“He’ll forgive me, I think. We didn’t get a chance to fully hash it out, because somewhere in the middle, he got an emergency call. A member of his pack was found dead this morning.”
Adam’s eyes went wide and he froze, fry midway to his mouth. “What?”
“Breanne, she was the alpha’s girlfriend, apparently,” I continued. “We went out to the scene and talked to Chief Lincoln and the SPA agent assigned to the case. Looks like the SPA is taking over the investigation. They said it was silver bullets that killer Breanne.”
Adam swore and put the fry down.
“Geez, now my whining about you missing lunch seems really petty. Are you okay, gorgeous?” He wiped his fingers off and then reached for my hand. “That couldn’t have been easy to see.”
“I’m all right,” I said, squeezing his hand. “I’m mostly worried about Nick. He’s getting in deep with the pack, and I have a feeling this whole thing is going to test his boundaries.”
Adam nodded, understanding the deeper meaning of my words. “Pack life is tricky,” he said. “You have to go all in. It’s not just expected, it’s required. If they start to question Nick’s loyalties, they’ll ex-communicate him.”
I frowned. “That wouldn’t be the worst thing, if you ask me.”
“Why’s that?”
“You should have seen the way the pack alpha looked at me,” I said. “I might as well have been gum stuck on the bottom of his boot. Nick told me that the pack doesn’t like that he hangs out with us.”
Adam grimaced. “I was afraid of that happening, but I figured it wouldn’t be an issue unless Nick wanted to move up in ranks, like to the second position or something.”
“He told me he’s fourth,” I said quietly.
Adam let out a low whistle. “Wow. I didn’t expect him to move so quickly.”
“What made him join the pack in the first place?” I asked, still unable to figure out what his motivation might be. “This whole time, I’ve been thinking you were the one who pushed him toward it, but it doesn’t sound like that was the case.”
Adam shook his head and then picked up his discarded fry. “No. It wasn’t my idea. I mean, it’s not my place to try to stop him, but I told him he had a choice, regardless of what the wolves would tell him if he came across them. It was the night of his third turn. We were in the woods, far enough away from town to make sure he was safe to change. He wanted to go out further, and I didn’t argue. We ended up coming across the pack.”
“How far out were you?” I asked. “They aren’t supposed to be in Beechwood Harbor. Not after everything that happened with Ben.”
“Well, there’s no official rule, and to be honest with you, I think they were scouting for us. I don’t think it was an accident we ran into them. They knew about Nick, obviously, and I think it was their way of recruiting him.”
“So, what? Was there a shiny brochure or something?” I asked.
“The leader—Bruno, I guess—he pulled him aside to have a word. It was clear I wasn’t invited to be a part of the conversation.”
“Did Nick tell you what Bruno said after the fact?”
“No. And I didn’t feel right asking.”
I took a bite of the sandwich, wondering what Bruno could have said that persuaded Nick to join the pack. I also thought it was strange he hadn’t told Adam the gist of the conversation. What was Nick holding back? And did it have something to do with the circumstances that led to Breanne’s murder?
As I pondered it over, the kitchen door opened and Narissa walked in.
Chapter 9
“Hey, Narissa,” Adam said. He held out the bag from McNally’s. “Want some sweet potato wedges? They’re a seasonal delicacy here in Beechwood.”
She held up a hand. “Um, thanks, but no. I don’t eat fried food.”
Adam looked like her reply made his brain explode.
I smiled at his stupefied expression, but my amusement slid away when I looked at Narissa and realized she was wearing the same outfit I’d seen her in at the bar the night before. Had she not been back to the manor since her date with Nick? And if not, where had she been? More importantly, what had she been doing.
“You’ll have to excuse him,” I told her, trying to recover my casual grin. “He’d starve to death if fried food wasn’t a part of his diet.”
Narissa smiled and then crossed to the fridge and pulled the door open. “Would anyone mind if I took one of these yogurts? I’m starving and haven’t had a chance to get to the grocery store yet.”
“Oh, those are mine. Go ahead,” I said.
“Thank you,” she replied, scooping one out of the colorful cups from the door.
“No problem. So, are you getting settled into your room?” I asked. “Do you have any questions we could answer? We’ve had a few roommates, so the moving-in spiel is pretty well covered, but in case we left something out, don’t hesitate to ask.”
She paused, surveying the state of the kitchen. “Is it always like this in here?”
“Oh, um, no. I’ve been working, but I’ll have it all cleaned up soon. I run a potion business out of this kitchen, so occasionally it gets a little messy. If any of my things are in your way, I’d be happy to move them.”
Adam stuffed another fry into his mouth.
Narissa swept over the mess once more and then shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m heading to bed anyway.”
“Bed? You going to keep the same hours as Lacey?” Adam said, chuckling at his own joke.
“Who is Lacey?” Narissa asked.
“Oh, we mentioned her yesterday,” he replied. “Um, she was the vampire that used to live here.”
Narissa laughed. “Oh, that’s right. I guess I’m a little on the nocturnal side. My creative juices tend to flow after the sun goes down, so I usually have a nightly date with my laptop.”
Narissa hunted through a few drawers and found a spoon, then headed out of the kitchen. “Thanks again for the yogurt, Holly. I owe you.”
She left the kitchen and I went back to my potions, carefully checking on each of the three kettles. I was making some progress toward taming my backlog of orders, but still felt overwhelmed when my to do list caught the corner of my eye.
“So, have you thought more about checking out those rentals?” Adam asked.
I stirred one of the kettles with more concentration than was necessary.
“Holly?”
Reluctantly, I glanced up. “To be honest, I don’t think the timing is right. I’m really busy with my business and a move would be a big disruption.”
Adam gave a slow nod. “I mean, maybe for a few days while you pack and unpack. But, you could have a whole room dedicated to your potions. You wouldn’t have to keep your supplies shoved into one cupboard and keep the overflow wedged under the bed. We’re not talking some major cross-country move, Holls. At most, we’d be five, ten minutes away. I don’t want to leave the harbor and I know you don’t either. Your job is here, your customers. Cassie—”
My eyebrows shot shy high. “Cassie!”
“What about her?” Adam asked.
“Ugh!” I slapped a hand over my face. “I completely forgot. She’s coming over this afternoon so we can decide which bridesmaid dresses to order!” I peeked out between splayed fingers and checked the clock. “Is that the time?”
Adam looked over his shoulder. “Afraid so.”
“She’s going to be here any minute! She can’t see any of this!” My heart slammed into overdrive even as I froze in place, suddenly overwhelmed and unsure where to start. “What am I supposed to tell her? That I’m coming up with a new soup recipe?” I exclaimed, eying an experimental potion that was intended to cure snoring, but at the moment looked like special-effect blood from a horror movie set. “Bat wings!”
I started, both hands reaching for ladles. In my hurry, I fumbled one of them and it plunged into the blood-red pool with a plop that sent a miniature tidal wave of goo over the back side.
I sl
apped my hands over my mouth in horror as the red liquid streaked down the wall behind the stove.
“Aww. Now you’ve really got me missing the vampire princess,” Adam quipped, flashing a half-cocked grin.
“Not now!” I screeched, lunging for a hand towel. “For Merlin’s sake, it looks like a scene from Dexter in here.”
Adam chuckled but crossed to the sink and grabbed a dish rag. “I’ve got this, Holly. You go get cleaned up and have fun with Cassie.”
I swiped my towel across the worst of the splatter and folded it into a wadded bundle. It really did look like a crime scene. My potion book hadn’t mentioned how blood-like the potion would be, which, to me, seemed like an important detail. I mean, at least worth putting in the footnotes.
“Are you sure?” I asked, dumping the soiled towel into the sink.
“I’m sure,” he said, clicking off the stove burner. “You need me to put this on ice, or what?”
I frowned at my creation. “I think something went wrong. And even if it didn’t, I can’t imagine something like this turning into a best seller.”
Adam grinned. “Well, whatever it is, you’ve got some of it in your hair.”
I reached up and found the gooey spot. “Either that or I suffered a head injury. I mean, seriously, how did I forget she was coming over? First, lunch with you, now this. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”
Adam reeled me in and planted a kiss on the side of my head. “You’re not. But don’t be shocked when I buy you one of those day planners for your birthday,” he joked.
I kissed him. “Just make sure it’s purple.”
“Noted. Now go!”
The doorbell rang just as I finished scrubbing the red potion out from under my fingernails. I checked my reflection and then hurried to answer the door. Cassie swept in, her arms loaded down with garment bags. I jumped back. “Whoa. What’d you do, knock over a bridal shop on your way over?” I asked, closing the door and then going to join her in the living room.
“I wanted you to have options!” she said, dumping the bags over the arm of the couch in the informal living room just off the kitchen.
“I’m so glad you’re here.” I folded her into a quick hug and then glanced nervously over my shoulder. “Want me to get you something to drink?”
“I’m all right,” she said, holding up a water bottle. “I’ve been trying to drink at least six of these a day, and I’m running two behind today.”
I smiled. “I have unsweetened iced tea, if you change your mind.”
Since getting engaged, Cassie’d shifted into a gym enthusiast.
I was unzipping the first garment bag when Adam popped out of the kitchen, drying the backs of his hands on his jeans. “Hey, Cass.”
“Hi, Adam. How have you been?” she asked.
“Busy, but good, thanks,” he replied with an easy smile. “Listen, I need to go run a few errands, but I was thinking about stopping and picking up a pizza on the way back. You ladies want in?”
I smiled at him. “Those sweet potato fries already burned off?”
He patted his flat stomach. “Give me an hour.”
“Seriously, I need you to make me a workout plan,” Cassie told him. “Whatever you’re doing is clearly working.”
I gave him an apprising look. “Careful, Cass, you don’t want to go blowing more hot air into that head of his. He’ll start having trouble fitting through doors.”
Adam feigned a wounded look and Cassie giggled.
“I’ll take a slice,” she said. “But can you order a garden salad for me too, on the side?”
Adam’s expression shifted to one of bewilderment. Ordering salad from a pizza place was another foreign concept to him, kind of like Narissa’s proclaimed fried-food-free diet.
“I already had the final alterations done on my dress, so I can’t afford to go too crazy,” Cassie explained.
“Aha. Well, I’ll get you the salad, but Cass, you’re going to look amazing with or without a few extra slices of pie.” He winked and then went to get his coat from the hooks near the front door. “See you ladies in a few. And uh, Holly, I got that mess in the kitchen all taken care of.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Adam.”
He slipped out of the house, and Cassie turned to look at me, her eyes glittering. “He’s a keeper, you know.”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
“When are you going to lock him down?” she prompted, reaching for her water.
“Sooner rather than later, if he has it his way,” I replied with a sigh.
“Really?” she asked, her eyes wide. “You think he’s going to propose?”
I sighed. It wasn’t a conversation I wanted to get into, but it all came tumbling out anyway. “Adam’s asked me to move in with him, as in, outside the manor. He wants us to get our own place together.”
Cassie’s eyes went wide. “Oh, wow! How exciting! When are you thinking of moving? Spring would be nice. Have you started touring homes yet?”
I held up both hands. “Whoa, whoa, pump the breaks, Cass!”
“Sorry,” she said, her eyes shining. “I’m just so excited for you guys!”
“I got that.” I smiled. “But, uh, I actually haven’t said yes.”
Cassie’s face fell. “What? Why not?”
“I’m just not sure it’s the right timing.”
“How so?”
“Well, we’ve been—” I stopped short when Posy popped into view, a cross look on her face.
“What’s all this talk about you moving out?” Posy demanded.
I gave Cassie a pointed sideways glance, reminding the impatient specter that I wasn’t at liberty to answer her questions thanks to the human in the room.
Posy frowned. “Oh, for Pete’s sake! I forget which of your friends can see me. You’re not getting off the hook though.”
Didn’t expect to.
“I want a full explanation as soon as your friend is gone,” she declared before blinking out of sight.
Cassie continued, oblivious to Posy’s interruption, “You guys have been together over a year, and so far, things have been great, right? I don’t think I’ve ever heard you two so much as bicker.”
“It’s not really about that,” I told her. “He’s great. We’re great. But moving into a house together seems like a big step.”
“That’s because it is,” Cassie replied with a laugh. “But it could be wonderful! I can’t wait to move into Jeffery’s house after the wedding. It will be hard to leave my dad, of course, but he’s been doing really well with his physical therapy and his home care worker will still come and help him with the day-to-day stuff.”
“Kirra’s still home too, right?” I asked. Her younger sister worked part time at the coffee house while she went to the local community college.
Cassie nodded. “She is. And we’ll only be ten minutes away. Jeffery thinks we can start looking to buy our first home together next summer. His house is great, but a little small, especially if—” She paused and looked down at the glittering ring on her left hand, a serene look of joy and contentment on her face. “Especially if we add a new little Lincoln sooner rather than later.”
I wasn’t surprised to hear Cassie talk about becoming a mother, but I didn’t have anything to say in reply. Moving in together would be a huge step for Adam and me, let alone marriage and kids. There were so many things to consider that more than a few minutes of dwelling would overwhelm me.
I shoved up from the couch and crossed to the pile of garment bags she’d brought with her. “I’ll sort it out. For now, let’s get back to talking about you and your actual big, exciting day!” I picked up the first bag and unzipped it. “These are all bridesmaid dresses?”
“Yup!” Cassie stood and joined me. “I found this awesome website where you put in your style preferences and then they send out five choices to try on, each one in two sizes, so you can make sure the fit is just right. Then, when we’ve decided, we keep the winner and I’ll ship the r
est of them back! How easy is that?”
I nodded, glad we could do everything right from the living room. “It’s a lot better than getting dragged to one of those stuffy dress shops with the snooty sales ladies pushing champagne in hopes you’ll get sloshed and spend more money.”
Cassie snorted. “Why do I get the feeling that if you and Adam do get married, you’ll just go down to the beach with a handful of witnesses and a preacher?”
I smiled. “Doesn’t sound like a bad idea to me.”
Cassie shook her head, still grinning. “You’re kind of an enigma, Holly. You’re half girly-girl who likes expensive shoes, and I know you own at least one designer dress. But then on the other hand, you’re a complete minimalist when it comes to weddings. Your wedding is the one day you get to go as glitzy and glamorous as you want, and instead, you’d prefer a simple, no-frills affair.”
“Good thing you love me, complications and all, huh?” I grinned.
Cassie wiggled her eyebrows. “Seems like I’m not the only one.”
I groaned and tossed a throw pillow at her. “I’m going to try this dress on. When I get back, I’m calling an official ceasefire on the Holly and Adam wedding talk, deal?”
Cassie laughed but nodded. “All right, fine.”
I scurried down the hall to my bedroom before Cassie could start asking me for my ring size and diamond preferences. Breathing a sigh of relief, I closed the door, only to nearly jump out of my skin when I turned around and found Posy hovering there, hands on her hips.
“Explain,” she demanded.
I groaned. “Listen, when there’s something to explain, you’ll be the first to know. Until then, I’d appreciate some privacy. Since when do you barge into people’s rooms?”
Posy faltered and I wondered if she hadn’t fully realized what she was doing when she followed after me. She looked embarrassed and quickly zipped back toward the door. “I apologize for the intrusion.”
“It’s all right.” I started to peel off my sweater and then paused. “Wait, while you’re here, what’s your take on Narissa?”
Posy folded her hands together and kept her eyes adverted as I changed into the first bridesmaid’s dress option, a blush-pink shift dress with lace cap sleeves. “I’m afraid I haven’t seen her long enough to form much of an opinion. She left last night, practically as soon as she dropped her suitcases off in her new room, and after that, she was gone until this afternoon.”
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