White Witch, Black Curse

I tightened the tie on my robe. Would I give up being that special in order to love someone, or would I just find someone new to love?

The creaking of the front door and the ensuing pixy uproar told me Jenks had let the FIB detective in, and I was smiling when the tall man entered, a paper grocery bag in his grip. Pixies wreathed him, noisy as they darted in and out of the bag while he set it on the counter. His eyes went to the empty space where the fridge had been, a question in his expression. "Where's your fridge?"

"I blew it up," I said, taking in his fading bruises and bare scalp, newly shaved to even out the mess the hospital had left. I didn't think I'd ever seen him in jeans before, and a dark sweater showed from underneath a leather coat. "You look better," I said as he eyed my robe.

"Uh, it's three in the afternoon," he said, suddenly unsure.

"It sure is." I gave him a hug, truly glad to see him. "How are those locator amulets I gave your dad working? You want some coffee? Pancakes? I owe you for helping me get out of the hospital. Thanks for that." I couldn't stop smiling. I'd thought he was going to die or be hospitalized for months, and now he was standing in my kitchen with a bag of groceries and only the faintest hint of stress showing in his face.

Glenn's gaze slid to the coffeepot, then back to the empty spot. "Uh, amulets are working, I guess, you're welcome for the help breaking out, and no thanks on the coffee. I can't stay. The department heard what happened last night with you and Ivy, and the guys wanted me to bring you both something. You're not invincible, you know. There's no big S on your chest." He hesitated, brow furrowing as he leaned close enough that I could smell his aftershave. "How's Ivy? I heard she was hit hard."

"She bounced right back," I said dryly, peeking into the bag with the pixies to find…Tomatoes? He bought tomatoes with the FIB's gift fund? "Ah, she's getting dressed," I added, surprised. Where did Glenn get tomatoes?

"Damn, vampires heal fast," he said, his dark eyes interested as he leaned to see into the bag while I poked around. "It took me five days. No wonder Denon wants to be one."

"Yeah, well, we all make mistakes." Three of Jenks's kids rose up with a cherry tomato, arguing over who got the seeds. "Glenn, did you get all this by yourself?"

He grinned, rubbing a hand behind his neck. "Yeah. Too much?"

"Not if you're going to have a family reunion," I said, smiling so he'd know I was messing with him. "Damn, Mr. Man! I'm proud of you! You actually went in a store and everything?"

He came close to the bag, leaning to look in, his eagerness charming on a big black man. "You should have seen the looks I got," he said as he reached in and the bag crackled. "Did you know there is more than one kind of tomato? This one is a beefsteak." A huge tomato the size of my two fists hit the counter. "It's good for slicing up on sandwiches. And the lady at the store said you can quarter them and grill them."

"No kidding," I said, hiding a grin as his dark fingers pulled out a bag of plum tomatoes.

"These long ones are Romas," he said as he set them down. "You cut these up and put them in salads, on pizza, and in sauces. And the little ones here are cherry tomatoes. You can put them in salads or eat them like candy."

I had never eaten a tomato "like candy," but I ate one now, the acidic fruit not mixing at all well with the coffee. "Mmmm, good," I said, and Jenks laughed, hovering at the lintel with the tomato his kids had swiped. Behind him, one of his daughters waited, wringing her hands.

"I've got three that were vine ripened," Glenn said, showing me the top of his bruised and cut head as he looked for them. "Those babies were expensive, but they're really red."

"Don't you want some of these for yourself?" I asked, and he looked up, grinning. The smile went all the way to his eyes, and it felt good to see it on him.

"I've got another bag in the car. You're going to have to find someone else to blackmail into giving you law enforcement tools."

"So you don't mind if I tell your dad, then?" I teased, and his smile vanished.

Jenks came in, easily handling the weight of the cherry tomato. "Here, Glenn. My kids are sorry. They won't do it again."

I caught the fruit as he dropped it. "They can keep it," I said, and five pixy bucks and Jenks's daughter swooped in, arguing in high-pitched voices as they snatched it from my palm.

"Hey!" Jenks shouted, following them out.

"Are you sure you don't want some coffee?" I said as I heard Ivy's door creak open. "I think the rani of recycling has a foam cup around here. You can take it with you."

Glenn took his fingers out of the bag of tomatoes, his hands going behind him in sort of a parade rest, his back to the door. "No, I have to go. But I want your opinion on last night."

He was starting to look like a cop. Frowning, I thought about Ivy and my frantic drive to the bridge. "It sucked. Why?"