Page 42 of Just A Little Magic

“You sign my paychecks. That makes you my boss.”

The words hit a tender spot with me. Iwasthe man who signed his paychecks. I thought he knew me well enough to know I’d never take advantage of that connection, but wasn’t that the exact thing a person who intended to take advantage would say? I shook my head at the errant thought.

“I was checking to see if you were available to go to Stone and Vine for a status check. The contractor emailed thismorning to say they had fixed the drainage issues and erected the overhead structure. I figured you’d want to see it sooner rather than later.”

Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes.

Owen typed a few things into the laptop he was working on before closing it with a decisive snap. “I am now. If the structure is complete, I can give the go-ahead to ship the patio furniture. Fingers crossed you like the vibe. It’s from the same outfit that made this table,” he said, smoothing his hand over the patio table.

“It’s gorgeous. It’ll give that space the fairy cottage vibe you wanted.”

The silence this time felt companionable rather than the strange and awkward vibe that had plagued the last couple of weeks. Maybe we were back to normal? If I mentioned it, it might ruin the spell he’d fallen under today, and I wasn’t going to risk it.

“Thank you for the updated pictures of Elizabeth. It looks like she’s put on a little weight.”

“She has,” Owen said as he pulled his phone from his pocket and opened his photo app. “She’s settling right in.”

Owen had a series of photos he’d taken but hadn’t shared yet. Elizabeth was a lounger—on her tree, on the back of the couch, and on Owen’s hangers in the closet. “The only thing I don’t like is that she can’t go outside and enjoy the sunshine.”

“What if we built something at my house? The family room has that patio right off it. We could enclose it and then turn it into a catio. I’m not sure how it would work in the winter with all the rain, but I’m sure a contractor could figure out something. If he’s at the restaurant when we get there, we can talk to him about it.”

“You’d do that?”

“Sure. I have all the extra cat paraphernalia because I want her and you to come over. I miss her already.”

I hoped he felt the weight of my words and heard the unspokenand youmissing from my last sentence. There was nothing I wouldn’t do for him, and if that meant we were building a catio, then that’s what I would do.

CHAPTER TWELVE

OWEN

“Elizabeth, how do I look?”

My cat had the annoying habit of not speaking English. She was so smart, and I was convinced it was willful stubbornness on her part. She could do everything else, so why not that? It was a choice.

Tonight’s fundraiser wasn’t formal, but most people would be dressed nicely. I was sure Rory would wear his favorite blue overalls with the dragon on them, and Jakob would be in his favorite rainbow zip-up onesie. Their Papa and Daddy would be dressed in something more traditional.

Since my date was advertised as vanilla, I didn’t consider wearing anything but slacks, a button-down shirt, and dress shoes. I wouldn’t have anyway, but I was a teeny—read: a lot—bit jealous of the other boys. Compared to them, I looked like I was headed to a job interview.

In an imaginary world considerably better than this one, I’d be in my diaper and snuggly onesie with my paci firmly planted in my mouth. I wouldn’t be up for auction because I’d already have a date with Da. We’d donate instead.

When he’d stopped by my office last week, it had been so long that I forgot to keep my distance. We hadn’t been apart for more than two weeks since we met. It had been pure hell to stay away, but I’d needed the break if I wanted to be successful in my plan of stepping back. But then Barrett had shown up and I’d been a goner. I cringed at how overeager I had been, although Barrett was too polite to make fun of me for it.

Now, all I had to do was get through the evening and pretend to be enthusiastic about a vanilla date with a stranger that I was only doing to prove I wasn’t hung up on someone I shouldn’t be hung up on. Except I was totally hung up on that someone, and there was a real danger of me making an absolute ass of myself.

What if I call this guy the wrong name? What if I cry? What if no one bid on me? Would this be better or worse than when Daddies made fun of me because I was practically nonverbal in my little headspace? Any of these options could be in the running for the most embarrassing moment of my life.

I would love to replace the current number one spot taken by the time I lost my shit over a bear, accidentally regressed in front of my best friend, and then decided to lose my V-card to him once and for all. That one would be hard to top, but I had faith that more humiliation was coming.

While that cheery thought ricocheted around my mind, I left my bedroom to answer the doorbell. Levi was the only person I thought it might be, but he’d said he planned to work for a few hours and then go to the club straight from work. It was my mistake for not looking before I opened the door. On my front porch was Barrett, who looked downright edible in his suit, with a bouquet of flowers.

Barrett could hold them in his hand, but they were an armful for me. The bouquet was wrapped in white butcherpaper tied with twine and had red, yellow, and black sunflowers, dahlias, sedum, and marigolds.

I didn’t understand why he was here. I knew these last few weeks had been difficult, but we hadn’t planned to go to the auction in one car, right? Maybe we had. I wasn’t sure of much anymore. My self-enforced separation from Barrett had messed with my concentration for weeks.

“Did we make plans for you to pick me up?”

I moved back so he could come inside. Elizabeth immediately roused herself from a nap on the tree hammock in the corner and padded over for ear scratches. Barrett quickly complied with her plaintive meows for attention.

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