“Miss what?” His back was to her as he whisked eggs in a bowl.
“This. Coffee. Company.” She took a bite of the omelet. It was delicious, as usual. “I’ll miss it.”
He poured the beaten eggs into the pan. “I will, too.”
“Where will you go?”
“Go?” He seemed to be slightly at a loss.
“What do demons do with their time off? Other than take massage lessons.”
He stirred the eggs. “What would you do?”
“Me?” Erin considered. “I don’t know. Travel? See the world? I’ve always wanted to go to Paris.”
“That would be time well spent,” said Andy. He folded the omelet and slid it onto a plate, then turned off the stove. He carried the plate to the table and sat across from Erin.
“But it would be more fun with a friend,” she added.
He paused, fork in hand, and met her gaze. “Would it?”
She looked down and pushed the eggs around her plate. “I think it would.”
Nancy Drew wandered into the kitchen.
Andy stood up and filled Nancy’s food bowl, adding a small spoonful of plain cooked eggs to the dry food. “I forgot to tell you—I paid a little visit to your ex-husband last night.” He sat down again.
Erin swallowed wrong and coughed. “Oh, my God. What did you do to him?”
“Nothing too harmful. I just put the fear of Andy into him. And the fear of Phoenix.”
Erin laughed, which turned into more coughing. “I wish I’d been there.”
“Let’s just say your alimony payments will be very timely and the kitchen will get the remodeling of your dreams.”
“Oh, Andy. I don’t know how to thank you.” She placed her hand over his and felt its radiant warmth. “You’ve done so much.”
“Any demon would have done the same.”
“I don’t think that’s true at all.” Erin released his hand, stood up, and carried her empty plate to the sink. “Thank you for breakfast. And everything else.” When she turned from the sink, she realized he’d been watching her intently.
“No—thank you,” he said, with uncharacteristic gravity.
She retreated to the bedroom to shower, hoping the hot water would wash away the feelings that rippled through her like stones thrown in a pond. How was it possible to feel like you’d known someone forever, when your time together had passed in the blink of an eye?
Wrapped in a towel, Erin pushed aside the clothes in her closet to reach the new dress. She held it at arm’s length, admiring the delicate blush color and subtle ombre shading, before laying it out carefully on the bed.
She applied her makeup and dried her hair. Then she slipped into the dress, fluffing its skirt and tugging the bodice into place. She reached for the zipper, but only managed to tug it halfway to the top despite contorting herself into a range of uncomfortable positions.
There was only one thing to do.
“Andy?” she called.
His voice came through the closed door slightly muffled. “Yes?”
“Can you help me?”
The door opened.
