“No hard feelings?” I pulled a whisk from the drawer.
“None. He’s a good guy with a big heart, but he’s not ready for an adult relationship. He still wants to go out and have fun every night, and close down the bar. That’s fine for him, but it holds no interest for me.”
“Marley’s crushed,” I said. “She was hoping for a baby cousin.”
Delphine laughed. “As fond as I am of Marley Rose, I’m afraid I won’t be contributing to that plan.”
As I carried the cup of flour toward the mixing bowl, PP3 let loose a ferocious bark. A dusting of flour landed on my face and clothes.
“Thanks for that, Peabody,” I said. A knock on the door followed his final growl. “Be back in a second.” I wiped the flour from around my eyes and moved toward the front door.
Sheriff Nash stood on the doorstep, his expression grim. He must’ve heard about my dance with Alec and was here to tell me how disappointed he was. Maybe we’d be over before we even started. The possibility pained me.
“Evenin’, Rose,” he said. “Looks like I may have interrupted a baking experiment. You realize the carnival’s over, right?”
I scooped up PP3 before the Yorkie could go full ankle biter. “I think the main clue was when they carted away all the tents.”
He wagged a finger at me. “Nothing gets past you.”
PP3 strained against my tight hold. “This little guy might if I don’t put him down in a second.”
“Care for a stroll?” he asked. “Then I don’t need to encroach on his territory.”
“Hold that thought.” I’d closed one door. It was time to walk through the other.
I carried PP3 into the kitchen and handed him to Delphine. “Keep an eye on this guy while I take a walk with Sheriff Nash. Marley should be finished with her math homework any minute.”
“Sure. I’ll see if she needs any help.”
I barked a short laugh. “Doubtful.” I hurried back to the front door and crossed the threshold to join the sheriff. “Where to?”
“The grounds here are nice, don’t you think?”
“They are.” The sun was dipping out of sight, casting an amber glow across the horizon. “We could head toward the unicorn stables.” That way there was little risk of running into Aunt Hyacinth. She tended to stick close to the main house.
We walked in companionable silence for a minute. The scent of roses and honeysuckle permeated the air.
“How are you feeling?” he finally asked. “Sounds like you had quite a tangle with our murderer.”
“More of a tangle with the tent,” I said. “Luckily, Raoul was lurking amongst the carnival debris.”
“You should’ve called me before you went diving headfirst into a dangerous situation,” the sheriff said.
“I handled it,” I said.
“Barely. I’d hate it if something happened to you, Rose. Truly.”
I stopped walking and faced him. “So you’re not here to end things with me?” I asked.
He rubbed his stubbled jaw. “Because of Alec Hale and his fancy footwork? Yeah, Rose, I heard about your dance. You know gossip moves at the speed of light around here.”
“It was only one dance,” I said.
“I know that, but still. No man likes to picture the woman of his dreams in the arms of another man, especially that other man.”
I opened my mouth for a snappy retort but no sound came out. I was the woman of his dreams? “That’s a bold statement,” I managed to reply.
“Listen, I get that you two have a connection, but if he’s not willing to get in there and claim you, then….”
I laughed. “Claim me? When did I move to Stone Age Hollow?”
A grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. “My point is that I’m playing the long game. You two have a connection? Great. You and I are going to develop a stronger, deeper one, because I’m willing to put in the work. That’s what makes a relationship successful, Rose. Blood, sweat, and tears, not smooth moves. You know that, right?”
“You make it sound like a cage match.”
His grin broadened. “Now you’re thinking like a shifter. When we play, we play hard.”
I didn’t doubt it. “So you don’t want to end things?”
“Hell no,” he said firmly. “Hearing about your dance made me realize that I had real competition. I don’t shy away from competition, Rose. The more pressing question is—do you want to end things with me? It’s all well and good that I want to build a solid foundation with you, but if you know for sure you want to be with someone else….”
“I opened a door and stepped through it, just like Madame Bovary said,” I told him.
“That’s what the fortune teller said?”
I nodded. “And I appreciate that you’re willing to be patient because I don’t know that I’m going to wake up tomorrow and have it all figured out.”
“Nobody has it all figured out, Rose,” he said softly. “If you’re willing to take a little stroll through life with me, though, I’d love the company, even if it’s only for a short while. Still be worth it.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Why?” I blurted. “I don’t understand what the attraction is. I’m not even nice to you all the time.”
“Who needs nice all the time?” he replied. “You’ve got a big top-sized heart, Rose, although you’re afraid to show it. Probably afraid of having it smashed all over again. The things you’ve been through—they’re tough. They aren’t the kind of life events you just get over.”
“No,” I said quietly. “They really aren’t.”
“And I don’t need you to get over them in order to be with you,” the sheriff said. “I’ve got a small pile of skeletons in my own closet….”
“Sounds like a potential issue, considering you’re the sheriff.”
He chuckled. “What I’m trying to say—however ineloquently—is that I can handle whatever comes our way. We have a problem, then we’re gonna talk about it. I’m not going to clench my square jaw and disappear down a fantasy rabbit hole of my own creation.”
“Your jaw isn’t square.”
“Not the point, Rose.”
I reached up and ran my hand along his scruffy jawline. “It is a very nice jaw.”
“Can’t take any credit for it. You can thank my mama the next time you see her.”
“When will that be?” I asked.
I caught the flash of delight in his dark eyes. “How about next Sunday? Skip that fancy Thornhold dinner and join the pack.”
Aunt Hyacinth would probably chuck her silver bell across the dining room in a polite fury. “How about Saturday instead? I feel like my aunt is already an uphill battle for you.”
He smoothed back my hair. “I like that you’re trying to clear the path for me. It’s a positive step.”
His hands on my head gave me an idea. I retrieved my wand from my waistband and focused my will. Lupus auribus.
He stumbled back a step when the two wolf ears appeared on my head. “Goddess of the Moon, what are those?”
I flicked the ears back and forth. “Like ‘em?”
He pressed his hands to his cheeks in awe. “How’d you learn to do that?”
“I have skills you haven’t seen, Granger Nash.”
“Clearly.” He stroked the soft fur of my left ear. “They’re beautiful, Rose. Like you.”
I felt the desire pulsing between us, and I expected him to kiss me. Instead, he clasped my hand and squeezed.
“Come on, Wolf Witch,” he said. “How about we take the scenic route home?”
Also by Annabel Chase
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Other Books By Annabel Chase—
Starry Hollow Witches
Magic & Malice, Book 7 (coming soon)
To read about Raoul’s origin, you can buy the short story, One Witch’s Trash Panda Is Another Witch’s Treasure, on Amazon.
; Spellbound
Curse the Day, Book 1
Doom and Broom, Book 2
Spell’s Bells, Book 3
Lucky Charm, Book 4
Better Than Hex, Book 5
Cast Away, Book 6
A Touch of Magic, Book 7
A Drop in the Potion, Book 8
Hemlocked and Loaded, Book 9
All Spell Breaks Loose, Book 10
Spellbound Ever After
Crazy For Brew, Book 1
Lost That Coven Feeling, Book 2
Spellslingers Academy of Magic
Outcast, Warden of the West, Book 1
Outclassed, Warden of the West, Book 2
Outlast, Warden of the West, Book 3
Magic & Madness Page 18
