“If you can’t tell her, thenshow her.”
I returned my attention to my friend. “Excuse me, but when did the terrifying, asshole of a professor who literally makes students cower become well-versed in the ways of relationships?”
Coen scratched his neatly trimmed beard. “Just because I prefer the company of plants over people, doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention to how they interact. You said she’s like a cat…then win her over like you would a cat.”
I frowned. “What? Give her treats and pet her?”
“No, you idiot…fuck. Do I have to spell it out?”
I chuckled.
“Show her how safe of a person you are. Emotionally…physically…and she’ll eventually come to you.”
I gaped at my friend, who I had known for years. Most everyone thought he was an arrogant bastard that delighted in making his students cry. And that was partially true. Well…he didn’t delight in their tears, per se, but insisted he was giving them honest feedback and they needed to get used to criticism or they’d never survive in their careers out in the real world or whatever. But underneath it all, he did have a sense of humanity toward others. He just didn’t tend to show it often.
And I had never heard him say anything that profound about trying to win a woman over.
Adjusting my glasses, I said, “Do you have some secret love you’re hiding from me? Why are you actually making sense?”
His scowl deepened. “As if I have time for a relationship.”
“Right. You’re too busy growing your hybrid plants in your spooky secret lab like some type of mad scientist. No time for fun.”
Coen ignored my dig, shaking his head. “I’m just pointing out the obvious, Liam. It’s really not that complicated.”
I sipped on my beer as I mulled over his words.
If you can’t tell her, then show her.
I could do that. I would need to be subtle and move slowly. Show her with both actions and words…but perhaps leave the whole ‘love’ thing out of it for now.
She claimed she just wanted to be friends in her letter, but I knew she was lying. That she’d pulled in on herself because it was safe and easy. Like the male garuda, I would need to prepare my dance and lure her to me.
This was going to take time.
It was a good thing I had all the time in the world.
Chapter 28
Secret Fantasy
Cerise
Isat at my kitchen table, the morning sun peering through the arched window and Arthur stretched out on the sill enjoying the warmth, while I thumbed through the classifieds. Every time I looked through the paper, I couldn’t help but stare at the same advertisement. One I had been staring at for months.
It was for an empty building within walking distance from my house and just down the street from Rosamund’s coffee shop. The outside appeared to be in good shape, its wooden walls and clay shingle roof completely intact from what I could tell. But the inside needed a bit of work. How did I know that? Well…perhaps I’d passed by and peeked into the windows on my way to the coffee shop a time or two. Or three. Or four.
It had been sitting vacant for close to a year. No buyers. And the reason? The price. The asking price was so high, it was insulting. They had lowered it a couple of times but it hadn’t enticed anyone.
Apparently, no one in town wished to open a business there badly enough to pay the offensive cost. So there it sat…forgotten and lonely.
My little fantasy. A secret that no one, aside from Emberly and Rosamund, knew about.
Taking a sip of my coffee—a dash of cream, no sugar—I imagined what I could do with the space. It was the perfect size for a small clinic. Once the inside was cleaned up, I would give it a fresh coat of paint. A calm, relaxing green. Perhaps a soft sage or maybe a deep hunter. The front room would house a little reception desk for clients to check in, and a waiting area with plenty of cushioned chairs.
I would build a large private room in the back where I’d perform my examinations, heal my patients and store my supplies in wall-to-wall cabinets. I wouldn’t need much—bandages, disinfectant, perhaps a few herbs—since I mostly used my magic for healing.
My skills were there. I had the training. I’d been practicing my healing magic for decades behind my mother’s back. I had even secretly taken extra courses when I had time and healed hurt wildlife whenever I had the opportunity.
