Page 10 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

I rinsed Serenity’s toothbrush in the sink and then scooped her up in my arms. Making my way down the hall, I wondered how awkward today would be riding around with him. After setting Serenity down on the couch, I stepped to the front door and opened it. Ellis stood there with a calm expression, but I could see the same tension shifting through his eyes that I felt.

“Morning,” he said, running a hand through his tousled hair.

“Morning.”

“Are you ready?” he asked, glancing around me inside the cottage.

“Yeah. One second,” I said, turning to give Serenity a hug. She bounded off the couch and bolted for me, a wide smile spread onto her face. “Be good for Aunt Maribel, okay?”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed me a little too tight. “I will, Mommy. I’ll miss you.”

Her words tugged at my heartstrings. “I’ll miss you too, sweetie. But you’re going to have so much fun today. I’m sure of it.”

“I know.” She smiled before releasing me and running to Aunt Maribel.

“We’re going to have the grandest tea party this side of Crescent Creek, but first, we must dress the part. Feather hats, fluffy boas, and the fanciest of jewelry!” She took Serenity’s hand.

Serenity squealed with excitement.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, turning to face Ellis again.

We walked to his truck, and he moved to open the passenger door for me. As I climbed in, I couldn’t help but glance back at the cottage one last time. Serenity and Aunt Maribel were watching us from the living room window. I waved and then laughed as Serenity pressed her face against the window, making a pig nosed funny face. Ellis spotted them as he climbed in and chuckled.

“She’s cute,” he said.

“Thank you.”

He cranked his truck to life and pulled away from the cottage. “You wanted to head to the grocery store first, right?”

“Yeah. Salt is the quickest, easiest thing to grab on Aunt Maribel’s list.”

“Is it regular table salt?”

“Not exactly,” I said, buckling my seatbelt. “It’s pink Himalayan salt. She likes it because it’s pink.”

Ellis glanced at me, raising a brow. “Okay. Good to know.”

“Yeah, Aunt Maribel can be a little eccentric,” I said, chuckling.

“So I’ve heard.”

“I’m sure. There are lots of stories about her floating around town. Some of them she started herself.”

He glanced at me again for a brief moment before turning his eyes back to the road. “Seriously?”

“Yep. She says it keeps people scared of her, which keeps them away—for the most part.”

“Interesting. So, is she even a shaman?”

“She’s the definition of the word,” I said, meaning it. An immediate sense of relief seemed to flow through him at my words. “She has a special connection to the spiritual world. Sometimes I swear it’s almost as though she’s a bridge between the physical and spiritual realms.”

“I can see that. She mentioned something about talking to the wind before.”

“Yep. She says that a lot.” I tucked a stray stand of hair behind my ear. “But that’s not how she makes her living.”

“How does she make a living, then?”

“Tarot.”