Page 112 of Stubborn as a Shadow

When everything was back in place, I adjusted my woolen hat, pulling it down over my ears a little more, and looked at my mate.

“What next?” I blew on my hands. Even though I was wearing my mittens again, my fingers were still cold.

“How about some hot chocolate?”

“With marshmallows?”

“I’m sure that Parker even has whipped cream.”

“Deal.”

I slipped my hand into Nelson’s, and we walked to the Flying Rowan Café. The streets were as empty as the park this morning, but a quick glance through the windows of the café showed that the place was packed. Obviously, everyone was warming up there.

As soon as we walked inside, the heat made my cold cheeks sting, but that wasn’t what made me smile. It was the conversation and laughter and the smell of sugary treats.

“I love it here!”

I worried Nelson wouldn’t like to be around so many people, but he didn’t look uncomfortable. Maybe being in a crowd was okay because no one was looking specifically at him. In a crowd, he could blend in, a bit like how his shadow form blended into the shadows.

“Let’s get in line,” I said, dragging him toward the counter. “It smells amazing.”

Someone slammed into Nelson and splashed their mocha all over him. Nelson froze. I burst out laughing at the look of shock on his face but quickly slapped my hand over my mouth.

I swatted at the bubbles that had escaped from my mouth and prayed no one saw them. Then I cleared my throat. Fighting the urge to laugh was never easy. The less you wanted to laugh, the more likely you were to do it.

But I managed to keep the bubbles under control.

Everyone in the restaurant turned to look at us. Nelson went a little blurry around the edges. Damn it. And he’d been doing so well a moment ago.

The young woman who’d doused him looked mortified. She was slapping a soggy paper napkin against his face. I didn’t know how the drink had ended up all the way to his forehead, but somehow it had.

“Stop.” Nelson grabbed the woman’s hand and removed it from his face. “That’s enough.”

She mumbled an apology, then scurried out the door with her head down. She dropped her now empty cup in the trash as she left.

“Why don’t you go get cleaned up? I can order. What do you want?”

“A black coffee,” he grumbled.

I brushed a kiss on his cheek. Unable to resist, my tongue darted out to lick a little drop of chocolate coffee from his skin before I pulled away. “You taste good.”

He rolled his eyes, then made his way to the back of the restaurant where the bathrooms were.

I was almost at the counter when my phone rang. I glanced at the screen. Shoot. It was Violet. After missing her calls for so many days, I didn’t dare ignore any more. I sighed and stepped out of the queue and made my way to the small entrance area where I wouldn’t bother anyone by talking on the phone.

When I answered, it wasn’t Violet who spoke. It was Gary.

“Thank fuck,” Gary said. “Where are you?”

“Why?”

“Violet’s missing,” he said. “She’s in danger.”

“What? What happened? How do you know she’s in danger?” I rushed outside. I looked up and down the street, as if I’d be able to find her just like that.

“I see you. Stay there.”

A flashy red sports car—the kind that most people put into storage for the winter—blasted down the street. It skidded a little on the icy roads but stopped in front of the café. A window rolled down, and Gary beckoned me forward.