I gave her a scorching look. “No, it’s nothing about my health, okay. Let’s just get that straight.”
Ruth plastered a hand to her chest. “Thank goodness. Lord knows I have enough to deal with now that Alice and Mr. Hodges are all lovey-dovey.”
I gaped at her. “They are?”
Ruth slumped into a chair. “You know they had a date a few weeks back, and now it seems they’re seeing each other more and more.”
Ruth pointed out the window, and my gaze followed her finger. Sure enough, standing across the street right outside Howlers, the home-cooking breakfast joint, stood Alice and Mr. Hodges, hand in hand.
“Does he have a first name?” I said.
Ruth considered that. “I’ve always called him by his last name.”
“Something tells me Alice doesn’t,” I muttered.
Ruth sighed. “Something tells me the same thing.”
I shot her an encouraging smile. “Don’t be so sad.”
“I just don’t want to lose a friend.” Ruth rubbed the lines around her mouth. “We’ve been close for years now.”
An image of Roan sprang into my head. I threaded my fingers together and pressed them to my forehead.
“But what’s bothering you, Blissful?”
“My mother says Roan and I can’t be together.”
Ruth sniffed. “It seems a bit too late to start picking your friends.”
“It’s not that. She’s not saying he’s a bad influence or anything.”
“Good.” Ruth jabbed her finger onto the desk. “Because I’ve known Roan since he was a boy. He’s a good one, if you ask me.”
I nibbled my bottom lip. If only it was that easy. “She says our powers are light and dark and because of that, if we stay together, spirits or demons may be able to take advantage and wreak havoc.”
“You mean like whatever it is Roan has in his basement.”
I nodded. “Exactly like that.”
It was darn near impossible to believe, but locked in Roan’s basement was some sort of evil spirit. Unfortunately Roan had not only inherited the thing, he had also inherited absolutely no knowledge as to how to deal with it.
I sighed. “Anyway, that’s what she says. That our gifts butt heads and wreak havoc. That’s why she and my dad didn’t stay together. Well, other than the obvious fact that they’d both broken their vows, that is.”
Ruth’s gaze was full of sympathy. “I know how much you care about him, Bliss. I think he cares about you a whole lot, too.”
“I know,” I groaned. “So what am I supposed to do about that?”
Ruth squeezed my shoulder. “I don’t know, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out. You’ve both got good heads on your shoulders. I trust it’ll all come together.”
The door opened, and Alice practically danced in. She hummed to herself as she shrugged out of her jacket and hooked it on the tree with a flourish.
“Good morning, ladies,” she said cheerfully.
“Good morning.” Ruth nodded toward the street. “And how is Mr. Hodges?”
Alice stiffened. “He’s just fine. We only met for coffee.” Alice cupped a hand to the side of her mouth and spoke as if this information was a big secret. “We’ve reconnected lately.”
“So it seems,” Ruth said.
