Silence fell over the group, our collective minds racing to come up with any potential suspects. The soft rustle of the wind outside, and the distant chime of the town clock filled the quiet moments.
"Maybe it's an unhappy customer?" Michael suggested hesitantly, scratching his head. "You know, someone who didn't think they got their money's worth?"
"Or a rival business owner?" I said, frowning as I tried to recall any recent encounters that might have led to such a drastic act of revenge. Maybe a restaurant outside of the cafe we’d already checked out. "Someone who wants to see the cafe fail?"
“It’s definitely possible,” Deva said.
Evelyn sat up straighter. "We just need to be careful. We don't want to create more enemies by accusing the wrong person."
Lucas’ gaze lingered on Evelyn for a moment longer than necessary. "In the meantime, maybe we should focus on keeping each other safe? I could stay with you, Evelyn and your son, until things are safer."
Evelyn hesitated for a moment, then gave a small nod of agreement. "I'd appreciate that, Lucas. Thank you."
I wondered if she returned his feelings, or if she had no idea. Either way, them getting to spend time together might be a good thing. Both to keep them safer and to explore a possible romance.
Michael spoke up and my ears perked up. "Has anyone heard from Rose? She hasn't answered my texts or Deva's."
That couldn’t be good. A coworker missing in the middle of dealing with a curse wasn’t what we wanted to hear. Hopefully, she was just busy.
Deva's brow furrowed as she pulled out her phone. "I'm not sure. Let me try calling her again."
The room went quiet, the tension thickening like whipped cream left out too long. I could almost taste the worry in the air, slightly souring the aroma of fresh pastries.
"Still no answer," Deva reported, pocketing her phone with a sigh. "We should go check on her, just to be safe."
"Absolutely." I nodded vigorously. "Better safe than sorry."
Michael, who had been anxiously tapping his foot, stood up straighter, his concern for Rose etched across his face. "I'm coming with you guys."
"Of course, Michael," Deva offered him a reassuring smile. "Let's head out now."
Michael walked out of the café with a purposeful stride, his jaw clenched tight. "We can't let anything happen to her. She's got to be okay."
"We'll make sure she's safe and sound, back at the cafe before you know it."
12
EMMA
The scentof leather upholstery enveloped us as we settled back into the car. "How often do you and Rose usually communicate?" I glanced at Michael, his cheeks flushed a deep red that stood out against his olive skin in an endearing way. Here was this massive wolf shifter, probably able to rip a person apart with ease, yet he was adorably embarrassed by a simple question.
"Uh, well." Michael rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "We usually text each other several times a day, you know, just checking in and stuff. She hasn't responded since yesterday."
"Aw, you guys are texting buddies, how cute," I said, making him blush even more. A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I imagined the tough guy's thumbs furiously tapping away on his phone screen.
I pictured the two of them for a moment. Rose, a petite fairy with a constant smile on her face, and Michael the “tough” shifter with a deep desire to be better, and my heart ached. They wereopposites in a lot of ways, but I could actually see them balancing each other out really well.
"Okay, to be honest," Michael finally said, some of his confidence fading away. "I, um, actually asked her out yesterday, so maybe that's why she's not answering. She might be okay, she just might not be interested. Either way, I want to make sure she’s alright, but I thought I should prepare you guys for that possibility."
Honestly, if this is all just one young person being embarrassed over being asked out, I’ll be grateful. As upsetting as that might be for Michael, at least we’d know Rose was okay. What’s more, a person taking their time to answer doesn’t always mean the answer will be no, even if Michael was upset about it right now.
Deva and I exchanged a glance. We were both thinking the same thing. Poor Michael. It wasn't easy putting your heart on the line like that.
"Listen, Michael," Deva said gently from the driver's seat, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "Fairies can be a bit delicate. They need to be handled with care, and shifters are known for being anything but gentle."
I nodded in agreement, recalling how Deva had once told me that fairies were like beautiful, fragile flowers, captivating and enchanting, but easily bruised if you weren't careful.
"Right, and it's not like Rose doesn't know you're a shifter, so your approach might be different than she’s used to, but not surprising." I tried to sound optimistic. "Maybe she just needs some time to process everything. I mean, you guys come from two completely different worlds. Just like Daniel and I, but sometimes that idea has a way of growing on a person."
