by J. L. Farey
Aiden laughed. “She’s really excited about getting a burger.”
Wade chucked him in the ribs with his elbow. “Nice try. I saw that rock flashing. Congrats, man. It’s great.”
Bridget’s reaction had served as a kind of call to others in the joint that cared about things like love and marriage. Aurora, trailed by her newly formed entourage, made her way to Laurel, grabbed her hand, and did her own whooping and celebrating. Back in the booth, Wade sighed and took a swig of his half-empty beer.
“They’re nothing alike, you know,” Aiden said. When Wade looked at him questioningly, he went on “Laurel and Aurora. You’ll only drive yourself crazy if you’re thinking of having a future with her.”
“You’re way off, buddy,” Wade said with a derisive snort. “Aurora and I are just having fun.”
“Just fun, huh?”
“Absolutely.”
“Must be why you shredded that label.” Aiden pointed at the naked beer bottle in front of Wade and the tiny shreds of paper littering the table. “Because of all the fun you’re having.”
He frowned. “I keep forgetting you used to be a detective.”
“It doesn’t take a mastermind to see that you’re pining.”
Wade leaned against the back of the booth, letting his head fall against the cushion. “I’m not the type who gets attached to one woman, but I can’t stop thinking about her. How did this happen?”
Aiden reached for the bowl in the middle of the table, grabbed a pretzel, and snapped it in half. “Who knows? Maybe it’s that nymph love magic.”
“What?” Wade shot forward, almost knocking over the beer bottle. “What nymph love magic? She put a spell on me?”
“This is Nocturne Falls,” he said, popping a piece of pretzel in his mouth. “Spells are kind of a normal thing around here.”
“Not without consent they’re not.”
Even in the dim lighting of the bar, the flush in Wade’s cheeks was obvious, and Aiden knew he’d gone too far with the teasing.
“Wade, calm down. I’m joking.” Aiden flagged down a waitress, ordered another beer for Wade and a club soda with lime for himself, then clapped Wade on the shoulder. “Sorry. Consent isn’t something to kid about.”
“Got that right.” Wade’s shoulders lowered as he relaxed. He drained the last bit of beer, then started pinching up pieces of the label and stuffing them into the empty bottle. “But I remember you telling me that Laurel’s old boyfriend went crazy because of that nymph magic. What about that?”
The thought of Dillon made the back of Aiden’s neck tingle. “Turned out it had nothing to do with her being a nymph. He was mentally unstable, period.” That was an understatement. The man had tracked Laurel down, stalked her, and then tried to kill her. He’d managed to burn down her tree, but with Bailey’s help, Aiden had saved Laurel.
“Where did that guy end up?” Wade asked. “Prison or looney bin?”
“Psychiatric hospital. The way he was going on about nymphs being real, his lawyer went with an insanity plea.”
The waitress came back, pausing just long enough to set down their drinks, then hurried on with a half-full tray.
Wade took a swig of beer, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “So, I’m not under a spell. And I don’t think I’m crazy—”
“Not that you’d know if you were,” Aiden cut in.
Wade ignored him. “What then? Why can’t I stop thinking about her?”
“Maybe it’s love.”
A terror-stricken look took over Wade’s features, but before he could respond, Aurora and Laurel swooped up to the booth. Both held two baskets loaded with burgers and fries. They sat on either side of the bench seat, sandwiching the men between them. Laurel reached for the ketchup bottle as she slid one basket in front of Aiden. He laughed when he noticed she’d already taken a bite out of her burger.
“I told you I was starving,” she said as she poured ketchup over her fries.
Aurora pressed her shoulder against Wade’s, giving him a playful nudge. “Did you hear the good news? Aiden’s making an honest woman out of my sister.”
Wade pushed his dark glasses higher on the bridge of his nose, completely hiding his eyes. “Yep. He told me.”
Aiden took a bite of his burger, using his peripheral vision to observe his partner as unobtrusively as possible. Over the years, Wade had had his share of mutually casual relationships, so it made sense he’d be confused now about the strength of his feelings. But it also made sense, at least to Aiden, that Wade was tired of superficial connections. At some point, everyone needed more.
“There’s so much to do,” Aurora chattered on. “Lucky for you, I’ve planned more than one wedding. Just leave it to me, and everything will be ready by the 21st.”
Laurel froze mid-chew and looked at Aurora, then swallowed and shook her head. “We haven’t set a date yet. What are you talking about?”
Aurora’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you forgot. June 21st is the perfect day.”
Her tone made it clear that particular date meant something special. Aiden just didn’t know what. “That’s only a little over two weeks from now. What’s the rush?”
“Why wait?” she countered. “I never have understood why some couples draw out their engagement. Once you decide to tie the knot, why not jump right in?”
Aiden plucked a fry from his basket. “But why June 21st?”
“It’s summer solstice,” Wade said. When they all turned to look at him with surprise, he shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, I’m not just a pretty face. I know stuff.”
Aurora pretended to swoon, her head falling against his shoulder. “Brains and brawn. What’s not to love about this guy, huh?”
Hoping to draw attention away from Wade before either of the women noticed how uncomfortable he looked, Aiden kept asking questions. “Is this a cultural thing? Some rule that all nymphs must get married on June 21st?”
“Not a rule,” Laurel answered. “It’s a tradition. And Aurora’s right. I forgot all about it.”
Aurora leaned in Aiden’s direction, bringing her even closer to Wade. With very little effort, she’d be sitting in the poor guy’s lap. “Sure, you can pick any day for your wedding, but there are so many good reasons for Summer Solstice.”
“Like?”
She ticked the points off on her fingers. “It’s the longest day of the year, which means more sun. That night, Sirius, the dog star, is visible.”
“Oh, Bailey will love that,” Laurel said, popping a French fry in her mouth.
Aiden laughed, but Aurora kept on talking. “Even better, a gathering of nymphs on the summer solstice increases your future happiness, prosperity, fertility—”
Laurel nearly choked. “It’s a little early to think about being fertile.”
“Honey,” Aurora said as she handed her a napkin, “it’s never too early to think about being fertile.”
Wade reached for his food, at the same time maneuvering Aurora so she wasn’t leaning on his chest anymore. “Just think, this time next year, you could be hearing the pitter-patter of little feet. Or would it be paws?” He tilted his head in thought. “How does that work with a nymph and a bear shifter? Do you end up with a flower child, or a bear cub?”
Still laughing at his own joke, Wade bit into his burger.
The manner in which his DNA and Laurel’s would mix to create children wasn’t something Aiden had thought about, and considering the look on her face, it was new to her, too. It was definitely something they needed to talk about, but he had no intention doing it in a noisy bar with Wade and Aurora looking on.
“Back to the wedding date,” Aiden said. “Laurel and I will let you know what we decide.”
Aurora frowned, but before she could argue her point, audio feedback squealed sharply over the bar’s speakers. Patrons cringed and cursed, and all eyes turned toward the small, raised platform across from the bar.
“Sorry ‘bout that, folks.” Bridg
et stood on the mini stage holding a mic. “We’re getting ready to kick off Karaoke Night, so if you haven’t already put your name on the list, now’s the time.”
“I didn’t know they had karaoke here,” Aurora said.
“It’s something new Bridget’s trying out,” Laurel said.
“Well, count me in.” Aurora started to scoot out of the booth, but Wade put his hand on her wrist and stopped her.
“Not you, Princess.”
She pursed her lips in a pout. “Why not?”
“Because there are normals here, and it would be hard to explain why your warbling attracted every animal in a one-mile radius.”
The pout turned to a simper, and she slid back against Wade again. “Maybe I’ll just sing to you.”
She reached for his sunglasses, but he caught her hand. “Darlin’, we’re way beyond the singing stage.”
It was getting a bit too intimate on that side of the table. Aiden cleared his throat and put his arm around Laurel. “Maybe we should give those two some privacy.”
Laurel’s eyes glimmered with mischief. “Or maybe we should give them some competition.”
Under the table, her hand slid from his knee up to his thigh and gave a playful squeeze. He jumped in surprise, then leaned down and whispered in her ear. “Forget them. Let’s get out of here.”
“That’s an excellent idea.”
Before they could move to leave, Bridget’s voice came across the sound system again. “Some of you know our resident songbird, Laurel Barker.” Bridget pointed at the booth, and most everyone in the place turned to look at her. “Maybe, with a little encouragement, she’ll start us out with a tune or two.”
Laurel sighed, but forced a smile as people started to clap and shout for her to sing. “Darn that YouTube video,” she muttered under her breath.
Aiden rubbed her back. “Rayne did warn you.”
When they’d gone to Nashville six months earlier to help his father prove his innocence in a murder case, Laurel had posed as a fledgling country singer making her debut at The Golden Bear Saloon. Aiden’s sister, Rayne, an actual country singer, had let Laurel sing two of her songs. Laurel had made a bigger splash than anyone expected, and Rayne predicted that, thanks to phone videos being posted to YouTube, Laurel was about to be a viral hit. While there hadn’t been any recording executives breaking down her door, no one in Nocturne Falls was about to forget Laurel’s fifteen minutes of fame.
“I wish Rayne was here now so she could sing.” Laurel slapped her palms on the table and sat up straighter. “Do you mind?”
“Of course not.” He squeezed the back of her neck and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “Go knock ‘em dead, Songbird.”
LAUREL DIDN’T THINK she’d ever get used to people clapping before she sang a single note. It was embarrassing, especially since she’d fallen into singing by accident. Still, she enjoyed it more than she cared to admit, and by the time she reached the platform and took the mic from Bridget, her smile was genuine.
“Thanks, everybody.” She waved to no one in particular and got several waves back. She turned to Gary, the man running the Karaoke program on a laptop off to the side. “Let’s do Ain’t Worried ‘bout Nothin’, okay?”
Gary nodded. While he pulled up the song, Laurel addressed the crowd again. “A big thanks goes to the talented artist who wrote this song, Rayne Randall.” Whispers rippled through the room, and Laurel nodded in response. “Yes, she’s the daughter of Country superstar Rye Randall, and the sister of Nocturne Falls’ very own deputy sheriff, Aiden Morris.”
As the opening notes of the song played, several folks turned to look at Aiden. Laurel bit back a giggle and waved her left hand in the air. “By the way, Deputy Morris asked me to be his wife, and I said yes.”
The place erupted in cheers and shouts. Aiden caught her eye, and mouthed something that looked like, “I’ll get you.” She winked, then began to sing.
Sassy lyrics set to an upbeat, catchy tune made Ain’t Worried ‘bout Nothin’ the kind of song that got stuck in your head. Laurel hoped they’d stick with her longer than the three minutes she’d be on stage. She’d worried about way too many things over the last few weeks.
Laurel’s eyes swept the crowd, encouraging them to join in on the chorus. Everybody seemed to be enjoying themselves, except for that person in the corner. Wait a minute... Without missing a beat, Laurel focused on a woman standing against the wall, holding a glass of beer in both hands. She was staring straight ahead, but not at the stage, which gave Laurel a good view of her profile. There was something familiar about her. Where had Laurel seen her before?
Then it came to her. The nursery. It was Crystal.
A shiver zipped across Laurel’s shoulders and down her back. It wasn’t unusual for a tourist to end up at Howler’s, so why did seeing her make Laurel feel so uneasy?
Crystal seemed a bit uneasy, herself. She gulped down the rest of her beer and plunked the empty glass on a nearby table. Then, as if she felt Laurel watching her, she stopped and looked right at the stage. Laurel smiled, but Crystal froze like a deer about to be road kill, then turned and hurried out the front door.
What in the world? Laurel finished the song with a flourish, then motioned to Gary that she was done for the night.
Despite encouragement from the patrons for another song, Laurel stuck to her guns. “Sorry folks, that’s it for me. You all can take it from here.”
As she put the mic back on the stand, she looked to where Crystal had been standing, then followed her line of sight across the bar to figure out what she’d been looking at. It could be anything, but her gaze came to a screeching halt when it fell on Aiden.
A heaviness pulled on her as she walked back to the booth, like her shoes were made of concrete. Why had Crystal been so intent on Aiden? Did she know him? Or had she simply noticed him when Laurel pointed him out? If that was the case, then why did she panic when she realized Laurel had seen her? Crystal had no reason to be scared of her. They’d had a pleasant conversation at the nursery, and Bailey had bonded with Scotty.
Scotty. The little boy with the golden brown hair. What had his mother called him? Honey bear. And then she showed up tonight, staring at Aiden, the man with eyes like pots of honey who, oh, just happened to be a bear shifter.
Laurel tripped on her own feet, knocked into a passing waitress, and almost made her drop her carefully balanced tray of drinks. At the last minute, the nimble gal, who no doubt had a little supernatural help, steadied herself and saved the tray. Laurel, however, ended up in a heap on the floor.
“Are you okay?”
She looked up and there was Aiden, hunkered down beside her. “I’m fine. Just injured my pride a bit.”
He put one arm around her back and kissed the top of his head. “Think of it as a public service. Now, all these folks have a great story about a night they won’t forget.”
As he helped her stand up, Laurel couldn’t help but wonder if it was the night she’d always remember as finding out the thing she wished she could forget.
3
By the time they got home, Laurel had talked herself out of the idea that Aiden had a love child. For some reason, she was being emotionally volatile, finding problems where none existed. Maybe it was the nymph equivalent of a mid-life crisis, or menopause. She thought of asking Aurora about it, but changed her mind. Even though her sister was older and, technically, wiser in the ways of their kind, she was also prone to dramatics. No doubt, she’d blow up the story of Crystal and her son, making it an even bigger deal than Laurel had. So, she pushed the whole crazy notion aside, determined to stop worrying and enjoy her life.
Unfortunately, her brain didn’t seem to get the message. First, she couldn’t sleep because of the thoughts rolling around in her head. When she was finally so tired she dropped off, her dreams were strange and disjointed. In one, Aiden shifted into a bear and married a park ranger made of glass. In another, Laurel was walking in the woods when her finge
rs sprouted leaves and her feet took root in the ground. After the last dream, where Bailey was singing “Three Little Maids” from Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, she gave up, went to the kitchen, and switched on the coffeepot. She was sitting at the kitchen table, hunched over her first mug, when Aiden shuffled into the room.
“You woke up early.” He scratched the back of his head and grabbed a mug from the cupboard.
“I couldn’t sleep.”
He grinned as he poured his coffee. “Excited about the wedding, huh?”
“Yeah,” she said, forcing herself to sound positive. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
“After what happened last night, I’m not surprised.”
Only a quick jab with a cattle prod could have made her sit up faster. “Last night?” Had he seen Crystal? Had she been right all along? Oh man...
“Yeah, when Aurora tried to set the date for us. Your sister really doesn’t care about boundaries, does she?”
Laurel relaxed and chuckled. “No, she doesn’t. But she means well. Usually.”
Aiden pushed back the lid on the breadbox and took out a bag of bagels. “You want one?”
“No thanks.”
He dropped two halves into the toaster and pushed down the lever. Then he turned and leaned against the counter, arms crossed. “When do you want to get married?”
She wanted to yell, Before anything weird happens to stop us! Instead, she shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it before, but I do like the idea of June 21st.”
“It’s not too fast to put things together?”
“I don’t think so. Besides, anything I don’t want to do, I’ll hand off to Aurora.”
Aiden laughed. “If you’re not careful, she’ll take over and do it all her way.”