"Did you meet the new doctor?"
I glanced up from my phone, which I’d been checking to see if Sam had texted me the picture of his granddaughter yet. "New doctor?"
"The town got an anonymous donation to build a health clinic, and they’re hiring a doctor to run it. She came in for lunch, and she’s totally hot!"
"No, I didn’t meet her." I grinned at her. "Is she as good a doctor as she is hot?"
"I doubt Mayor Ruby would have invited her for an interview if not. Who knew Tess’s Aunt Ruby would be such a good mayor, right? I wonder how she wrangled enough in donations for a health clinic?"
I shrugged. "Hard to say. She’s definitely a great mayor, though."
Of course, I knew exactly who gave Dead End the anonymous donation, because it had been me. Tess had insisted she provide part of the funds, too, from the gold the fairy queen had given her. We’d used an out-of-town lawyer to set up the whole thing, since we didn’t want anybody, not even her family, to know it was us.
I was looking forward to meeting the doctor and hoped she was exactly what we needed. Tess was one of the strongest people I’d ever met, but she was human, and she’d been hurt too many times in the past year. Having a full-time doctor and a fully stocked health clinic in town would take a weight off my mind. Not that I planned on her ever getting hurt again, but just in case.
Just in case.
While Lauren packed everything up, she moved on from the doctor and asked me about our trip. Everybody always wanted to know about Atlantis. Hard not to be interested in a formerly lost, thought-to-be mythical continent that suddenly popped up to the surface of the ocean after eleven thousand years. Especially when it came fully equipped with magical warriors, a library filled with scrolls that made historians weep with joy, and a king who’d made an American woman his queen.
The king, queen, and several of the elite warriors were friends of mine, but that was too long of a tale to share over a lunch pickup.
"I’d love to go visit one day," she said wistfully as she rang up my purchases.
"I’m sure I can get you an invitation." I handed her enough cash for the lunch plus a hearty tip, said my thanks, and headed for the door with the water under one arm, the soda under the other, and the bags of food in my hands.
"I’ll hold you to that," she called after me.
On the way out, a young boy of about twelve held the door for me while his parents beamed at him for his politeness.
"Thanks, buddy."
He grinned. "Is all that for you?"
"You bet! Tigers getveryhungry," I said solemnly, just for the pleasure of seeing his eyes widen.
As I headed for the truck, I heard the three of them whispering with excitement. Dead End had known about the secret supernatural elements in the world long before everyone else, but tiger shifters were rare. Everybody in town knew about me, though.
I didn’t have to hide who I was anymore.
It was a great feeling, having a home.
I stuffed the lunch supplies in the truck, and then my phone rang.
Tess.
"You know, I was just thinking how great it is to have a home," I said when I clicked to answer.
"I—what?"
"You. You’re my home, Tess," I told her, just for the joy of being able to say the words.
Because I meant them.
Because I loved her.
She sighed. "Oh, Jack. I love you, too. So much. But we don’t have time for romance now. You need to get to my Aunt Ruby fast, before she causes any chaos!"
I closed my eyes, and it was my turn to sigh. "What is it now?"
