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Taking the woman's outstretched hand, the age and depth of her power skittering up Ellie's arm, the young Witch smiled in return, chuckling nervously, "I'm Ellie MacLeish, but I'm sure you already know that."
"I do, but it's great to meet the woman who can make Ranger think about something other than work." Her sentiment was as true as the massive amount of magic contained within her five-foot-eleven-inch frame. Ellie could feel it all. Had just that one passionate kiss with her Mate made her enchantment stronger? She'd heard a lot of stories, most of them she thought to be little more than old wives' tales, but now… It made her wonder where her new insight had come from and what else might happen the longer, she was with Ranger.
“Well…” Ellie hurried to respond after getting lost in her thoughts for a second.
“Well, nothing,” Ranger interrupted, pulling Ellie close, his happiness palpable. “I fucked up, but I plan to make it right.” Narrowing his eyes, he glared at Jianna, “Did you have anything to do with Ellie being here?”
"Nope. Promise, I had no clue she was here till just this minute." Throwing back her head and laughing, Ranger's friend lowered her chin and leaned closer to Ellie. Cupping her hand on the side of her mouth closest to Ranger, she whispered, "Make him pay. Make him pay dearly. Don't you dare let him off the hook without a shit ton of groveling and maybe something really sparkly and super expensive. Deal?"
Fist-bumping the woman she instantly liked and feeling more than a little foolish for being jealous of, Ellie nodded emphatically. “Oh, yeah, that and then some. I’ve had a long time to think up ways of torturing him.”
"Yeah, that's my girl," Jianna cheered and winked.
Starting to walk backward and take her with him, Ranger grumbled, “Thanks, Ji. I’ll be sure to talk to Merlin. I’m sure he’s got some stories that I need to hear.”
"Happy to be of help," the resort owner laughed. "Go ahead, my boy. I’ve got nothing to hide." Another wink and an added wave, and just like that, Jianna was turning to greet an incoming guest.
“I like her,” Ellie nodded.
“I knew you would,” Ranger quickly agreed. “And she liked you…a lot. And that’s saying something for a Valkyrie as old as Ji.”
“She’s a Valkyrie?” Ellie gasped. “I didn’t know… I mean, I’ve heard stories… But…”
“Oh, yeah, Jianna’s one of the oldest. I met her during the War with the Giants on the Isle of Skye more years ago than I like to admit. I can’t tell you how many times that woman has saved my ass over the years.”
Feeling more at ease with every passing minute they spent together, Ellie had to remind herself that she needed the explanation he'd promised. She couldn't let him think she was a pushover. There was no way she would be treated badly just because she was already crazy in love with him. There was no doubt in her mind that she would forgive him unless there was another woman involved. Even then, they weren't really together. Did she have the right to be upset if that was the case? Who knew. She just wanted the truth. She needed to understand why he'd done what he did the way he did it.
Hand-in-hand they entered the Lumberjacks, one of the restaurants Angelica had sent lots of pictures of when she was trying to convince Ellie to come and visit. Eyes flying from one side to the other, she couldn't believe her eyes. The photos had been good, but not one of them did the place justice.
Tabletops cut from thick sections of the enormous trunks of actual redwood trees. Wooden chairs with branches expertly woven to create the ladderbacks. And, to top it off, the hostess stand was an actual redwood stump. It was all so creative and just perfect for the Crimson Moon, but it was the walls that had Ellie gasping.
Covered in knotty pine paneling stained to match the majestic redwoods, the doorframes leading to the kitchen were cut so big, there was no doubt in her mind that a car could drive straight through. Following an incredibly intricate pattern where the stain had dipped and colored the lines of sapwood, heartwood, pith, and knotholes, Ellie was once again impressed how they'd combined rustic and modern with the addition of the recessed lighting. It was just beautiful, and she was secretly thrilled to be sharing it with Ranger.
Thankfully, it was the middle of the morning, and there wasn't a wait. Once seated, the couple's waiter, Aaron, a Centaur with a bright aura and an even brighter smile, came over with coffee, OJ, and water without even being asked. Taking their order, he chuckled when Ranger listed off everything he wanted to eat, "Wow! You eat almost as much as I do."
"Oh, yeah," her Dragon snickered, wiggling his eyebrows at her. "I'm carb-loading, so I can stay on my knees and grovel for hours."
“Make sure he does it right.” Aaron’s eyes got big as he nodded. “Don’t let him off until you’re truly happy.” Wrinkling his nose and grinning from ear-to-ear, he patted Ellie’s shoulder. “We guys sometimes forget our manners. You ladies have to knock us down to size.”
"Thanks, bud," Ranger grumbled, the twinkle in his eyes telling Ellie that he was taking it all in stride, which did her heart good. It proved that she'd been right. Her Dragon had a really good heart.
Watching their waiter walk away, a companionable silence fell between them. The longer they sat without talking, the more Ellie wondered if she should start the conversation or if Ranger would begin on his own.
Getting as far as, “It seems to …” She immediately stopped talking when Ranger began, “Ellie, I never meant to hurt you. All I ever wanted to, andwant to do, is keep you safe. Thought I could. That it would be so easy. I really did have a plan. It went something like - I would leave for a couple of weeks. Go find the Chimera, the Tribe I amsurekilled your parents and all those other people. Get them locked away in the DIA facility and come back to you."
“I was sure…”
“You took off like the Lone Ranger, didn’t you?” Ellie couldn’t hold her tongue any longer. She could see the whole thing playing out in her mind. It was almost like she was there, and what she saw made her blood run cold.
"I… umm…" He blew out a very long, very frustrated breath. "I…" Shaking his head, he tried again, before finally admitting, "Well, yeah…"
She loved the way he stammered and stuttered. That he wasn't so stuck on himself that he had to play off his embarrassment or frustration or act tough. That he felt comfortable enough with her to be exactly who he was. At least she hadn't been wrong about him. For the second time in as many minutes, she thought,"Ranger Evans really is a good guy."
But she still had to know…
“So, what happened? Did you catch them? Are they in jail? Is that why you’re here? Are you…?”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” he chuckled, holding up his hands, pumping the air with his palms. Blowing out another breath, his eyes turning an even darker brown, gold swirling in their hypnotic depths, her man slowly shook his head. “Not exactly. Well, not at all, if I’m honest. Which chaps my hide.”
