“What happens if he moves away?”
“That’s why I call him an idiot.” Arlo huffed out a breath and smiled. “Nah. He’s an ass, but he’s reliable. I doubt you’ll have any more problems over in Dunston now he knows what was happening.”
“Shame.” Jacqueline caught Arlo’s eye and grinned. “Watching the mayor chase after his car like it was a runaway dog was the highlight of my week. Until now, I mean.”
“Now?” There was a strange light in Arlo’s eyes.
“All of this.” Jacqueline gestured to the street and the surrounding buildings.
Hideaway Cove looked like one of the touristy towns along the coast. The houses and shopfronts lining the main street were all old-fashioned, with painted shutters and carved curlicues on the eaves. It could have come straight off a postcard.
The main street—and it looked like there was only one—was wide, and a broad promenade stretched along its side, next to the water. Concrete steps led down to a sandy beach, and a small building partway down advertised ice cream.
Kenna and Dylan were walking slightly ahead of Jacqueline and Arlo. Every few steps one of them would rush forward to look at something and then dart back and exchange excited whispers with the other. Tally was human shaped again and had been convinced to wear an oversized t-shirt like a dress. She kept running between them and Jacqueline and Arlo, laughing to herself.
“All of this,” Jacqueline repeated. “And all of you. Seals. Wolves. Dragons. I don’t think anything’s going to top this.”
“Arlo!”
A tall man with golden-brown hair strode up to them. Arlo waved him over.
“Harrison! Jacqueline, meet Harrison. Hideaway’s mayor. Harrison, this is Jacqueline March.”
“Pleasure.” Harrison held out a hand and Jacqueline shook it. “My fiancée, Lainie—oh. Well, she’s the one over there, on her phone.”
Jacqueline looked past him to a short, blonde woman whose attention was locked onto her phone. As she watched, the woman sighed and put it away.
Harrison cocked an eyebrow at the kids. “And who are all of you?”
Jacqueline stood back as Arlo made the rest of the introductions. Harrison frowned as Arlo told him they were looking for the Sweets.
“Aren’t they out of town this weekend? Lainie—” He called the woman over. “Didn’t a little bird tell you the Sweets were away this weekend?”
“Jools said they were off at a bridge tournament or something,” Lainie said.
“Playing against humans?” Harrison seemed surprised. “Ahh. Winning against humans. Securing Hideaway’s safety from the human scourge by beating them at cards. Cunning.”
“Feeding into their gossip networks, more like. How else are they meant to keep up with everyone else’s secrets?”
“It’s just a game,” Arlo protested. “You’re acting like it’s some sort of secret warfare.”
“To hear my coworker talk about it, bridge is secret warfare,” Jacqueline said. “She spends most of the workday trying to plot how to beat this one other couple who keep taking out the pairs championships.”
Lainie and Harrison exchanged a look.
“Maybe they’re coming around, if they’re happy to play against humans,” Lainie suggested. “Slowly.”
“Or maybe they’re looking for fresh territory to chew on, now that people in Hideaway are starting to see through them.” Harrison’s voice was dry.
Jacqueline frowned. Everyone was keeping a light tone, but there was an undercurrent of something she couldn’t quite get hold of going on under the conversation.
Lainie caught her eye and grimaced. “Anyway. If anyone’s got a spy network, it’s me. I think Jools sees herself as my personal James Bond. Letting me know when the coast is clear.”
She put one hand over her midsection, and Harrison bent to kiss the top of her head.
“What do you want them for, anyway?” Harrison put an arm around Lainie’s waist and pulled her close. It was an oddly protective gesture, given they were only talking about Arlo’s foster parents, Jacqueline thought.
“The kids need somewhere to live until their pack leader gets here,” Arlo replied. “The Sweets—”