Angela said. “You haven’t needed anyone’s help around the house in a while. That’s why I had a cleaning company come to your house today.”
“Y-you did?” Dutchy’s auburn brows furrowed together.
“Just your kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, darling,” Angie clarified. “And Tim and I were there supervising the entire time.
“Oh. Right.” She swallowed. “Thanks, Aunt Angela, that’s really nice of you. My place was probably in a terrible state.”
“Noticed your car’d been sitting in the garage for too long, there was a leak underneath. Tires needed rotating too,” Tim added. “Took it to J.D. myself to get checked out. She says she’ll bring it by tomorrow.”
“That’s really nice of you, Tim,” Dutchy said. “Thank you both.”
“No worries, darling. Now,” she stood up. “I’ll get coffee and dessert.”
Krieger couldn’t help but notice that there was still tension on Dutchy’s face. Leaning over, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” she said, smiling up at him, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Really. Just … stuffed from this meal.”
Angela came back with a tray that had a carafe of coffee, plates, and a small cheesecake. “Here you go.” As she sat down to cut and distribute the cake and cups, she nodded to Dutchy. “Darling, could you grab the sugar behind you on the counter? Thanks.”
Dutchy reach behind her and placed a small red canister on the table next to him. Grabbing the container, he put a healthy teaspoon into his coffee, stirred it, and took a sip. A second later, the unexpected taste of salt coated his tongue, and he spit out the hot liquid.
“John!” Dutchy exclaimed as she handed him her napkin. “Are you all right?”
“I … yeah …” he sputtered as he wiped his beard. Good thing he didn’t spray it out, and it only dribbled over Angela’s white linen tablecloth. “Sorry.”
“What’s the matter?” Angela asked, concern marring her face. “Was it too hot?”
He shook his head and took a big gulp of water from his glass.
Angela frowned. “I—oh!” She cocked her head at the red canister. “Darling, that’s the salt. Sugar is blue, remember?”
Blood drained from Dutchy’s face. “I … sorry, I must have grabbed the wrong one. S-sorry, John.”
His heart clenched at the pain on her face. “It’s all right, Dutchy,” he said in a quiet voice. “It was an honest mistake.” But from the way her hands shook and her lower lip trembled, he knew it wasn’t that simple and he remembered why.
Dutchy could still not see any color.
Had he forgotten that part? That his initial rejection of her had fundamentally broken her so much that it not only made her animal hate him, but also reduced her ability to create her art?
But why had her sight not returned to normal yet? He’d done everything he could to make her better.
Obviously not everything. The mating bond hadn’t formed yet. Her fox still could not stand him. What else hadn’t he done for her?
Thankfully, Angela’s sweet and caring nature soothed his mate, and Dutchy seemed more at ease as the evening wore on, and they continued to chat over coffee and dessert, lingering until it was nearly midnight.
“I think we should get going,” Dutchy declared with a yawn. “Can I stop by tomorrow to pick up the rest of my stuff? I promise I’ll call first,” she added with a grin.
“Of course, darling,” Angela said with a chuckle. “You can come anytime.”
Tim cleared his throat.
“How about later? Noonish?” Angela added with a wink to Tim.
“That’s fine, Aunt Angela.”
They got up, helped put the dishes away in the kitchen, then said their final goodbyes and left. As they drove, Dutchy seemed distracted enough that she didn’t question how he knew where her house was located.
When they walked into her home and the silence of the place settled over them, he put a tentative hand on her shoulder. “Do you need to … talk?”
She shook her head. “I’m just tired, okay?”
Not wanting to press her, he nodded and kissed her on the forehead. “Why don’t you get ready for bed? I’ll be right behind you.”
She made a non-committal hum and padded down the hallway to the bedroom. As her aunt promised, the entire place was sparkling clean and smelled of lemon, carpet cleaner, and wood polish. He wished he’d thought to do some cleaning when he came here to find out more about Dutchy, but—
Wait.
His head swung to the door on the other end of the living room. Her office. And he recalled now Dutchy had been alarmed that the