Page 87 of Cognac Secrets

He nodded slowly and carefully.

“Just another reason why I’m proud of you,” he said. “You didn’t break. Not then, not now, not ever, right?”

I sniffed and nodded and repeated what he’d just said like a benediction or affirmation or something.

“Not then, not now, not ever.”

It was a solemn vow as vows went… but it was a vow none the less.

I would not break. Not then, not now, notever… and I felt like I had a much better chance of that now that I was surrounded by a real family, rag tag and unconventional as it was.

“Did you call True?” I asked.

“Yeah baby, I did. She and Gerard know you’re okay, they’re waiting for me to bring you home just as soon as the hospital will let me.”

“I hate it here,” I confessed.

“Yeah, me too,” he said. “But I’m not going anywhere.”

…and after today? I certainly had no reason toeverdisbelieve him.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Bennie…

They released Sandrine from the hospital the next morning. When it looked like she was good to go, I called up Hex for a ride knowing we would probably have to wait for him to get there being that we were almost a couple hours from the city, but what we ended up really waiting for was the damn discharge process to go through.

Corliss came to the rescue. She thought about the fact that Sandrine would need clean clothes, and being about the same size, she brought with her and Hex a set of her sweats or pajamas or something. I couldn’t tell what was in the bag, but it felt like clothes when she handed it to me and I couldn’t be more grateful that she’d thought of it.

“When I was in the hospital after… well,after…” she said, flushing, “They took my clothes as evidence, so I needed someone to bring me something. I didn’t know if they would do the same thing in this case, but I figured it would be wise to bring something just in case.”

“You’re a fuckin’lifesaver,” I’d told her and I’d told Hex, “Kiss your woman for me, would you?”

He’d grinned and said at my back, “Don’t mind if I do, before I’d heard Cor squeal this happy squeal as I’d gone in to Sandrine with the clothes to ride home in.

She was grateful, too.

The ride home was a quiet one. Sandrine wanted to go to her place. Wanted to see Gerard and wanted to see True before she made any commitments about anything.

She’d used my phone to call and talk to Rowan as soon as she knew the older witch would be in her shop. Rowan told her to take as much time as she needed, that she could hold down the fort for a few days, and that she would light a pink candle for Sandrine’s healing.

She’d called True from my phone and told her when we were on our way and when it looked like we would be back at Sandrine’s place so she could meet us there.

When we got there, it was to True and an anxious, tall, slender black man in a kaftan printed with peacock feathers with one of those old school sparkly turbans on his head that women wore fashionably in like the nineteen-fifties.

There were tears, there were hugs, and I was surprised when Sandy’s landlord / friend hugged me and said something about bringing her back to them.

Sandy looked exhausted and I told her it was alright to stay here and get some rest, that I could leave her in True and Gerard’s capable hands.

Gerard waved me off like I was being stupid and said I was welcome to stay with Sandy and welcome in his home as long as I could stand being around his gay boo-tay, as he called it.

I was damn relieved at that, since I really hadn’t wanted to leave her.

I waved Hex and Cor off and told them I’d get shit handled on all fronts as soon as I had my girl settled.

She begged for a shower as though she expected me to deny her one, and I not only helped her, I joined her. Washing her carefully from head to toe and kissing every inch of her until the water turned tepid.

True and Gerard were in the kitchen when I helped her up to her bedroom and I took in every single last inch of her space and wondered at what she’d done up here.

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