Page 49 of Ashes of Us

Danica and Emilia were making a list of items and furniture that Danica would need to either bring over from her house or buy.

Meanwhile, Xavier, who also rode motorcycles, and Alex were discussing their bikes and plans to get together and go for a ride.

Xavier used to have a large group of friends who rode together in college and after, but the group had slowly drifted apart over the years as the members became busy with their careers, got married, and began to have children, and Danica could tell he was excited to have someone to ride with again.

They were discussing possibly ordering a pizza when the phone rang again, and Alex got up to answer.

He came back announcing Maverick was on his way up.

A few minutes later, there was a knock and Maverick opened the door.

Danica looked up, smiling as the lanky man walked in, juggling a large basket wrapped in cellophane with a navy bow, a wrapped box and, to her surprise, two dogs on leashes.

One of them was Watson, looking very serious and business-like in his vest, but the other was a long, short-legged dog with a short white coat that had grey/black patches and large, fox-like ears who started frantically wagging its tail and whining slightly when it saw them sitting there.

Standing up, she went over to give him a hand as the others greeted him happily.

“Need help?” She asked as she approached, Emilia close behind her. She assumed dogs were allowed in the building and condo since Alex didn't seem surprised or upset to see the dogs inside.

“Oh yeah, please.” Maverick gratefully passed off the basket to her and the box to Emilia, then bent down and removed Watson's vest and leash.

Emilia set the box on the island and then turned to coo over Watson, who seemed to know she was a sucker for dogs and followed her over.

“These are for you anyway. The box is from Toni, Raven and Jynx, the basket is a housewarming gift from the resident grey witch of the Mystical Emporium.”

Danica smiled, a little bemused as she looked through the cellophane at the items in the basket.

She could see a loaf of French bread in a plastic bag, what looked like scented candles, a jar of honey, a small bottle of some kind of cooking oil, a jar of salt, a bottle of wine, what appeared to be a jar full of several different items and sealed with wax and two pieces of paper.

“That's really sweet.” She glanced at him and saw he was grinning as he watched her. “You told them about me?”

“I told them I was attending your husband's funeral and helping you move into your new place this weekend.” He explained as he crouched down in front of the softly whining dog.

“Indie, Hush.” he rubbed the dog's ears and looked up at her. “I know the stuff in the basket seems random, but D’Arcy said they all have meaning, and the explanation is inside as well.”

Curious, Danica walked over and set the basket on the island, untying the bow and removing the cellophane as Alex and Xavier came over to check things out.

Pulling out the two pieces of paper, which she figured were the explanation, she began to read.

“Danica, I'm so sorry for your loss. I hope this basket helps you with your healing process and settling into your new home. Each item was chosen with care and purpose to help you with the transition. D’Arcy Wildes.” She flicked the paper over and saw it was a list of the items and their individual meanings.

brEAD

So you'll never go hungry

CANDLES

So you'll always have light through the darkest of times

HONEY

So you'll always enjoy the sweetness of life

OLIVE OIL

So you'll be blessed with health and well-being

SALT

So there will always be flavour and spice in your life

WINE

So you will always have joy and never go thirsty

Danica was touched that a woman she didn't know had put so much effort into something for her and had to blink back tears.

Clearing her throat, she passed the list to Emilia, who had stood up and let Watson wander off to greet Alex and Xavier and explore the condo.

She read it and passed it over to Xavier and Alex.

“That's so cool.” She picked up the jar. “She doesn't explain this, though.”

“That looks like a spell jar.” Maverick took it from her and studied it for a minute, then pulled out his phone.

Seeing the look on the others' faces, he raised his eyebrow.

“What? I said D’Arcy was the resident witch of my girlfriend's Wiccan supply shop.” He typed for a second and then gestured to the box.

“I asked Toni about it; she'll get the explanation from D’Arcy and send it to me.

Open that one, I think you'll be pretty happy with the contents.”

Having a feeling that she knew what was inside, Danica grinned and tore the wrapping off.

She was pleased to see she was right when it revealed a large box of coffee from the Scrying Bean with an envelope.

“YES!” She laughed as she hugged the box to her chest. “I'm definitely going to have to make the trip to Salem to thank them in person but send my undying gratitude to them as well.

This is the best coffee I've ever had.” She explained to the others.

“I'm going to need to go pick up my coffee maker immediately.” Releasing the box, she picked up the rather thick envelope and opened it, curious about what else they sent.

Inside, she found two cards, one expressing their condolences for her loss and signed by Raven, Jynx and Antonia, and a card congratulating her on her new place with two gift certificates.

One for half off her purchase at the Mystical Emporium and one for a free item of clothing from either the Raven or Jynx fashion lines.

“Oh. My. God.” Emilia snatched the gift certificate for the free clothing from her hand and looked at Maverick in shock. “Raven and Jynx, as in Raven and Jynx Silva, the fashion designers who just had their first runway show during New York Fashion Week? You know Raven and Jynx Silva?”

“Yeah,” Maverick nodded, looking a little smug and very proud. “They're my sisters, we're triplets actually, but they're identical and I'm the odd one out. My girlfriend, Antonia Coleson, is their best friend and business partner. They share a shop in downtown Salem.”

Emilia stared at him for a minute and then shook her head as she handed the gift certificate back to Danica. “I'm coming with you when you go.” She told Danica firmly. “I didn't realize their boutique was in Salem.”

Danica chuckled and nodded. “Sure. We'll make it a day trip.” She looked down at the dog, who was sitting by Maverick, looking a little dejected at the lack of attention.

She was unsure if it was a service dog, and since no one else had attempted to approach it, she had followed the same lead.

“Are you going to introduce us to... her?” she glanced at him questioningly.

“Ah, yes, this is Indie,” Maverick crouched beside the dog and scratched behind her ears.

“She's a blue merle Cardigan Welsh Corgi, who recently failed out of training to be a PTSD service dog.

I'm still in contact with the organization that trained Watson for me, and I occasionally foster their dogs while they're being trained, since I know about how they're supposed to be looked after and the rules the foster owners have to follow while they're in training.”

“She failed out?” Danica crouched with him and held her hand out for the dog to sniff. “That's so sad, how come?” She smiled as the dog immediately started licking her hand and let her rub her head.

“She's too friendly,” Maverick explained, watching her pet the dog with a smile. “PTSD dogs have to ignore people when they're in their vest and working, and they couldn't train it out of her. She's a bit of an attention whore.”

“Oh, well, that's not a bad reason to fail,” Danica told the dog as she scratched her. “I wouldn't worry about it.” She looked at Maverick. “So, what happens to her now?”

“I'll hold on to her until they find her a good home.” He explained as he stood up with a groan, rubbing the inside of his thigh absently.

“But I was hoping you'd be interested in taking her in, either as a foster owner until they find her a home or permanently.

Alex said you were allowed to have pets as long as they were well-trained, and you won't find a better-trained dog. She passed all her other training with flying colours and is very smart, just too easily distracted by people.”

That caught her off guard, and she hesitated, looking down at the dog, who seemed to be focused entirely on her, calmly sitting and leaning into her hand as she rubbed her neck.

She was adorable and obviously loving, and Danica had to admit the idea of having a dog to keep her company since she wasn't used to being alone was very appealing.

“I don't know the first thing about owning a pet.” She said, wanting to be sure Maverick understood her situation.

“I wasn't allowed to have one growing up, and while Jasper and I discussed possibly getting a cat, we never followed through, mostly because I knew its care would fall one hundred percent on me.” She could feel herself wavering as the dog looked up at her, and she felt her heart melt at the clear adoration in her eyes.

“Plus, Alex and I will be travelling a lot once the court case is over.”

“In a private jet and staying in hotels that allow pets.” Alex pointed out as he picked up the box of coffee and studied it. “This is the coffee you have in your office?” He asked Maverick, who nodded. “I'll be right back.” He grabbed his keys and left the apartment.”

Danica watched him leave, completely bewildered. “Did he just give me permission to bring Indie with me when we do the audits?”

Emilia chuckled as she reached out and took Indie's leash from Maverick. “Sounded like it.” She sat on the floor, and the dog went to her for attention as Danica slowly straightened up. “Does the organization also train dogs for children who potentially have autism?” She asked Maverick curiously.

“They do, actually. Their focus is on emotional support and PTSD.

Watson has training in both. They also have a sliding scale and payment plans for people who can't afford a therapy dog outright.” He looked around, seemingly remembering he also had a dog that was currently MIA. “Speaking of, where did he go?”

“I wouldn't worry about it.” Danica shook her head, smiling faintly as she struggled to make a decision. “There's nothing here for him to get into.” She looked down at the Corgi, who had curled up in Emilia's lap. “Can I foster for a while to see if I can do this?”

“Sure,” Maverick nodded. “They'll let you do that, just keep in mind they will continue to look for a forever home for her, and if one is found, you'll have to make a decision immediately regarding keeping her or letting her go.” He let out a sharp whistle.

“Watson! Get back out here.” Danica chuckled as Watson came from the hallway that led to the bedroom at a run, skidding to a stop in front of Maverick and sitting obediently in front of him.

“It's rude to go through someone's home without permission, Buddy,” he sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small baggie of treats and giving one to Watson and then Indie as Alex came back with his coffee maker and set it up on the counter.

“Is the coffee really that good?” Xavier looked up from where he was now petting Indie in his wife's lap.

“It's the best.” Alex nodded as he set things up. “I've been meaning to get some.” Xavier raised his eyebrow and walked over to get the mugs from the living room.

“Then I need to try it.” He looked at Maverick.

“And if you can give me a contact for that organization, I would appreciate it.

Gracie's new play therapist thinks an ESA would be very beneficial for her, and since Gracie has been doing so well since she started seeing her, I'm willing to compromise on my no pets rule. Even if it means getting a dog for Delilah and Benny, too.”

Maverick dug through his wallet and pulled out a card, passing it over to Xavier.

“You might even be able to get a dog that failed out of training for your other kids, it happens more often than you'd think. Not all dogs are cut out to be a support animal, some like Indie here, are just too friendly, some have performance anxiety in public...” He trailed off as his phone chimed and pulled it out to look at it.

“Anyway, not all the reasons are bad is my point. They had a Labrador Retriever who used to bring anything that was dropped on the ground back to its handler, no matter who dropped it, for example.” Xavier nodded, taking the card and looking thoughtful as Emilia and Danica giggled at the idea of a trained ESA just bringing random stolen items back to its owner.

“Do you want to know what was in the spell jar?”

Danica nodded as Maverick picked it up, surprisingly interested in it despite never even considering witchcraft to be real.

“According to Toni, who asked D’Arcy. It is a Loss and Grief spell and has rosemary to ward off bad energy, smoky quartz which is supposed to help disperse fear, lift depression, and negativity, Sage, which is purifying and cleansing, lemongrass, to aid you in feeling joy without guilt, amethyst, which is used to making healing transitions, and dried orange slices to help you with emotional healing.

” He put his phone away. “She also included the caveat that the spell jar is a physical representation of the intention the person who put it together had for you and should not be taken as a solution in a jar.”

Danica nodded. She wasn't sure she believed in that kind of stuff, but she did appreciate that D’Arcy, who didn't know her from a hole in the ground, had gone through the trouble to do something like this for her. Looking down at Indie again, she chewed her lip as she considered fostering the dog. “Okay, pass along my thanks to D’Arcy, and I will foster Indie. As long as you help me learn to look after her properly.”

Maverick grinned, looking relieved and very happy that she agreed. “Not a problem.”