Page 7

I grunted. “Both are hideous, but the jeans and sneakers are good attire for cleaning stables.”

“Are you saying Prince Robyn cannot shift?”

I shook my head. “He doesn’t seem capable of changing forms. The curse isn’t allowing it.”

“I fear my role in what has befallen him. Mother insisted it was not my fault and that the curse will be good for his personal growth.”

“That means she said no when you asked her to remove it.”

Peace grunted in disgust. “You are wise and clever.”

At that point, I would have said anything to cheer her up. “I have a great fashion sense too. You should have seen me today before everyone showed up. I dressed up because Farley and I were supposed to have our third date tonight. When your cursed friends showed up early, the inn once again put that hideous pilgrim witch outfit on me. Lord Alfred didn’t believe anyone would find me attractive enough to date. Then Farley came, took one look at the gorgeous Prince Robin, and went full growly bear on him. We barely avoided a mauling.”

Peace visibly winced. “I am so sorry that I keep disrupting your sex life. I swear it is not my intention to do so. Also, I would never intentionally come between you and your mate.”

“No worries. Farley is not my mate. We’re just friends trying to be friends with benefits. Life keeps getting in our way, but our bad luck won’t last forever. We want each other too much.”

“Farley is the gigantic bear shifter—I remember him.” Peace bit her bottom lip. “Perhaps it is for the best that you saw his growly nature before you get intimate. Male bears wander off when they’re done with a female. I hope I am around to offer comfort when your bear has finished indulging his ravenous urges for you.”

“Do I dare ask how you know what bears are like?”

Peace shrugged. “I am friends with a few bear sows. They have a negative opinion of most male bears, especially the fathers of their children. I hear such abandonment is a bear thing.”

“Farley claims to be different. He claims to want a companion who would stay with him always.”

“Do you believe him?” Peace asked.

I shrugged. “I believe him enough not to be concerned about him leaving me. The truth is that I’m not in this for the long haul either. I only said “maybe” to Ethan’s proposal to keep his mother from bothering me while I figured out how to end things. You can shed all guilt about being with Ethan because I meant it when I said you did me a favor.”

“A favor should be mutually beneficial.” Peace sighed and shook her head. “Tomorrow, I must ask you for a true favor, but we will first find something mutually beneficial in our bargain—if you say yes. I do not mean to presume.”

I stopped at the steps leading upstairs to the bedrooms. “The room is just as you left it. Only the sheets have been changed. Do you need anything before I head off to bed?”

Peace climbed the stairs slowly. It required a lot of effort, which meant she was as tired as she claimed. I felt as determined to ease her mind now as I did when we first met.

“I need many things,” Peace said. “But tonight I only need a bed.”

4

For breakfast, I pulled the remaining vegetables out of the refrigerator. I added apples to the tray for Prince Robin and a few strawberries to the one for Alfred. I tapped the wand on each and sent them both to the stables. Farley and I had used sawhorses and a nice board we found to create a makeshift serving table.

The loaf of banana bread in the oven neared completion. That tasty treat was for my reno crew. Paul and his mates had arrived before seven and were already hard at work removing the old front porch boards. They were singing like a barbershop quartet to cover the sound of their hammers. It was more enjoyable than the stripping songs they played on their vintage boom box while they worked, so I let it go.

I made a mental note to speak to Alfred later to see if the noise bothered him or Prince Robin. I hadn’t thought to warn them about it.

I stood at the stove, busily preparing food for Peace and me. When she stayed here before, I’d learned that bacon and eggs were a cheat meal for her. Royal fairies only consumed the purest foods from plants, which seemed primarily to consist of wild berries. With me, she devoured my personal breakfast favorites with the same kind of relish Farley showed for food.

My stressed-out fairy guest stumbled into the kitchen, looking hungover and not well-rested at all. Like a good host, I pretended not to notice while trying to think of ways to rectify her sleeping situation. “Good morning, Peace. Did you sleep well?”

Peace shook her head and silently went to sit at the table. I poured her tea and added a healthy amount of honey to the cup. She sighed in gratitude when I set it in front of her.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Breakfast will be served shortly. It’s nearly ready to plate.”

I returned to the stove to finish. I caught myself humming and realized I was in an excellent mood today, despite my personal plans being disrupted the night before.

Outside the kitchen window, the probably reason for my good mood walked toward my back door with a large box of pastries in one hand and a bouquet of wildflowers in the other.