"Actually..." Becca straightened, her stormy eyes fixed on Remi. "Jake and I wanted to ask you something important."
Remi's eyes brightened, his expression curious. "Oh?"
"We'd like you to be godfather to our first child," Jake said, his voice gentle but firm.
Becca's eyes welled with tears. "If it weren't for you bringing me here from Salem, Jake and I would never have found each other. You not only saved me, you changed my whole life that day."
The young Djinn's hands shook as he set down his glass, and he swallowed hard. His dark eyes glistened as he opened and closed his mouth several times, struggling to form words.
"I... I would be honored," he finally managed, his voice rough with emotion. He cleared his throat. "Truly honored."
Becca jumped up and wrapped him in another fierce hug, while Jake watched them both with a broad smile.
A sly grin spread across Remi's face as he pulled back from Becca's embrace. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief. "So... should I be preparing for godfather duties anytime soon?"
Becca's face flamed red as she dropped her head into her hands with a groan. "Remi!"
Jake's rich laughter filled the room as he tugged Becca back down beside him on the loveseat. "No, definitely not yet." He emphasized each word carefully. "That's still somewhere in the future...afterthe wedding." He stressed the 'after' with raised eyebrows.
"Just checking." Remi's innocent expression fooled no one. "I mean, with all those private history lessons you've been giving her..."
"Those are actual history lessons!" Becca's voice squeaked as she peeked through her fingers, her face still crimson. "I'm still learning about the three hundred years of history that I skipped over."
The clock on the mantel chimed ten, its deep tones echoing through the lounge. Harper glanced at her watch, surprised by how quickly the evening had flown by. Nathan stirred at her side.
"I really need to get home," he said. "I have private lessons tomorrow morning."
Remi stretched and rose from his chair, nodding as he stifled a yawn. "Yeah, I should head up to my room. Five hundred years of time travel catches up with you eventually."
"Sure it's not just old age?" Jake's eyes twinkled as he stood, helping Becca to her feet.
"Watch it, pup." Remi waggled his finger at Jake. "I may look twenty-five, but I can still turn you into a toad."
Becca swatted Jake's arm. "Don't tease him. He might actually do it."
Remi just grinned, a mischievous glint in his dark eyes.
"We're parked out front," Jake said, taking Becca's hand, "so we'll say goodnight here."
Goodnights echoed, and Remi headed up the narrow staircase toward his room, his footsteps fading into the quiet of the inn.
Harper walked out the back door with Nathan their fingers intertwined as crickets chirped in the warm summer night. The moon hung low and full in the sky, casting silvery light across the inn's parking lot. A gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming jasmine from Renee's garden.
Harper leaned into Nathan's warmth as they walked to his car, breathing in his clean, woodsy scent. The summer night air wrapped around them, carrying the sweet perfume of Renee's jasmine on the breeze.
Nathan opened the passenger door for her, and she slid into the familiar comfort of his car. As he started the engine, soft classical music drifted from the speakers.
The drive to her apartment was peaceful, the streets quiet at this hour. Harper watched the streetlights slide past, their golden glow creating patterns across the dashboard. Inside her mind, Reyna curled up contentedly, radiating approval of Nathan's presence.
All too soon, they pulled into the parking lot of her apartment complex. Nathan cut the engine and came around to open her door, offering his hand to help her out. Such an old-fashioned gesture, but it charmed her heart.
They climbed the outdoor stairs to her second-floor apartment, their footsteps echoing in the night stillness. The security lights cast soft shadows across Nathan's features as they reached her door, highlighting the gentle curve of his smile.
Harper fished her keys from her purse, the metal warm from being nestled against her phone all evening. The familiar weight of Nathan's hand rested at the small of her back, steady and reassuring.
He is good mate, Reyna commented drowsily in her mind.Strong. Kind.
Harper couldn't disagree with either observation as she looked up at Nathan, his warm brown eyes soft in the moonlight. He reached up, brushing a strand of her foxy-red hair from her face with gentle fingers.
