We walked in silence until I wondered if he was as flustered as I was, or if he was simply comfortable with silence.
“Cassian, I, uh…” Sterling said, rubbing the back of his neck.
I perked up at the sudden conversation. “Yes?”
“I just wanted to apologize for how I spoke to you earlier. It was unprofessional. I’m here to help you get your inn running again, and I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me. I’m sorry.”
“Oh, Sterling,” I said, covering my mouth as I giggled. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable. I asked what you liked, and you answered.”
Sterling smiled, watching the muddy trail pass beneath his boots. “All right. As long as you’re okay.”
“Thanks for worrying about me. I suppose I should apologize for telling you getting dressed was optional. That wasn’t very professional of me either,” I said.
Sterling’s eyebrows rose, but he still didn’t look at me. He must have forgotten. “I’d never be mad about a beautiful person telling me clothes are optional.”
A grin split my face, and I couldn’t contain the giggle that escaped me. “I only hope I’m beautiful enough to be forgiven.”
Sterling looked at me with a lopsided smirk. “You have a mirror, don’t you?”
His words electrified my body, and the giddiness inside me prolonged my giggling. Sterling thought I was beautiful. I thought he was quite beautiful too.
When we stepped onto Willorunia’s property, her door swung open, revealing a dark, flickering interior. She was expecting us.
Our feet crunched on the ice as we stepped up to the door. I knocked gently against the open door and called out, “Willo? It’s Cassian!”
Willorunia appeared, arms outstretched and draped in flowing black sleeves. Her dark hair cascaded to her hips, and her familiar grin greeted me. “Cassian! It’s so good to see you, darling! Come here!”
I stepped inside and threw myself into her arms. The warm smell of cinnamon and dried herbs brought me back to my youth. Grandpa would sometimes let me spend the busy hours with Willorunia, and she’d show me whatever magic she was working on that week. “It’s good to see you, Willo!”
“You too, Cassian. I’m terribly sorry about your grandfather. We all miss him so much.”
Tears stung my eyes at her words, and I squeezed her tighter. “Thank you. So do I.”
Willorunia released me. “I want to apologize for not visiting you sooner. Not to pin the blame on my husband, but I believed the situation was worse than it is.”
I didn’t want to know what that meant. “That’s okay, I know you’re a busy woman.”
“And you must be Sterling,” Willo said, stepping away from me to scrutinize him. Sterling was brave, but even he tensed under her gaze. “A Force officer, hm? I’ve never let one of your kind in here, but I take commendations from my husband seriously.”
“I’m flattered, thank you,” Sterling said. He extended his hand. “Nice to meet you, Willorunia.”
Willorunia slipped her hand into his, gripping it for half a second before releasing him. “Likewise.”
“So, I don’t know how much Griffin has told you, but?—”
“Everything, Cassian,” she said.
I hesitated. “All right, so… Can you help?”
“I must need an official diagnostic report from a professional witch, but I apologize, I cannot work for free,” she said.
“Oh, right… Of course. What’s your fee?” I asked.
“I know money is tight, so I propose a trade. I’ll write up a diagnostic report if you can collect an entire jar of cateyes for me by tomorrow,” she said.
“Cateyes? At this time of year?” I asked.
She nodded with a solemn expression. “I’m aware the season is difficult, but you’ve got a lot on your property. Use a bit of magic, darling. A day of work for a day of work seems fair, doesn’t it?”
