Not Your Ex's Hexes (Supernatural Singles, #2)(19)

Her sisters shot her twin looks.

“I know! I know. But this time it couldn’t be helped … the I-Squad was involved.”

Vi held up her hand. “Say no more. I get it. But now you have more time to find your thing … and maybe have a little fun while you’re looking around for it.” The oldest triplet wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“What are you doing?” Olive asked, looking confused.

“I’m innuendo-ing.” Vi danced her eyebrows around again.

“Stop it. It’s freaking me out … and innuendo-ing isn’t a word.”

“It is if I use it as one, Ms. Scholar Pants.” Vi’s grin broadened when Olly rolled her eyes. “And I was innuendo-ing because our dear sister is in serious need of fun while she waits for her life’s passion to come around. Maybe physical passion … with a tall, broad-shouldered man with bedroom eyes and a former bad-boy complex, but who loves animals?”

Rose shot her a glare.

“That seems oddly specific.” Olly’s brow crinkled, the younger sister in deep thought until she gasped, turning to Rose. “Are you dating again? That’s great! It’s about damn time!”

“I am not dating again, nor will I be anytime in the near future.” Rose shivered. “I dodged that bullet once. I’m not so eager to do it again.”

“Come on. When the broomstick comes back around, hop on it and ride.”

Rose and Violet glanced at their youngest sister before bursting into laughter.

“You know what I mean, right? Save a cowboy, ride a broomstick…”

Tears poured down Vi’s and Rose’s cheeks.

Olly looked confused. “For the love of Goddess, what did I say?”

Vi giggled. “I’m not sure if you meant that to sound so dirty, Olly, but that was impressive.”

“Dirty? I don’t know what you…” Realization dawned, and her cheeks reddened before she broke into her own giggles. “I hadn’t meant it like that, but now I do. You can’t let Pepé Le Pee-Yew ruin you on penises.”

“I like penises. I’m just not eager to get attached to their owners. Literally and metaphorically.” Rose shot Violet a stern look as she opened her mouth to argue. “And especially any owner with bedroom eyes, a bad-boy complex, and who loves animals. That’s not happening in a million years.”

“I think the witch doth protest too much.” Vi smirked.

“And I think the witch—you—has been sampling the potions in the back of Gran’s Magic cabinet. Besides, even if I were thinking about diving back into the dating trenches, Damian Adams would be the last person on earth for whom I’d make that jump.”

Olive blinked. “Linc’s friend? The vet? But he seems nice.”

Rose snorted. “If you have four legs and fur, but if you walk on two legs? Not so much. He’s arrogant, rude, and not to mention he has absolutely zero interpersonal skills. Oh, and did I mention he’s arrogant with the inability to admit that maybe … just maybe … he could benefit from someone else’s help?”

Vi lifted her eyebrows. “Now that sounded awfully specific. Did your first day at the sanctuary not go well?”

“Oh, it was fine,” Rose admitted truthfully. “I enjoyed working with the animals, and the former vet, Miguel, and Terrance, their employee, were incredibly nice and helpful. Oh! And when I was there, they had another horse come in … poor thing was so scared. No, the sanctuary’s just fine. It’s the caretaker of which I’m not a big fan.”

“Arrogant without the ability to accept help … and more arrogance,” Vi clarified.

“Exactly. Evidently money is a little tight, and when I offered my assistance in raising funds, he practically stormed out in a fit, growling about how he doesn’t need charity.”

Olly and Vi exchanged looks.

“What?” Rose asked.

Olly smiled supportively. “I’m sure you meant well, and I know your heart was in the right place…”

“But…?”

“But sometimes in your desire to help people, you go a little overboard.”

Vi nodded. “You take over, and while Damian was an ass to walk out like a half-demon man-baby, I kinda see it from his point of view, too. You probably didn’t know this, but Damian’s father was upper-level demon. And by upper, I mean lower. I think. Whatever, he was pretty powerful, if you know what I mean.”

Rose’s eyebrows rose into her hairline. “Are you telling me Damian’s father is a prince of Hell?”

“It’s not something he advertises, but I get the impression Damian and his father didn’t have a good relationship growing up. At all. I’m pretty sure Dear Dad’s solution to everything was to throw money at it, and when Damian went against the grain, he got cut off. I’m fairly certain there’s more to it, but bro-code prevents Linc from telling me too much.”

“And there I was offering easy ways to throw money at the problem…”

Olive added, “If the sanctuary is hurting right now, he’s probably struggling with what he knows they need and what he’s willing to take. Use your gift of out-of-the-cauldron thinking. If anyone can find a creative way to bring in cash flow without taking it directly from the fat wallets of high society, it’s you.”