Free Fur Magic Boxed Set: Talisman, Sage, Fawn, Lola: Paranormal Romantic Comedy by Colleen Charles

investigate.”
    “It’s totally my fault, Penelope,” Dr. Luke rushed to explain himself. “When you gave me a spare key to the shelter in case I needed to look after the animals, I’m sure this wasn’t what you had in mind. Me, coming here in the middle of the night to scare you and all the sleeping critters.”
    “Does this gorgeous girl have a name?” Pen asked.
    Her name was Lola. She was a … Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.
    “It’s Lola,” Dr. Luke said. “Her owner, Mrs. Maplegate, lived in a small apartment over on Lewis Street, and she passed in her sleep yesterday. The family didn’t know what to do because Mrs. Maplegate only had one daughter and she’s highly allergic. I had to take her in, she’s so sweet and pretty.”
    You think?
    “It’s no problem,” Pen said as she lifted Lola and rubbed her silky fur. “Jessie still needs a cat, and she’s stopping by in the morning. She loves Tali, so she’s not afraid of the long hair. I’ll call her tomorrow to tell her about this gorgeous girl, Miss Lola.”
    Once the new queen was up there in Pen’s arms, she looked out over the shelter like she’d smelled a fart and sucked on a lemon. High maintenance. I might have to re-think my school-boy infatuation.
    Talisman, pull your head and heart away from the new wench. We must go and find information about Amelia post haste. Say, Cheerio and let’s get on with it.
    In this case, Sage was right. We had to get rid of Dr. Luke, get my new woman in a cage and get the heck out of here so we could look for Amelia.
    “Okay,” Dr. Luke said. “I’ll leave you to it then and stop back tomorrow and check on her. By the way, Penelope, I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”
    Oh no, Dr. Luke. You don’t ask your true love out on a first date when she’s in her comfy pajamas with no make-up and bed head. He might be the nicest guy in the world, but I think he got his dating advice from an autobiography about Bill Gates. Complete with snort and pocket protector.
    “Yes?” she asked as she glanced in his direction.
    “You know that movie that’s playing at the Science Museum? I really want to go.”
    As he spoke, his words came out faster and faster until the ending was nothing but a jumbled mess of syllables. Ireallywannago.
    “Me too,” she exclaimed.
    He blushed and kept rubbing the sole of his tennis shoe along the cracks in the cement floor. Thank God Pen didn’t have her glasses on and couldn’t see him acting like a third grader with his first crush. Then again, she’d probably like it since she’s a sappy girl. Sage leaned over his wooden perch and peered down on the entire scene as if he couldn’t believe his gigantic, black owl eyes. The he gave me an owl version of the thumbs up with his wing tip.
    “Maybe we could go together … this Friday night?” He stammered the question. “Then grab a bite to eat at The Hayhouse?”
    “I’d love to, Dr. Collier … I mean Luke,” she replied with Lola still nestled in her arms. “Let’s touch base when it gets closer and work out the details.”
    “Thanks again for taking Lola without advance notice,” he called as he opened the exit door. “I’m really looking forward to our date on Friday.” Then he slipped through back in to the night.
    The shocked look on Pen’s face gave me a kitty chuckle. I don’t think she thought of it as a date but a date it was. She looked down at me with her huge blue eyes.
    “Tali, did Dr. Collier say ‘date’?”
     

 
    Chapter 10
    “No one’s seen her.”
    I found that a little hard to believe. Ever since Fawn had been called back that night by her imposing father, Stag, and chastised, she’d been a wealth of information. Not.
    Worse than that, my new girlfriend, Lola, had insisted she needed to come along and get the ‘lay of the land’. She was holding us up with her whining about the temperature, and the distance and the tiny rocks prickling her pampered paws. I was going to