Page 41 of Live Love Lasso

Then a series of bubbly squeaks and rumbles echo from somewhere on the second story, reaching us through big holes in the worn siding.

“I see you,” Lemon says with a laugh. “We’re going for lunch, but next time you make sweet noises at me, I’m comin’ in, alright?”

Silence.

We wait for a moment, but the house seems done with their conversation.

“I’m gobsmacked, Lem,” I say as we turn away from the house and head toward Main again. “You’re gonna be the first monster through those gates in eighty years. You ain’t a Keeper, though. I assume you tested at HQ like we all do and didn’t pass the test?”

She shrugs. “Yeah, I went at eighteen like usual and I didn’t test positive for keeper traits. But for some reason that house is fallin’ for me.”

That makes two of us. But surely it’s too soon to say I love you?

Clearing my throat, I sling an arm around her waist as we round Main’s corner toward the straightaway. “We’re gonna go see Oz at the bar, and then tonight, I’m taking you on the train.”

Her eyes brighten. “As in Mabel the train, the one that sits in a time warp?”

“The very one.” I grab the front door of Whiskey Business and swing it open. She sails through, leaving behind a trail of that sweet perfume, sunshine and depthless blood.

Oz waves at us from behind the bar, setting two menus down as he points to a couple empty seats. Lemon slides gracefully onto a saddle stool, and I join her, resting an arm over the back of the western saddle.

She turns to me. “Have you checked on the mustangs today?”

I nod. “Echo and I went out there this morning. Normal once more. They seemed restless though.” I frown. “I think they’re getting worse, but, so far, it seems to only come on at night. I wish we knew how it progressed with the moose and cattle.”

Oz leans over the bar and looks at us. “Lots of illnesses get worse at night when you’re tired from a long day. That or whatever’s causing it is more present at night, maybe.”

I nod. “It’s an angle I’ve considered, but this is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered in my career. It’s an upheaval of the natural order of things.”

Oz slides drinks across the bar to us. “You got any leads, Furyon?”

I shake my head. “Echo and I have tested the black liquid for every known potion and ailment. I’ve called Keepers in other havens. Nobody’s ever heard of anything like this. It’s something nobody’s ever seen, far as I can tell.”

“Letitia mentioned that the potion I made today is something she wants to try to heal the horses with.” Lemon takes a sip of her soda.

I nod. “Yeah, it’s an ancient family recipe of hers, something she swears her parents used whenever they encountered an illness that couldn’t be identified. According to her, that’s not uncommon with youngling monsters. We don’t know if it’ll work on horses, but she felt it was worth a try, and I agree.”

We fall silent. Lemon peruses the menu, but it's clear she’s lost in thought. After a moment, she looks up. “I wonder if it’s something activated by moonlight. You mentioned night, but that doesn’t feel right to me.” She clasps her hands in her lap. “Many potions are activated by sunlight or moonlight, especially earlier on in the creation process. Sometimes they’re even strongest like that.”

I mull that over, then smile at her. “It’s something to consider. I’ll get Echo to test that theory with our samples.” I wrap a long strand of her hair around my fingers. “We don’t have to talk about work though.” I tap the menu. “Let me suggest the pimento cheeseburger. It’s a special recipe brought in from the human world by my neighbor.”

Lemon snorts. “The half-clothed one?”

I chuckle. “That very one. She’s from the southern states. Been here for a little while but she taught us about pimento cheese, and now it’s a staple. The cheddar Whiskey Business uses is handcrafted on a local farm. Echo’s father’s farm, actually.”

“Sold.” Lemon grins at Oz.

“Same for me,” I confirm.

He turns from us and punches our order into the point of sale, then disappears down the bar toward another couple.

Lemon looks over at me. “Thank you for coming to get me. I got good work done this morning, but it’s still nice to be outside of the potion house. My boss isn’t exactly welcoming most days.”

“You’ll win her over,” I reassure. “I think you could make anybody in the entire world fall in love with you, Lemon Knox.”

She beams at me, tossing her hair over her shoulder. “You think so, country boy?”

That might be my new favorite nickname.