Kirby paused with a fork ready as she stopped and asked, “How did she keep up with Kane’s studying? All those questions should have been too hard for someone her age.”
Smiling, he continued. “We all would like to know how Faith knows and does lots of things. If you were to see them that day it would have been clear, it should have been clear to all of us. When Kane would leave she would go back to Jamie. I think it actually helped, as it gave Jamie a break. I love Faith, but she was a pretty full-on child. In the end, it comes down to Jamie is her best friend, and Kane is her lover, mate, and all-around confidant. The next time Jamie, Kane, and Faith are in a room alone and you can watch them, do it. Then you will understand there has always been a gravitational field around Kane and Faith. When they’re in the same room together, they’re very rarely an arm’s length apart. That’s how it is with true mates.”
Kirby nodded, smiling as she asked, “Were you ever one of Faith’s dragons?”
Rane’s smile grew bigger at her subtle way of getting to know more about him. “Well, I would like to say that I was spared, although when someone knows secrets they shouldn’t know and threatens to use them, you kind of never have a choice. If I didn’t care about what she’d learnt, then the waterworks usually did the trick and I caved. Most of the time I was away with the military, or training. I knew from a young age that it was the route I wanted to go. I joined straight out of school.” He paused and made sure he looked into her eyes as he asked her a question that he’d been dying to know to answer to. “What made you choose to work with children when you have an animal affinity? Why didn’t you become a vet or something similar?”
Kirby gave a shaky laugh. “Don’t get me wrong, I love children, and my job, but people already found me odd, when for no reason at all animals would follow me around. I thought that to be on the safe side, I would stay away from any field to do with animals. My brothers may be arseholes, but they stuck up for me against all of the bullies. And as far as I know they never dated any of the girls that were nasty to me or picked on me.”
Taking in everything she had said, he thought of all that had happened. He had noticed that Kirby’s confidence had started to get better, even in such a short time, and he was willing to do anything to make her as happy as possible.
“Now that you’ve moved away from that town and you have new friends and a new life, if given the option, would you change your profession?” He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, waiting for her answer.
Her eyebrows furrowed. She pursed her lips and spoke slowly as if she was thinking over every word she was saying. “Truthfully, I don’t know. I do love my job, for now. I don’t know what I would do if I did something with animals. I know I couldn’t be a vet, because I’m not good with death or blood, guts, or anything like that.” She put up her hand before he could butt in. “I know the other night there was blood and other yucky stuff, but that was different then, having to operate or work on animals that you love is not something I could do. Working for an animal rescue or the RSPCA would really make the animal affinity show, as I would feel so bad for the animals, I would probably donate most of my pay and end up with a whole heap of animals at my house.” She laughed. “I suppose I could be a horse whisperer, or work on a kill free farm.”
He laughed too. “Well, that really settled that question.”
She laughed along with him.
“So!” He tried for casual. “Do you want to go to your apartment and get your clothes and other things? You need to make sure you have everything you need for work tomorrow.”
She only had a mouthful or two left, as her fork fell to the plate and she glared at him, shaking her head. “That was a cruel, mean trick you pulled earl—”
He put his hands up in the universal sign of surrender. “Please give us a chance, it’s all I want. I promise you can leave if I do something wrong. I need you. Help me get the house ready for your parents. It’ll be easier for us to get to know each other better if you live here.” Her mouth shut, so he pressed on. “I really do need help choosing furniture. Ava got the stuff I have now, but she didn’t want to get the rest, because she thought it would be best if I left it for my mate to choose.” He reached over and grabbed her hand. Bringing it up to his mouth, he kissed it. “The biggest benefit will be, if you stay I’ll get to wake up to you every morning.”
Kirby sighed. “Fine. I’ll call my parents from my apartment and tell them that I’m moving in tomorrow, give them the address and phone number, and have a talk to them.” She raised her eyebrow as she added, “What did you say to them anyway?”