Jenny was the pixie assistant she’d recently hired, and in spite of her fiery temper, she’d proven to be a godsend.
"Jenny threatened to set something on fire the last time Mrs. Jenkins called to discuss napkin folds."
"That does sound like Jenny."
They drove in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the heater humming quietly, the winter landscape unspooling outside the windows. She let her eyes drift closed, enjoying the warmth and the steady rumble of the engine and the simple pleasure of being near him.
She didn't realize anything was wrong until she noticed the sun was in the wrong place.
Her eyes snapped open. They were on an unfamiliar road, winding through countryside she didn't recognize, heading decidedly away from Harmony Glen.
"Thallos." She sat up straighter, scanning the scenery for landmarks. "Where are we?"
"Hmm?"
"This isn't the way back to town."
"Isn't it?" He sounded entirely too innocent.
"Thallos."
"Marigold."
"We passed that barn twenty minutes ago. I remember it because it had that weird rooster weather vane. Why are we going the wrong direction?"
He was quiet for a moment, his hands steady on the wheel, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"It's been three months."
The words landed like a stone in still water. Her brain stuttered, trying to catch up.
"What?"
"Three months." He glanced at her, golden-brown eyes bright with barely contained excitement. "To the day, actually. I've been counting."
"You've been—" The pieces clicked into place with an almost audible snap. Her jaw dropped. "Thallos, are you kidnapping me?"
"I prefer to think of it as a surprise elopement."
"That's—you can't just—I have the Jenkins wedding!"
"Jenny’s handling it. I called her last week. And Lila’s on standby if she needs backup."
"The shop?—"
"Closed for a long weekend. I put a sign in the window."
"My apartment?—"
"I packed you a bag. It's in the back."
She twisted around to look. Sure enough, her familiar overnight bag sat on the back seat, along with a garment bag she didn't recognize.
"Is that a wedding dress?"
"I may have enlisted some help from the Sanderson sisters." He had the grace to look slightly sheepish. "They were extremely enthusiastic about the project."
Her mind was reeling, trying to catch up with the reality of what was happening. He'd planned this. For weeks, apparently, he'd been plotting behind her back, coordinating with her assistant and her best friend and three ancient magical women, packing her bags and making arrangements and?—
