Page 51 of Forget Me Not

The other appeared unbothered by Ray’s brief frown. He tipped his head to one side curiously. “You’re the detective who sometimes goes into the shop with questions?”

Ray froze, his hands curled into fists again. But the were had said he came here often, even if a were had no business near a magic shop.

Ray met his eyes again. “Ray,” he offered his name quietly. “Ray Branigan. But that isn’t why I’m here now.”

The were’s attention felt sharper. Ray raised his head but clenched his jaw and said nothing. If his scent was being examined, and it was, there was nothing to do but bear it. Ray had already been studied by Cal and Penn today. This shouldn’t have him unnerved.

But he didn’t think he smelled of happiness or comfort. If Cal came out now, Ray wouldn’t know how to introduce him. It ached behind Ray’s eyes because he wasn’t healing. And the people in Cassandra’s shop talked about him, as they naturally would.

“They’ve mentioned you,” the other were said in answer to what Ray was not saying. “Youglow,” he added, still light and careful, and shrugged at Ray’s startled blink. “I don’t know what that means. I glimmer, according to Miklós. All beings do, he tells me, but he knows mine.” This was followed by another shrug, combined with the goofy smile again. Then the were extended a hand, but not as humans did. He put his hand on Ray’s shoulder, leaving it there for a moment or two before pulling away. “Diego Villalobos. I’m in the city symphony.”

“Ah.” Ray’s voice was thick. He left his hands at his sides.Almost-pineandconcernnow lingered on his clothes. He swallowed, regretting the sticky sweet flavor of the soda still in his mouth. “That explains why I haven’t met you. I don’t usually have time for…” He had time now, and the realization was so unexpected that he stopped.

“It’s one of the good things a city offers.” Diego wasn’t smiling any longer, but his scent hadn’t changed except for a small thread of something likeanticipation. “The symphony, I mean. There are free concerts every month in the park, except during the winter. You should come. I think music can be healing, although it’s perhaps not for everyone. But live music does not irritate as recordings can.”

Ray didn’t ask why Diego thought he needed healing. He held still instead of squirming and kept his head up, although Diego had already started to turn toward the magic shop.

“I should go. I have to take Miklós to lunch.” His eyes glinted, as if Ray would understand what that meant and share his humor. Ray probably should have. “I saw him for breakfast, and will see him for dinner, but he forgets his lunch, and so sometimes, I’m forced to remind him.” The growinganticipationin Diego’s scent said he wasn’t forced, not even a little. He gave Ray one last serious look, and inclined his head and murmured, “It was good to meet you,” in a voice meant only for another were to hear.

Ray nodded, throat tight, and said nothing before Diego went inside.

Diego didn’t rub his nose. He must have grown used to the magic.

A were in the city all this time and Ray hadn’t known because he didn’t go near the village.

He looked around again, although only another were would have noticed anything odd about him.

Ray didn’t go to concerts in the park. That wasn’t something he had time for, and it wasn’t something he was expected to do.

Cal would have something to say about that, he imagined, if Ray mentioned it to him. Ray wondered if he could. Put himself in Callalily’s hands, again, and talk of other weres, and worry, and ask for music.

He went over to the newspaper racks to grab a copy of the free local paper and then got back into the car so he could sit down while he pretended to read it. He stared blankly at the list of community events and looked up only when Cal opened the passenger side door and said, “Ray,” in a worried, careful voice.

“I’m fine,” Ray lied, the way other weres wouldn’t, and sat up as much as the car allowed him to. “Did Cassandra have anything new to say?”

Cal ignored the attempt at a subject change, as Ray had started to expect. “Should we take you home?”

Ray refused to look away. “No.”

“Raymond….”

“Do you want a coffee?” Ray startled him with the question. Cal blinked twice, then frowned. Ray tried again. “You like raspberry. You smelled of it, when I first saw you. And affection. I would like to keep that there. But I…” he turned his hand over, palm up. “I don’t know if I can.”

Cal glanced over, outside the car, probably to Benny. Then he turned back to Ray. “Are you having a crisis, Ray?” Benny was on his phone. Penn’s voice was distant and small, but Ray was glad to hear it. Cal bent down, then crawled on his knees on the seat to consider Ray from much closer up. “I’d sit in your lap if you had room,” he offered, wings beating steadily like a monarch at a botanical garden. Ray could not remember ever going to a botanical garden, but he must have, because the image of the butterfly was sharp and clear. He did not suppose he had gone there alone.

“I met another were,” he offered in return.

Cal, who must have seen Diego in the store, nonetheless lit up at the words. “Tell me.”

Chapter Seven

“FIND ME when you’re done,” Cal had said, tugging on Ray’s tie, scowling in a way that Ray tried not to think of as anything close to adorable.

A command, if a sweet one, and confusing as hell the more Ray thought about it. He didn’t know when he’d be done. He didn’t know where Cal would be. He’d assumed he’d just meet Cal again at the house, but those were Cal’s final words to Ray before he’d jumped back into Benny’s car.

Cal had had something else to say to Penn.

For her, a request; “Don’t let him be how he is.”

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