Romance Rules for Werewolves (Charming Cove, #3)(66)

“I’ll go get the coffees,” I said.

I brought them back in and handed them around, then explained, “We think the house wanted me to be here since it doesn’t know you well.”

Charlie gave a shrug that suggested he could see the house’s point. “You know, I never thought of it that way, but if the house has a personality, it makes sense.”

“So you’ll be here while we work?” Lee asked, and I couldn’t help but appreciate his practical nature. He was the roofer, after all, and he probably didn’t want to be chucked off the roof.

I couldn’t blame him. “I will. The whole time, I promise.”

“All right, then,” Charlie said. “We’ll get to work.”

Rafe appeared from the back of the house, his tool belt strapped around his waist. He gave the guys a friendly nod, and I appreciated that he didn’t do that silly rooster thing Tommy always did when he was around other men. He always tried to seem bigger, sometimes even breaking out a horrendous strut.

How had I stayed with him for so long?

I shook away the intrusive though and said, “I’ll be upstairs, painting one of the spare bedrooms. Call if you need me.”

“Will do.” Charlie gave a friendly salute, then headed back out to his truck, presumably to get supplies.

The day passed quickly, and I was struck with the strongest sense of satisfaction every time I saw one of the contractors repairing something I could never hope to repair myself. As for Rafe, I did my best to avoid him. Whenever I was near him, my heart raced, and my tongue felt completely useless—like if I tried to talk, I would just make a ridiculous noise.

But that didn’t stop me from seeing him everywhere in the house. He didn’t even need to be in a room for me to see him. If I went into the kitchen, his presence was everywhere in the stunning cabinetry that he’d built. He was truly an artist, and he was leaving his mark all over the building. I’d never be able to forget him at this rate, and that would make recovering from his loss even harder.

And I would lose him because I was going to break that damned curse. He would be free of it, and then he would inevitably return to his pack, wherever they lived.

I slammed the paintbrush down into the tray in frustration, then gave an angry little squawk when I saw how the droplets splattered against the wall.

I really needed to get my act together. Losing it over a guy was so not in my plans.

As carefully as I could, I smoothed the paint back into the wall so that the color and texture were perfect, then cleaned up my supplies and headed downstairs. The contractors had left for the night, and so had Rafe. When I reached the boathouse, I found it empty as well. There was dinner on the table for me, though, a hearty sandwich and salad next to a note with my name on it.

A band tightened around my heart.

How was he so perfect?

I shook the thought away, then sat at the table and texted Aria to check on the progress with the plants. I ate the sandwich as I waited for her response. It came a few minutes later.



They’ll be full size tomorrow afternoon. And I think your cat lives here now.



I rolled my eyes. Of course Poa did. She’d probably found their snack cabinet or recruited Boris to join her in petty crimes. Although, given his recent donut heist, he was probably already involved in plenty of his own.





Chapter

Twenty-Seven





Isobel



Rafe and I worked alongside the contractors the next day, relying on my magic to increase our speed. With every hour that passed, I grew more hopeful about finishing the house in time.

At five, when the contractors left, I went to the Enchanted Garden to pick up the plants that Aria had sprouted for me. Colorful butterflies escorted me down the path through the garden as I walked toward her office. This little cottage that she’d turned into the garden headquarters was cute as could be, with roses climbing the walls and smoke billowing from the chimney. It was brisk today, and I was sure the fire would feel divine.

I’d just raised my hand to knock when she opened the door, a broad smile on her face. “Wait until you see your plants.”

“They look good?”

“They look fantastic. Let me get them from the back.” She went to the rear door of the cottage and disappeared outside for a moment. When she came back, she carried a big tray of orange, yellow, and red flowers—exactly the same as I’d seen in the vision. I could feel the power and potential in them, and I drew in a deep breath. “They’re perfect.”

“You’ll break his curse with these?” she asked, handing them over.

“Yes, I’m sure of it.” I leaned down and smelled the flowers, then winced and reared back. “They stink.”

“I know. They have since they sprouted.”

“Makes sense. They were used for a terrible purpose the first time.”

“You’re going to undo that.”

“I am.” I grinned, loving her faith in me. “Thank you again.”

“Anytime. And don’t forget girls’ night this Thursday.”

“I won’t, though I’m not sure I’ll make it. The house needs so much work.”

“We can move it to your place, if necessary. Just give us some tasks with no power tools, and it’ll be fine.”