Elf Wood: Midsummer Magic 1 | 🔮 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄 ✓

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐢𝐱

The sun was setting when she pulled into the rutted gravel driveway again with a trunk full of groceries. Danielle hadn't intended to stay out for so long, but between Irene and visiting the cemetery and then getting caught up in the store—everyone in town knew who the new human was—True really had been busy. It took more than the usual amount of time it did for her to purchase groceries. Plus, Danielle kept getting sidetracked with all the other specialty foods that catered to all the magical and non-human residents in Mystic Springs.

When Danielle finished putting everything away, she decided to make herself an omelet with the eggs that Ethan brought this morning and folded some cheese and ham inside before slicing a fresh tomato from one of the nearby farms to place on top. The first omelet was so good, she made herself a second one while texting her dad about her day—she left out the Elf, Pixie, Dwarf, and Minotaur part—but just for now. She didn't want her dad to think she had completely lost her mind. Eventually, she found a book among the stacks in the reading room and took it with her to bed.

With fresh clean sheets and the room clean, the master bedroom didn't feel so cramped anymore, as if someone else was still living there. The room felt like her own. Not like she was intruding on someone else's personal space.

It could have been because there wasn't a massive thunderstorm to wake Danielle up through the night or the lack of sleep and hours spent cleaning and running errands in town, but Danielle slept like a baby.

When she woke up the next morning, it was six and she didn't need to be at the library until nine, so she got up and made some coffee. Danielle didn't know how she knew, but she just had a feeling that Hennik would be there as soon as the sun had fully risen, so she went out onto the porch to wait for him with a cup of coffee.

Danielle might have been pushing it, but she was in her robe again. This one was satin and blue with a peacock feather motif running down it. She wanted to see if Hennik would stare at her as openly as he had yesterday—or if she was just imagining interest where there wasn't any. He did say he came to gawk at the human, but Danielle was far from the only human in Mystic Springs. She found that out yesterday in the supermarket.

Just as Danielle was realizing that Hennik had offered to come to work on the house and she didn't have that much money to pay him, she saw his truck pull up and park behind the mailbox at the front gate. Now, sashaying around in her slightly sexier robe seemed like she was trying to lure him into something improper.

Swallowing her coffee—that now tasted like battery acid—Danielle stood up to greet Hen as he walked up the porch, holding two coffee cups.

"Good morning." He flashed a smile at her as he took the cup she offered.

"Morning." Danielle half whispered before clearing her throat that had suddenly decided to close of its own accord.

"You sound anxious, is it me?" Hennik tilted his head at her a moment before he drank from his cup, looking at her through his lashes, smoldering.

He knew very well the kind of effect he must have on women, and now he was toying with her.

"No, I mean yes. Sort of." Danielle stammered.

She moved to put her coffee cup down and folded her arms over her chest. "Hennik, I need to talk to you about how I am going to pay for the repairs. You haven't started yet, and I don't have a lot of money in my savings, but the house desperately needs it. I made Estelle a promise I'd take care of our home and I plan to do it, but... is there any way we can work out some sort of payment plan?"

"Like installments?" Hennik asked, his expression all business.

Relief surged through Danielle's chest. "Like installments, yes. I know a lot of businesses have been burned in the past with deals like that, but—I mean, you know where I live and where I work, and it's a small town." Danielle said with a laugh. She didn't plan on using Hennik without paying him. Danielle wasn't raised to be that kind of person. She just needed a little help to do it.