He started to turn away and head back to the truck.
“Owen?”My voice warbled.
He paused, looked at me over his shoulder.But it was dark and his eyes were nothing more than black orbs.Not the dove gray.
“I don’t know how to do this.”
He smiled—a soft smile—and offered his hand.“You don’t have to know yet.”
I hesitated, then shook my head.“I do,” I said quietly.“Or at least… I need to start acting like it.”
He studied me a long moment, then nodded.“You are.”
But his agreement wasn’t condescension.It was respect.Like he understood what I had to do and he didn’t—wouldn’t—argue the point.Maybe he didn’t know what I was up against.Maybe I didn’t either.But he acknowledged it for what it was.
My job.
I took a deep breath and nodded.“Okay.”
Only then did I take his hand and let him walk with me from the clearing, through the woods, back to the truck.When we arrived, he opened the door for me and I climbed in, still clutching the warded relic like it might keep my ribs from cracking open.
He got in, started the truck, put it in drive.
As he rolled away, I said, “What do I do with this thing?”
“Keep it tonight,” he said.“We can return it to the shop tomorrow.”
I nodded.“Yes, that’s a good idea.”Then fought off a yawn.
The word tomorrow landed heavy.Tomorrow meant the flower shop.Rylyn.Lights on.Doors open.Responsibility I’d been dodging since Alice died—since Alice handed it to me.
Magic or not, that didn’t go away.
“Tomorrow,” I echoed.“I—” I paused, pressing my lips together as the weight settled in.“I need to open the shop.I own it.I need to act like it.”
His hands tightened on the steering wheel as if he’d forgotten about the shop, too.“Yes,” he said quietly.“Of course.”
When he pulled into my driveway, he cut the engine.I was out before him.
“Night.”
“Wait—” he said as I closed the door.
He was out, rounding the hood of the truck.“I can stay.”
“You don’t have to.I’ll be fine.”I half decided I’d sleep with the Disk under my pillow like a deranged, newly-minted magical homeowner.
I had to stop leaning on him so much.Not because he pushed.But because it was time I stood on my own.
Plus, I owed it to Rylyn and the shop to show up like the owner I was.I had a lot of responsibility now with Alice gone.
“At least let me walk you to the door.”
He was Southern gentleman to the core.I nodded.
At the door, I turned to him, decision steady now.
“About tomorrow,” I said.“I’ll get this back to your father.After work.”
