“Oh…” Jimmy’s brow furrowed. “Aren’t you always hot?”
Austin spread his hands. “I’m magical. I can control that stuff.”
“Right, yeah.” A nervous laugh rode Jimmy’s exhale.
Austin’s attention shifted to me. Butterflies flitted against my ribs.
“I wanted to let you know that I’m bringing the shifters to train in the woods today. I’ll take them through the front yard so that there is plenty of warning. Just in case Ivy House is temperamental.”
“I’m feeling just fine,” she murmured.
“You’re good,” I told him.
“Also…” His eyes flicked to Jimmy and back. “I wondered if I might have a word with you?”
Nervousness filled me and I gulped.
“It’s not all that bad,” he teased, his eyes crinkling.
It felt like I couldn’t breathe. Like the world was imploding, and Austin was the only thing left to grab on to.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll be out in a sec,” I managed, trying to get a grip. Trying to figure out what was going on with me. This wasn’t a normal crush. This was… Magic had to be involved in some way. Or maybe I had a late-onset behavior disorder. Who could blame me with all that had happened in such a short time?
He nodded, said goodbye to Jimmy, and stalked out of the kitchen, a busy man with places to be and heads to bust.
A gush of breath exited Jimmy. “Wow,” he said. His eyes rounded as he picked up his fork. “That guy is intense. In-tense! Is that your boyfriend?”
“No, no, he’s just a friend. One of the first friends I made after moving here.”
Jimmy rolled his shoulders. “He’s big. Fit. He’s your age, though, huh? He looks your age, but wow. He’s keeping it together. I hope I look that good when I’m forty. Or is that just what shifters look like?”
“Not all of them, trust me. They can get out of shape just like the next guy.”
“When that guy looks at you, your bowels get a little soggy, am I right?” A smile worked at his lips. “He’s the type of guy you want on your side. Is he single?”
“Why, do you want a date?” I laughed, standing.
“If he’s single, you should go after him. I’m confident enough in my masculinity to say that he’s a good-looking dude. You could do far worse.”
“I thought sons were supposed to be protective of their moms? You want me to just jump back on the wagon?”
“If it means you’re happy…yeah.”
I blinked at him for a moment, surprised to hear that. “You’re not pissed at your father and me for splitting up? I know you said that, but…”
He shrugged. “You spent half the time fighting, and the other half ignoring each other. He was never home. He’s still never home. You deserve to find someone who devotes time to you and makes you happy. You seem really…” He flared his arms while wiggling his shoulders. I shook my head, no clue what that meant. “Like…light and easy. You seem more chill. I can tell you’re happier.” He shrugged again. “It’s probably for the best, you know? So if you are going to climb back on the…wagon, if you want to use that ancient metaphor, he’s probably a good guy to do it with.”
I mussed his hair, which I knew he hated. “You barely met him. How would you know?”
“I don’t know. You meet that guy, and you expect to be told what to do, and you just know you’re going to do it. I wouldn’t even be pissed to do it—I’d just get it done and get out of his way, know what I mean?”
“She doesn’t, young master. She has no clue what you mean,” Mr. Tom said solemnly. “She barely knows how to get out of her own way.”
I rolled my eyes, making my way out of the kitchen and into the front yard. Two dozen men and women waited on the street, dressed in sweats and loose shirts, standing in clusters and murmuring softly, clearly waiting. Austin turned to me when I stepped outside, his gaze sweeping my body before burning into my eyes.
I braced myself, not sure what he was going to say, how I’d react to whatever it was.
“Listen, I’ve been thinking. I might have an…unorthodox solution to our problem.” He turned his back on his waiting people, facing me.
I wasn’t sure which problem he was talking about. “Oh?”
He shook his head a little, flexed, and gritted his teeth.
Despite myself, a smile crept onto my face.
“Run your fingers through your hair?” I guessed. “Was that what you stopped yourself from doing?”
He looked down at me, mirth sparkling in those beautiful eyes. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips. “I was going to brace my hands on my hips. This is a bit…” He shook his head, the humor fleeting. “The mage who sent that invitation might not be significant, but I think we ought to host him sooner rather than later. If we can grab him as an ally, great. If not, we need to make a statement, to rattle him to the point that his allies and competitors don’t want to mess with us. We have to be prepared in case of the latter.”