The tall pixy turned from unlocking Kisten’s Corvette. Smiling, he squinted in the haze and crossed the parking lot, two amulets about his neck and a red baseball cap on his head. One was for scent, the other, an over-the-counter charm, turned his hair black. It wasn’t much, but it would do. His feet edged the black haze of ever-after between us, and I dropped the circle, my pulse temporally quickening at the surge of power before I disconnected from the line.

“I need some more toothbrushes,” he said, coming closer. “And maybe some fudge.”

Knealing on the seat, I put my crossed arms on the windowsill. Toothbrushes? He had six open on the bathroom counter. “You know, you can reuse those,” I said, and he shuddered.

“No thanks. Besides, I want to take Jax on a lesson on low-temperature runs so Ivy can smack crap for brains a good one if he wants to keep antagonizing her.”

“Hi, Ms. Morgan,” Jax chimed out, Jenks’s hat lifting to show Jax peeping from under it.

A smile curved over me. “Hi, Jax. Keep your dad’s back, okay?”

“You bet.”

Pride crinkled Jenks’s eyes. “Jax, do a quick reconnaissance of the area. Watch your temps. And be careful. I heard blue jays earlier.”

“Okay.” Jax wiggled out from under his dad’s hat and zipped off in a clatter of wings.

I exhaled, a mix of melancholy and pride over Jax learning a new skill. “Will you stop calling Nick crap for brains?” I asked, tired of playing referee. “You used to like him.”

Jenks made a face. “He turned my son into a thief and broke my partner’s heart. Why should I give him a draft of consideration?”

Surprised, my eyebrows rose. I hadn’t known my falling out with Nick bothered him.

“Don’t get all girly on me,” Jenks said gruffly. “I may only be eighteen, but I’ve been married for ten years. You turned into a slobbering blob, and I don’t want to see it again. It’s pathetic, and it makes me want to pix you.” His face grew worried. “I’ve seen how you get around dangerous men, and you always fall for the underdog. Nick is both. I mean, he’s dangerous and he’s been hurt, and hurt bad,” Jenks rushed on, mistaking my sick look for fear. Crap, was I that transparent? “He’s going to hurt you again if you let him—even if he doesn’t mean to.”

Disconcerted, I brushed the dampness of fog from my arm. “Don’t worry about it. Why would I go back? I love Kisten.”

Jenks smiled, but his brow was furrowed. “Then why did we come out here?”

I fixed my gaze on the curtained windows of the motel. “He saved my life. I might have loved him. And I can’t pretend my past didn’t happen. Can you?”

There wasn’t much Jenks could say to that. “You need anything while I’m out?” he said, clearly changing the subject.

My lips curved upward. “Yeah. Can you get one of those disposable cameras?”