“Pandora put that stuff in the garage. I’m sure she’ll fill us in on the rest.” He walked with her to the garage door.
“I hope our phones and wallets are still there. If someone else didn’t get to them first.”
“Me, too.” He opened the door. The picnic things were stacked neatly beside his truck.
Willa bent and started digging through the beach bag. “Yep, your phone and wallet. And my purse. With all my stuff still inside. Phones are dead, but that’s no big deal.” She stood and handed him his wallet and phone.
He tucked the wallet into his back pocket then opened the truck door and tossed the phone onto the dash. Wasn’t going to do him any good until it was charged anyway.
Willa looked at the stuff again, then back at him. “How did she get in the house?”
“I let her keep a key after I moved in.” He shrugged as he went around and opened the passenger door for her. “I figured one of my neighbors should be able to get in in case something happened. Soldier mentality, maybe.”
“Whatever the reason, I’m glad you did it.”
They climbed into the truck and headed down to Pandora’s. The trip took less than five minutes. All her lights were on, including the outside spotlights that lit up the big live oak in her front yard. Pandora was all about curb appeal.
They parked and got out. Willa practically ran to the door. She tapped the bell and waited, shifting from one foot to the other.
Pandora opened up a few seconds later. “Hey, where have you guys been? Great dress, by the way.”
“Thanks. Long story. Is Jasper here?”
“Yes, come on in and I’ll get him.”
But she didn’t need to. As Willa and Nick stepped into the house, the sleek orange cat ran out from the back, meowing his head off. Pandora laughed. “He must have heard your voice.”
Willa scooped him up and kissed his neck. “Hiya, babycat. I’m so glad you’re all right.”
Pandora looked at Nick. “The whole town’s been looking for you. You should call Sheriff Merrow.”
“That bad?”
“That bad.” She pointed toward the living room. “Use the phone now if you want.”
“We should probably tell you what happened first.” Nick reached out and scratched Jasper’s head. “Glad you’re okay, buddy.”
Pandora’s eyes shone with curiosity. “Let’s go sit then. You want to stay for supper? I was just getting ready to eat. Nothing fancy. Tater tot casserole with ham and green beans.”
“It sounds like a feast. We just got home, and I don’t think we have any plans for dinner, do we?” Willa asked Nick. She was holding Jasper like a baby, and judging by his half-shut eyes, he seemed perfectly content to stay that way.
Nick shook his head. “Not unless ordering pizza was a plan.”
Willa smiled. “We’ll stay for dinner. Thank you so much.”
Nick nodded. “Yeah, that’s really nice of you. In fact, why don’t you two catch up and I’ll run out and grab a six-pack? Or a bottle of wine. Hell, I’ll get both.”
“Thanks,” Pandora said. “I have no idea if red or white goes with tater tot casserole, but I like Pinot Grigio.”
“Works for me.” Willa put Jasper on the floor then leaned up and kissed Nick on the cheek. “I miss you already,” she whispered.
He smiled. “I won’t be long.”
He drove straight to the Sheriff’s Department.
Merrow was walking out of his office as Nick came in. Merrow grunted. “You don’t answer your cell anymore?”
“We were kidnapped, and my cell was left behind on my front lawn.”
Merrow’s brows rose a fraction. He reached in and flipped the light back on in his office. “You better sit and tell me the rest.”
Nick spilled it out as quickly as he could. Merrow was a good listener, just nodding and making a few noises deep in his throat.
“And now we’re home,” Nick finished.
“Hell of a thing.”
“You can say that again.”
“And you’re both all right?”
Nick nodded. “We are. Tired mentally and physically, but nothing a few days of R&R won’t cure.”
“You want me to fill Julian in?”
“No, I’ll call him in the morning. See if I still have my job.”
“You do.” Merrow squared up a file on the side of his desk. “Queen, huh?”
Nick shook his head. “Yep.”
Merrow tapped his fingers on the desk. “You better go get Her Highness some wine then. Pretty sure you’re not supposed to keep royalty waiting.”
Pandora stared at Willa as she finished up the tale of what she and Nick had been through. “Are you serious?”
Willa nodded, trying not to laugh at her friend’s wide-eyed expression. “Can you believe it?”
“No, but yes.” Pandora pulled the casserole from the oven and set it on a hot pad in the middle of the kitchen table. Cheese bubbled on the top. “That’s crazy. Wow, you’re a queen!”
“Former. It’s not like I get to use the title or anything. Plus, I wouldn’t want to. It would be weird, right? Going around as Queen Willa? No, not for me. People might not want to buy from someone that snooty.” She groaned and put her hands on her head. “The shop! I should go by and see if it’s still standing.”
“It is. The brownies kept it open and running. And the door on your apartment has been replaced, too.”
“Really? Now I’m surprised. Maybe I should get kidnapped more often. Kidding!”
The doorbell rang. Pandora headed for it. “I hope that’s Nick. I could put a hurtin’ on some wine right now.”
“It’s Nick,” she called back. “And he’s got wine!”
“Great!” Willa got up and dug around until she found the corkscrew in one of the drawers. Pandora and Nick came in behind her.
Nick made hungry noises. “Smells great.” He put the six-pack in the fridge, but not before he grabbed a bottle for himself and twisted the cap off.
Willa took the wine from Pandora and uncorked it, filling the glasses Pandora took down from a cabinet. Then they all sat down to eat.
Pandora kept them busy answering questions about Rhoswynn and the challenge and what the coronation ceremony was like. When her questions ran out, Nick told them he’d stopped by to see Sheriff Merrow and filled him in on the kidnapping, too.
At last they pushed away from the table, full and happy, and in Willa’s case, the tiniest bit buzzed from the wine. “I hope you don’t mind if we eat and run, Pandy, but I just want to shower and go to bed.”
Pandora looked at Nick, then Willa, and winked. “Sure, I get it. I’d do the same thing if I were in your pajamas.”
“That’s not what I meant,” Willa said, feeling a little heat in her face. Actually, it kind of was what she’d meant.
Pandora laughed, and Nick grinned. “Go home,” she said. “I’m really happy you guys are okay.”
Nick stood. “We should at least help clean up.”
Pandora snorted softly. “You know I’m a witch, right?” She waved her hand, and the dishes floated off the table and into the sink. One of them crashed to the floor.
“Bother,” Pandora huffed. “I don’t know why I even attempt it anymore.” She got up. “Go. I’ve got this.”
“You’re sure?” Willa asked.
Pandora nodded. “Totally.”
“In that case,” Nick said, “we’re going home.”
Willa jumped up and hugged Pandora. “Thank you for dinner and for taking care of my baby. I would have been devastated if anything had happened to him.”
Pandora hugged her back. “I’m happy I was able to do it. Pumpkin enjoyed the company. And I’m really glad you’re home.”
She hugged Nick next. “You, too. Now go put a smile on my friend’s face.”
“Pandora!” There was no stopping the blush this time. Willa scooped Jasper up and shook her head as she made her way out to the truck.
Nick didn’t s
peak until they were back in his house, but the look on his face said plenty. He was clearly focused on Pandora’s command. At least that’s what Willa thought.
He leaned against the entrance to the kitchen, his eyes heavy-lidded, watching as she got Jasper fresh food and water.
She slanted her gaze at him. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“It’s been a rough couple of days.”
She put the bowls down while Jasper danced around her, meowing. “Yes, it has.”
“The kind of days that make you think about what matters and what doesn’t and how short life is, even for supernaturals like us.”
She straightened and nodded. “That’s for sure.”
He reached out and took her hand, tugging her up against his body. “I want you, Willa Iscove.”
She grinned. “I think you’ve made that pretty clear.”
“Not just in my bed. In my life. As part of my life. The way I want to be a part of yours.”
Her smile faded with the seriousness of the moment. She stared into his eyes, finding only love and truth. “I want that, too.”
“I know why you didn’t answer me the first time, but this time, you have to tell me yes or no. Marry me.”
She cupped his jaw in her hand. “I can’t imagine a better way to spend the rest of my life.”
He smiled and kissed her deeply, wrapping her in his arms and pressing her close. She trailed her fingers into his hair to grip the back of his head and pull him in farther. He lifted her and carried her through the bedroom and into the bathroom, where he held her with one arm while he got the shower going. “I figure after the day we’ve had, we both could use one.”
She nodded, content in his arms. “Especially since we’re about to get really, really dirty.”
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About the Author
Kristen Painter likes to balance her obsessions with shoes and cats by making the lives of her characters miserable and surprising her readers with interesting twists. She currently writes paranormal romance and award-winning urban fantasy. The former college English teacher can often be found all over social media where she loves to interact with readers:
Website * Twitter * Facebook * Instagram.
Other books by Kristen Painter
URBAN FANTASY
The House of Comarré series:
Forbidden Blood
Blood Rights
Flesh and Blood
Bad Blood
Out For Blood
Last Blood
Crescent City series:
House of the Rising Sun
City of Eternal Night
Garden of Dreams and Desires
PARANORMAL ROMANCE
Nocturne Falls series:
The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride
The Werewolf Meets His Match
The Gargoyle Gets His Girl
Sin City Collectors series:
Queen of Hearts
Dead Man’s Hand
Double or Nothing
Stand-alone books:
Dark Kiss of the Reaper
Heart of Fire
All Fired Up
Nothing is completed without an amazing team.
Many thanks to:
Cover design: Janet Holmes
Interior formatting: Author E.M.S
Editor: Joyce Lamb
Beta reader: Leslie Wolf Barnes
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
About the Author
Many Thanks
The Gargoyle Gets His Girl Page 23