Reynaud's Redemption, стр. 5
Abruptly Baptiste jerked his head to look over his shoulder. The sneer on his face had disappeared when he turned back to Reynaud. In its place was an almost pleasant smile.
“I can hear your welcoming committee coming, Reynaud. Good luck in your next life as a beast,” he said lightly.
Baptiste left Reynaud sitting on the bench filled with bewilderment and anger. He leaned his head back against the wall and listened. The clumping of the guard’s boots came closer, and Baptiste’s satisfied laughter moved farther away.
A man appeared before the cell. “The council is ready, Reynaud.”
Reynaud rose and strode to the door with his hands before him. The magical binding took place, pressing his wrists together and suppressing his powers as soon as he stepped out of the confined space. The guards returned him to the room where the elders sat, but no one else remained.
Once again, Madame Cousteau stood to address him. “We wish you luck, Reynaud, and hope you find love with a human so you may someday return to your Creolyte body.”
Reynaud thought for a moment about telling them what Baptiste had confessed, but decided against it. He had no proof to exonerate himself and the sentence would be carried out anyway. Accepting his punishment, Reynaud kept his head high and held his tongue. The other elders joined Madame Cousteau to form a circle around him. They muttered the incantation in unison. He closed his eyes, the change sweeping over his body, and vowed to be more diligent in his mission in the future.
Chapter One
The sun had barely crested the horizon when Cameron Gamble unlocked the doors to his café. The morning heat had already risen in the air as the sky brightened. Removing the countdown sign from the window, he replaced it with a larger, more flamboyantly decorated one indicating the grand opening for the next day. He darted outside to make sure the announcement looked straight and even, then went back indoors.
Cameron stood in the center of the room glancing around. The last month had been exhausting but exciting. It took weeks of dragging chairs and pushing tables around before he’d been satisfied with the dining room’s set-up. He spent most days hanging decorations until they were just right. The staff arrived nearly a month ago to help stock inventory, put away supplies, make the kitchen workable and do other tedious jobs necessary for opening a business. He smiled at their completed work.
“This is really going to happen… finally,” he murmured softly.
Something moving in his peripheral vision forced him to turn his head. A large brown dog stood beside him panting and wagging its tail. Startled, Cameron hopped to his right. Looking up, he realized he had left the door open. He blew out a frustrated breath and shook his head. Even after three years, he was still jumpy.
After a few calming breaths, he looked down at the dog. Cameron had seen the animal before hanging around the building while he came and went running errands, but this was the first time it had ever approached him. The dog stopped panting, moved closer to him then sat. Cameron took a step back. The dog lay down and scooted forward on his belly. Cameron stared at the canine. The dog rolled over onto its back and kicked at him playfully.
“Okay, so, I guess you’re not going to hurt me, despite how big and burly you are, huh?” Cautiously, he knelt and offered his hand. “Come here, boy. I won’t hurt you either.”
The dog rose to his feet and padded closer, his muzzle extended. He sniffed Cameron’s hand, licked it then mowed him over, climbing up Cameron’s body to lick his face.
“Whoa! Hey, you are a big boy.” Cameron laughed. He rolled across the floor, letting his new friend lick him playfully. “Okay, okay, calm down.” He sat on the floor with his legs crossed then patted his lap. The dog answered his call, laying his large self beside him, putting his head on Cameron’s lap.
“You’re the biggest dog I have ever seen,” he murmured. He glided his hand over the soft, brown fur covering the dog’s muscular limbs. “So, where is your home, big guy? Do you have a family?”
The dog blinked at him.
“Big, pretty pooch like you has got to have people around who love you. You seem really smart and well fed surely someone is taking care of you.” He stroked the animal’s neck and chest affectionately. Suddenly he stopped his hand and gazed around the room thoughtfully. “This was your home, wasn’t it, boy? The realtor did say this place used to be one of those huge houses the bank bought and renovated.”
The animal whined softly and nuzzled Cameron’s side.
“You’re all alone, too, aren’t you?” Cameron asked rubbing behind his ear. “Well, I think this place is big enough for the two of us. I’ll tell you what, if you promise not to eat me, you can stay,” Cameron told him in a humorous tone. “Would you like that, boy? Would you like to be my dog?” he asked happily.
The animal stood up and barked twice before licking Cameron’s face several times.
“Well, I’ll take that as a yes. You’ll find there are many perks to having a master that owns a bistro,” Cameron said, getting to his feet. “I guess I need to come up with a name for you. I don’t know if you’ll answer to it, but I have to call you something.” He knitted his brows in thought. “Your fur is the same color as this caramel glaze I make,” he muttered almost to himself. “How about I just call you Caramel?”
The canine sat and froze. No barking, wagging or any other movements.
Cameron burst into laughter. The dog’s mannerisms were almost humanlike. He was sure the animal didn’t like his suggestion. “Okay, no.