Page 13 of Fetch Me A Mate
After he left, Diana stood in the doorway watching his precise figure disappear around the corner. The encounter had left her feeling like she'd passed some kind of test, though she wasn't entirely sure what she'd been tested on.
"Pompous ass."
Diana turned to find Rowan standing just inside the door, wiping sawdust from his hands with a rag. His pale eyes were fixed on the spot where Finch had vanished.
"You heard that?"
"Hard not to. He's got a voice that carries." Rowan's jaw was tight. "What did he want?"
"Preliminary assessment. Making sure I'm not screwing things up too badly." Diana closed the door and leaned against it. "Also making sure I know my place as the human outsider."
Rowan's expression darkened. "He say that?"
"Not in so many words. But the message was clear enough." Diana shrugged. "I think I handled it okay. Even got him to approve my idea for a community event."
"What kind of event?"
"An Autumn Hearth Gathering. Story sharing, food, fireplace ambiance. Show the town that the inn is still a place where people can come together." Diana pulled out her notebook and flipped to a fresh page. "Think it'll work?"
Rowan was quiet for a moment, considering. "People here like traditions. Give them something that feels familiar and they'll warm to it."
"Good. Because I just committed to hosting it next week." Diana started sketching a rough timeline. "Think the lobby will be presentable by then?"
"Should be. Might still have the smell of fresh paint, but nothing that'll scare off guests."
"Perfect." Diana made notes about food, decorations, invitations. "Will you come? To the gathering, I mean."
Rowan's hand stilled on the rag. "Not really my scene."
"But you'll be welcome. If you want."
He nodded once, noncommittal. "We should get back to work. Daylight's burning."
They returned to the renovation, but Diana found herself thinking about community and belonging, about proving herself worthy of a place she desperately wanted to claim. The Autumn Hearth Gathering felt like more than just a social event. It felt like a declaration of intent.
She was here to stay. She just had to convince everyone else of that, including herself.
6
ROWAN
Rowan tucked Diana's project plan into his jacket and headed across the square toward the Hollow Oak Book Nook. The afternoon sun slanted through the maple trees, casting long shadows on the cobblestones. He needed a reference manual for the electrical work, something comprehensive enough to guide him through the inn's outdated wiring system.
The bookstore's windows gleamed in the golden light, hand-lettered signs advertising new arrivals and staff recommendations. Through the glass, he could see Lucien Vale behind the counter, dark hair falling across his forehead as he catalogued a stack of leather-bound volumes.
The bell above the door chimed as Rowan entered. Lucien looked up, his green eyes narrowing slightly when he recognized his visitor.
"Rowan." The greeting was neutral, carefully polite.
"Lucien." Rowan approached the counter, noting how the panther shifter's shoulders tensed. "Need a favor."
"That depends." Lucien set down his pen and leaned back against his chair. "What kind of favor?"
"Looking for an electrical manual. Something detailed enough for old building work." Rowan pulled out Diana's project plan, unfolding it on the counter. "Inn's got some complicated wiring situations."
Lucien's eyes flicked to the papers, then back to Rowan's face. "Working on the Hearth and Hollow?"
"Council assignment."
