She did a brisk tour of the rest of the house, found a laundry room down a hall clearly meant to house the help, and started Bruno’s clothing tumbling. She tore down two more velvet curtains to bring back with her.
He looked considerably better, and the gas fireplace was pumping out heat. His boots were on the hearth, the linings pulled out to dry faster. “Oh, this is almost nice,” Clarice said, returning to cuddle up to him and wrap the soft curtain around them both.
“I’ve heard that it works better if you share body heat naked,” Bruno said, nuzzling her neck. “But I hope you won’t be offended if I’m not up for much.”
“You’re probably worried sick about Gil, and what’s going to happen at Tiny Paws,” Clarice said sympathetically. “It’s kind of a sexy-times dampener.”
Bruno’s arm around her tightened and he kissed the top of her head. “You could say that.”
They were quiet for a little while, just watching the repetitive gas flames. “Thank you for coming to my rescue,” Clarice said finally. “Was it instinct?”
Bruno nodded against her. “I knew you were in trouble, and it told me how to get here.”
“And then you got yourself thrown out of a window into a frozen swimming pool for your trouble.” Clarice tightened her arm around him. “I was so scared. I thought you’d died. I would never have forgiven myself. I kept wondering what I could possibly tell Gil.”
She didn’t realize that she was crying until Bruno rocked her in his arms and said, “It’s okay. I didn’t die. I probably would have, if you hadn’t gotten me inside and warmed up.”
Clarice sobbed. “It’s not much consolation when it’s my fault you’re here!” She felt selfish for being emotional when it wasBrunothat had almost died and left Gil fatherless.
“You couldn’t have known what you were walking into,” Bruno assured her. “This wasn’t your fault. This was Veronica Chase’s fault.”
“Not really,” Clarice said, feeling terribly divided. “She smuggled me the phone, and she made them leave me behind. Shesaidshe didn’t set me up, that she didn’t know this was a trap.”
“And you believed her?”
“Veronica can be prickly and kind of… self-centered…but she isn’tbad. She’s just gotten mixed up with the wrong people and didn’t realize it until it was too late. Almost. Almost too late. If they get to Tiny Paws on time.”
Bruno’s arm stiffened. “Alan will keep them safe. Alan and Cherry and Addison and Shea. And probably plenty of parents. Hunter’s crew doesn’t know what they’re about to walk into.”
Clarice tipped her head so she could see Bruno’s expression. “Are you saying that to reassure me or yourself?”
Bruno gave a dry chuckle. “The doctor has been doctored.”
“Gil will be okay,” Clarice comforted him. “He’s a smart, capable kid, and those guys have no chance against him.”
“He’s a good kid,” Bruno agreed with a grumble.
“Where’s his… ah… mom? Should you be callingher?” Clarice didn’t want to spoil the moment by talking about his ex, but she also knew they’d have to have this conversation eventually. And if they weren’t going to have sex in their unexpected opportunity for privacy, they might as well get other things out in the open. Bruno appeared to be recovering from his hypothermic scare, and the room was warming nicely.
Bruno was quiet. “I’ll tell her later. She’s in Kentucky with her new family and there’s nothing she can do from there.”
“I don’t want to pry,” Clarice said, though she really did.
“I have full custody,” Bruno said, as if he guessed. “We’re divorced. Tracy…thought she could handle having a shifter husband and a shifter kid, but she couldn’t and didn’t want to try. She found a nice normal guy to settle down with and have nice normal kids.”
“Poor Gil,” Clarice said softly. “Pooryou.”
“I’m over her,” Bruno said firmly. “And Gil only knows that we broke up and she went away. I would never even suggest that it was because of him. It wasme, not him. Never him. He just…reminded Tracy of what I really was.”
“Grown-ups can pretend they aren’t what they actually are, but kids are little truth canons.”
Bruno sighed. “Yeah.”
“Well, I think it’s reallycoolthat you can shapeshift,” Clarice said honestly. She was making lazy circles on his thigh with her hand. “And Gil is cute either way. I never knew that armadillos could be so adorable. It’s like he’s on high heels, the way he taps around with his little ears and whiskers!”
“Youmeanthat, don’t you.”
Clarice could appreciate why he might be reluctant to believe it. “I gotta say I was a little disappointed you couldn’tteleport, but I guess being an armadillo is a close second.”
