Page 33 of A Time of Witches

The skin around Asher’s eyes tightened. “Maybe wait another moment. Don’t want you standing up too soon.”

Lilith offered a smile of relief, hating how much this small show of attention made her feel more cared for than she’d been in years.

There had been so much time tending to Mama when she was sick, and being lambasted with abuse for her efforts. Even before the cancer, Mama had been about as cuddly as a gator.

But Asher was genuinely concerned.

For Lilith.

Warm tears pricked her eyes, and she lowered her face in horror.

Was she really about to cry?

Here this guy was trying not to get sued when she almost concussed herself in his ancient manor house, and she was dissolving into tears because his modicum of attention made her finally feel like she mattered.

“Are you a doctor?” she asked, distracting herself from being so ridiculously pathetic.

“A vet, actually.”

She lifted her head in surprise, and he gave a single shoulder shrug. “I’m not really the best with people.”

“Oh?” She kept her voice light, teasing. “Imagine that…”

That little quirk at the corner of his mouth made another appearance.

“I’ve always done well with animals though.” Asher offered a bemused smile, the first she’d seen since her arrival. “And if you’re in need of a distemper vaccine, I can be of assistance.”

“My temper is perfectly fine, thank you.”

“It’s actually a common vaccine for dogs, to keep them from a deadly disease.”

Lilith’s face went hot. “Sorry, we never had pets.”

Asher pulled back a fraction of an inch, enough to reflect that Lilith was suddenly not to be trusted.

“It was my mama.” Lilith looked at the floor where her jean-clad legs lay stretched out against the dirty stone tile. “She didn’t want pets in the house. Afraid they might get mud all over her floral furniture.”

“Animals do have an affinity for destroying floral furniture, I’m afraid.”

Was he flirting?

“As well they should,” Lilith offered. “It’s all hideous.” She looked shyly up at him. “I’ve always wanted a pet though. Guess I can have one now.”

Asher’s mouth opened, likely to ask what she meant. She hadn’t meant to drag the conversation into Mama territory. That whole mess was supposed to stay back in Savannah.

“Tell me more about the manor,” she said quickly. “I’d expected the inside to be empty, but there’s all this furniture. And so much is modern—unless Formica existed in the seventeenth century.” She grinned.

He didn’t.

She cleared her throat. “Is it like that in the rest of the house?”

Asher nodded.

“When did people stop living here?” Lilith noted the room’s disuse. Not only the velvety layer of dust, but also the distinctive musty odor permeating the air. The scent was one she was familiar with in her old home with the rooms she seldom entered.

“We should put some ice on your head to minimize the swelling,” Asher said abruptly.

Was he avoiding answering the question?