“She’s not included in this deal, Ranger.”
He laughed. “Won’t she miss you?”
“Hell, no. She’ll absolutely love having the full run of the apartment.”
“So you have lived apart on occasions?”
“Of course we have. We’re not joined at the hip, despite appearances to the contrary.”
A smile tugged at his lips. “I take it the ‘no men’ rule goes out the window when you’re not living in the same house?”
“It’d be kinda cruel if it didn’t.”
“And when one or both of you marry? How will that affect your relationship?”
“It won’t. Not really.”
“Won’t her loyalties always be split in two, though?”
I hesitated. “We can’t change our relationship, and whoever we marry will have to understand that.” I studied him for a second. “Why the sudden bout of questions?”
“You’re currently the most important person in my life, and Belle’s the most important person in yours.” He shrugged. “I was just curious as to how it might affect things.”
His use of ‘currently’ was a knife to the heart—and a reminder that he still didn’t see us as permanent, despite his insistence we twine our lives into one.
“Then in all honesty, neither of us really knows how one or both of us getting married and having a family will affect things. As far as we’re aware, this is the first time a witch has become the familiar of another. We didn’t come with an instruction manual—we’re making things up as we go along.”
“Does that mean regular type witch–familiar relationships do come with instructions?”
“Volumes of them.”
“Huh.” He pushed to his feet. “Want a coffee? Or shall we do something more substantial to celebrate your impending relocation?”
A smile tugged my lips. “Coffee will do for now. I’ve been drinking so much lately, I’m in danger of becoming a lush.”
“Your lushness is the reason I adore you.”
My heart did another of those bittersweet twists. “I think we’re talking about two definitions—”
My phone rang again. I reached for it and saw it was the same damn number; obviously, they weren’t going to quit until I took their damn call.
I hit the answer button and said, “Who the hell is this, and what do you want?”
There was a long pause, then a cultured, all too familiar voice said, “It’s your father. I’m ringing to inform you the annulment has been approved.”
Chapter Twelve
My heart skipped several beats and then raced so hard it ached. I licked my lips and said, almost in disbelief, “That was a little quick, wasn’t it?”
“Clayton is eager to be done with this whole business and get on with his life.”
Eager to get out from under my father’s watchful eye and get on with his revenge, more likely. “How can it be finalized without my signature?”
“You will of course need to sign the final documents in front of a judge and a witness for it to be official, but that is a mere formality. When that is done, Belle can remove her spell, and everyone can be free of this whole mess.”
“A mess that was yours in the making.”
“And one I regret. I cannot change the past, however. I can only change the future.”