Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,91

nodded in satisfaction. “I told you they’d do a thorough job.”

The herd of goats belonging to the college had done extraordinary work eating the brush around the barn and along the creek, leaving clear the areas around the house that Toni had wanted to plant. The small vineyard between the house and the barn was neat and pruned; Henry had already taken cuttings from the old vines to propagate in Nico’s greenhouse.

“The goats were a good suggestion,” Toni said. “And the two of you… I cannot thank you enough.”

After the craziness in the wine cave, Toni had been sick for over a week. She’d made it back to her house and been able to make a statement to the police, but when Henry led the officers to the cave where Megan and Nico were holding Ruben, Toni collapsed into bed and she could barely get out.

She was exhausted and overwhelmed. She hadn’t known how Ruben’s wild and violent emotional state would affect her, but it had been far worse than she’d imagined. Henry wanted to take Toni to the hospital, but she refused to go.

What was she supposed to tell them? So I sucked the hatred and anger from a violent murderer, and it put me a little off the entire world for a bit.

She made it to her obstetric appointment a few days later with Henry’s help, but when she mentioned her exhaustion, the doctor cheerfully told her that was normal for an expectant mother “of her advanced age.”

Bite me.

Toni was too tired to say it, but she was thinking it. Thankfully, everything with the baby looked completely normal, and all her blood tests came back showing the mini-human was perfectly healthy and right on target for a spring due date.

So Toni called her dad to cover for her at the garage, went home, and slept more.

Katherine and Megan had no explanation for her exhaustion, and Henry was getting desperate when she could barely keep her eyes open for more than an hour days after she’d drained Ruben.

Katherine had finally called their friends in Glimmer Lake. The only thing Robin, Val, or Monica could relate it to was the overwhelming state of exhaustion that sometimes plagued Robin after she’d spent a long time in communication with a troubled spirit.

Their advice? Sleep. Rest. And be in the healing outdoors as much as possible.

So Henry drove Toni to Moonstone Cove and sat next to her while she napped on the beach. She slept on a cot in the garden while he directed the goats and dug in the garden beds. And after days of sleep and more soup than she’d ever eaten in her life, she started to feel better.

And Henry? Well, he kind of never left. Toni needed him, so he stayed. And then one day about a month after the incident in the wine cave, Toni suggested he hang his clothes up in the closet she wasn’t using, and Henry said that was a good idea.

And that was that.

“Note to self.” Toni raised her glass of sparkling cider. “Do not suck out the emotions of a murderer ever again. It feels really gross and you won’t want to eat for a week.”

“Probably a good idea in general,” Megan said. “Especially when I had it under control.”

“I mean… the bricks were a good idea, but then you had to explain all our psychic stuff to Nico.”

Megan craned her neck and caught sight of Nico standing next to Henry and Toni’s dad at the barbecue. “I think he can handle it.”

In truth, Nico seemed slightly scared of Toni and all her friends now. Not that he hadn’t been busy himself.

As the party continued and meat was carved at the grill, Nico’s son Ethan drove guests back and forth from the wine cave, which was in the process of renovation already.

Katherine said, “Baxter just went down to check on the progress. He was very impressed. He said your cousin already has power to the caves and it’s even more impressive lit up.”

“Henry and I walked down there a few days ago. It’s going to be amazing. I’m not looking forward to the extra people, but it’s going to launch Nico’s business to the next level.” She glanced at her cousin and her boyfriend. “Henry is over the moon.”

“And how are things with your mom and dad?”

“Uh…” That one was more difficult. “About the baby? They’ve been surprisingly… chill. Very excited about a new grandchild. My mom told me, ‘Toni, you could never