“Joseph, who is this…person…who has their hands all over you?”
Joe tensed and Uriel draped his arm firmly around Joe’s shoulders. He brushed his lips against Joe’s ear. “Shall I smite him?”
“Smite?” Joe snickered. “No, I can handle this.”
Joe pushed back his chair before standing and placing a hand on Uriel’s shoulder. Only Uriel would know that his hand shook. “Javier, what are you doing here?”
“I’m here for you,” Javier said.
“Oh gingersnaps,” Nyall said. “I have some baking to do. Aaron, Oberon, Eldon, Tate, with me.”
Eldon glanced at Joe, appraising the situation with a glance. Then he turned his attention to Uriel. With a wicked smile that seemed to have read every idea floating through Uriel’s mind, Eldon rose. “Of course, Nyall. We all have to get to work this morning. I’ll expect you on time, Joe.”
“I’ll be there,” Joe said.
Eldon nodded, then followed the others out of the room. He grabbed Linus by the sweater and dragged his cousin along with them.
“To work,” Javier said. “Youworkfor him? In what capacity?”
“That’s none of your business,” Joe snapped.
He’d stiffened again, almost as if the words carried more weight than Uriel understood. He rose, placing his hand on the small of Joe’s back.
“Sweetheart, I believe an introduction is in order.”
Sweetheart?Had he honestly used such a commonplace endearment? Joe would never let him hear the end of it.
Joe shot him a look—definitely going to get an earful about his choice of words later—then turned back to Javier with the fakest smile Uriel had ever seen on his face.
“Uriel Lad, this is Javier McLeod. My ex who shouldn’t be anywhere near me.”
Javier smiled and Uriel didn’t like the look of it one bit. “But darling, the restraining order expired. I decided to give you one more chance to come to your senses.”
Restraining order?
Did he just sayrestraining order?
Why would Joe have needed a restraining order against this giant piece of—
“Uriel!” Leif ran into the room, out of breath and red-faced. It took him a second to take in the situation and realize there were not one but two humans in the room. “Oh, sorry. I…um…was…worried the bookstore wasn’t open so I…came to check on you.”
“We’re fine, aren’t we, sweetheart?” Uriel said, pecking a kiss onto Joe’s head. Leif’s eyes widened but he took the hint.
“Perfectly fine,” Joe added. “Thanks for checking on us, Leif. But we really should be getting to work. Javier, I’m sure you can find your way out of town without the sheriff’s assistance.”
Uriel took Joe’s hand and led him across the room. Leif stepped between them and Javier, blocking the man’s path. Uriel would have to make sure to thank Leif later for his quick thinking. Leif followed them out of the room.
Linus waited in the lobby, wringing his hands. “I’m so sorry, Joe. I didn’t know….”
“You had no way of knowing, Linus. Don’t worry about it.”
“He’s booked the room for a week,” Linus hissed. “I can—”
“No need,” Joe said. “Treat him as you would any other guest.”
Uriel and Linus shared a quick look before he and Joe walked out the door. If Javier thought he’d get within a mile of Joe, he’d never seen what the true power of a town like Mistletoe Falls could do.
The final day of the craft fair was in full swing by the time they made it to the Snowda Shoppe. Joe unlocked the door but didn’t follow his normal routine of flipping on the neon “Open” sign or turning on all the lights in the place.
