Harper grinned and waved goodbye to Angus with her free hand as Nathan, emulating Becca, pulled her after him. In the lounge, Jake leaned against the fireplace mantel, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement at his fiancee's enthusiasm.
Nathan settled on the sofa, Harper close at his side, his arm about her shoulders, while Becca pulled Jake down beside her on the loveseat.
Remi settled into the plush armchair beside the fireplace, his lanky frame folding into the cushions with casual grace. The hearth lay dormant, unnecessary in the warmth of the summer evening that drifted in through the open windows.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Remi gestured at the coffee table. Five tall glasses materialized, filled with what appeared to be fresh lemonade. Condensation immediately began beading on the frosted glass, and Harper caught the sharp, citrusy scent wafting up from the drinks.
"Show-off," Becca teased, but she reached eagerly for one of the glasses. Taking a sip, her eyes widened. "Oh! This is perfect - exactly how my mother used to make it."
Harper picked up her own glass, the condensation cool against her palm. The first sip was heaven - tart and sweet in perfect balance, with indeed the subtlest hint of mint dancing across her tongue. The icy drink felt wonderful after the stuffiness of the meeting room at the clinic.
Harper watched as Nathan took a sip of his own lemonade, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Oh wow," he breathed, holding the glass up to examine it in the soft light filtering through the windows. "This is better than any lemonade I've ever had."
Reyna stirred in her mind.Magic makes good drinks, she commented, and Harper had to stifle a giggle.
"Why pour when you can conjure?" Remi's dark eyes sparkled with mischief.
Becca leaned forward, her stormy eyes intense. "Okay, enough stalling. Spill it about that fancy black card!"
Remi took another sip of his conjured tea, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. "Well, all that learning about the computer and stuff that Talya insisted on?" He set his glass on the side table. "When I was living in real time and the twentieth century rolled around, and companies like IBM were just getting started..." He spread his hands in an innocent gesture.
"You didn't!" Becca's jaw dropped.
"I did." Remi's grin widened. "IBM was my first investment. Then Microsoft. And Apple, of course. I bought in back in the seventies, when they were just starting out."
Jake whistled low. "That's quite the investment strategy."
Remi shrugged, a faint blush coloring his pale cheeks. "I figured if I had to learn about modern technology, I might as well profit from it. Now I've got enough money to last me the rest of my life." His lips twitched. "And since I'm immortal..."
Harper couldn't contain her snicker. "That's definitely a new type of insider trading I've never encountered in my financial career."
The room erupted in laughter, the sound bouncing off the inn's wooden walls. Even Remi joined in, his earlier self-consciousness melting away.
"I suppose the SEC wouldn't know how to handle time-traveling stock tips," Harper added, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.
Becca tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "But why are you having to stay here at the inn, Remi? With those kind of resources, you could have bought a house ages ago if you planned to settle here."
Remi wrinkled his nose, setting his glass down with a soft clink. "It's complicated. All that time traveling I did to visit Jacinth here over the last few years?" He ran a hand through his spiky black hair. "I had to be careful not to cross paths with my younger self. One wrong move and..." He waved his hands in the air. "Poof! Time-space continuum goes wonky."
"Wonky?" Nathan raised an eyebrow, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Well, whatever it's called." Remi grinned, shrugging. "The point is, I couldn't risk settling here permanently until I was absolutely certain all my past visits were done. I had to wait until now, when I knew for sure my younger self wouldn't be popping in unexpectedly."
"That makes sense," Jake nodded. "Time travel seems like it would be a logistical nightmare."
"You have no idea." Remi slouched deeper into his chair. "Try keeping track of centuries worth of visits while making sure you don't accidentally bump into yourself. It's exhausting."
"So now you're finally free to stay?" Becca leaned forward, her stormy eyes bright with eagerness.
"Exactly." Remi's face lit up. "No more tiptoeing around my own timeline. I can finally be a proper part of the community here."
Becca clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. "That's wonderful, Remi! I'm so glad you're finally here to stay."
Jake wrapped an arm around his fiancée's shoulders, his blue eyes warm. "We're thrilled we'll be having you around."
Harper noticed a meaningful glance pass between Jake and Becca, laden with unspoken communication. Becca squeezed Jake's hand, and he gave her a slight nod.
