Page 16

Chapter Sixteen

C lover tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as she walked along the side of city hall.

It was warmer today, nearly sixty-five degrees, and all the snow had melted. Still, the breeze carried a chilly undercurrent.

She was later than she wanted to be. The trip had taken longer than she’d expected even though the county seat was only one town over from Forest Haven. She picked up her pace.

But as she rounded the building, she saw Whit standing on the front step not far from her.

His back was to her. He wore a white T-shirt and jeans that deliciously accentuated his backside. His shoulders were tense, and his head was bent over something in his hands.

Clover grinned, slowing her approach and stepping ever so carefully in her sneakers. She slid up behind him as quietly as she could.

“What’s that?” she asked loudly.

He jumped, dropping whatever he’d been holding as he spun around to face her.

Clover’s chuckle died on her lips when she saw that the man was not Whit after all.

“Oh my g—I am so sorry!” Her face flushed with embarrassment as she bent down to retrieve the man’s clipboard. “I thought you were someone else.”

The man smiled sheepishly at her. “That’s all right.”

Now that she was facing him, Clover saw that he didn’t look anything like Whit. His hair was the same dark color and longer on the top than the sides, and he was probably around the same age. But he was a few inches taller than Whit, clean-shaven with blue eyes, thick eyebrows, and a sharp chin.

The part that embarrassed her the most, though, was that he was very clearly an ordinary. His aura held none of the magic a sorcerer would have. It was clean and clear of bad intent but entirely average.

“ I’m really sorry again,” Clover said, holding out the clipboard to him.

“It’s fine.” He reached for what she offered, his eyes warming as he took her in. “Actually, would you mind signing my petition?”

Clover tilted her head, looking down at the clipboard they both held. It didn’t have many signatures. “What’s it for?”

“I volunteer for a local cat rescue. We’re trying to get a referendum put on the ballot that would make it illegal to declaw cats in our state. It’s a horrible mutilation, which cuts off part of the cat’s fingers and leaves them without necessary defenses. If?—”

Clover nodded. “Enough said. I agree with you.”

The man gave her a brilliant smile and offered her a pen.

She signed her name and filled out the necessary boxes. Then she handed it back to him with a smile.

“Good luck with your petition. I hope to see it on the next ballot…?” She offered him her hand.

He shook it. “Orion. And thanks”—he glanced down at his petition—“Clover.”

“Orion. That’s an interesting name. Beloved of the goddess Artemis, immortalized in the stars.”

His cheeks turned a bit pink as he looked down at his feet. “Yeah, my parents are a couple of old hippies.”

Clover smiled easily. “Nothing wrong with that. The earth could use more people who care about it.”

“You’re right.” Looking up, Orion met Clover’s eyes. “I don’t know if you’re interested, but my organization, Pets and Scritches, is having a volunteer orientation soon.”

“Clover.”

Clover glanced over her shoulder at the sound of her name to see Whit standing at the top of the stairs.

Oh, he was already here, and I’m late. She waved at Whit, then turned back to Orion. “I have to go, but sure. I put my phone number on the petition. You can call or text me with more details. Okay?”

Orion smiled warmly again. “Sure thing. I’ll be seeing you, then.”

Clover nodded, then raced up the stairs toward Whit.

“Sorry, I’m late,” she told Whit, a little breathless from her haste.

Shifting his gaze from Orion to her, Whit dipped his head in understanding.

Clover started toward the door, moving into the shadows created by the classical roof.

“Wait,” Whit called.

Clover hesitated as he moved toward her.

“Before we go in, I wanted to give you something.” He reached into his pocket.

“Give something to me?”

Given the circumstances and the size of the small box he held out to her, she could guess what it was. She glanced up at him, a little surprised by the gesture.

“It seemed the right thing to do,” he said, clearing his throat.

Taking the box from him and opening it, Clover beheld an amethyst ring with gilded flowers and small diamonds. The purple stone glimmered like the captivating light of an aurora borealis on a cold winter night.

Her heart skipped a beat. “It’s gorgeous,” she whispered, meeting his eyes.

His answering smile held a clear sign of relief. “I hope it fits. If not, I can resize it.”

Taking the cool metal from its velvet slot, Clover slipped the ring onto her left hand. In truth, it was a little big, but not so much that it would fall off.

“It fits.” She held out her hand to show him. But as she did so, the stone slipped to the side.

Gently, he took her fingertips in his, bending over her hand.

Her heart fluttered at his touch, somehow more intriguing in its feathery lightness.

His smile faltered. “It doesn’t fit. I’ll take it back and fix it before tomorrow. I have tools at home.”

Clover snatched her hand away, suddenly protective of the gift she’d only just received.

Whit looked at her curiously.

“It can wait until later. We have more than enough time, right?”

Whit glanced around them, and she did the same. There was no one in sight. Though she hadn’t seen Orion leave, he was not in view from this angle.

Whit held out his hand. “Give me your hand for a moment.”

Clover didn’t hesitate—her fingertips tingled as they brushed his palm.

Stepping closer to her, Whit covered her hand with his other one.

His voice was low and intimate, barely above a whisper, as his dark eyes locked with hers. “ Lovers, friends, kin, and allies ”—she murmured his words back to him as his magic flowed into her—“ a ring that binds us should be to size. ”

A pleasant shiver ran through Clover. She didn’t dare look away from Whit’s eyes for fear he would pull back from her.

She tingled all over and knew her face must be flushed.

Whit cleared his throat and let go of her hand.

She tempered her disappointment by looking down at the ring on her finger—now a perfect fit. She couldn’t help but smile up at him.

“Thank you so much. I love it.”

He held her gaze for a long moment, his eyes wavering though she didn’t know why.

“You’re welcome,” he responded, his tone a little more formal than she expected. “Shall we?” He motioned for them to make their way inside.

Nodding, she followed him toward the door. Her heart was light in her chest, and she believed with all her might in the bright future they would share.

He seems a little reserved . That’s not so strange for a winter sorcerer, I suppose. Still, he’s thoughtful in his actions.

Clover glanced at the face of her fiancé as he held the door open for her to enter city hall.

And he did kiss me the night of the party even though we’d never met, so he can’t be too uptight.

Whit pointed to a sign standing in the marble vestibule that directed them downstairs for a marriage license.

Clover smiled to herself as she followed him down the stairs, then toward the clerk’s counter.

I look forward to getting to know him little by little.

The clerk at the counter smiled brightly at them, pulling their attention toward her.

“Hello,” she said cheerfully. “How can I help you today?”

“We’re here to apply for a marriage license,” Whit answered.

The clerk beamed. “Congratulations!”

Clover’s stomach fluttered. For the first time, the magnitude of the situation settled into her. She was getting married—legally and spiritually bound to the man beside her—and this stranger seemed genuinely happy for them. A giddy joy zipped through her.

“I’ll need each of your driver’s licenses or IDs, and some information about you and your families. If you have your birth certificates, that would make things go faster. The fee is one hundred dollars.”

Clover placed her ID and birth certificate on the counter, and Whit did the same.

“Excellent.” The clerk took the documents and started typing into her computer.

“Wait,” Clover said, noticing that Whit had taken five twenties from his wallet as she was picking through hers. “I’ll pay for half.”

Whit frowned. “You don’t have to,” he said in a low voice though the clerk was close enough to hear everything.

“I want to,” Clover insisted, offering him fifty dollars.

She knew that, given the reason why he’d asked her to marry him, they would be living in his house. So Clover felt she needed to establish things from the outset. She didn’t want him to feel as though she would be a burden to him, financially or otherwise. It was only fair she pay her own way.

Clover could see the hesitation on Whit’s face, but he relented and took her money.

“This is the best part of my job,” the clerk commented with a grin, glancing at them only momentarily before going back to her computer screen. “How did you meet?”

Whit stiffened beside Clover, who couldn’t help but let out a laugh. Maybe a bit more uptight than I thought.

“We met…at a Halloween party,” Clover answered.

“Did you?” The clerk sounded interested despite her lack of eye contact. “So this is a sort of anniversary for you, then? Halloween was just a few days ago.”

Clover glanced slyly at Whit, sharing the little joke between them. “It will be.”