Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76887 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 384(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 256(@300wpm)
“Do what?” His head cocked. “I don’t understand.”
Oh.
Well, that was unexpected.
“Um, they sparkle? I don’t have a better word for it, but now that I’m not trying to pretend it’s normal, I can say that it’s not normal for a human.” Being able to point out the weird things and ask questions was really much nicer.
“Hmm.” Daddy’s brows pulled together. “Let me think about that, but I’ve never had a random human ask me why my eyes sparkle.”
Interesting.
He climbed out of the Jeep and was still looking thoughtful as he came around and helped me out. I got another kiss, but he was still thinking more about my question than he was anything else. “I’m going to have to ask around. I’m not sure I’ve heard anything about that.”
“Okay.” I wasn’t sure there was anything else to say about it, so I just took his hand and let him lead me around the side of the house. “Do you use these trails a lot?”
Blinking, Fraser looked around like he was just seeing where we were. “Not as much as I should. I think I get caught up in work and those kinds of responsibilities and I forget how relaxing it is.”
He tugged on my hand to bring me closer before kissing my head. “How about we make time to walk out here a few evenings a week?”
Oh, date time.
“That sounds like a good plan.” The overgrown garden around the house needed a bit of attention, but the path through it took us back to a trail that looked like the one we’d taken the other day. “I’d like to get to know the area more so I don’t get turned around so easily.”
For some reason that made him laugh. “You aren’t to blame for that, cutie. Someone fucked up a spell and made the roads and some of the paths in the area fucking nuts. They fixed the roads but no one thought to check on the trails.”
That explained a lot.
My sigh made him try to control his snickers, but it wasn’t easy. “I’m sorry. We have some of the main trails spelled to keep tourists safe and no one realized what had happened.”
Rolling my eyes, I did my best to give him a stern glare. “You need more checks and balances in your magic systems.”
That seemed obvious but Fraser’s head cocked. “I’m not sure anyone has ever suggested that. Probably because it’s one of those don’t offend the mages types of things?”
“You guys need to worry about hurt feelings less and more about reviews and being outed.” Again, that seemed obvious but he frowned and looked sheepish.
“Yeah, I guess it’s habit?” He seemed to understand that was a bad thing, but he clearly hadn’t realized it before. “We probably put up with a ridiculous number of things because we’re just used to it.”
As he thought about what I’d said, he gave me another peck on the head. “Okay, more logic and less acceptance of stupid is going to be the goal.”
“Just don’t tell anyone it was my idea.” No. We weren’t going to do that. “I want them to like me.”
Especially his family…and the crazy old men who seemed to rule society…and the people who owned the bakery.
Everyone.
I wanted everyone to like me.
Well, everyone except the lady who ran the dollar store. She was cranky and followed everyone around like she thought they were going to steal. I didn’t care if she liked me or not. I did not look like the type of person who was going to steal cheap pens.
“Is that why this hasn’t been as difficult on you as I thought it would be?” Fraser was looking very Daddy as he glanced over at me. He was attempting a casual expression, but he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. “I was a little worried you’d be overwhelmed by all the changes at the very least.”
Hmm.
“Okay, well, I think I got over a lot of my initial panic when the first beetle disappeared when I was trying to catch it. Insects just don’t do that.” No matter how many times I’d said camouflage or the internet had said weird, they just didn’t do that. “I was kind of dumbfounded at that point and I think that would’ve been the initial reaction you would’ve been expecting.”
Chuckling, he nodded as he turned us toward the left at a fork in the trail. “You’ve got a point there.”
“And I’d been in town for several days before you approached me in the diner. I’d already seen a lot of strange things. There was even a man walking along poking at the street posts making sure they were real? I’m pretty sure at this point he was checking to see if they were a mage or something, but at the time, I thought he was…in need of psychiatric help.”