and discuss any further assistance
you might require from us.”
“That sounds good,” Kate agreed. Melissa and Daniel
exchanged another lengthy look then nodded at each other. To outward
appearances, Daniel seemed enthralled by digging his wallet out of his pocket
and counting bills and coins to cover his and Melissa’s drinks, but Kate could
see the more intense scrutiny he gave their surroundings as Melissa made happy,
polite farewell motions.
They exchanged another glance. Daniel nodded and stood up, and
Melissa followed suit a second later. Kate grinned, intrigued to see the pair
in action together. While she was perfectly professional and confident in her
abilities, Kate could not deny that she could probably learn quite a few new
skills from the Assassins.
She made a mental note to inquire about that at a later,
more private time.
“It was lovely to meet you,” Melissa said as she shook hands
with Kate. Kate grinned in response, genuinely liking the cool, blonde British
witch.
“And you,” Kate replied promptly. “I hope we can talk a bit
more later this afternoon, or at another time depending on our circumstances.”
Warm blue eyes widened slightly for a second before a
larger, far more genuine-looking smile crossed Melissa’s pretty face.
“I would enjoy that,” she answered. “It’s been far too long
since I’ve had a bit of girl gossip. But life is full of surprises. I look
forward to meeting you and Josh again in a few hours.”
Kate nodded and a moment later Daniel and Melissa were threading
their way through the crowd of people milling around the entrance.
Josh sighed a little beside Kate. Before she could ask what was
weighing on his mind, he spoke.
“You guys have to get moving now, don’t you?”
Kate glanced at Hayden and then Kiera, expecting them to have
heard the slightly forlorn tone to Josh’s voice that she had picked up on. To
her surprise, neither appeared aware of it. Hayden pulled a few crumpled bills
from his pocket as Kiera stood up with a warm grin and held her arms open. Josh
followed her lead, stood up and hugged her tightly.
Kate watched as Josh grinned, joked and even made a discreet
shooing gesture at his friends. Kiera turned to Kate with a small smile and for
a moment Kate doubted herself. Maybe Josh hadn’t sounded forlorn at all and she
had just read too much into his tone.
“Don’t let Joshua tease you too badly,” Kiera cautioned
Kate. Kate grinned in response, casting a laughing glance at her lover.
“I won’t—we’ll be fine. You just focus on staying secure and
helping Hayden to heal as fast as possible,” Kate replied. She shook hands with
Hayden and they exchanged farewells. A minute or so later, Hayden and Kiera
worked their way toward the entrance of the Café. Kate noticed that they paused
for a minute or two, thoroughly scanning the busy city street before melting
away into the peak-hour crush.
When Josh sighed very softly beside her again, Kate turned
to him. Josh avoided her eyes, instead glancing at the check the waitress had
left and digging into his wallet to cover the rest of the bill.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing—just paying this,” Josh said. The attention he gave
to sorting his bills would have been laughable if it hadn’t been so clear he
was fretting.
“Don’t give me that,” Kate chided him gently. “Kiera will be
fine. You know that, right? So, what’s gnawing at you?”
“Huh?” Josh feigned surprise very well. Had Kate not been
watching him so closely she might have doubted herself again. She merely raised
an eyebrow and waited.
Josh looked puzzled for a moment, then finally shrugged a
shoulder in what appeared to be a negligent manner.
“Josh,” Kate repeated softly. She scanned their surroundings
in a single glance. Three of the couples and two single men had left the room,
and three people had replaced them in different positions. Kate focused her
magic and could sense no threatening pattern, no
you might require from us.”
“That sounds good,” Kate agreed. Melissa and Daniel
exchanged another lengthy look then nodded at each other. To outward
appearances, Daniel seemed enthralled by digging his wallet out of his pocket
and counting bills and coins to cover his and Melissa’s drinks, but Kate could
see the more intense scrutiny he gave their surroundings as Melissa made happy,
polite farewell motions.
They exchanged another glance. Daniel nodded and stood up, and
Melissa followed suit a second later. Kate grinned, intrigued to see the pair
in action together. While she was perfectly professional and confident in her
abilities, Kate could not deny that she could probably learn quite a few new
skills from the Assassins.
She made a mental note to inquire about that at a later,
more private time.
“It was lovely to meet you,” Melissa said as she shook hands
with Kate. Kate grinned in response, genuinely liking the cool, blonde British
witch.
“And you,” Kate replied promptly. “I hope we can talk a bit
more later this afternoon, or at another time depending on our circumstances.”
Warm blue eyes widened slightly for a second before a
larger, far more genuine-looking smile crossed Melissa’s pretty face.
“I would enjoy that,” she answered. “It’s been far too long
since I’ve had a bit of girl gossip. But life is full of surprises. I look
forward to meeting you and Josh again in a few hours.”
Kate nodded and a moment later Daniel and Melissa were threading
their way through the crowd of people milling around the entrance.
Josh sighed a little beside Kate. Before she could ask what was
weighing on his mind, he spoke.
“You guys have to get moving now, don’t you?”
Kate glanced at Hayden and then Kiera, expecting them to have
heard the slightly forlorn tone to Josh’s voice that she had picked up on. To
her surprise, neither appeared aware of it. Hayden pulled a few crumpled bills
from his pocket as Kiera stood up with a warm grin and held her arms open. Josh
followed her lead, stood up and hugged her tightly.
Kate watched as Josh grinned, joked and even made a discreet
shooing gesture at his friends. Kiera turned to Kate with a small smile and for
a moment Kate doubted herself. Maybe Josh hadn’t sounded forlorn at all and she
had just read too much into his tone.
“Don’t let Joshua tease you too badly,” Kiera cautioned
Kate. Kate grinned in response, casting a laughing glance at her lover.
“I won’t—we’ll be fine. You just focus on staying secure and
helping Hayden to heal as fast as possible,” Kate replied. She shook hands with
Hayden and they exchanged farewells. A minute or so later, Hayden and Kiera
worked their way toward the entrance of the Café. Kate noticed that they paused
for a minute or two, thoroughly scanning the busy city street before melting
away into the peak-hour crush.
When Josh sighed very softly beside her again, Kate turned
to him. Josh avoided her eyes, instead glancing at the check the waitress had
left and digging into his wallet to cover the rest of the bill.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing—just paying this,” Josh said. The attention he gave
to sorting his bills would have been laughable if it hadn’t been so clear he
was fretting.
“Don’t give me that,” Kate chided him gently. “Kiera will be
fine. You know that, right? So, what’s gnawing at you?”
“Huh?” Josh feigned surprise very well. Had Kate not been
watching him so closely she might have doubted herself again. She merely raised
an eyebrow and waited.
Josh looked puzzled for a moment, then finally shrugged a
shoulder in what appeared to be a negligent manner.
“Josh,” Kate repeated softly. She scanned their surroundings
in a single glance. Three of the couples and two single men had left the room,
and three people had replaced them in different positions. Kate focused her
magic and could sense no threatening pattern, no
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