Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 87608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 438(@200wpm)___ 350(@250wpm)___ 292(@300wpm)
“It’s supposed to rain tonight, and since I have to ride my bike—”
“Why don’t we pack up your stuff now,” Cass began, standing up and smiling at me. “There’s not much left, and then you can just come home with us.”
“Are you in trouble if you go to a policeman’s house?” JJ asked me.
“No, buddy, not at all.”
But the way Lorne was looking at me, I wasn’t sure I was telling them the truth.
It was very gracious of Lorne to take the bullet for me with Amanda. He explained he had questions for me about an ongoing case.
“You’re lucky Declan thought you were sweet and that the chief was the one who was rude by pulling you away from your stall.”
“Sweet?” That wasn’t me at all.
“We’re going to have a do-over when you and I have lunch at his place next week.”
But there was still the issue of the bad feeling I’d gotten. I would have to see if I felt the same when I saw him again.
It was fun to go to the store with Lorne and his niece and shop for groceries. He was different with her—gentle, kind, keeping his voice low. It was both good and bad. I found it considerate of him to be concerned with her, but also, I suspected he was holding back. I assumed that the way he treated me, somewhere between playful and irritated, was how he really was. I also found the amount of frozen food he bought quite concerning.
Once we reached the house, I followed them up the stairs to the front door, and only then noticed things I’d missed the other night when I was on the street with Cass. The mat they had out front would not do. It was horrifying, as was the giant vertical sign propped up near the front window with the same invitation.
“What’s wrong?” Cass asked me.
“Do me a favor,” I said as I followed her inside, taking off my shoes just as Lorne and Cass had and leaving them on the short rack by the front door. I felt the weight of the air in the house the second I walked into the foyer. “Take down the giant welcome sign out front and get a new mat for the front door immediately. Like tomorrow.”
“Okay, but why?”
“When you put out a giant sign that says welcome, anything—and I mean anything—can come in. It’s an open invitation.”
She appeared confused.
“For example, you read vampire books, right?”
She snorted. “Yes, but, Xan, there’s no such thing as—”
“Are you certain?”
She stared at me.
“I’ve never met one, but my grandfather did. I’ve never met a shapeshifter of any kind either, but there are stories in the journals of my ancestors about them. And you’re not even taking into consideration things like pixies or brownies,” I said, walking into the living room, shedding my barn coat and then lying down on the rug next to the coffee table.
“What are you, uh…doing?”
“I was checking to see if there’s clean air down here, and there is.” I stood up. “I need to return to the car. I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.” She looked at me like I was nuts, then went to help her uncle with the groceries.
Back at the front door, I pulled my duck boots on, didn’t bother retying the laces, and went outside. I picked up the stupid welcome atrocity and flipped the doormat to its black-rubber side. I walked to the police SUV, pleased that Lorne had left it unlocked, and put the five-foot wooden sign in the trunk, then went to the back seat and grabbed two empty glass bottles with cork stoppers, incense sticks, rosemary-and-sage bundles, and the last home-blessing wand, I’d made for the fair. I was so thankful I had one left.
“Xan,” Cass said as soon as I stepped inside with my bundle of things, “I want you to meet my father, James MacBain. Dad, this is—”
“Hi,” I said quickly, toeing off my boots before rushing over to the man, who looked like a smaller, paler, far less virile and vital version of his older brother. “Pleasure to meet you,” I got out quickly. “Do you have a lighter?”
“I—we have those ones for candles,” he answered, glancing at his daughter and then returning his focus to me. “Will that work?”
“Yes, that would be great,” I said, then to Cass, “I know it’s cold outside, but I really need the back door opened,” I directed as I stepped into the long hall and saw that it was perfectly aligned with the front door.
“Why?” James inquired as his daughter immediately went to do as I’d asked.
“Because there’s so much residual ick in this house, it’s amazing any of you are even breathing in here.”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Could you go get the lighter?”
“I—sure,” he agreed, walking away from me.
I darted to the front door, got it open, and immediately felt the push of air go by me on its way through the house as Cass got the back one open. Already, just with that movement, things were better. When she rejoined me, I asked her for rice.