Rowan had been right; even cryptids reacted to his size, and in this case it manifested in a protective reaction about the human present. Me. How odd. I saw the best in people, which I couldn’t deny, but Rowan invoked safety when I was with him.
I plastered myself to Rowan’s side and gazed at him lovingly. “What’s your favorite?”
He wrapped an arm around my waist, gentle but possessive. “Dulce de Leche, please. Three scoops.”
Mr. Sonberg nodded and prepared two cones.
Both Rowan and I reached for wallets, but Mr. Sonberg waved us off. “Your money is no good here, Milo. My niece said that you gave her a sandwich every time she forgot lunch at school.”
I shrugged. “Lana has a business class with me.”
Mr. Sonberg leveled a pointed look at me. “Exactly. You’re a friend of the family. Have a great evening.”
“You too. See you at the Wednesday chess club.” I twirled on my heel, losing my grip on the cone, then grabbed it with two hands and exhaled with relief.
“Thank you,” said Rowan with ice cream on his lips. “This is so good.”
“Told ya.”
We walked through the park, smacking softly, eating the delicious treat. I directed us to go in a loop and return to where we had entered. As much as I wanted to stroll with Rowan all night, I had to pick up deliveries in the morning, cover for lunch breaks at the cafe, then study for the next test.
“Everyone knows you around here,” Rowan said as if he’d been thinking about it the whole time.
“If they visit my cafe, yeah. When you live in Wendigo Hills, the town becomes a part of you, so you get to know people. Mr. Sonberg’s mom ran the ice cream shop when I was little, andher dad owned it before that. So it’s been a staple of the park for decades now. Oh, and they have ice cream for dogs too.”
“That’s so sweet.” Rowan glanced at his watch, a silver, fancy-looking one, but the old-school type with a clock face, not digital. “Are you working tomorrow?” He licked his dripping ice cream around, and the mere sight of his tongue was obscene to me.
I was ready to drag him to my house and find out what else he could do with it.
“Yup.”
“I can walk you home.”
I faux gasped. “Getting rid of me so quickly?”
“What? Absolutely not. We can go back to my hotel if you’re okay without a change of clothes for work.” Rowan licked his ice cream, scooping an illegal amount into his mouth.
I groaned. “I’m kidding. You’re right, I gotta get some sleep. I live just around the corner from the park.” I pointed to the row of houses gently lit by lamps and an odd light in the window. “I walk this path often; it’s so peaceful at night.”
Rowan stiffened next to me. “Isn’t it dangerous when it’s dark?”
“This town is pretty safe, and I can run fast.” I patted his arm and let my hand linger.
He huffed. “Way to make me feel useless.”
“Oh wow. Are you my fierce protector now?” I rolled my eyes.
“No.” Rowan was not a good liar.
I jumped up to kiss his cheek. “You’re very useful. And I’ve always been fine on my own.” I yawned, and a sleepy shiver ran through me.
He grumbled, but a smile graced his face.
We finished our ice cream in comfortable silence, walking side by side. It had been a date with sex first and food afterward, but the last part was not the only thing that differentiated the evening from my previous hookups. I wanted him to stay, evenafter a great roll in the sheets and a romantic walk in the park; his company was like a balm on my chaotic existence. Throughout my year-long relationship with Andrew, he’d rarely stayed over, and I’d never seen his place. In hindsight, I should have realised he’d been playing me from the start.
Maybe Rowan was showing me that a different type of man existed, but I hadn’t been looking hard enough.
“This is me.” I indicated the entrance to my house with a theatrical wave, then jumped all three steps to the front door. Rowan remained on the sidewalk, putting us at eye-level for the first time. “Do you want to come upstairs?”
