Page 16 of Ogre on Patrol (Monsters, PI #5)
Chapter 16
Thain
E llie stayed in the kitchen long enough for me to start thinking she wasn't coming back. I tilted my head against the sofa and closed my eyes, my body pleasantly humming as her potion worked its way through me. While the swelling in my face wasn’t entirely gone—I could still feel the faint tug of my skin—the deep ache from the lumivore bites was fading. Her potion really was something even if it didn’t taste quite as wonderful as I’d suggested. It tasted more like grass tea with a hint of soil, if I was being honest. But teasing Ellie about it had been worth every sip.
Her footsteps padded softly across the floor before I heard the scrape of a plate being placed on the coffee table. I opened my eyes to the sight of three massive sandwiches stacked in a giant pile. Homemade bread, if I knew my Ellie, with slabs of meat and cheese between the slices. I groaned, and her wide-eyed gaze shot to my mouth .
I liked that too.
She lowered a plate holding one sandwich onto the table beside mine. I stared at it moment, enjoying the sight because it mirrored us.
She quirked an eyebrow as she settled onto the sofa beside me. “Your appetite is criminal, you know.”
“Thank you.” I leaned forward, grabbing one half of a sandwich off the plate, lifting it. “I salute the chef.”
“You’re welcome.”
I plucked a piece of meat from between the soft bread and tossed it to Crouton, who was sitting beside my right leg, his tail spiraling and his face full of doggie hope. He gobbled it up, pretty much swallowing the bite whole, and looked for more.
“You really shouldn't feed him people food,” she said as she dropped onto the sofa beside me.
“He likes it. It's a small treat. I don't feed him from the table all the time or he'd be a huge beggar. As for me being a criminal…” I raised an eyebrow and took a slow, deliberate bite, chewing dramatically. “Ellie, making bread this good? That qualifies as an actual offense. Probably a felony. Temptation of this caliber shouldn’t be legal.”
She rolled her eyes but didn’t hide the faint curve of the smile tugging at her lips. “Flattery, huh? Is that what you’re going with now? You think that’ll work?”
“With you? I sure hope so.” I polished off the first half of the sandwich in two bites and reached for another. “Besides, I’m not the one making gourmet sandwiches in the middle of a crisis. Seems to me you’re enabling this so-called criminal appetite.”
Ellie gave me a long stare. “You’re impossible, Thain.”
I swallowed the last bit of the second half of my sandwich and shot her a grin. “That’s a lie. I’m right here, very possible, and very hungry.” I reached for the second sandwich, watching her shake her head.
She picked at her own food and ate with more care than me, but that was Ellie. I tended to slam my way through things, even something like this. And this tasted amazing.
“You know,” I said through a mouthful of sandwich, “with skills like this, you could start a sandwich empire. Ellie’s Enchanted Eats. Magical bread and fillings that keep people coming back for more. You’d put Monstrous Munchies out of business.”
She paused mid-bite and gave me a flat look. “Right. Because what I need in my life right now is more people showing up on my lawn with pitchforks. This town loves Monstrous Munchies. They won’t jump on competition.”
“Fair point.”
“As for Sandra, she only works there. If she owned the place, I'd be tempted.”
I swallowed and wiped my hands on my sweatpants. “Fine, forget the empire idea. But the bread’s still dangerous. How am I supposed to focus on protecting you when I’m distracted by your culinary wizardry?”
Her shoulders shook with a small laugh, but she quickly covered it by focusing on her sandwich. “Protect me, huh?”
“Yep.” I leaned my elbow on the back of the sofa and turned to look at her. “Speaking of protecting you, we need to talk about something.”
“Uh-oh,” she said, setting down the remainder of her food on the plate. “This sounds like you’re about to suggest something ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous? No.” I paused for dramatic effect. “Reasonable? Absolutely.” I finished off my second sandwich in one bite. “Hear me out.”
She tilted her head. “Go on.”
“It’s not safe for you here alone. Cameras are a good first step, but they’re not enough if someone decides to come back, especially someone capable of crafting the magic I saw in the woods.” Crouton snorted from his spot on the floor, his little body curled against my boot. “You need someone here who can deal with trespassers, lumivores, or whatever else tries to mess with you.”
Her brows drew together. “I could ask my grandmother to strengthen her wards or?—”
“I’m moving in with you.” I held up my hand before she could protest. “At least for a while. If you don’t have room in the house, I can put up a tent outside. It’s not cold yet, and I don’t mind roughing it.”
“You’re serious?” Her voice wavered between surprise and disbelief.
“Dead serious.” I leaned in her direction. “Your greenhouses have been vandalized, people were picketing on your front lawn not long ago, and a witch or wizard was trying to cast chaos spells in your woods. We're both powerful in our own right, but we're stronger together than apart. I’m not leaving you alone to deal with this.” Crouton yipped as if in agreement, but he probably just wanted more sandwich.
Ellie's eyes searched mine.
“I'll do everything I can to stay out of your way.” I patted my terrier’s head.
Her lips twitched, and her eyes gleamed with humor. “Did you suggest you'd sleep in a tent?” She raised an eyebrow. “Do they even make them in your size?”
“Sort of.”
“Uh-huh.”
I leaned back. “Technically, it’d be beside the woods. I like nature.”
“And I'm sure mosquitoes like you.”
I gestured to the healing bites on my arms. “Nothing tastes worse than me.”
She covered her laugh with a cough and scooped up Crouton, who circled around on her lap before settling with a heavy sigh. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“I've been told worse.” Grabbing the rest of my meal, I munched while stretching out my legs and crossing them at the ankles. “But seriously, I’d rather be inside if you’ve got the space. Better chance of keeping an eye on things. And I'll be closer in case you need me.”
A blush crept up her cheeks. She tried to hide it, fussing with Crouton’s fur, his tiny pants filling the lull in conversation. “Well, I have a spare room.” She didn't meet my eyes. “But the bed’s a twin. Your legs will hang off the end.”
“It’ll do,” I said. “I’ve slept in worse places, believe me. I can sleep on my side with my legs bent.”
Her gaze flicked up to meet mine. “You’d really stay in a twin bed? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re angling for with this. You’re not exactly subtle.”
I shrugged, a grin creeping across my face. “You caught me. But admit it. You’d feel better with me around.”
“I do feel safer when you're here.” She traced small circles on Crouton's back, and for a moment, the only sound was his soft snoring.
Something about the way she avoided looking at me made my chest warm. I could tease her—should tease her—but I didn’t. Not this time.
“That’s all I want. To make sure you feel safe. This place is your dream, and no one’s going to take that away while I’m here.”
Her cheeks turned an adorable shade of pink again, and she cleared her throat, clearly trying to shake off whatever was making her blush. “Alright. You can stay. Crouton too, obviously.”
“Obviously.” I gave Crouton a scratch behind the ears. “He’s the real muscle in this operation.”
Ellie rolled her eyes and carefully shifted Crouton off her lap and onto the sofa, standing with both plates in hand. “The spare room’s in the hall, across from mine. The house only has two bedrooms. I’ll set it up for you.” She paused in the opening and turned back. “Thank you. This means a lot to me. I'll sleep better tonight.”
Every reason I gave her was true. This place wasn’t safe, and it wasn’t secure. But I’d be lying if I said that was why my chest felt lighter at the thought of staying.
It wasn’t just about keeping her safe.
It was about being near her, being part of her world again.