Page 11

Harper stepped out of the inn's front door into the crisp morning air, her folder of apartment listings clutched to her chest. A sleek blue sports car purred up the circular drive, Katerina at the wheel and Becca waving from the back seat.

"Ready for some apartment hunting?" Katerina called out as Harper slid into the passenger seat.

"More than ready. The inn is wonderful, but I can't stay there forever. I need my own place." Harper smoothed her skirt and clicked her seatbelt into place.

As they drove through the winding streets toward their first destination, Harper twisted in her seat to face Becca. "I've been meaning to ask - Katerina told me you raise produce and sell things at farmers markets? It must be quite an adjustment from life in the 17th century."

Harper watched Becca's face light up in the back seat.

"Oh, I have the most wonderful milk cow! Her name is Blossom, and she stays at Katerina's barn since they have all that lovely space." Becca leaned forward between the seats, her stormy-gray eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I milk her twice a day, and make butter and cheese. And, of course, I also get buttermilk from churning the butter."

Harper smiled, impressed by how well Becca had adapted to modern life while keeping her traditional skills alive. "You've really carved out a beautiful niche for yourself here. I mean, I've seen cows, of course, but I wouldn't begin to know how to milk one, much less make butter or cheese. Do you ever have classes for adults? I'd love to try my hand at it."

"Yes, but not right now," Katerina inserted, with a mock frown, wagging her finger like a stern teacher. "We need to find you an apartment, and a car." Her golden eyes sparkled with the enthusiasm she brought to every project.

Becca bounced in the back seat, her ebony hair swaying with the movement. "Yes! I would like to see how purchasing a car is done. One day, in the future, I will want to have one." She bit her bottom lip. "Some day, anyway. When I learn to drive. Later. Much, much later."

Katerina grinned. "What, you're not wanting to get behind the wheel of a car and drive on the freeway right now?"

Harper watched with concern as all the color drained from Becca's face, leaving her honey-gold skin ashen. "Are you alright?"

"Oh yes, I'm fine." Becca's voice quavered slightly. "It is only the thought of driving, myself, that throws me into a panic."

"I totally get that," Harper agreed.

"Okay, here we are," Katerina announced, pulling up to the front of a smaller, but very nice, apartment complex. It was all mellowed red brick and ivy, with neat white shutters framing sash windows. The morning sunlight caught the brass numbers beside each door, making them gleam. Neat cement walks dissected a lush, grassy yard, and flower beds overflowed with summer blooms, their sweet fragrance drifting on the breeze.

The three of them exited the vehicle and stood a moment, taking in the peaceful scene. A butterfly danced past, its orange wings a flash of color against the brick.

"It is very pretty," Becca approved, her face brightening as she studied the well-tended gardens.

Katerina pointed past the buildings toward a dense line of trees. "Look, it backs onto those woods." The forest stretched into the distance, promising miles of natural trails and the kind of solitude Harper's fox nature craved.

"All these apartments have two bedrooms, central heat and air conditioning, dishwasher, yada yada," Harper recited from memory. "They have two downstairs apartments available, and one upstairs one"

"Laundry room?" Katerina asked.

Harper consulted the paper in her hands. "Nope, there's a stacked unit in each apartment. Also, wi-fi and cable are included in the rent."

"Sweet."

"I want to look at the upstairs apartment," Harper said, first looking around to be sure no one was in hearing distance. "I want to be able to be free to Change into my fox, and not have to worry about drawing the blinds or curtains every time."

Katerina grinned, her golden eyes sparking with mischief. "That's understandable. People would be pretty surprised to be walking by and see a fox looking out at them. Though you'd make an adorable window decoration."

"Ugh." Harper shuddered at the mere idea of someone spotting her in fox form through a window. The last thing she needed was Animal Control showing up at her door.

"So, what now?" Becca asked, leaning forward with an eager gleam in her storm-colored eyes.

"Now, we go to the complex's office," Harper pointed at the open doorway at the end of one walkway, where sunlight spilled across the concrete. Her heart fluttered with a mix of nerves and anticipation. "We'll get to go see the apartments, and if I like one, I'll put in an application."

"Let's do this," Katerina declared. "And if you don't like it, we'll go on to the next on your list."

Fifteen minutes later, they were standing inside an empty apartment. "Oh, I like this," Harper said, standing at the bay window at one side of the living room, overlooking the wooded area out back. "This will be perfect. Reyna can hang out here, or I can curl up and read."

"Oh! The tub is so large!" Becca called out from the bathroom. "And there are two sinks in here."

Wandering into the bedroom, Harper approved of the walk-in closet and master bathroom, also with a large tub, and a fancy showerhead mounted on the ceiling which sparkled with chrome accents and looked like it had a gazillion settings. The space would give her plenty of room to spread out, something she'd dreamed of since sharing cramped quarters with her sister growing up.

"I hope that comes with an instruction manual," she commented, staring up at it.

Becca giggled, but Katerina shrugged. "If not, just Google it. Everyone has instruction manuals online these days."

"True." Harper ran her fingers along the smooth marble counter, already picturing where she'd place her toiletries and makeup.

Harper crossed the room, opening the door and stepping out onto the balcony. The late afternoon breeze ruffled her hair as she inhaled the fresh woodland scent. "This has a view of the woods, too. Nice!" Reyna stirred, her perked ears indicating her interest. Good smells , Reyna approved. Good for exploring.

"Wow, this is really nice," Katerina said, joining her at the railing. "If I didn't already live with Troy, I would totally want to live here." Her golden eyes sparkled with enthusiasm as she scanned the treeline.

Becca nodded vigorously, her thick fall of hair tumbling over her shoulders. "I like this so much." She traced her fingers along the wrought iron railing, admiring the intricate scrollwork.

"It's quiet, too," Harper pointed out, savoring the peaceful atmosphere. "Not that apartment living isn't always a mixed bag, but at least there are no traffic sounds." The only noises drifting up were birdsong and rustling leaves - perfect for someone who valued their solitude as much as she did.

"What is this mixed bag?" Becca asked, looking puzzled.

"It means, you don't quite know what you'll get," Harper explained. "For instance, a neighbor might have a new baby that cries all night, or someone might throw loud parties late at night. There's not much you can really do if that happens, but that's the chance you take, living in apartments."

"But you also don't have lawn upkeep, like you'd have if you rented a house," Katerina said. "Or any upkeep, really."

Harper nodded fervently. "Unlike Becca, I have a black thumb," she stressed. "The less I have to do with a yard, the better, for the sake of the yard. And anyway, most homes are going to be too big, and too expensive, for just one person. I don't need a ton of space. I did look through the papers for a mother-in-law cottage kind of deal, or even a restored carriage house, but there wasn't anything like that."

"I like the southern exposure for your living room," Katerina said, wandering out of the bedroom with Becca. "You'll get lots of sunlight in the daytime. Perfect for curling up with a book on weekend afternoons."

"Yes, and the bedroom will be darker," Harper agreed, following them into the spacious living room. The warm afternoon light streamed through the large windows, creating inviting pools of sunshine on the hardwood floors. She imagined her favorite reading chair positioned near the window, her harp in the corner where the acoustics would be best. The space sang with possibility. She looked around in satisfaction, already picturing where her furniture would fit.

"I really, really like this. Let's go down to the office, and I'll fill out the application and put a deposit on it." Her heart fluttered with excitement - this apartment could become her sanctuary, her own private den.

Good place for us, Reyna approved.

Harper followed Katerina and Becca down the stairs, her steps light with excitement. The rental office welcomed them with a blast of cool air conditioning and the scent of coffee brewing.

"I'd like to put in an application," Harper announced to the manager, a petite woman with close-cropped silver hair. "For unit 22B."

"Already? Don't you want to see the other units?" The manager's eyebrows rose, her silver bangs shifting with the movement. "We have several available apartments with similar layouts."

"This one's perfect. It's upstairs, and has a lovely view of the woods," Harper explained, unable to suppress her smile, picturing the sun-filled rooms and imagining cozy evenings curled up by those big windows. Reyna would be just as happy there as she, Harper, would be.

While Harper filled out paperwork, Katerina scrolled through her phone. "There's a Ford dealership over by the mall, they're having a beginning of summer sale."

"Perfect." Harper signed the last form with a flourish. "I don't suppose you're good at haggling? I hate negotiating prices."

"I'm great at it," Becca offered, making Harper grin.

"Oh, right. I bet you are!"

At the manager's request, she handed over her credit card for the application fee and deposit, her pulse quickening at this first concrete step toward her new life.

"We should hear back within 48 hours," the manager said with a smile, processing the payment. "I don't anticipate any problems, given the documents you've provided. The apartment's vacant, obviously, so you can move in as soon as you like once you're approved."

"Thank you so much," Harper told her. "I'll look forward to hearing from you."

Outside, the afternoon sun warmed Harper's skin as they walked to Katerina's car.

Harper turned to her friends with a bright smile. "Let's go look for a car. The sooner I get wheels, the better."

Becca's gray eyes widened in surprise. "Are you certain you don't want to look at the other places on your list? There were three more apartments we planned to see today."

"I figured we'd be apartment hunting all day," Katerina agreed, fishing her car keys from her purse. "I cleared my whole schedule."

Harper shook her head, the certainty warming her chest. "Sometimes you just know. The moment I walked in and saw that view of the woods, felt how peaceful it was..." She gestured toward the apartment building behind them. "It's perfect. The layout, the location, everything. Why waste time looking at other places when I've found exactly what I want?"

Our den, Reyna agreed contentedly in her mind.

"Besides," Harper continued, "I'd rather spend the time car shopping. That's going to be enough of a challenge on its own."

Katerina unlocked her car with a chirp. "Well then, let's go find you some wheels. You can't keep depending on Ubers to get around forever."

"No, definitely not! I'll feel a lot more free once I've got my own car, for sure." Harper slid into the passenger seat, buckling her seatbelt. "It feels kinda like being grounded when I was a teenager."

As they pulled out of the parking lot, Harper's spirits soared. A new apartment, soon a new car - piece by piece, she was building the life she'd always dreamed of.