“This is all so bizarre to me. I spent the morning investigating the murder of a vampire, and now I’m sitting in a café owned byFae about to have lunch with a werewo—sorry, I forgot—with a wolf shifter, and my grandfather is a witch.”
“It’s a lot to take in, that’s for sure.”
A few minutes later, Ethyl came over carrying a tray with our food on it. “I have a veggie panini with fresh pesto for you. No pickle.” She set the plate down in front of Declan. “And a triple Beefeater stack for you. She gave you his pickle. And here are your drinks.”
Declan picked up his drink and smelled it. “Lavender?”
“Yeah. It’s lavender and honey tea.” Ethyl picked up the tray, tucked it under her arm, and walked away.
“She’s not the friendliest, is she?” Declan asked.
“She’s alright once you get to know her.”
I knew what he meant, though. Ethyl wasn’t overly friendly, which made working at a café an odd fit—especially in a place run by someone as sweet and bubbly as Rue. But she’d worked for her for as long as I could remember, and they seemed to get along fine.
I watched as he lifted up one side of his sandwich to see what was inside. Then he took a bite and let out a groan. “Oh wow, this is good. Are you sure she didn’t enchant it, because I swear if I wasn’t gay as a drag brunch, I’d propose to her right this minute.”
I laughed and shook my head. “I’m sure. Rue’s just that good a cook.”
“Well, I’ll for sure be coming here to eat often.”
I thought my plans to get to know him over lunch were going to be spoiled by how good the food was, but as it turned out, even delicious food wasn’t enough to stop Declan from talking.
“We don’t have any food this good in Easton.”
“Did you like living there?” I asked before taking another bite of my sandwich.
He shrugged. “The pace there is so different. It’s all hustle and bustle and busy all the time. No one in Ravenstone is in a hurry, and everyone is so laid-back here. Well, everyone except Leon. He seems a bit stuffy.”
“I think it comes from dealing with all those antiques.”
“Could be. But to answer your question, I guess I liked it okay. My degree is in advertising, so a big city is where all the jobs and the money are.”
I nodded. “Did you like advertising?”
“Not really. That’s why I started managing social media accounts instead of working for an advertising firm. How about you? Do you like running a pub?”
Part of me was afraid he’d think being a pub owner was beneath him. I didn’t go to school and get a fancy degree. I just slung drinks and listened to people talk, but I wanted to get to know him better, and I couldn’t do that if I didn’t tell him the truth about myself.
“Honestly, I love it. It helps that I have Sable and Alvin working there. They’re the best.”
“I’m so jealous that you get to do what you love every day. Tell me your favorite part.”
I grinned at him. “There are a few people who rent rooms upstairs, so they’re always around. Then we have a few regulars who come in pretty much every day. I love talking to them. It almost feels like having dinner at the pack house, like we did when I was growing up.”
“That sounds really nice.”
“It is. How about you? We’ve established that advertising isn’t for you, so what is? What would Declan Hawthorne be doing if he had his wish?”
“Well, you were honest with me, so I’ll return the favor. I’d open a bakery.”
“You should totally do that.” A bakery right here in Ravenstone, my wolf growled, but I ignored him. He didn’t talk to me in words often, and now wasn’t the time to start.
“I don’t know. Apparently, I’ve been putting magic in my cakes and cookies and hot chocolate all along, but didn’t know it. I’m not sure I’d know how to stop.”
“Stop? Why would you stop?” If that cake he made last night was anything like what he normally served, his magic was perfect.
He looked at me, confused. “You said Rue wasn’t allowed to enchant the food. I didn’t want to break any rules.”
