“If you see or hear anything, let me know immediately, okay? Or call Andy or even Lizzie.”
“She’s back?”
“Yes. And she’s happy about the job offer, despite all this chaos.” Susan shook her head. “She’ll fit in here just fine.”
More than Susan knew. But shifter status wasn’t something you had to disclose on a job application, and Lizzie wasn’t even a full shifter.
“Okay. You do the same. Have you let Aunt Ruby know what’s going on?”
Susan sighed. “Yes, I’ve been fillingthe mayorin on everything. I swear she’s going to fire me when this is all over.”
“Never! She thinks you’re a great sheriff!”
“Maybe she did before this,” Susan said grimly. Then she tapped the roof of her car twice. “Right. I’m out of here. Take care. Jack, glad to see you. Let’s catch up soon.”
She hopped in her car and sped off before I remembered to give her the crystal ball. Oh, well. It couldn’t hurt anyone from inside my trunk, even if Alaric’s neutralization wore off.
“Tess. We have a lot to talk about.”
“I know. But I’m feeling guilty about leaving Eleanor alone at the shop, with all this going on.” I hesitated. “Maybe I should head back to work.”
Jack answered by lifting me up off my feet and carrying me back into the house. “Talk first. No, wait. Kiss me first. Then we’ll go to the shop.”
I texted Eleanor.
We never made it back to the shop.
26
Tess
I lay in bed and stretched, unable to stop smiling. Sure, everything that had been wrong and awful and dangerous yesterday still was today, but it didn’t matter as much. Because Jack was home.
And my tiger was making coffee.
Lou, currently washing her paw, sniffed and turned away from me. She’d spent most of the night in the guest room. She didn’t approve of people who didn’t sleep when it was bedtime.
“I’m sorry, baby girl. How about tuna for breakfast?”
Her ear flicked, but she still didn’t look at me.
“Okay, okay, I’m getting up. Let’s go get tuna.”
She meowed and hopped gracefully off the bed and led the way to the kitchen. I followed, less gracefully since I was still half asleep. Jack, gorgeous in jeans and a green sweater I’d given him for Christmas, handed me a mug of coffee and kissed me.
“Drink your coffee. I’m toasting you a bagel, too. I’ll get Lou’s breakfast.”
“I promised her tuna.”
“I heard.” He flashed that unfairly sexy smile at me. “You know the way to a cat’s heart.”
“I have to go to work, so don’t give me that smile. I’m immune.”
“No, you’re not.”
“No, I’m not,” I admitted, laughing. Even the early morning sunshine seemed brighter when Jack was here.
Wow. Ididhave it bad.
