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“You agree Jill is my mate?” I asked them.
Bruno nodded. “We’ve never seen you all worked up about a girl like this before. Not even Kit. And we like Jill.”
I gave a nod, acknowledging their love. “What’s this about what Dredge said?”
“There was another scent that smelled the same as Pac when they were at the building, but it was coming from a different direction. They ignored it, but Dredge thought it was odd,” Bruno said, but they both looked serious.
I put a hand on their shoulders, giving them a squeeze. “I’m sure it was just the wind or something carrying his smell in a different direction. I’ll take care of Jill, don’t worry.”
Jill
He toldme to meet him on the corner of Main and Wilcox. There wasn’t anything special here except the general store and the library. I hadn’t gone exploring at the library yet, but on taking a good look at it for the first time since arriving in this town, it was a lot bigger than I thought. I was excited to go in and see if I could find some good reads there one day. I logged it in the back of my mind when I saw Luc coming toward me from across the street.
My heart raced seeing him all dressed up. He looked exactly like what I thought he’d look like the night of the masquerade ball.
He had a simple black mask in his hand, and I wondered where we could possibly be going. Becca had lent me a simple, strapless, black dress that really made my headdress stand out. I had also borrowed her three-inch red pumps, which made me almost the same height as Luc.
“Thank you for joining me tonight,” he said, his husky voice stirring feelings inside of me I thought had gone dormant. “You look gorgeous.”
“You look good yourself.” Was that the best I could do? He had me all tongue-tied he looked so good. “Where are we going?”
“First up,” he said, taking my hand and resting it on his arm, “is dinner.”
“Here?” I asked, looking at the general store and then the library.
He laughed. “No. But behind the library is a little Taiwanese shop that is owned by a woman I’ve known forever. She makes the best Taiwanese food in the world.”
“That sounds delicious,” I said, genuinely happy.
He led me behind the library and, sure enough, a door with an awning and a couple of small plants at the entrance invited us into a well-lit room with seats for six. We were greeted by an older lady who looked to be in her seventies. Her hair was a beautiful soft white, and she had the kindest black eyes.
“Luc, so good to see you,” she announced in a charming soft voice.
“Bubbie, this is Jill.”
“Ah, Luc told me about you.”
I was startled that she knew about me since Luc and I hardly knew each other, but she exuded warmth just like Miti, and I relaxed in her presence. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen Miti in a while. I made a note to ask Luc about Miti later.
Luc led me to one of the seats. “This looks like a private home with seating for a family,” I said.
“It is. Bubbie used to have a restaurant. She seated about eighty people, and everyone in town knew her, but about ten years ago she decided she’d had enough, closed the shop, and opened up this place in her home. She leased the front of the house to the city so that a library could be put in, but the kitchen and a connecting room with a bathroom are all hers.”
“Wow, I feel so special,” I said, and I meant it. This was not what I had expected from tonight. After the big show of flowers, I had thought Luc would bring me to a ritzy place where he’d show off how much money he had and try to dazzle me like Rich had done.
“As you should,” Luc said, shaking out his napkin and placing it on his lap.
He let his hand drop right next to mine, and his thumb found its way to the top of my hand, rubbing it gently. I willed myself to not jolt away and startle him. I kept telling myself that the warmth shooting up my arm was what I was supposed to feel, but I still had to duck my head down because I could feel droplets forming in the corner of my eyes. A man hadn’t touched me like this in a really long time.
“What’s wrong?” Luc had scooted around and was now sitting next to me with an arm on the back of my seat.
“Oh.” I looked up, wiping the tears from my eyes. “It’s nothing—nothing you’re doing, at least. I mean, it is, but it’s not. Oh, sorry, let me start over.”
He laughed, pulling me in for a hug. “You’re safe with me. Rich is gone, and you’re safe, I promise.”
The feel of his strong muscles around me made me tense for a second, reminding me of Rich’s ‘protective’ hugs when other men were around. I could tell he felt it, too, as his arms started loosening around me. I let them loosen, unsure of the feelings I was having, and we separated, looking at each other.
His eyes were smoldering, and I could tell he wanted more from me, which scared me, but I felt myself flush under his gaze. It was infuriating to experience the feelings that were coursing through me. I wanted him, but I was too scared to reach out and touch him. What if he was the same as Rich? I couldn’t survive another downward spiral.
