The moon doesn’t grant wishes to the likes of me.
He hadn’t elaborated on what he’d meant, instead, he’d pulled me into a steamy kiss that had me forgetting everything but his mouth on me. But I’d thought about it more than once since then.
This afternoon I was doing another first for me. A first that Luch had kicked off by helping me paint my living space.
I was going to Shona’s garden to pick out a few plants for my house.
The idea alone, ofactuallyowning plants to keep alive and nurture, made me slightly giddy. Naturally, I’d always loved flowers and would pick up bunches at the market here and there, but I’d never owned my own plants before. Shona promised me she had some options for me that were dead easy for a plant newbie to manage, and I trusted her word on that.As long as they weren’t dead easy to kill as well …
Gloam had elected to stay home, needing to rest before he had a good run in the moonlight that night, and I cheerfully made my way to Shona’s, choosing to walk the distance along the loch instead of drive. Not only was it a surprisingly nice evening—clear skies and a gentle breeze—but I sometimes found it difficult to sit after a long day. Even though I was on my feet most of the day, walking helped me clear restless energy and allowed me to sort out my thoughts.
Plus, without my car, I wouldn’t be overly burdened with too many plants. I would feel too guilty if I bought several from Shona and then murdered them all with benign neglect. No,oneplant to start would be best, and that would be easy enough for me to carry home.
Ahead of me, a woman walking a fluffy golden retriever wearing a yellow and white guide dog vest stopped on the pavement in front of Shona’s nursery. She’d stopped where the pavement ended and the gravel driveway started, and her dog obediently sat at her side.
“Mitch, wait.”
The dog sat and swiveled its head, looking for cars.
“Mitch. Forward.”
The dog stepped confidently off the pavement, and the woman followed, adjusting her gait to the difference in terrain. I followed at a distance, not wanting to potentially distract her dog from working, or startle her. It was clear she was either visually impaired or blind, and I watched in admiration as she and her dog worked perfectly together to navigate the rocky path before they reached the grass next to Shona’s garden.
Shona’s cottage, and her surrounding gardens and nursery, were charming as could be. She’d invited me to visit a few times now, but I’d finally taken her up on it now that I knew she was a part of the same Order I’d just joined. Her cottage, a lovely cream stone building with vines trailing up one side, was positioned just off the road, and her expansive gardens spread out behind it. Rows of plants were staked out in various stages of growth, and at the back of the gardens were several greenhouses and another equally charming cottage. It was a lovely space, and I could imagine spending many an hour digging around in the gardens here, well, if I had any idea what I was doing with plants, that is. Though I was someone who dearly loved being in nature and around flowers, I certainly had no frame of reference for their care.
But that would change.
I was a proper adult. I owned my own business, I owned my own flat, and I even, technically, had my own pet. Though Gloam was about as self-sufficient a pet as one could have, really, so I couldn’t quite claim that as a win for adulthood. Nevertheless, I was here, I was building friendships, and I was getting myself a damn plant.
“Mitch, find Shona.”
I tuned back in from my thoughts to find the guide dog, presumably Mitch, had gone on alert. He’d found a person, all right, but probably not the kind of person that the woman holding his harness was thinking.
A gnome dashed from the bushes and froze into a statue form when he saw the dog. Covered in tattoos and wearing a leather biker vest, the gnome went from moving to frozen so fast, even I second-guessed if what I was seeing was correct.
Mitch clearly did not know what to do with this development.
Frankly, I didn’t blame the dog. What does one do when being ordered to find a person and a gnome appears? His fluffy golden tail wagged, and he dragged his human forward, sniffing the now still gnome statue inquisitively.
Then he gave it a sloppy lick.
Just to see, naturally, if it was real or not.
I bit back a grin as I imagined the fury of this gnome at that lick. Granted, I’d never seen a real-life gnome before, but I had to imagine this was somehow connected to Shona’s magick, even as I marveled at the power that must be involved in freezing oneself into a statue form.
Mitch sniffed heavily.
“Oh, do you have to go potty, Mitch? I can hear you sniffing. Mitch, busy. Go bizzies, Mitch.”
I gulped as Mitch eagerly lifted his leg, readying himself to pee on the gnome’s face.
“Excuse me!” I called, surprising both the dog and the woman, who put a hand to her chest, before turning around, bringing Mitch with her.
With their backs turned, the gnome came to life and lifted a fist in the air, brandishing two fingers at the dog, before dashing back into the bushes.
“So sorry to startle you,” I said, smoothly, trying desperately not to laugh at the gnome. “Are you here to see Shona? I’m looking for her as well.”
“I am.” The woman looked to be late twenties, with lush brown hair, gorgeous amber eyes behind thick rimmed glasses, and a smile that lit up her face. Mitch matched her smile, but he didn’t come forward to greet me as most dogs normally would. He was working, after all. I’d treated enough guide dogs to know it was best to not distract him in any way while working, so I kept my focus on the woman.
