oddly vague.
Once she’d gotten the car back under control, Emilia risked a glance in his direction. She swallowed hard when she saw his expression. He looked exactly like she felt: like someone had smacked her over the head with a two-by-four.