“Come on,” I tell her, scratching her ears. “Spenser has been looking everywhere for you. You scared him!” I hurry back up the stairs and back into the store, nearly running into Spenser in the foyer.
“No sign of her!” he exclaims at the same time I hold her up and shout, “I found her!”
He rushes to take her from me, cuddling her to his chest and whispering something in her ear. I can’t hear what he tells her, but the sight of the two of them reunited melts my heart. Turns out, I have a soft spot for a big man who likes small animals.
“Where was she?”
“In the basement, of all places. I don’t know how the door got open, but there was a tiny sliver she must have squished through. I found her hiding in the boxes.”
He shakes his head. “I think I told you, when I first found Flicker, she was in the basement. That must be one of her safe spaces or something?”
I grimace. “To each their own, I guess. Not what I would choose. By the way, the power’s out down there.”
I don’t have to tell him how I feel about that. He walks over and manages to hug me with one arm, Flicker purring between us.
“Thank you for facing your fears to rescue her. I don’t know what I’d do without her. Or you.” He plants a kiss on my forehead, and I melt faster than those specialty chocolate chips of his.
Good lord. Be still, my exploding ovaries.
SPENSER
It’s become my habit to seek out Juliet as soon as I come downstairs for my shift. Hell, it’s more than a habit, it’s automatic. Sometimes I find her restocking her popular display at the counter, sometimes I find her joking with Jin, sometimes I find her helping customers, which she’s very skilled at. The only time I’ve ever come down and found her mad was the day she was trying to learn the organizational system.
This makes the second time.
She’s standing in front of the checkout, her hands on her hips and her posture stiff.
Across from her is the most average human man I’ve ever seen. He’s about six feet tall, with hair that falls between blond and brown. His eyes are an unremarkable shade of blue, and he’s wearing a navy shirt and khakis, hands casually in his pockets.
Whatever has Juliet fired up clearly isn’t bothering him.
Out of respect for the customers, Juliet is keeping her voice low, but the closer I get, the more clearly I can see that her jaw is clenched and she’s speaking through gritted teeth.
“You cannot say things like that,” she hisses.
“Why not? It’s true.”
“It absolutely is not. It is offensive and racist and speciesist!”
I sidle up to the counter and tip my head toward Jin’s. “What’s going on?”
“Juliet’s ex just appeared out of nowhere. Said she should come back home and they should try again, rather than staying in this town full of inferior monster people. Or something to that effect.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” They nod. “This dude seems terrible, not to mention bland. I can’t figure out how or why Juliet would ever have dated him.”
That is a good question.
“Maybe I’ll ask Maggie next time I see her. I bet she knows.”
“Or we could just ask Juliet,” I suggest.
“Eh, you have your way and I have mine. Has she mentioned him to you before? His name isBraeden. With two Es.” Jin nods when I wince. “Right? Awful name for an awful guy.”
We tune back into Juliet’s whispered argument.
“All I’m saying is that you should come back home. Breaking up was a mistake.”
