Lilac is amazing!

I decided I really wanted character art for the Justified series. I have so many references and whatnot for Spirt of Fire, but Justified was different. So. I happen to know an artist with comms open. I give you, James and Vanessa outside Carly's: 

Lilac is fantastic! She can be found on Insta @renigirl_draws

Trust Excerpt 6: Windcrest

 

“Welcome to our home,” Tom said from the balcony. “Eric is finishing something up and then he will be out. We were thinking we could sit on the veranda.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said as I tugged Nic toward the stairs.

He was still looking around in awe. I couldn’t wait to see his face when he saw where we'd be having this meeting. I tried to take the stairs at a normal pace, but my legs started shaking. Nic pulled me closer and let me lean on him. I knew Tom noted the change as we got halfway up the stairs.

“Your home is beautiful,” Nic said as we took the last few stairs.

“Thank you,” Tom said, smiling broadly. “We've enjoyed putting it all together.”

“Tom,” I said. “This is Nic.”

“It’s so good to meet you,” he said stepping up to Nic and enveloping him in a hug. It took him by surprise and I had to suppress a grin. “And Vanessa, you look especially gorgeous tonight.”

He gave me a hug, lifted me off my feet, and spun in a circle. When he set me down, I kissed his cheek. Nic raised his eyebrows at the gesture, but Thomas leaned over and said something to him.

Tom had done that the first time we met because he said I looked like I needed something to make me smile. I didn’t know what to make of it then, but now he did it every time he saw me. Eric always shook his head and grumbled if he saw it happen. He didn’t like how informal it was.

Tom was never formal. His copper hair was always tousled like he just got out of bed, and he would fit in well at the beach at all times. I'd never seen him in anything other than gauzy shirts and pastel shorts. If he had to have shoes on, he wore sandals but preferred to be barefoot.

“James and Thomas,” he said fondly. “I haven’t seen you in far too long.”

He gave them both hugs, and then whistled twice. Coco came sprinting from somewhere down the hall. Her head came to my hip, and her shaggy hair was always in her eyes. As she ran to Tom, her tongue flopped out of her mouth. Tom patted her head and then she head butted Thomas’s hand. He dropped down into a squat and rubbed her cheeks while talking nonsense to her.

“I thought her name was Coco,” Nic said.

“It is,” Tom chuckled. “Eric’s idea of a good joke. A pure white dog named after a dark brown powder.”

Coco noticed Nic and galloped over, almost knocking him down, but he grinned and did the same thing Thomas had done. Coco leaned into him and then licked his face. She was always excited to have company over.

“Let’s head out there,” Tom said. “Coco can come along for now.”

Nic stood again and Coco whined. He reached out and patted her head. He held out his other arm for me and we followed Tom. When we came to a bank of French doors, Nic slowed his pace. I grinned at him and tugged him along.

The view was incredible. The gardens were impressive on their own. A few fountains were interspersed among the flowers, benches, and a pond, and from up here you could see out to the sea. We stepped out on to the pale wide planks that made up the floor, and Nic was speechless. Wood latticework went up one side and over the top with bright vines winding themselves through it. The railing on the other two sides was wrought iron bent into intricate patterns. The glass top table was already set for six. It was a perfect oasis back here.

“This is incredible,” Nic said, barely audible.

“Please,” Tom said. “Sit. Rose will be out in minute to bring drinks. Eric shouldn’t be long.”

Trust Excerpt 3: Just a Little Treason

 

“I can’t pull many,” Arthur said, jaw clenched. “It will draw attention.”

“Do what you can,” I said. “We’ve gotta make this fast.”

He pulled out his phone and started barking orders. I needed to stay out of sight. We didn’t need the Cabinet interested in my movements. I wanted to storm into one of these buildings and force them to act. That didn’t go well for me the last time.

“Don’t forget to breathe, V,” James said softly. “You’re going to combust.”

“I’m over their bullshit,” I snarled. “How hard would it be to just overthrow them a little bit and take over until this is settled?”

“Probably not a good idea to talk about treason while standing behind a government building…” he said. “Or in front of someone that works for them.”

“She’s fine,” the witch said. “I agree with her. Vanessa and Erica got us through the attack on Prush. I’m in for whatever the two of them need.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “What was your name?”

“Trish,” she said.

“I’ve been meeting a lot of people lately. I might forget again,” I said.

“I’ll help her remember,” James said with a genuine smile.

“It’s ok,” Trish said. “You have a lot going on. If you or Erica need anything from someone in the capital, just shoot me a message and I’ll do what I can.”

“Thank you,” I started.

“If someone can get me a portal, we’ll be ready to go,” Arthur interrupted.

“Sure, where to?” I asked.

“Near the barracks.”

“I’ve never been there,” I said.

“I’ve got it.”

Trish opened the portal and we stepped through. There was a group of 15 men waiting for us. All of them were grim. I didn’t know how much Arthur told them, but we needed to move before I filled them in any further.

“Are you good to stay here?” I asked Trish.

“Yep. Let me know if you need anything else,” she said with a wave.

(All excerpts are taken from a lightly edited first draft. Contents may change or be removed entirely from the finished novel.)

Trust Excerpt 2: Nic

 “Stop it,” James said, bumping his shoulder into mine. “I can feel your stress all the way over here.”

“I’m not stressed,” I said, glaring at him.

“Bullshit,” he said.

“What did she do now?” Nic asked as he sidled up to my other side, taking my hand.

“She says she isn’t stressed,” James answered.

“She’s a liar then,” Nic quipped.

“She isn’t even very good at it.”

“I’m right here,” I said, rolling my eyes. “And I’m fine. I’ve been fine. I will be fine.”

“Bullshit,” Nic and James said at the same time.

The two of them had become friends since we held the wall in Prush. I had been happy about it since Nic was jealous of him. Once they became friends… they like to gang up on me.

“Is Thomas still planning the coalescence ceremony?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Yep,” James said with a sigh. “I told him we should probably wait, but he doesn’t want to.”

“Why?” Nic asked.

“He is afraid if it doesn’t happen soon that it won’t happen at all. Either there will be so much turmoil that it keeps getting put off, or that someone we love won’t make it home to be there.”

“I can see his reasoning, but this is probably the worst time for it,” I said.

“Do you want to tell him that?” James asked with a smirk.

“No,” I said, giving him side eyes. “I like my head still attached.”

Nic tipped his head back and laughed. I pulled my hand out of his and glared at him. He reached for me again, but I dodged him and stuck my tongue out. He laughed again, shaking his head as he jogged ahead to snag Ty.

“Hey,” James said, reaching out for my arm. “How is… all of that?”

“Fine,” I said as I came to a stop.

“Fine?” he said rolling his eyes. “That’s not an answer.”

“I don’t know. It’s going.”

“You are happy with him,” he said. A statement, not a question.

“I guess…” I said.

“Don’t do that,” he said softly. “As the person who knows you better than anyone in the whole world, I’m telling you that you’re happy. You are playful again.”

“For now,” I said. “I don’t expect it to stay that way. A storm is coming, and that will change everything. I’m not going to be excited about this until we are done Vale.”

“I know it’s hard,” he said, pulling me into a hug. “Enjoy it. Whether it’s for a week, a year, a decade… whatever the time may be. Enjoy it.”

(All excerpts are taken from a lightly edited first draft. Contents are subject to change or may be removed from the final novel entirely.)

Hot Chocolate, Muffins, and a Fresh Start

 It was about time to close up for the night. Carly knew James was going to swing by on his way back to Vanessa’s to grab some coffee. She got it ready to go before she started closing everything down for the night. She knew a lot had been going on with them, but didn’t know exactly what. Vanessa loved her coffee, but she’d been in, or sent James in, way more often for the last couple weeks. She wasn’t going to let him pay for this batch. If it were solely up to her, they wouldn’t pay for any of their orders. They had both helped her sister, Kara, out of a tough spot. Carly knew she could never repay them, even if they said there was no debt to pay.

It had taken a few visits to get used to how Vanessa was. She’d liked James immediately. It was his bond with Vanessa that made Carly give her a second look. They’d become friends. She had a lot of regulars, but somehow… those two had become a lot more like family. Even before they helped Kara.

Carly gathered up all the trash from the bins in the dining area and swept the floor. Mopping sounded like a job for another night. The floors didn’t look bad anyway. It could wait. She hauled the bags to the back door and pushed it open with her hip. Her father wasn’t thrilled she did this. He was afraid something would happen to her. Her father still couldn’t understand why she wanted the coffee shop at all, not with all the coin they had in the vaults.

She barely noticed the boy in time to avoid hitting him with the garbage bags. His eyes widened as he tried to scramble away from her, his back colliding with the dumpster. Carly didn’t think he was any older than 10.

“Hey, it’s ok,” Carly said, setting the other bag down. “Were you looking for… food?”

He looked around, still panicked. The only way out of the dumpster was to get closer to her since it was set in an alcove. He started breathing heavy as he realized he was trapped.

“Listen, I have muffins in there,” she said. “Would you like some?”

She held her hand out for him, and he stared at it for a minute. He clasped his hands together tightly as his eyes darted around again. He hesitantly nodded, and accepted Carly’s outstretched hand. She helped him climb back out of the dumpster and led him inside. Under the lights in the dining room, he was thinner than she thought. His skin was coated in grime and his hair was greasy and stuck together.

“Let’s get your hands cleaned up before you eat,” she said.

He just nodded. She wasn’t sure if he was able to talk or if he was afraid to. She got the water started and had him wait until it was warm before he used it. The water ran so dark it was almost black. She handed him some soap and he used it happily. His hands were starting to come clean.

“My name’s Carly,” she said. “I own this place. What’s your name?”

“Oliver,” he said softly, voice cracking.

“Well, Oliver, let’s get you a couple muffins and a hot chocolate.”

He nodded hesitantly, but she could see the excitement and hunger burning in his eyes. Carly took him behind the counter and pulled her stool up to it for him to sit on. She grabbed a couple of muffins and set them down in front of him before getting his hot chocolate going. She heard the bell for the door and as she turned around, Oliver dropped to the floor, pressing his back into the cabinet, pulling his knees to his chest.

“Hey, Carly,” James said as he walked up to the counter. “Sorry if I’m holding you up! It took longer to get away than I thought it would.”

“No, you’re not holding me up,” she said glancing down at Oliver. “I was getting the cleaning done for the night.”

“I won’t keep you,” James said. “Thank you for the late coffee. You’re the best!”

“Do you have a minute?” she asked.

“Yea, what’s up?”

Carly held up her finger and squatted down in front of Oliver. He was squeezing his legs tightly and rocking slightly. She wasn’t sure if he was afraid of people in general or if he was expecting someone else to be looking for them.

“This is my friend, James,” she whispered quietly to Oliver. “Did you think someone else was coming?” Oliver nodded. “I think you should meet my friend if you’re up to it.”

“Is he nice?” he asked softly.

“He is,” Carly said with a soft smile. “And one of his jobs is helping people when they are hurt or scared.”

“It is?” he asked, eyes wide again.

Carly nodded before standing and offering her hand to him. He hesitated, but took it. As he climbed to his feet. His eyes were still wide as he turned to face James.

“Well, hi!” James said with a bright smile. “I’m James.”

“Oliver,” he mumbled.

“I found him looking for food out back, so I brought him in.”

His eyes shifted to hers and he nodded slightly. James extended his hand to him. Oliver looked down at the state of his clothes and the grime still covering his arms and took a step back. James was in one of his signature 3 piece suits, tailored perfectly, and didn’t have a speck of dust anywhere on him.

“It’s ok, you don’t have to shake my hand if you don’t want to,” James said, his charming smile spread across his face. “It was very nice to meet you.”

“Oliver hid behind the counter when you came in because he was expecting someone else to come looking for him,” Carly said.

Oliver looked to the floor and didn’t see the darkness cross over James’s face. Carly didn’t know the whole story, but she did know he and Vanessa had a very hard start to life. If anyone could help get through to Oliver, James could.

“Is that so?” James asked. Oliver nodded, still looking at the floor. “Well, I happen to know a lot of really awesome people that don’t care much for bullies. My best friend, Vanessa, isn’t afraid of anything.”

“Really?” Oliver said in awe. “She isn’t even afraid of Larry Smalls?”

“She isn’t. And, because you are friends with Carly, I’m sure Vanessa would love to have a talk with Larry Smalls and tell him he isn’t to say a single word to you.”

“No way!” he said. “She could do that?”

“I’m on my way to see her now,” he said. “I’ll tell her all about it. Are you going to be around here a while? I’m sure Vanessa would love to meet you after she talks to him.”

“If he’ll let me,” Carly said. “I’m going to take him home with me, get him a shower, a hot meal, and a bed.”

Oliver whipped around to look at her. His mouth dropped open before he snapped it shut.

“You don’t need to do that,” he said softly. “I’m ok. If Larry Smalls is gunna leave me alone, then I’m ok.”

“I want to. We’re going to get you healthy and then I’ll help you figure out what to do from there,” Carly said. “Why don’t you go into the back and see if I have more muffins in there?”

Carly waited until he’d slipped through the door before turning back to James.

“Thank you,” she said. “He was petrified in that dumpster. I know I don’t have the time to spend with him to keep him with me, but I’ll find a family for him. They’ll be paid well to make sure he is happy and taken care of.”

“I’ll talk to Vanessa. I’m sure she will be down here soon to meet him,” he said. “Are you bringing him in here every day for now?”

“Yea,” Carley said, propping her hip on the counter. “I’m sure he’d love to meet her. She’s definitely better with kids than with adults.”

James chuckled and said his goodbyes as Oliver came back out. The rest of the cleaning could happen in the morning. She wanted to get Oliver a proper meal and a nice hot shower. She held her hand out for him and he followed her out the back door.

Trust Excerpt 1: Training

“You are making everyone nervous,” James said as he ambled up to us.

“Good,” she said as she tore her eyes away from mine. “They need to be nervous. The next attack could happen at any time.”

“Either way,” James said with a bright smile. “It might be a good idea to send everyone out for food and come back to this after.”

Kathrine sized him up. He was one of the only humans that would approach her outright during training. Him and Thomas, that is. She found it equal parts annoying and amusing. She wasn’t used to people not having a healthy fear of her. I had a feeling Lance had a twisted sense of humor putting her in charge of this.

“I want everyone back here in two hours. We have drills to do,” she said as she spun on her heels and stalked toward the building.

“Man,” James said with a whistle. “I thinks she give you a run for your money.”

I snorted and pushed his shoulder. Nic and Ellie ran over as wolves. Ellie had been practicing shifting. She leapt in the air as she did it, and transitioned to running in her human form. Ty and Tray followed at a jog. They all grabbed their clothes from the pile nearby.

While I was starting to get used to all the nakedness all the time. I always felt better when they had their clothes back on. The ones from Tarum were even worse. They all trained together from a young age.

(All excerpts are taken from a lightly edited first draft. Contents are subject to change or be removed from the final novel entirely.) 

The Warehouse pt3

 

I groaned as I opened my eyes. Someone had put a pillow under my head and covered me with a blanket. I was still on the catwalk. There was a lot of movement and excitement around. I blinked several times, trying to shake off the fog that settled over me. I used too much magic. I would be feeling it for days.

“Morning, sunshine,” James said as he ambled up to me. “We’ve got something for you.”

I glared at him. I hated it when he called me sunshine. That’s why he did it. I grumbled as I climbed to my feet. All my joints were stiff. I rolled my shoulders and cracked my neck.

“Why do you have to be so cheerful when I wake up?” I asked him.

“Because I am the light of your life,” he said, looping his arm through mine. “The kids have something for you.”

I slid my eyes to him, but he didn’t say anything else. He led me around to the stairs. He was humming. I hadn’t heard him hum in a while. It made my heart skip a beat. He was happy. Genuinely happy. I squeezed his arm as we stepped off the last step.

He took me over to a closed door. This room had been falling apart, but now it looked as if the wall and door had been patched up. He gestured for me to open it.

I bit my lip as I reached for the handle. As soon as I could see inside, I sucked in a breath and felt tears welling in my eyes. They had done so much more than patch things up. A bed big enough for James and I was in the corner. It looked like they had tried to scrub all the walls inside clean. Some of the art the younger kids liked to make was hanging around the room. A small dresser was on one side with a coffee maker on top of it. I didn’t know where they could’ve found one. They were too expensive.

“I can’t…” I started, trying to force the tears back. “I can’t take this. I need all of you to get settled.”

“You can,” Amy said. “You do everything for us. You set the plan, provide protection, get us medicine, and food, and whatever we need.”

“It’s your turn to have something just for the two of you,” Grace said. “We needed this space, and you got it and helped us defend it.”

“I put you all in danger,” I said softly.

“You saved us,” Allen said.

I didn’t have any words. I didn’t know what to say to any of them. All the work they had put into this. Finding an actual bed alone would have been a struggle. They had done all of this for James and I.

“Thank you,” I managed to breathe.

I couldn’t keep the tears from flowing. James pulled me into a hug. I heard the other kids behind us. I stepped back from James and turned to all of them. They were beaming at me; a few had tears in their eyes, too. They all put their hands over their hearts and bowed. My body shook as the tears fell.

“Get some rest,” Amy said. “We are going to work out how to use the rest of the space.”

They all filed out and left James and me in the room together. Amy gave me a nod and pulled the door closed. I stepped into James again, and he held me tight.

“I led them into so much danger coming here,” I whispered against his shoulder.

“It was needed,” he answered.

“I should have found somewhere else. I saw the bandages some of them had.”

“If I thought you were being reckless, I wouldn’t have let it happen,” he said. “It was dangerous, and I was worried about it, but I knew we didn’t have many options.”

I pulled back from him again and looked around the room. The pictures the young ones had drawn for us. It melted my heart. They really were my kids. I would do anything to protect them.

The Warehouse pt2

 

I knew they would come in the middle of the night. They would wait for most of the kids to be asleep. Long enough that they'd feel safe. I wanted to be on the roof, but James convinced me it would be a bad idea. I would be too much of a target, and no one would be able to guide the kids. I didn’t like asking them to fight, but we needed this building. There wasn’t a better place. The other neighborhoods would be too dangerous all the time to leave some of the kids there.

I kept pacing around on the catwalk. I didn’t want to wake any of the kids, but I couldn’t hold still. Most of the kids were piled together in a small office that hovered over the middle of the room. They would be safe there. When I felt the wards shimmer, I sent James to wake up the kids that would stand with me, even as the guilt tore through me. It was my job to protect them, and I was leading them into a fight. They were sleeping beneath the catwalk, alert within moments of James shaking them. I should’ve found a way to make the smaller building work. This was reckless.

The first fire trap activated, and someone screamed. Amy led the Weres in shifting. They prowled the warehouse walls, watching for any sign they would break through.

They blew a hole in the wall. It was wide enough for six people to walk in at the same time. The traps were obliterated in the blast. Our fairies lined up in front of our witches. They couldn’t lose line of sight. I stayed on the catwalk and waited for James to join me.

Weres poured through the gap. Seven of them. Our four lunged as soon as they saw them. My heart twisted as they made contact. Most of my kids were younger than theirs, but I made them all train with me. We needed to be stronger. I knew we were a target. The only way to protect them was to make them strong.

Some of their wolves froze as our fairies flung their magic at them. It wasn’t a precise strike, but it held long enough for our wolves to drive the rest of them back. I fired ice lances when I saw the openings and used the wind to lessen their blows. We were holding.

The front door blew open.

The blast of air the leader sent out knocked all my kids off their feet. I barely managed to brace for it as James got to my side, bow slung over his shoulder.

“You can do this, V,” he said.

He notched an arrow as I nodded. I threw my hands up. He fired when I did. He was getting faster. He let arrow after arrow fly as a stream of fire left my fingertips. I didn’t have the control to wield it as a true whip, but it kept them occupied.

Then I felt magic joining mine.

Two different kinds. While I kept the fire a solid mass to be used, someone added intensity to it, and someone else started steering it. Grace. She was the oldest and most skilled. She had to be guiding it.

My magic was fading. I could hear our wolves still keeping theirs back. I leaned into the railing so I wouldn’t collapse and felt James’s arm come around my waist.

“Don’t worry about me,” I forced out. “Keep focus on them.”

“I’m not going to let you fall.”

“I’m fine.”

He sighed but drew his bow. He fired a few more arrows as my vision blurred. I was going to lose the magic. I gritted my teeth and pushed harder. Our wolves howled triumphantly, and I saw them run toward the front door.

The leader stepped up to meet them. I would not let him take aim at our wolves. I fired an ice lance. My aim was off. It shot straight through his left shoulder. One of our wolves leapt and ripped his throat out. It had to be Amy.

I stumbled. James dropped his bow and reached for me. He barely managed to keep me upright.

“Let go, Vanessa,” someone yelled from below. “We’ve got it.”

I didn’t want to. I needed to help them.

“V,” James said softly as he helped me sit down. “Let go.”

A sob was torn from my throat as I let go of my magic. The whip flickered but then took up its form again. I blinked stars out of my eyes as our wolves howled again. Cheers rang out from underneath me.

“They are retreating,” I heard someone yell. “We held it!”

Then I blacked out.

The Warehouse pt1

 

Somehow all these kids had started looking to us for direction. Some of them were older than us too. We didn’t have enough room for all of them, and more kept showing up. We needed a bigger space.

“I don’t know about this one, V,” James said softly.

“It’s got enough room to grow into,” I answered.

“Except it’s already been claimed.”

“Not for long,” I said, shooting him a wicked grin.

The kids in the warehouse across the street were brutes. They tormented anyone that wouldn’t share their spoils, and their brutality was also used for sport. They didn’t deserve that space. No matter what they claimed. I was going to take it from them.

“Are you really sure?” James asked, biting his lip.

“I’m really sure.”

I stood up, straightened my clothes, and ambled across the street. I was short for 15. No one took me seriously at first. I liked being underestimated. It suited me. The two boys at the door leered at me as I approached. James started whistling from a pace or so behind me, no doubt looking for escape routes. Even as a few more street kids came out of the building to greet me, I didn’t let the swagger drop.

“Nice building you’ve got here,” I said with a sweet smile. “I’m here to take it off your hands.”

“I think you’re lost,” the tallest one said. He was older. He looked every bit as cocky as I was trying to be. “Take your friend and go.”

I tipped my head to the side and grinned. My magic was more controlled now. I raised my hand in front of me and made a wholly unnecessary, embellished flick of my wrist. I felt all their shoes in the grip of my magic and swept their feet out from under them. All five of the street kids went down hard. I didn’t wait for them to recover. I ripped a piece of broken sidewalk up and flung it over to the ring leader. I let it hover just above his head.

“You were saying?” I asked casually.

“You bitch!” one of the other kids spat.

“You can vacate the building, or he is dead. Don’t think I won’t come after the rest of you.”

James sighed as he stepped up next to me. I knew he saw something he didn’t like but was trying to maintain his boredom. I felt his hand close around my arm, but I didn’t dare look at him. The leader was barking out orders. It sounded like he was going to hand the place over.

Then James threw me to the ground as a fireball soared right for my chest. Another witch took control of the piece of sidewalk and hurled it away from the ring leader. I flung up a shield just in time to stop a few ice lances.

I searched for the source of the magic. I couldn’t see anyone. The kids on the ground were advancing.

“Plan B?” James asked as he pulled me to my feet, shield taking another blow.

“Plan B,” I confirmed. “The tallest one and the one to his right are witches. Rest are human.”

I summoned a portal and pulled James through, just barely escaping the next magical attack. We stepped out directly behind them. James took aim and landed a dagger in the thigh of one of the humans. A blast of wind knocked the witches to the ground as I advanced on them. I pulled the air back from their faces.

“Yield,” I growled. “Or I end you.”

I heard another grunt of pain as one of James’s daggers hit home again. The leader glared at me, clawing at his neck as he tried to fling his magic at me. His eyes flicked to the sides. The only warning I had of another attack. Sloppy. They didn’t deserve this place.

I flung my other hand up to shield. I barely got it up in time. I grunted as I took the blow. My magic was fading. I wouldn’t be able to hold for long.

There was a clash of blades behind me. I didn’t dare look. Unlike the boy on the ground in front of me, I knew better than to tip my hand. I needed him to cave. I didn’t want to kill them.

Finally, he tapped his hand on the ground. I pulled my magic back enough for him to speak.

“Enough,” he said. “Stand down.” Someone behind me tried to protest. “I said enough!”

I took him by the hand and hauled him to his feet. I kept him close to me as James tossed me a dagger. I used my magic to secure it in my grip.

“Once they leave,” I said sweetly. “I will release you.”

“We need to gather our things,” he ground out.

“You can take whatever you can carry. They have five minutes.”

A muscle in his jaw tightened, but he gave one nod. His chin brushed against the flat side of the blade. James leaned against the side of the building, picking at his nails. I could see the tension in him. He was getting used to being out here with me, but I hated that I needed him to be. I didn’t like seeing him harden like this.

I shook the thoughts away. These kids in front of me needed all my attention to ensure they didn’t try anything. With barely any time to spare, the last of them left the building.

“Good. Don’t come back here,” I said as I shoved the leader away from me. “Next time… I will kill you.”

“We’ll see about that. You have a reputation around this city, too, you know.”

I let the blade fly out of my hand and stop just shy of his neck. He swallowed hard.

“Try me.”

He glared at me as he backed away. I kept my focus on him until they were out of sight. I was losing my grip on the magic, so I let the dagger clatter to the ground. James righted himself and strode over to retrieve it, tucking it back into his jacket.

“This won’t be the end of it,” he said.

“I know. I’m prepared for that. I need a few of the witches here quick. We need to prepare.”

I sent James out to get them. He was faster than I was and had gotten very good at staying out of sight while I indulged my love for dramatics. I got to work setting up wards. I had to be careful not to drain all the magic I had.

As I finished, I heard James whistle. The front door opened, and all our kids came streaming in. I let them take in all the space. We would need to figure out all the arrangements, but for now, I just wanted to make sure we were safe.

“Alice, Grace, and Kielee,” I said. “I need your help.”

The three witches ran over eagerly. All of them liked to help me. James and I had pulled most of them out of bad situations in an attempt to help them have some level of normalcy.

“Anything you need, Vanessa,” Grace said.

“I need fire traps,” I said. “All the windows and doors. Even the second floor. Can you do it?”

“Yes,” they all said in unison.

“Allen, Ray, Jeff, and Amber,” I said. “Can you set some plant traps for me? I don’t know how it works, but anything to snare someone that tries to cross them.”

“Done,” Ray said as the fairies approached me. “Where do you want them?”

“Work with them on where and how their fire traps will be triggered, and decide from there. Only the front door should be clear. We need to be able to get in and out.”

“Amy, can you scent the kids that were here before? I want to know if they get close to this building again.”

“Sure,” she said. “With all the wards, it will be hard.”

“Do the best you can,” I said with a soft smile. “The rest of you can help James set up the sleeping arrangement for the night. Tomorrow, we get to work.”

Family

It was too hot to be out in the middle of the city center. I knew I shouldn’t have agreed to this. If anyone else besides James had asked, I would’ve said no. On top of that, I wasn’t allowed to tell Thomas any of it. While I still wasn’t his biggest fan, we had become civil with each other. I didn’t like the idea of lying to him.

“That’s him,” James said softly from beside me.

“And what am I supposed to be doing?” I asked.

I studied his face as he watched the guy across the street. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes hard. There wasn’t much of anything that could make him that tense.

“Thomas is always different after meeting with this guy,” he said, not taking his eyes off the man. “I want to know why.”

“What do you think I can do about it?”

“Whatever it is that you do,” he said, waving his hand around in front of him.

I picked up the coffee in front of me and took a long drink. I let my eyes roam over everyone here. It was too public for intimidation. At least the kind that would shake Thomas enough to worry James.

“Well, I’m not going to figure anything out from over here,” I said as I stood.

“What are you doing,” he hissed.

“I’m going to say hi,” I said brightly.

Before he could say anything else, I ambled over to the side. I glanced at the table Thomas was sitting at. They were in a deep conversation, and Thomas had started to get flustered. I stopped at one of the carts and grabbed a muffin, leaving more than enough coin on the small counter for it. I followed the curve of the bricks to the set of tables outside one of the nicer lunch spots in the city.

I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but Thomas had gotten more rigid. I slid my eyes to where James still watched on the other side of the square. He was pained, body tense. He wanted to storm over there but was holding himself back. Trusting me.

I turned my attention back to the meeting Thomas was in. From this side, I could see the man’s face. He looked familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Fuck it. I walked right over to the table.

“Thomas!” I said brightly. “What are you doing out here?”

I stepped up to him and held my arms out. We weren’t huggers, but I wanted to get him to move. The man at the table turned his hard stare to me as Thomas stood. Kelly Osgard. I’d seen him around the docks. He worked for Raffe.

“Vanessa,” he said as he stepped back from the hug. “I could say the same to you.”

He shook his head slightly as if coming out of a fog. He glanced at Kelly for a moment and frowned.

“I was just out clearing my head. Frustrating day,” I said with a smile.

He raised his eyebrow and shifted his attention to the crowd. I knew the minute he saw James. He pursed his lips and turned his gaze back to me.

“I’m in the middle of something,” he said tightly. “We’ll talk later.”

“How are things going, Kelly?” I asked, ignoring Thomas.

“Fine,” Kelly said.

“Good to know,” I said sweetly. “I’ll have to let Raffe know I saw you here today. If memory serves… he handles all his own finances.”

Kelly let out a low growl. It was a risk. Raffe was a client. Talking about his business in a public space carried risks. Not stopping what could be a betrayal, though… That would carry more.

“I’m here on my own accord,” he said.

I pegged him with a hard stare. His aura was all over the map. It was never a good idea to lie to a witch.

“This is breaking all the rules,” Thomas said hesitantly. “Raffe doesn’t send Kelly to handle any of his dealings?”

“No. He does not,” I said, returning my attention to Thomas. “I’ll take care of it. Why don’t you head over to the table James grabbed?”

He looked between us again before striding off, face getting paler. He knew as well as I did that Raffe would not be happy. I wouldn’t let any of it fall onto Thomas.

“Using your magic to steal from Raffe,” I said, clicking my tongue as I took Thomas’s chair.

I slipped my phone from my pocket and sent a text. It wouldn’t take Raffe long to get here. I cocked my head to the side as I watched Kelly. He was trying to push his magic at me. The growing frustration as I blocked him was amusing. I wasn’t a human he could push around. He couldn’t get into my mind while my magic was prepared for it.

“What do you want?” he asked. “I can cut you in. He won’t even notice.”

“You think I didn’t notice?” Raffe asked as he almost materialized out of the crowd.

Kelly froze. His eyes widened.

“He was using his magic to manipulate one of the bankers,” I said.

“Which banker?” Raffe asked without looking at me.

“It was Thomas. Luckily, James was worried about the state he was in after these meetings.”

“You are sure he was not involved?”

“Yes,” I said.

He was quiet as two of his people came forward and hoisted Kelly to his feet. I was glad I wasn’t Kelly. After today, there was a good chance he wouldn’t be heard from again.

“You have proven yourself invaluable to me yet again, Ms. Parker,” he said, finally facing me. “I will have payment sent to you immediately.”

“That is unnecessary,” I said as I stood. “I’m glad I was able to help.”

He lifted the back of my hand to his lips with the flourish of a bow.

“Then I’ll owe you a favor,” he said.

“I appreciate it,” I said with a genuine smile. “Can I ask what you plan to do with Thomas?”

“If you can swear to me he is not involved, that will be that,” he said. “If I find out he was… As much as I value your services, your neck will be on the line too.”

“I swear on my reputation he did not know.”

He dipped his head and turned back into the crowd. I took a deep breath before walking over to an anxious Thomas.

“What happens now?” he asked, voice wavering.

“Nothing,” I said. “I took care of it.”

He surged to his feet, hugging me hard enough to hurt.

“Thank you,” he breathed into my hair.

James stood. The look he gave me melted my heart. I knew he loved Thomas, and he was the most important person in my life. I would do anything for him.

“You’re family now,” I said to Thomas.

An Interview: James

 “Thank you for coming in for the interview today, James.”

“Thank you for having me,” he said with a genuine smile as he gracefully folded himself into the chair, unbuttoning his suit jacket. “How are you doing this fine day?”

“I’m very well. You?”

“Spectacular,” he said, crossing his ankle over his knee. “I do have some things I need to get back and attend to, though.”

“Of course! I know you’re all very busy, so we’ll get right to it. What do you like about your job?”

“The security,” he said easily. “V and I only answer to each other, and we only rely on each other.”

“But you have clients to please. So there is some accountability to others.”

“To a degree, yes,” he said thoughtfully, tipping his head. “Growing up like we did leaves you… wanting, for a lot. It’s something we don’t have to worry about now. We don’t get involved in things we don’t want to be involved in. We don’t have to be afraid anymore. That’s what matters to us most.”

There was a shift in him. It was subtle, but his muscles tensed, and his spine straightened. The easy smile never left his face, but darkness clouded his eyes for a moment. He held himself with a disarming grace. That darkness was gone in the blink of an eye like it had never been.

“Would you ever consider changing jobs, and if so, what would you want to do?”

“I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said. “Vanessa and I would find a way to make this work, no matter what we had to do.” His smile faltered a little, but he righted it again. “She and I have been through a lot together. We will always make it work.”

“The two of you have a very close relationship.”

“It was just the two of us for a very long time,” he said, the warmth returning to his features. “When you very literally put your life in someone else’s hands for almost your entire life… it has that effect.”

“What’s a hobby you have?”

“Hobbies are something I’m still working on. Gus has been showing me things about woodcarving. I’ve been thinking about starting a collection of daggers, too. Cassidy was doing some flower weaving the other day that looked interesting, too,” he said thoughtfully. “I just want to try everything. There is so much of the world out there. Why would I want to settle for only understanding part of it?”

All the tension from earlier drained from his body as he talked. There was an air of wistfulness about him. It projected the same kind of vibe as Cassidy’s wanderlust.

“Is there anything you don’t want to try?”

“Cooking,” he said without hesitation. “I have cooked precisely one time, and I hate it.” A smirk spread across his face as he leaned forward. “Vanessa and I almost caught the kitchen on fire trying to make grilled cheese. We swore off it soon after. Luckily Thomas is an excellent cook when he wants to be.”

“How would you set the kitchen on fire with a grilled cheese?”

“Well,” he said, laughing. “Apparently, you don’t actually fry them in oil. When we dropped them in, there was too much oil, and it started overflowing and bubbling. We both ran. Some things were melted. It was a mess. Cassidy never let us forget it.”

He was trying to stifle his laugh, but it wasn’t working. He let his head fall forward as he got himself under control again.

“Other than that… I’m open to most things. I don’t know that I would want to take on a high-risk hobby. I already have enough of that in my life, but I wouldn’t be opposed to it if someone I cared about wanted me to try it.”

“What skill do you have that might be surprising?”

“I can sing,” he said bashfully. “I don’t do it often because I don’t like to have all the attention on me, but sometimes I will do it.”

“Want to try something now?”

“Ah, I’m running short on time…” he said, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck. “Maybe another time.”

A little bit of a blush was creeping over his cheeks.

“Of course. We are almost done. What does the perfect vacation look like to you?”

“Having time with Vanessa and Thomas without anything blowing up or danger of any kind,” he said, biting his lip. “There always tends to be one thing or another keeping us on our toes. It would be nice to have some time with just the three of us.”

“How would Vanessa and Thomas feel about that?”

“Now?” he laughed. “They would be happy with it. While they had a very rocky start, things between them are much better now. They have a better understanding of each other.”

“What about a perfect date?”

“Stargazing with a bottle of wine,” he said, leaning back in the chair and lacing his fingers together in his lap. “It gives you something to focus on if you need it, but also something to talk about. It can be anything you want it to be in the moment without pressure.”

“That does sound like a fantastic date. Well, that’s all I have for you. The portal over there will take you back.”

“It was a pleasure,” he said as he stood and re-buttoned his jacket. “I’m sure I’ll be back soon.”

He gave a slight bow before walking back to the portal.

Thomas and James: The Move

 “You’re seriously going to move in with him?” Vanessa asked, pouting in the corner.

“I’m seriously going to move in with him,” James said with a grin. “Aren’t you supposed to be happy for me?”

“Sure, whatever,” she mumbled.

He knew this was hard on her. They hadn’t lived apart their entire lives. To everyone else, Vanessa was crass, abrasive, and bossy, but he knew her better than that. She could be all those things, but she was so much more. He just wished everyone else could see it.

“We’ve been a couple for three years now, V,” he said softly. “Don’t you think it’s time?”

“I don’t understand why he doesn’t just move in here. There’s plenty of room.”

James sighed internally before walking over to her and opening his arms. She only hesitated for a second before standing up and stepping into him. He kissed her cheek.

“You know that isn’t really an option.”

“I don’t hate him anymore!” she argued. “I will even be nicer to him.”

“V…”

“I know…” she said with a sigh, holding him tighter.

He knew she was afraid. She was afraid of what she would do being completely alone. She was afraid of him being out there on his own, where she couldn’t protect him. He was pretty sure what she was most afraid of was losing him to Thomas. He knew there was very little he could say to reassure her. It would just take time.

He could tell she was hiding tears when she stepped back and turned around. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Vanessa and Thomas didn’t fight all the time anymore, but he could still see their jealousy of each other. Another thing only time could heal.

“I guess your new neighborhood is nice,” Vanessa grumbled.

“It is,” James said softly.

“And you’re going to have a yard now.”

“I will.”

“Maybe I could buy you a grill,” she said, trying to sound happy.

“I’m sure Thomas would appreciate it,” he said as he rested his hand on her shoulder.

“Ok! I’m back,” Thomas called as he came in the front door. “I got you some more boxes.”

“Thank you,” James said. “We’re definitely going to need them.”

“You haven’t gotten very far,” Thomas scoffed as he came into the bedroom.

He took one look at Vanessa standing off to the side, looking out the window, and rolled his eyes. Thomas had not been handling Vanessa’s moodiness through this whole process well. He hadn’t said anything about it directly to Vanessa, he knew better than that, but James had spent a lot of time trying to help Thomas understand.

 

Thomas just couldn’t deal with Vanessa. He really had no idea how James could tolerate it. She was judgmental, bossy, and dramatic. He decided to step out to the living room and work on some of the stuff there. Vanessa had gone through and put stickers on all the stuff that was James’s so it would be easier for Thomas to help pack. He wasn’t sure if that was a kindness or if it was to avoid talking to him as much as possible. Either way, he didn’t care. He was ready to have more time with James without Vanessa.

“Do you remember when we got to Kadence?” he heard Vanessa ask James.

Her voice was shaky. He had never heard her sound anything less than confident and bossy. He was pretty sure Vanessa thought he had left again. Even though he knew he shouldn’t intrude, he moved closer to the door to hear.

“We had no idea what we were doing,” James said.

“We dragged Casey all around looking for somewhere decent to stay,” Vanessa said. “She was so tired, you ended up carrying her.”

Vanessa sounded so soft and gentle. He was taken aback by it. He wished he had been able to see this side of her before.

“That small house we found was a godssend,” James said. “I still can’t believe it was just sitting there empty.”

“I know. I kept expecting someone to show up and kick us out,” Vanessa laughed. It sounded light and genuine.

“You made that place a home for her, V. She was able to strike out on her own and make a name for herself because you gave her a home.”

“It was a joint effort,” she said. “I just can’t stop thinking about all of it.” Her voice softened as the quiver returned. “I know I need to be nicer to him. I know you love him. I just… I feel like I’m losing you to him. He just can’t wait to pull you away from me every chance he gets.”

“Vanessa, honey, you know you will never lose me. I know that you know that.”

“I know it sounds ridiculous,” she said, barely audible.

“We have been living together for 26 years. I don’t know that we have ever spent more than one night apart at a time. It will be hard for me too, V. It’s going to be a change, but we will adjust.”

“I don’t like changes.”

“You’ll survive, and I’ll be right there to help you.”

“It’d be easier if you were still living here…” she grumbled.

“Do you remember what you told Casey when she moved out as we moved here?”

“No…”

“I know you remember. You just don’t want to say it.”

“Fine,” she sighed. “It wasn’t goodbye, and she was always welcome to wherever we were.”

“And?”

“And that she didn’t need to be afraid anymore,” she grumbled. “We are safe here.”

“Exactly,” James said softly. “You don’t need to worry about me. We are safe in Kadence. You will be ok here on your own too. I promise.”

“You sound so confident everything will just be fine.”

“Because I am.”

“I guess Thomas is ok,” she said. “I like seeing you happy.”

Thomas felt guilty listening. Neither of them talked much about the times before Kadence. He knew it had been hard on them, but he didn’t know they had lived together for basically their whole life. He wanted to know why Vanessa was worried about being safe. They ran a successful business, and they could afford three of these houses all at the same time. He planned to look into it when he was able to. He knew he shouldn’t pry, but he just had to know.

He crept over to the front door and opened it before closing it loudly. He walked back to the bedroom. James was hugging Vanessa, and Thomas could see her face in profile. It looked like there were tears in her eyes. As he stepped into the room, Vanessa stepped away from James and turned her back, looking out the window again.

“Hey,” Thomas said. “I decided I wanted to paint the whole inside of the house before we move in. It’ll probably take a week or so.”

“You just want to make more work for me,” Vanessa said without turning around. Her usual arrogance slipped right back into her voice.

“Yes, everything is about you,” Thomas answered. He tried to push the same indignation into his tone that he always had, but he missed the mark. James raised his eyebrow at him.

“Might be nice to paint,” James said slowly. “It’d be easier without all our stuff in it.”

“I’m going to get coffee,” Vanessa said.

She turned on her heel and stalked toward the door. Thomas didn’t say anything or look directly at her as she passed. He didn’t want her to know he had overheard them. The shift in her tone when she thought it was just her and James was what did it for Thomas. It was the first time he saw what James did. He also knew better than to tell her he had overheard.

“How much did you hear?” James asked as soon as he heard the front door close.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“You went from demanding to be away from her as fast as possible to pushing it out a week to paint.”

“I’m sorry,” Thomas sighed. “I was starting to work on the living room when I heard her. I know I shouldn’t have listened, but I never thought I’d hear Vanessa sound… afraid.”

The muscle in James’s jaw tightened. Thomas could almost feel James pulling his emotions together. He wasn’t sure what to do, so he decided to just wait.

“Vanessa and I have a history that’s complicated. We have been through a lot, and none of it is a happy story. We don’t talk about it except to each other. We don’t want sympathy, and we don’t particularly want to remember it.”

“James, I am sorry. It won’t happen again,” Thomas said quickly.

“I’m not mad. I don’t know how to explain what I am feeling right now.”

Leaving Riverfell

 

Getting out of the city had been harder than they expected. Vanessa didn’t trust much of anything anymore, not that she was very trusting before, either. A couple of the street kids wanted to follow them, but most others wanted to stay in the city. All the gates were being watched, so they couldn’t walk out. Vanessa had wanted to leave two days before, but it just wasn’t possible.

“Are you sure this is going to work?” James whispered.

“No, but do you have a better idea?” Vanessa replied.

“Nope.”

“Ok, it’s almost dark enough. We need this to work,” she said.

Casey and Riley were sitting silently a few feet away. They were the youngest of our kids and didn’t want to be left on their own. James was glad they were coming with. The others were more prepared to take on the city on their own. They were taking over the house James and Vanessa set up, and after some teary goodbyes, they said they would continue trying to help other street kids. Vanessa wasn’t much for public displays of emotion, but that really meant a lot to her.

She looked around one more time and then gestured for James to help her move the platform. Casey and Riley saw them and came over to help.

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to use your magic to get this all the way out here and then into position?” Riley asked.

“It would have been, but then I wouldn’t have the magic to get us out.”

“But you have a ton of magic,” Casey chimed in.

“Not yet, but maybe someday,” Vanessa said with a soft smile.

As abrasive and snarky as she could be, she had a soft spot for the kids. She would never admit to having any soft spots, but you could see it in her eyes whenever the kids were around. She had been teaching Casey how to use her magic efficiently. She’d had Casey drive the nails in to hold the platform of scavenged wood together.

She was 11 and had clung to Vanessa immediately. The two of them worked together to strengthen Casey’s magic enough that she was already starting to move past the incantations. Riley was a little jealous Vanessa couldn’t help her as much, but Vanessa only knew about fairy magic in theoreticals. She still worked with her all the time, though.

“Ok, everyone sit down and try to keep as still as possible. I know it will be hard but do your best. Casey, I will do most of it, but I want you to add your magic to mine so you can feel it working. Don’t push harder than I am, ok?” Vanessa whispered.

Casey’s eyes widened, but she nodded. Vanessa and James sat on the sides, and James took Casey’s hand to provide some silent support. Vanessa started using her magic, and James felt Casey tense up as she pulled on hers. The platform began to rise. It was a little shaky, and James had to resist the urge to steady himself.

“Careful,” Vanessa said softly. “I can feel you pushing too hard on that side.”

The platform steadied as it crested the wall that surrounded the city. The descent on the other side was much faster. James had a feeling it was because Vanessa was running low on magic. She had gotten a lot stronger, but she had a tendency to push herself too hard at every turn. He felt better once the platform was almost back on the ground.

“You did so good!” Vanessa whispered to Casey as we all got up and moved quickly into the trees. The forest didn’t start in earnest for quite a distance north, but there was still some tree cover. “We can camp out here for the night and catch a ride north on a merchant convoy in the morning.”

“We have to be quick, or we won’t make it, so you have to be ready,” James said.

“I’m going to go find a good place to set up a small shelter for the night,” Vanessa said.

James sat down on the ground as she walked out and leaned against a tree. The girls settled in on either side of him, and he put his arms around them. They tried to make life for the kids they took in as normal as possible, but squatting in abandoned buildings and scrounging for food wasn’t very normal. They didn’t have a complete plan yet. Once they snuck a ride on the convoy, they would bail just outside of Crestwall and make their way into Cypress Mountain. Vanessa didn’t want to risk another city just yet. Not with Kent looking for them.

The girls had fallen asleep. It had been a long day of preparing and then a long night of waiting. When Vanessa returned, she saw the girls were asleep, so she dropped down in front of James.

“I found a spot. I was going to have them help me so they could get some practice in, but I think they need the sleep. Give me a few minutes, and I’ll have something mostly acceptable for the night,” she whispered.

James nodded and was content waiting. It really didn’t take long at all. They wished they could’ve carried the girls, but it wasn’t possible. The shelter they moved off to was wedged between two trees, with a few branches precariously covering the top. She had put together a small fire, surrounded on three sides by a brunch hut. It would conceal the light well enough, and the dark night would make the smoke harder to pick out.

“Can this work?” Vanessa asked him after they got the girls settled.

“We can make it work. We always do,” James answered as he sat next to her by the fire.

“I was glad they decided to come with us so we can protect them, but now that we’re out here…”

“Hey, it will be ok.”

She leaned against him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Not all that long ago it was the other way around. She was always comforting him, reassuring him, but he had grown up. He realized how hard everything Vanessa dealt with was and didn’t want her to bear it all alone. He kissed her temple and squeezed her once.

“We will make it work, and we will make sure they are protected. We can take some time away from everything up in Cypress, and then from there, we can pick a city and try to get a business up and running like we talked about.”

“You sound confident.”

“That’s because I am.”

When Thomas met James, Continued

 

He was going to do it. He had wanted to for a while but was afraid of what the answer might be, especially if Vanessa was around. He had run into James numerous times since the coffee shop incident a few months ago. Luckily, they weren’t as eventful. Vanessa wouldn’t acknowledge him at all. That was probably for the best; he didn’t like her much. He tried not to be rude; obviously, she meant a lot to James for some reason.

Carly had warmed up to him a bit. Every once in a while, she’d hand him his coffee and tell him James had covered it already. That was what really seemed to wear him down. It took him a long time to accept that it was something James wanted to do. The first time, he got into an argument with Carly about it. She didn’t back down from anything. He once saw someone come in to rob her, and she somehow had them hanging their heads and apologizing. She ended up giving them free muffins. He didn’t hear what she had said, but it was impressive.

Thomas bounced on the balls of his feet, pumping himself up. He chickened out before and didn’t want it to happen again. He knew James would be in Carly’s soon. The problem was… Vanessa would be too. He paced back and forth.

“Grab a table and wait. That’s it. Just wait for them to get in there. Everything else can be decided from there,” he said to himself.

He squeezed his hands into tight fits a few times before walking across the street and into the coffee shop. The morning rush hadn’t started yet, so he was only of the only people inside.

“Morning, Thomas,” Carly said. She wasn’t exactly warm to him yet, but she wasn’t icy either.

“Good morning, Carly,” he said with a nervous smile.

“Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something,” she asked, looking him over carefully.

“Well… I… So, I think…” Thomas ran his fingers through his hair and blew out a puff of air. “I’m going to talk to James today. I think.”

“’bout time,” Carly said, crossing her arms over her chest. Thomas was stunned. He didn’t know how to respond. “I went from seeing you once or twice a month to at least twice a week, conveniently always when James will be in here.”

“I really didn’t think anyone would notice. Do you think he has?”

“Maybe,” she said with a shrug. “Him and Vanessa don’t miss much.”

“How much is their coffee order usually?”

“Depends on the day. You lookin' to pay?”

“Yea, I just don’t know how much to give you.”

“Tell ya what. I can see effort on your part. I don’t know what is causing it, but it’s a good effort. Give me what their normal is, and I’ll cover the rest if it’s more than that. I’ll tell them it was all you.”

“You don’t have to cover the difference… I can cover it.”

“So can I.”

“Well, thank you,” Thomas said, looking at his feet.

Carly nodded and started to get his coffee ready. It wasn’t James that caused the change in him, not exactly, anyway. The day he met James, he was pulled into two different meetings about his demeanor. The employee he had made cry filed a complaint, and a supervisor in another department called him in to chastise him for how he carried himself in the building. He had been put on notice. Changes would be made, or he would be fired. He broke his knuckle punching a doorframe when he got home that night.

All the events from the day crashed around him, but there was this one little spec of good. James showed him kindness for no other reason than to be kind. He didn’t understand that. It’s not that he had never received kindness, just not from strangers. When he started to lose his temper with people, he would think about what James said about how it doesn’t hurt to be kind. His boss still wasn’t completely satisfied, he still lost his temper more than they would like him to, but as long as progress continued, he would have a job.

He took his coffee from Carly and made his way to a table off to the side. His stomach was in knots, and he couldn’t keep from shaking his leg as he waited. Carly kept glancing at him, trying to conceal her grin. He had come a long way but still had a long way to go. At least he stopped calling her Kailey.

When James walked in, he swore his heart stopped beating. This was probably a terrible idea. He turned and looked out the window. He could probably just slip out the door and never come back here again. He waited until James and Vanessa walked past where he was and stood up. He glanced back and saw Carly raise her eyebrow at him. He knew it was a challenge and swore internally as he sat back down.

“I’m glad we beat the rush,” Vanessa said to Carly. “Friday mornings are easier to relax and enjoy without a bunch of people around.”

“Says the woman that chose to work with people,” Carly said with a grin. “You’re coffee and muffins have already been paid for this morning.”

“By who?” Vanessa asked incredulously.

Carley nodded her head in Thomas’s direction. James grinned and winked but didn’t have time to say anything.

“Son of a bitch. Really?” Vanessa said, rolling her eyes. “I’d rather you just replace the skirt you ruined.”

“Be nice, V,” James said, bumping his shoulder into hers.

“I am nice! Just not to assholes.”

Thomas stood up, his face turning red as he geared up to tell her off.

“Hey now,” James said, stepping between them. “Thank you for the coffee and muffins. That was a very nice thing to do. Wasn’t it, V?”

“Whatever,” she grumbled as she took her stuff to a table as far away from Thomas as possible.

“I just… I wanted to thank you,” Thomas said, forcing the anger down.

“There’s nothing to thank me for, but I appreciate it,” James said as he ambled over.

Vanessa was mumbling to herself on the other side of the room.

“I’ve been thinking about you and what you said a lot. I remind myself of you almost every day,” Thomas started. “I mean… I don’t just spend all my time thinking about you; I meant I’ve been trying to get a handle on my temper, and what you said about kindness has helped.”

James sat down across from him and grinned.

“I’m glad it helped. See, sometimes a little kindness is all someone needs.”

“I also wanted to ask…” Thomas started, running his fingers through his hair, making it stick out everywhere. “You know what? Nevermind. Have a good day.”

He stood up so fast he almost knocked the table over. James reached for his arm, which stopped him in his track.

“Ask,” he said warmly.

“It’s ok. I’m ok. I’ll see you around.”

“Ask,” James said again, lightly squeezing Thomas’s forearm before letting go.

“Well, I just wanted to know if I could, maybe, have your number.”

James flashed him a brilliant smile and pulled out a business card.

“My cell phone is on the back,” he said.

“No. Nope. James! You cannot be serious! After the way he treated Carly AND his selfish disregard for everyone around him!” Vanessa said as she strode across the room.

“V, everyone has bad days. Some people might argue you can be a bit… aggressive.”

“That’s a completely different thing! I do NOT threaten to have people fired or to take away their livelihood because I don’t like their tone.”

Thomas started to say something, but James held up his hand.

“Do you trust me, V?”

“Of course I do!”

“Trust me now. I’m giving him a chance, whether you like it or not,” he said softly.

“I just know how much you deserve, and I don’t want to see someone take advantage of your kindness,” she said, giving Thomas a pointed look.

“I’m not trying to,” Thomas said, trying to mind his temper. “I just want a chance.”

James kissed her cheek and winked at her.

“Extend some kindness, V.”

“Fine. But I’m not happy about it.”

“I’m not asking you to be,” James said. “Just be mad about it quietly.”

She gave him a dirty look before turning on her heel and stalking back over to her table.

“Weekdays are unpredictable. Saturdays are usually pretty good,” James said with a smile.

As he walked back over to the table Vanessa sat at, Thomas felt a sense of excitement for the possibilities to come. He finished his coffee, waved at James and Vanessa, and then headed off to work.