Page 50 of Enticing the Elf
“No, but Eoin thinks his cleaning might be disruptive for Elsking, so I was going to bring her… but I don’t know if cats and rabbits are friend or foe.”
Jared’s chuckle is warm and understanding. “Mostly friend, but it depends on the cat. We’re in luck, though, because Margie gets along great with the classroom rabbit when I bring her in with me to do classroom chores. I think they’ll be fine, but if it looks like there might be a problem, I can put Marge inside.”
“Are you sure?” That doesn’t seem fair.
“Yes. She can have garden time whenever she wants. Elsking deserves a turn too. But I really don’t think there will be a problem.”
“Thank you. In that case, we’ll be there in half an hour or so. Can I bring anything? Bread for the cheese, maybe?”
“I’ve got everything we need,” he assures me. “Just one thing, though—my friend Felix called before and is going to stop by.”
My gossip radar perks up. “Felix the hockey player?” Eoin wouldn’t say much about the meeting the other day, only that he’d given the collaboration a green light. I don’t even know what the meeting was about, exactly, that needed one of the players there, looking like he wanted to vomit.
“That’s him.”
“Great! I can’t wait to meet him.” And not just because I’m nosy.
“See you soon, then.”
I lower my phone as Eoin reappears, staring at his. “This says they usually get along, but sometimes they need time to get to know each other first.”
“Jared said his cat’s been around rabbits before,” I report. “You can stop worrying.”
His relieved smile makes me wonder again if I’m setting myself up for heartbreak. There’s no question in my mind that I love Eoin more than I ever did Alan, no matter how hard I’ve tried not to.
Felix is alreadyat Jared’s house when I arrive, stretched out on the clover lawn with his eyes closed, sunning himself. It strikes me again that he’s smaller than I’d expected, based on what Jared’s said about him and the fact that he’s a hockey player. Some people have big personalities, even when they’re absent.
I set Elsking’s travel crate down, and Jared and I watch closely as Marge wanders over to investigate. We agreed that if she seems at all aggressive, we won’t even try introducing them properly.
Marge sniffs around the front of the carrier, and Elsking slowly eases forward, her nose twitching. For a moment, they study each other, separated by the steel grill of the door, and then they touch noses.
“I think it’s okay,” I whisper, not wanting to break the moment of connection. Neither of them seems bothered—no fear, no aggression.
“Yeah.” Jared steps forward and scoops Marge away from the crate. “Let her out, and let’s see.”
Our fears were completely unfounded, and within five minutes, the two animals are curled around each other in asunny patch of clover, Marge grooming Elsking, whose eyes are half closed as if she’s being pampered at a day spa.
“I foresee many playdates in our future,” Jared says at last, stepping over them to settle himself beside Felix. “Take a seat, Dáithí, and meet Felix.”
I lower myself to the ground and dig my fingers into the clover, the rush of growing energy tingling through me. I love nature. “Hi, again. Felix came into the DEA for a meeting this week,” I explain to Jared.
“I know, but he was too nervous to remember anyone he met.”
“Except that one asshole,” Felix grumbles, and my hackles go up. He better not be talking about Eoin.
“Asshole?” I ask, and the dangerous edge has Felix opening one eye, but he doesn’t back down.
“Yeah. He accused me of assaulting people.”
That doesn’t sound like Eoin, not unless it was true… and I doubt Felix would be so pissed about it if it was.
“Can you describe him?” Jared asks diplomatically. “How many of our people were in that meeting?”
My ire momentarily dips at the completely natural way Jared said “our people.” He’s taking ownership of us now, just like a consort should.
“Two,” I tell him. “Eoin and Ari.” Of the two, Eoin’s the most likely to be an asshole, but that doesn’t mean I’m just going to sit back and let some random felid I don’t know say so.
Felix opens his other eye and sits up. “Which was which? The head guy, the one in charge, he was okay. Professional, at least. It was the other guy who was a dick.”