Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles, #2)(103)

“Guess he’s feeling better, huh?” Miguel quipped with a smirk.

“We need to make sure he didn’t damage anything on his little jumping excursion,” Damian pointed out, already doing a distant visual scan of his back leg. “Last thing we need is him backpedaling his recovery.”

“Why?” Terrance asked. “I mean, isn’t it a good thing he’s feeling good enough to do these things?”

“Actually, this is the recovery stage where you have to be even more careful because when they feel better, they can easily overextend themselves without realizing and set themselves back for the long haul. Let him be for now, but within the hour, we need to get him back to his stall so I can do a quick exam.”

“Will do. I’ll let you know when I get him settled.”

With a nod, Damian turned back toward the main house, Miguel walking at his side. The older man was quiet even for him.

Damian sighed. “Out with it already. I know you’re gearing up for something. You may as well let it out. You think I was an ass for sending Rose away.”

Miguel cocked a bushy white eyebrow. “Now that you mention it…”

He had mentioned it, and he’d been thinking about it every minute for the last few days. Not only because he had to field a million phone calls about the adoption fair, which he was convinced was about to be one hot mess because he didn’t know what the hell he was doing.

The sanctuary wasn’t the same without Rose.

He didn’t realize how much she’d ingrained herself into their everyday routine until she suddenly wasn’t there. Even Terrance, who always whistled while he worked, did his chores in silence, his jokes reduced to quiet mutters.

She was still the first person Damian looked for in the morning, in the afternoon, and during breaks, and she was definitely the last person he thought about before falling asleep.

He cursed. “Aren’t you the same person who basically told me I was playing with fire for getting mixed up with her? I didn’t imagine that conversation, right?”

Miguel frowned. “Maybe. But—”

“But what? I finally listened to your advice—something that you claim I don’t do enough—and now you’re telling me I was a horse’s ass?”

“You called yourself an ass. I agreed.” The older man’s mouth twitched into a small smirk. “And yes, I did tell you to be careful with Rose, but I think I was wrong to warn you off.”

“You weren’t wrong. You were smart. Definitely smarter than me. I should’ve kept my distance from day one. Since I didn’t, I now have to live with the consequences.”

And evidently this new chronic pain in his chest. The office phone could be heard ringing even before he stepped into the office.

Despite looking for Rose around every corner, and hoping she’d magically appear, he told himself that he’d done the right thing by sending her away. That incessant chest ache meant she’d become an integral part of his life, and if they’d traveled that path much longer, it would’ve spelled disaster for them both.





27





Miss Maxwell


It was go-day, and Rose spared no expense and cashed in every IOU to make the Marisol Animal Sanctuary and Clinic Adoption Fair a success. It was three hours until the public arrived and while all her volunteers seemed to have things organized and running smoothly, there was still a lot to do and a veterinarian to avoid.

In a move that wasn’t her finest, she’d coordinated with Miguel to nail down final arrangements—which included getting the bulk of the setup done while Damian was MIA. He’d made it clear he didn’t want her to be involved in the fair, but she’d already spent too much time—and put too much heart—into the event to let it fizzle out.

Hence why she snuck glances over her shoulder about every two seconds, half-expecting a surly somebody to come storming toward her. But so far so good.

“Here.” A travel mug appeared in front of her, and holding it was an exhausted Olive. “You better take this before I guzzle mine and yours, and if that happens, don’t come crying to me later complaining that you’re tired.”

“Jeez. Aren’t we feisty this morning…” Rose took it gratefully and inhaled the sweet peppermint aroma. “If I didn’t know you were a witch, I’d think you had an angel bloodline. This is exactly what I needed. It physically pained me to get out of bed this morning. Thank you.”

“I still haven’t gone to bed,” Olive muttered. She cursed, realizing her mistake the second Rose shot her a look. “I know!”

“What do you know? That you should’ve accepted Bax’s offer weeks ago?”

Olive glared over the rim of her coffee mug.

“Glare at me all you want, but you know I’m right. Bax knows it, too, which is why he keeps hounding you about it.”

“I’m going to accept it,” Olive muttered grudgingly.

“What was that?” Rose cupped her ear into a funnel. “I don’t think I heard you right.”

“You heard me fine. I’m telling him yes. But,” she added quickly, seeing Rose’s excitement, “I’ll tell him when I’m ready to tell him. And I swear to Goddess, Rose, if he finds out a moment before I’m ready for him to, I will go on a hexing spree starting with you.”