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“He did?” I asked, surprised. “I mean, does that kind of thing happen around here?”
“It used to,” Rath said. “Anyway, he always claims it was love at first sight—he saw her and just knew he had to have her.”
“How did your mom feel about that?” I asked, putting the jars of soup on the kitchen table.
“Oh, she hated him at first,” Rath said candidly. “But he eventually won her over.”
“How did he do that?” I looked in the cabinet and found a large stew pot to pour the soup in.
“He brought her back to his camp and then he basically waited on her hand and foot and showered her with presents and attention,” Rath said. He shook his head, a fond smile on his face. “He worships the ground she walks on—always has.”
“It sounds like they have a great marriage,” I remarked, smiling a little myself. “Even if it had kind of a rocky start.”
“They’re soul mates,” Rath said seriously. “I’ve always hoped that someday I could find what they have, you know?”
Actually, I didn’t know because I had never let myself dream about having a soul mate—or even a regular partner I could be with long term. But I could see the look in the big Orc’s eyes and I knew he was serious. I wanted to tell him I wished I could find a soul mate too—but would that sound too much like I was throwing myself at him?
“I think we all hope we can find the right person,” I said, smiling. “Um, how many grilled cheese sandwiches do you want?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
As it turned out, Rath ate four grilled cheese sandwiches and I had one. We each had a good helping of my Grandma’s vegetable soup too. Eating it brought back more childhood memories and made me feel like she was giving me a warm hug.
While we ate, we talked about our lives. Rath told me about his childhood, growing up in an Orc tribe and how he’d had to hunt and kill his first grizzly bear when he was only nine, which made me shiver.
I told him about my mediocre life back in the human world and how I had lost my main job and my rent had doubled.
“So it’s a really good thing I got my Grandma’s will when I did,” I told him as he finished off the huge bowl of soup I had given him. We were sitting at the dining room table and I had been right—the big, heavy chair was his.
“Maybe that’s why you got the invitation to come to Hidden Hollow when you did.” Rath sounded thoughtful.
“Invitation?” I frowned. “But I only got her will. Well, that and the iron key that opened the mysterious fiery door that appeared in my apartment.”
“The door was the invitation,” Rath explained. “People with magical powers often find themselves drawn into Hidden Hollow that way, when their need is greatest. Sometimes they don’t even know they have magic—like you—until they get here.”
“Well, I might never have gone through the door if it wasn’t for Sebastian,” I said, deciding to leave the question of if I had magic or not to the side. “He ran right through and I had to follow him.”
“Yet another reason to be good to your familiar,” Rath rumbled, smiling. “Remind me to get him more cat treats.”
“No, don’t—he’ll get fat!” I laughed.
Behind us, Sebastian made an indignant sound something like, “Mmmroowrrf!” and we both laughed.
“Sorry, Sebastian—I know I can’t talk about you getting fat when I need to lose some weight myself,” I said to him.
“No, don’t do that.” Rath’s face was suddenly serious.
“Huh? Don’t do what?” I asked, turning back to him.
“Don’t lose your curves.” He looked me up and down, his golden eyes warm and interested. “That would be a damn shame.”
“Oh, do…do Orcs like curvy women, then?” I asked, a bit breathlessly.
“This Orc certainly does,” he growled and for a moment I saw a flash of something primal in his gaze. Maybe it was the same way his father had looked at his mother when he carried her off, thrown over his shoulder like the spoils of war.
Just imagining Rath doing that to me sent a shiver of desire through my whole body. I could feel my nipples getting tight as he held my eyes with his own for a long moment.
Again I wondered if he might kiss me. But just then the timer went off and it was time to take the pie out of the oven.
