I loved the way his eyes sparkled and knew deep down that even though he’d accepted not having kids, some part of him still longed to connect with someone in that way. “I didn’t get to tell you yet, but Travis is planning to propose to Jacqueline and possibly move here after.”
“Really?” His face softened.
I nodded.
He pulled me into a big hug and whispered, “That’s wonderful. I know how much you missed him.” But what he wasn’t saying was that he, too, was excited for the chance to bond with my son, I knew that deep down.
When we finished our hug, the whole table was grinning at us. I tried not to be too embarrassed. Daniel and I were in the honeymoon stage after all, I didn’t want to pretend otherwise all the time. Besides, Travis coming home was a really amazing thing.
“Now, onto the investigation!” I said, trying to refocus us. "We can get some fresh air and figure out our next move."
We scooted out of the booth, and I led the way toward the exit. Beth followed close behind, her little notebook tucked under her arm like a security blanket. We paused at the cash register to pay, then stepped outside. The crisp breeze hit my cheeks, bringing with it the rustic scents of the surrounding trees and grass.
"Ah, that's better." I sighed, breathing in deeply and letting the wind tousle my short black hair.
"Do you have any idea how much I appreciate you guys?" Deva said, wrapping her arm around me in a sideways hug. "You're the best friends a girl could ask for."
"Of course," I gave her a squeeze.
When she released me, Daniel turned to face me with reluctance. “If you need me to stay…”
I shook my head. “I know you have things to do, don’t worry about it.”
“But those things can wait if you need me…”
I laughed. “We’re okay. I promise.”
“Alright. But call me if you need anything. “He leaned down and gave me a light peck, one that lingered for a second too long, before he pulled back. Our eyes met, and it was hard to breathe. How did I get lucky enough to meet someone like him?
“Talk to you later?”
I nodded, and then he turned and headed off. Against my will the words,I hate when he leaves, but I love to watch him go, popped in my mind. Darn it. I was crazy about this guy.
Near me, Beth scribbled something in her notebook with a flourish, drawing my gaze. "Now that we've replenished our energy, it's time to get back on the case."
"Speaking of which," Carol said, her eyes narrowing as she glanced around. "What should we do next? We've got a list of suspects and a whole lot of questions."
I furrowed my brow, considering our options. I needed to be patient with this investigation, but that had never been one of my strong suits.
Deva took a deep breath as though she were trying to shake off the stress of the last twenty four hours. "I'll need to check on the repairs at the restaurant. I have a crew of shifters and warlocks who promised they'd fix everything up as fast as possible, but they still need me to keep an eye on them."
"Deva, don't worry about it." I placed a reassuring hand on her arm. "We've got this. Just focus on getting your restaurant back on track.” Then my mind started racing. “Before you go, is there anyone else who might have cursed you?"
She sighed, her face falling slightly. "I'll write it down for you guys. There could be a few more people, but I don't want to jump to conclusions."
"Fair enough." I nodded, giving her a supportive smile.
"Maybe we could go—" Carol said, only to be cut off by the appearance of an unexpected figure on the sidewalk.
"Deva!" A man shouted then stormed toward us. His medium height and thin frame were immediately recognizable, as was his shaved head. Deva’s ex, the selfish, self-absorbed user himself.
"Harry?" Deva's eyes widened, her lips parting in surprise.
My own heart rate accelerated at the sight of him. His arrival was not a welcome one. Even though Harry had spent their marriage treating Deva like a maid, someone to clean for him, cook for him, run his life, and sleep with, he had seemed truly shocked when she’d ended things. From that day forth, he’d pursued her relentlessly. Not that Deva would ever take him back. She’d saidthat getting free from him was like breaking out of jail, and she never wanted to go back.
"Deva, what the hell is this?" He threw his hands up as she opened her mouth to respond. "Cut the crap," he said, cutting her off. "You've been screwing around with Marquis behind my back, and you thought you could just get away with it? You thought you could humiliate me like this, and there'd be no consequences?"
My anger rose. Who was this arrogant loser to think he could talk to Deva like that? I wanted to leap in and tear out his throat, but I knew I needed to let her try to handle this on her own.
