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)
Since I didn’t want to scare Cass, unsure of what I was seeing, I remained calm, and once we crossed the bridge over the river and there were houses, and then minutes later, downtown Osprey, I lost sight of whatever it was. I was still uneasy because I had to go back, but without Cass, I’d be free to investigate whatever it was.
Because Cass’s house was on Maple Street, it had a name, as most of them did that had belonged to the people who created the town. The home, the Braverman, had been renovated inside. It had high ceilings and an open floor plan on the first floor, with all new stainless-steel appliances, and the original hardwood floors had been stripped, sanded, and finished. It was beautiful. I saw it when it was done, Amanda taking me on a tour.
The outside was still the same—big chimney, gambrel roof, casement windows, and a lovely wide covered porch which was where the chief was standing when we got there. It was sad that there was no porch swing or anything else out there. With some decorations, it had the potential to be a warm, inviting space.
He probably wasn’t trying to look like the grim reaper as he waited for us, but since he was lurking in the shadows, his dark hair and eyes weren’t doing him any favors. And he was wearing a black long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, so when he stepped out to look down at us as we rolled up to the foot of the steps leading up to the porch, his whole vibe was a bit spooky.
“You look like a vampire up there,” Cass scolded him. “You can’t smile and wave?”
Instantly, he was glaring at her. Not a surprise. From what I could tell, the man had one expression, and it was a scowl. Not that it detracted from his looks in any way. I was a fan of square jaws, full lips, and thick, dark brows. “Why would I smile when you’re riding around at night?”
“That’s why I have Xander with me.” She presented me with a wave of her hand. “It was really nice of him to ride home with me to protect me.”
He scoffed. And he probably did it before his brain even registered that he was doing it, but still, it was rude.
Cass gasped.
I growled.
“Okay, wait. That’s not what I—”
“I’ll see you later, Cass,” I muttered, and turned my bike to head out.
“Mr. Corey,” he called over to me, coming down the stairs quickly. “I have your napkin and socks in the house to return to you.”
He wasn’t even thinking about apologizing, just needed to return things he’d borrowed. “Give them to Cass, Chief MacBain,” I said irritably. If he was going to insist on Mr. Corey, I would make sure I used his full title. “She’ll bring them to me on Saturday at the festival.”
He was faster than I thought he’d be for such a big man, and he took firm but gentle hold of my arm to stop me from moving.
I groaned, loudly, before turning to look at him.
“Listen, I didn’t mean you couldn’t be protection, but what do you weigh, like a hundred twenty pounds soaking wet?”
I weighed a hundred and thirty-one pounds, but that wasn’t the issue. In his mind, since I was smaller than him, and he had easily eighty pounds of muscle on me, clearly I could not defend his niece if she were to be attacked. If only he knew.
“May I go?” I asked, adding a smile just to be a dick.
“Yeah,” he said curtly, releasing my arm. “Thank you for riding home with her.”
“Oh, you’re so welcome,” I said sarcastically before leaning sideways so I could see Cass. “I’ll see you on Saturday. It starts at eight in the morning.”
“I’ll be there,” she promised, then mouthed the word sorry and pointed to her uncle. She made a face, all teeth, like ugh.
I shook my head, and not even glancing at the chief, got on my bike and rolled back down to the street. I realized as I was leaving that I was interested to meet Cass’s father to see how similar, or different, he was from the chief. I’d seen him that day on the stage, but I would have liked to speak to him to see if he was a normal person or a giant jackass like his brother.
Once I crossed the bridge, I put thoughts of the chief out of my mind. I needed to focus on whatever was in the woods. But now I didn’t see anything. I even stopped in the middle of the road and looked around. I stood still, listened, and there was nothing but the leaves dancing in the breeze.
This was stupid. I was probably seeing things and had been extra vigilant because of Cass. Since there was no one around, I could have cast an illumination spell to see, but that seemed excessive, considering I didn’t hear anything at all out of the ordinary. Putting it out of my mind, nearly home, I concentrated instead on how many ladders I could get made that evening. There were also bottles to make, for prosperity and protection, and I had crystals I needed to sort to get ready for the festival as well. I didn’t normally like to part with any crystal or stone, but I had more than I needed at the moment, and they deserved good homes.