“Thanks.” I smiled. “Take care.”
Harmony followed me from the kitchen and we made our way back through the huge mansion. The first floor was dark, only a handful of sconces lighting the long hallways. Our heels clicked as we rounded the corner and stepped onto the marble flooring of the foyer. A hush fell and I realized we’d interrupted the conversation of a trio of guests.
“Excuse us,” I said, offering a polite smile as we passed them.
Harmony scurried to keep up with me.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw the trio moving back toward the interior of the house.
As I turned back and reached for the door handle, a smooth, male voice pierced the silence the guests left behind, “Ahh, right when they were getting to the good stuff.”
Harmony and I both jumped and spun around to face the voice. Harmony planted a splayed hand on her chest and swore under her breath as Agent McCord, still wearing his disguised face, stepped into the sliver of moonlight that splashed across the polished floor.
He smiled at me. “Leaving so soon? Word is, the real party is just about to start.”
I frowned. “What does that mean?”
Casually, he pocketed his hands and rocked back to the heels of his shiny loafers. “Vampires only, after dark. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you the rest.”
“Dimitri isn’t like that,” I snapped, feeling a wave of defensiveness for my client.
Caleb shrugged. “He might not be, but from listening in on the rest of them all night, it appears he might be in the minority tonight.”
I shuddered. “It’s none of my business,” I said quickly. “You’re the SPA agent. If they’re planning anything illegal, that’s your department.”
He bobbed his head.
“Did you get any clues?” Harmony asked.
Caleb shifted his gaze to her. “I’m afraid I can’t really discuss that. Sorry.”
She pursed her lips and cocked her hip, balancing the large bag from Francois against it. “We’re the only reason you were even allowed inside tonight. You really can’t tell us anything?”
“Harmony!” I scolded. “You can’t—”
Caleb held up a hand and chuckled. “She’s right. I do appreciate the help in convincing Dimitri to let me stay. So, I’ll say that there are a couple of new names I want to look into when I get back to the office tomorrow.”
Harmony gave me a triumphant smile, stopping short of sticking out her tongue.
I bobbed my head. “Good,” I told Caleb. “I hope you figure it out soon.”
Turning, I grabbed the door knob with my free hand and pushed it open to let Harmony pass through. Caleb stepped forward, crossing the foyer with three long strides, and held the door for both of us. “Here,” he said, “let me get that.”
“Thank you,” I said, stepping out onto the front steps.
Caleb followed us outside. “Anastasia, can I have another moment of your time?”
I looked at Harmony and she smiled. “Give me the keys.”
Balancing the bag, I reached into the purse slung over one shoulder and found the keys to the company car I’d once again borrowed for the drive to the Vanguard estate.
Harmony wiggled her eyebrows when I place them in her waiting hand. “I’ll go wait in the car. Behave yourself, kids.”
Yup. It’s official, I’m gonna kill her.
Caleb wore a crooked smile as we watched her walk away. “I like her. She’s got spirit.”
“She’s a handful,” I said, shaking my head.
Caleb chuckled. “Anastasia, I’m sorry about not calling to finalize our plans for tomorrow. As you can imagine, it’s been all hands on deck with this investigation. I haven’t had much of a chance to do anything in between driving all over the haven for interviews. Any chance you’re still free?”
I turned back to face him, trying to hide my surprise. “We’re still going to dinner?” I asked.
He smiled. “I hope so.”
“I guess I—well, after the other night, on the phone… ” I trailed off.
Caleb waved a hand through the space between us. “That’s business. Now we’re talking personal.”
“I see.”
“You still want to go?” he asked, an endearing hint of doubt creeping into his expression.
I smiled. “I do.”
“Good,” he said, a relieved smile quickly moving in to wipe away the concerned crinkle on his brow. “I made reservations at The Blue Cellar. Seven o’clock. Do you want me to pick you up?”
I shook my head. “I’ll meet you there.”
He slipped his hands back into his pockets. “Sounds like a date.”
“It’s a date.”
With a final smile, he sauntered off back into the shadows of the house, and I drew in a slow breath, still not quite sure what just happened.
Harmony pounced on me as soon as I opened the driver’s side door and slipped behind the wheel. She tugged the paper bag from my hands and tossed it down by her feet and then grabbed my arm and shook it. “Sooooo … ?”
I laughed and shook my head, still wearing a bemused smile. “Well, that was certainly unexpected,” I told her. “He wants to go ahead with our date after all. Tomorrow at seven. He’s taking me to The Blue Cellar! Can you believe it?”
Harmony elbowed me playfully. “Let’s just hope he can change his face back before then.”
Chapter 11
“Stace, just pick something! You’re making this a thousand times more difficult than it has to be.”
I frowned and peered around the closet door to glare at Harmony where she perched at the foot of my bed. “Not helping,” I told her.
She tossed her hands into the air. “I tried to help! You shot down all my ideas, remember?”
I groaned and ducked back into the closet. I had less than an hour before I needed to hop a Shimmer bus and go to the main portal that would take me into the human realm. The Blue Cellar was an upscale French restaurant along the waterfront. I was looking forward to the meal, but the venue also intimidated me. The last time I’d gone on a first date it was to a coffee house, and I’d been able to slip away after thirty minutes when both the conversation and my latte dried up.
Dinner would stretch over at least an hour, if not two, and had me rattled, wondering what on earth we would talk about for that long and how awkward things would be if we didn’t connect. Not to mention, I couldn’t get away with jeans and a sweater. My outfit had to set something of a mood all on its own.
I sighed. Maybe Harmony was right. It was still just a dinner date, regardless of the fancy backdrop.
With that in mind, I reached out and plucked a hanger from the rack. “What about this?” I asked, holding it up as I stepped back into Harmony’s line of sight.
She cocked her head and studied the emerald dress. The lightweight fabric hung to mid-calf with a slight hi-lo effect to the fluttery skirt. “Accessories?” she asked.
“A silver waterfall necklace, diamond studs, and a cocktail ring,” I said, not missing a beat.
She waited another beat and then gave an approving nod. “What about your hair? Up or down?”
“Up?” I said, a quiver of question to the word.
Harmony shook her head. “Down. Definitely. It’s sexier.”
She laughed at what must have been a startled look on my face. “That’s kind of the idea here, isn’t it? This isn’t a client dinner or dull fundraiser dinner.”
“Right. I’m just … rusty. That’s all.”
“Stace, I’m beginning to think you’re fossilized,” Harmony teased, jumping off the bed. She scrambled from the room and returned with a glass bottle of serum. “Here,” she said, pressing it into my hand, “after your shower, run this through your hair after you comb it out, and then do a drying spell. It’ll give you perfect waves. I promise!”
“Really?” I said, studying the bottle. It bore a label I didn’t recognize.
“Yup. I got it off the Witch
es Web,” she said. “It’s made by this kick ass potion witch, Holly.”
I straightened. “Holly Boldt?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yeah. She’s incredible. She doesn’t have a shop yet, but some of her stuff is in the Jewelbox Apothecary. Really cutting edge stuff, if you ask me.” She paused and her brows knit together. “How did you know?”
“Holly’s one of my oldest friends.”
Harmony’s eyes lit up even as her jaw dropped open. “You’re lying!”
I laughed. “I’m not. She used to live here in the Seattle Haven before she got herself in a little trouble with the Haven Council and moved to the coast. I haven’t seen her in a little while, but we talk on a regular basis. I didn’t realize she had such a following. She doesn’t talk about her business too much.” I smiled at the potion bottle in my hand, a swell of pride rising in my chest.
“Do you—I mean—could we maybe go … visit her? Sometime? When she’s not busy, I mean, which is probably all the time, but maybe you could ask her?”
I chuckled as Harmony sputtered like a heartsick teenager talking about their favorite Hollywood heartthrob. “I’ll call her tomorrow and see what she says.”
Harmony whooped. “Stars! I have so many questions to ask her!”
“I’m going to hop in the shower,” I said. “Thanks for the hair serum.”
She nodded and hurried from my room, leaving me to get ready.
Luckily, Caleb had managed to return his face to the handsome one I recognized when I met him on the sidewalk in front of The Blue Cellar And judging by the look on it, I’d picked the right dress for the occasion.
“You look stunning,” he said, smiling at me.
“Thanks,” I said, smiling. “And you look like you again.”
Caleb chuckled and then reached into his jacket, a charcoal grey three piece he’d paired with a cobalt blue tie. When he pulled his hand back from the interior pocket, he held a small red box with a gold logo embossed on the top. “These are for you.”
Nervously, I took the box and opened it, revealing a quartet of dark chocolate truffles inside.
“My mom told me to take a woman flowers on a first date, but I prefer to bring chocolate,” he explained. “They don’t last as long, but you don’t have to worry about where to put them during dinner.”
I closed the lid on the box and smiled up at him. “You’re a wise man. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He looked up at the sign hanging over the double doors. “Shall we?”
I nodded and he offered me his elbow. Caleb had a presence that exuded confidence, but not in an obnoxious manner. He was polite with the restaurant staff even when it was revealed our reservations were mixed up, and we’d have to wait a little for a table.
“Should we wait in the bar?” he asked me as we backed away from the host station.
“Sure.”
He gestured at the host and then led the way into the adjoining bar. “Pick your poison,” he said, handing me the cocktail menu.
“Chardonnay, please.”
He ordered, and we took our seats at one of the high tables. “So, tell me, how does one get into the wedding planning business?” he asked, handing me my glass once I got situated in the bistro-style chair.
“I was working at a hotel, doing events, and my boss, Hyacinth, had a wedding at the venue. She was impressed with me and offered me a job. I didn’t start off doing weddings, though. There’s a whole ladder to climb before you get to the third floor. Baby showers, birthday parties, retirement BBQs, on and on.”
“But weddings is the Holy Grail?”
“For me, yes.”
“What’s your favorite part?” he asked.
“The moment right after the kiss,” I replied, smiling softly. “The nerves melt away, all the concerns over tripping down the aisle, or messing up the vows, or dropping the rings is gone, and in that moment, right as the bride and groom pull away they have these smiles on their faces that’s relief, and joy, and this bliss just takes over. It makes all the stress leading up to that moment totally worth it.”
Caleb smiled at me, an intense glow in his eyes that made me look away. “What about you? You mentioned something about horses,” I said, a whisper of heat creeping over my cheeks, remembering my un-graceful display in my office that led to his revelation.
He seemed to remember too and his smile widened into a grin. “I grew up in Eastern Oregon. On a ranch.”
I frowned. There were no havens out that way. The only one in Oregon was in Portland.
“I’m adopted,” Caleb said, picking up on my confusion. “I didn’t grow up in a haven.”
“Oh!”
“Yeah.” He chuckled. “You can imagine my surprise when I started getting my magic and had no idea what was going on with me.”
I blinked. “What happened? I mean, your parents weren’t … magic at all?” I asked, lowering my voice, acutely aware we were surrounded by humans.
“Not a drop,” Caleb replied. He didn’t seem as ruffled by the potential of being overheard. “They still don’t know about it, actually. I was in junior high, and one of my teachers recognized the signs. He was a bear shifter who chose to live outside the haven world for whatever reason. He called the SPA, and they sent a tutor to help me learn to control my gift, but everyone thought it would be best to leave my parents out of it.”
There was a hint of bitterness in the last part, and I wondered what his relationship must be like with his adopted parents with such a huge secret between them.
“Wow.” I sipped at my wine. “That must have been so difficult for you. I really can’t imagine.”
He shrugged. “When I graduated, I decided to come up here to see what it was like inside the haven and never left. I go visit my folks for the holidays and usually spend a week or two helping out at the ranch in the summer.”
“What is it they think you do for work? I mean, if you can’t tell them about the SPA.”
He took a drink and shrugged one shoulder. “I tell them I’m an accountant. It’s the kind of job no one asks too many questions about, so it makes a great cover.”
“So, with the whole disguise thing, I’d guess that makes you a… wizard?” I asked, still keeping my voice quiet.
Caleb chuckled. “I debated wearing the mask to see if I could freak you out.”
I laughed. “I don’t spook that easily. Though, if I hadn’t seen you do it right before my eyes, I would have passed you on the street without a clue. It was impressive, to be sure.”
He inclined his head. “Thank you. As to your question, I’m not sure I fit neatly in one category, and as I know virtually nothing of my birth parents, I doubt I’ll ever know, but I was trained by a wizard and can pull off most of the same party tricks.”
“But?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
He held out a hand and without even blinking, I saw his fingers retract and morph into a large, catlike paw. I nearly dropped the step of my wine glass.
“There are some differences,” he said, his hand returning to the human one.
When I was able to lift my eyes from his now-human hand, his eyes sparked. “Part shifter. Bobcat.”
I sipped my wine and considered him, wondering what other surprises he might have in store. I wasn’t sure how I felt about him yet, but my fears of being bored on the date had vanished.
The host appeared and informed us our table was ready. Caleb waited, allowing me to go ahead, and then with suave precision, placed a hand on the small of my back.
I grinned at him. “You better keep your claws to yourself,” I said out of the corner of my mouth.
His eyes sparked again as he returned the smile. “No promises, Anastasia.”
Chapter 12
“Is everything all right with your meal?” Caleb asked.
I glanced up at his question, and heat rushed into my cheeks. The easy banter we’d shared in the bar had vanished somewhere along the way as we dug into our entrees. We’d
covered family histories and our jobs and then seemed to run out of steam. My thoughts bounced off course, wondering about Alice and Dimitri and the wedding. It was hard to focus on a light evening out when I was reminded of the investigation every time I glanced up from my pasta dish to see the lead investigator in the seat across from me.
“It’s great,” I assured him, forcing a smile. It fell and I set my fork down with a sigh. “I’m totally ruining this, aren’t I?”
“I wouldn’t say ruining, but you’re not making it easy,” Caleb said, smiling. “But then, I like a challenge.”
I laughed softly and reached for my wine. “You say that now,” I teased.
“Is there something you’d like to talk about?” he asked. He was still smiling at me, but there was a new seriousness in his eyes. “I don’t mean to play detective, but it seems like you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
I took a sip of wine, stalling for time as I considered him.
He dabbed his linen napkin to his lips and then replaced it in his lap. “It’s about the investigation, isn’t it?”
I nearly inhaled the mouthful of wine and sputtered into the glass.
Caleb reached across the table and nudged the water goblet a little closer. I took it and cleared my throat before taking a drink. “It’s okay, Anastasia,” he said as I regained my composure. “Considering how we met, I didn’t expect we’d really be able to avoid the topic.”
I set my water down and picked up my fork again. “No, it’s all right. You were right, before, we shouldn’t talk about it over dinner.”
He tilted his head and waited expectantly.
I peeked at him and then sighed. “All right, just one question, I swear!”
He chuckled and nodded. “Go on.”
“Is it true that the murderer is usually the lover or partner of the victim?” I asked.
“Statistically, yes.”
I dragged my fork through the creamy pasta. “Did you know Lucinda was seeing someone?”
Caleb arched a brow. “No one mentioned it.”
A shiver of excitement pulsed through me at the realization that I knew something even the lead investigator didn’t know. “Harmony and I met him at the funeral, over at the bar. He said his name was Connor. He implied that he was a … paid companion of Lucinda’s.”
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