forum The Most Wanted Woman in Town [Romance o/o] (Closed)

Started January 22, 2023 by @emilyevewrites group

tune

Eve couldn't shake the smile on her face as they made their way back to her house. Once they got back, she stepped inside quickly. She would make sure everything was in its proper place after Ronnie left. She didn't want to worry him further. If something was missing, she'd figure out what Treavor had done with it.

She began to slip out of his boots and cloak when he suddenly spoke. She froze and her eyes widened, but not with worry. What should she say? There was no good answer to his question… maybe she could spin something slightly believable then shift forms and walk down by the hotel to make it seem more accurate.

"Yes, likely," Eve answered, continuing to remove the warm garments. "She comes and goes as she pleases. Sometimes at times like this." She paused a moment, thinking. "I believe she may have run when she heard the window being broken into. But don't worry, she always returns home safe."

Ronnie accepted his boots and cloak, part of him feeling like he should just let her keep them.
"If you're sure about the cat." he said quietly. Making too big a deal about it might make her uncomfortable, given what the cat represented, so he left it alone.
"Well." He glanced at her from where he'd been looking around, and froze, for a just a second. Standing there, in her home, in her nightclothes, Eve looked-… vulnerable. And soft. And Ronnie found himself having to make a purposeful effort to tear his eyes away. "Try to get some sleep. Let me know if you need anything."
He gave a small wave and turned to head back to the Blondwood. There'd be no sleep for him tonight, so he may as well get some things started.

Eve nodded firmly. "I'm sure." She hoped that the more confident she sounded, the easier it would be for him to believe her. Then she could only cement the belief by happening to wander by the Blondwood in her feline form before returning to her bed. Though she was certain that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep again tonight. Not after the scare she'd just had.

But she noticed the way he looked at her and the way his gaze lingered for a bit longer than necessary. A light blush appeared on her cheeks, and as he turned to go, she reached out and caught his arm.

"Thank you, Ronnie," she said quietly. "Really. You've been extraordinarily kind to me. I don't think I can ever repay you for this." She leaned a bit closer to him and placed a soft kiss on his cheek before stepping back into her house, smiling once more, and closing the door between them.

Once it was shut, she leaned back against the wood in astonishment. Her lips formed a small smile as she replayed the moment again in her mind for a while as she gave him time to return to the Blondwood. Then her cat would make a brief showing, and she'd be back. Like nothing had ever really happened.

He wanted to respond, he really did. To say "you're welcome" or "of course" or "anytime" or something like that.
Instead, Ronnie found himself standing there with a dopey look on his face as she kissed his cheek. It took him a second to realize he should formulate a response, and by that point, the door was closed.
He stood there, for a just a moment, before turning and making his way back to the bench outside the Blondwood. His cheek tingled where she'd touched it, so gently he might have imagined it if not for the burning blush it had ignited across his face. Part of him was internally leaping up and down, giggling like an idiot.

And part of him was stuck.

He sat down on the bench, feeling several confusing, conflicting emotions. He was glad he'd been able to help, but… he'd slipped back into kill mode so quickly… he'd hoped he'd left the soldier behind, but he clearly hadn't at all.
She was likely just being nice, like ladies were. It didn't have to mean anything. But Ronnie wanted the small touches and the little smiles and that quick peck to mean something. And that was bad. Because she'd already pledged herself to someone. To whoever could catch that cat. And if it wasn't him, that would break him, and even worse, if he'd somehow gotten her wrapped up in this, it might hurt her as well.
Though it probably doesn't mean anything…
A nice, gentle girl like Eve probably wouldn't feel anything other than revulsion for him, honestly. A guy like him, with blood on his hands and monsters in his mind… guys like him weren't meant to get the nice girl.
But… But I want the girl…

And so his thoughts went, as he stared into the snow.

Eve waited another moment before hesitantly returning to her bedroom. The window was still open. It made her shiver, and not from the cold. She took a scarf and used it as a momentary solution; she wound the material around the latch as tightly as she could and knotted it to be sure.

She sat on the edge of her bed for a moment, taking deep breaths. The thought of a man like Treavor Wes'ling in her house, while she was sleeping, set her on edge. It took her a few more moments to relax before she made her way back to her front door. She counted to ten, then transformed.

The cat lept through the streets, leaving fresh prints in the snow as she went. Eventually, she made her way past the Blondwood, pausing for a moment to observe the man on the bench. Her large hazel eyes studied him, and she let out a soft meow, remembering him from earlier.

A soft meow was the first thing that snapped Ronnie out of his staring and thinking. He glanced up, to see the cat standing there looking at him. He gave a small smirk.
"Hm. Hey Kitty." He'd have to ask Eve its name at some point. "You're quite the little troublemaker, aren't you?" He wasn't angry, just… well, without the cat he'd have a chance at wooing Eve properly.
On the flip side… "I guess I should thank you for keeping her single for so long. For giving me a chance at all. But…" he gave the cat a long look.
"But maybe I'm not the guy. Maybe I shouldn't be the guy." A rueful smile replaced the smirk. "Spent so long fighting-" he shuddered involuntarily as the images leapt to his mind unbidden… "Spent so long fighting those shapeshifting monsters that sometimes I wonder if I became one. If I've learned to look more appealing to normal folks, while something sinister lurks under the surface." He shook his head, looking down, before he glanced back up.
"Not like you, Kitty. With you, what we see is what we get." He smiled at the cat, a tired smile, a smile that let more sadness than happiness leak through.
"I don't know if I should try to catch you anymore… don't know if I'm right for her. But do me a favor? Don't let anyone else catch you either…" He realized how ridiculous, how cruel even, that sounded, but he stuck with it.
He sat there, just looking at the cat, his thoughts swirling.

The cat merely stared at the man in front of her as he spoke. On the inside, Eve was desperate to ask him so many questions. None of which she could say, not in this form and not in her other form either. Well, maybe if she was able to direct one of their conversations a certain way.

But his smile… his smile made her ache. He was so unlike anyone else in this godsforsaken little town. The way he thought of himself was so opposed to the way that she saw him. She didn't see him as a monster. Not at all. And if only he knew about her… He might rethink his words.

Slowly, the cat approached him, close enough that he could hear her soft purring. She still looked wary of him, especially as the key glinted from around her neck. But still, she tilted her head and blinked at him as if she understood his words. She meowed softly.

Ronnie watched the cat step closer. It was purring, and he had to chuckle.
"Enjoying your night, with nobody up to chase you, huh, Kitty?" The cat meowed at him, and Ronnie meowed right back before he could stop himself.
He was tired, though not sleepy, he was a bit emotional, and he was fighting a strong urge to go drink until he could sleep again. The cat was standing close, and purring at him, and he could see the key glinting, and-…

Eve's beautiful smile popped up in his head, and the urge to make a grab for the key immediately disappeared. She didn't deserve his mess.

"Well. I'll bid you good morning, Kitty." He grinned at this conversation, at the situation, at the inquisitive little cat. "You seem to understand, so I'll take your blinking as a farewell. Scamper along and maybe I'll see you later."
He stood up and went back inside the Blondwood, intent on getting a start on that latch for Eve's window.

The cat blinked again at Ronnie while he spoke. Wasn't he going to chase her? But she turned his words over in her mind. I don't know if I should try to catch you anymore… don't know if I'm right for her. Would he stay true to his words? Or would he change his mind?

She meowed softly as he left, waiting another minute out in the cold and dark before doing as he said and scampered back to her house. Once she was safely inside, Eve morphed back into herself and let out a long sigh. "Ronnie Vale," she whispered to no one. "I'm so glad you came back to Tol Galen."

The morning came, and Ronnie had been up, working out the details of his window latch. He'd stepped out a few times and gotten just close enough to look at Eve's window jamb, without being weird. He figured he had the design largely worked out, and would just need the materials in order to get it started.
He'd not been able to sleep, like he thought, and once the details were figured out, it was just a matter of waiting. So he'd gone out to the stable and sat with Teben for a while, until the sun was properly up. He listened as the townsfolk began bustling around, and soon shops were open. That was his cue.

He made his way over to the woodwright's shop, and bought what he needed. The man was new in town, and had bought the shop from the old owner, who'd been someone Ronnie had known.
Once out of the shop, Ronnie started towards Eve's place, only to remember he wasn't sure she was gone yet. Best not to show up before she leaves. So he headed back to the Blondwood to check.
He came in the front door, with his arms full of tools and small pieces of wood, and glanced at the desk while stomping the snow off his boots.

(Glad to be back! :))

Eve barely slept the rest of the night, so when the time came for her shift to start at the Blondwood, she was barely able to keep from yawning every few seconds. Her mind turned the night's events over again and again. How she'd heard the felt the breeze of the open window and heard the noises. How she'd escaped and found Ronnie outside on the bench. The unbearable waiting for him to return, and the relief that he was alright and the burglar had been caught.

It had all been so much that when she'd tried to go back to sleep, it had been an impossible task. What if Treavor came back? Or someone else decided to chance their luck and break in too? So now here Eve was, with her cheek propped her hand and trying to keep herself from falling asleep next to the warm fire…

Suddenly, the door opened, and a burst of cold air startled her. She blinked her wide eyes open, oblivious to the dark circles underneath them, and watched Ronnie Vale glance over at her. A smile lit on her face as he stomped the snow off his boots, then her eyes caught on everything he was carrying.

"Ronnie! Good morning!" she greeted, rising to her feet and coming around from behind the reception desk. "Do you need a hand with anything?"

Eve looked tired, and Ronnie's heart went out to her. She'd had an awful experience and likely hadn't slept.
He smiled as she greeted him.
"Morning, Eve. No, I think I got it. Just headed over to your place to rig up that window latch." He lowered his voice. "Doing alright this morning?" He wasn't sure what she'd say, but he hoped she hadn't gone back and nightmared about it or anything.

The door opened, and the tall figure of Romulus swept in, wearing his police blues. "Ah! G'morning, just the person I needed to see." He gave Ronnie a smile, and nodded respectfully at Eve. "Night watchman says you two might have had some excitement."

Eve's smile seemed to falter a little at his ask. She wasn't. She definitely wasn't. "I'm alright for now," she answered softly. "Oh, alright. You'll need my key, then? Preferably one that isn't attached to my cat."

She was startled for a moment as Romulus's dominating form entered the Blondwood's little lobby, but Eve quickly settled herself again and smiled sweetly at his respectful nod. The smile, again, faltered at the mention of the night before.

"Yes," she answered quietly. "I think Ronnie may be more inclined to tell you. I'll be right back if you don't mind."

With that, Eve ducked around the two men and headed back to the staff area where her bag was. Hopefully, Ronnie would believe that she kept a spare key in her bag even though she'd only be giving him the same one around her neck that she wore in her feline form.

Eve was clearly not ok, from her facial expressions to the way her voice reacted and several other things. Ronnie didn't want to call attention to it, though he wanted to help.
"Yeah, though I guess I could just go in the window, since I'm gonna be messing with it anyway. But if you've got a spare, I'd take it." She obviously had to have one that wasn't on the cat's neck at all times.

Romulus seemed to make her nervous, for just a moment, and Ronnie's heart hurt for her again. He wondered if those nerves had always been there with big men, or if they were worse this morning. She disappeared into the back to get her key, and he turned to Romulus.
"Had some trouble with the drunk in your cells. Found him in Eve's house, after she came and found me."

Romulus gave him a long look. "You know you gave him a severe concussion, right? You gotta be careful, Ronnie, next time it might be a guy with enough intelligence to press charges."

Ronnie's eyes widened, before his expression hardened a bit. "No. I'm not being careful about that. Somebody breaks and enters, especially into the home of a single woman, I'm breaking them. I don't care what kind of legal mess they give me."

Romulus just held his gaze, before nodding slowly. "If you still want that police job, it's still open. Just… be smart. Town is too small for you to go beating up guys, and not expect to run into their friends." He reached over and squeezed Ronnie's shoulder. "And remember, you're not a one man army. Or you don't have to be, at least." He smiled, and was headed back out the door.

Ronnie stood there for a moment, thinking. He exhaled slowly, trying to make sure he was clear-headed. But no matter how he thought about it…. Eve was worth it.

Though she knew that she wouldn't be home to witness it and that Ronnie had good intentions, Eve still paled at his words. "I'd prefer you use the door," she murmured. "Please."

She managed to catch a few of the words during their exchange as she pretended to look through her bag. It worried her as she slipped off her necklace that Ronnie might get in trouble for defending her. While she was grateful for all he had done, she didn't want it to come back and bite him later.

And while Eve knew Romulus was a good man, she still knew that he'd tried his hand at catching her cat. It created a bit of hesitance as far as he was concerned, and she made sure not to come out until she was sure that he had gone. But the last little bit that she heard… Ronnie had been offered a job as a police officer. It made her a bit more hopeful. And less worried about him too.

She took a breath and came back from down the hallway with her always sweet smile back on her face. "I found it!" she said with a smile.

Ronnie gave Eve a smile, basking for a moment in how her smile made the room light up. Definitely worth it.
He took the key she handed him, and picked up his stuff. "I should have this done by lunch, if you want to swing by and check on it. And don't worry about the details of last night. Romulus is taking care of it for us." His expression turned more sympathetic. "I'm sorry this is causing so much distress. Please lemme know if there's anything else I can do to help."
He meant that. Anything at all he could do to help, he'd do. It struck him how head-over-heels he was just then, but he didn't care.
He wasn't going to be able to catch that cat anyway, so he didn't need to worry.
He gave her a slight nod and a smile, and headed out the door, into the snow.
…..

The project took him a couple hours, but his estimations had been right. He had to shape the wood pieces and size them to make sure they fit, but once he'd done it, putting together the latch was easy. 'Latch' was a misleading word, really. This was a heavy reinforcement. It would make the windows impossible to open from outside, without someone first unlocking them from inside.
He did it on Eve's bedroom window, before realizing that just one window wouldn't mean much. It was still a couple hours till lunchtime, which is when he'd said he'd be done, so he hustled back to the woodwright's shop, bought some more wood, and did all the rest of Eve's windows. He also reinforced her door jambs, and just generally made sure that anyone trying to get into Eve's house would either fail, or be so loud the entire town would hear them.

He was testing everything from the outside by the time lunch came around.

Eve relaxed a bit at Ronnie's smile. So the conversation with Romulus, the parts that she hadn't heard, hadn't gone too badly then. At least Ronnie seemed to be in a better mood than her this morning.

"Alright," she agreed, immediately planning to stop by then. Her lunch break would be the perfect chance for her to take a stroll, clear her head, and visit Ronnie to see his progress on her house. Though she dimmed a bit at the mention, again, of the night before.

"That's wonderful," she murmured, trying to force a smile on her face that didn't want to come. "Though you have nothing to be sorry for. I assure you, I'd be in a much worse state this morning if I hadn't found you on that bench last night." And his offer was sweet, but she shook her head. "There's nothing right now, thank you. Fixing my window is more than enough." She smiled back at him as he left, then moved back behind the desk to sit.

–

Her lunch break couldn't come soon enough. Eve immediately rose from her seat as soon as the clock struck noon. She rushed back down the hall to grab her things, almost barreling over the head housekeeper, Sylvia.

"Sorry!" Eve apologized immediately while grabbing her bag and heading for the door. Sylvia shot her a disapproving look but didn't say anything else.

The skirt of Eve's dress swirled around her ankles as she walked at a heightened pace back home. As she was approaching, she saw someone at her door, pushing to get in. The sight filled her with a brief panic, and it showed on her face until she realized it was only Ronnie testing out her door's security.

"Ronnie!" she called out, heading up the steps to speak to him. A warm smile was back on her lips. "How have you fared?"

Ronnie glanced over his shoulder, and beamed as Eve called his name. "Pretty well, I think. I managed to do all of your windows, not just the one, and your doors got some reinforcing as well. Should be pretty secure." He reached down and unlocked the door, stepping out of her way. "Let me show you how the latches work, and I can be out of your hair."
He stepped into the living room area, where there was a decently large window facing the street. "So, this is the main mechanism here. You pull this little lever back, which releases the frame, and then just raise the window, and let the lever lock back into place. Whenever you want to raise or lower the window pane, just engage the lever first. Not terribly hard, but if you try to do it from outside, without the lever in the open position, the window either won't budge, or the whole thing will shatter. There's no sneakiness with this." He smiled at her. "Might make opening your windows in the summer a bit of a hassle, but it's safe."
Stepping back towards her door, Ronnie turned to look at her. "Anything else you need done around here, before I give your key back?" He held it out, though he waited to drop it till she said yea or nay.

Eve couldn't help the soft shock that dawned on her face as Ronnie told her that he'd managed to secure not only the window to her bedroom but all the windows and doors in her house. She entered her house, looking at the man beside her in awe.

She paid careful attention to how he described the system to work. When he finished, Eve turned in a slow circle, looking around at some of the other windows in sight. Ronnie hadn't lied – each of them was as secure as the first one he'd shown her.

"I… I don't know what to say," she murmured quietly. "And I suppose I can't say much other than thank you." Eve smiled warmly at him, taking her key from his fingers and wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. "You've done more than enough, Ronnie. Thank you."

The surprise on Eve's face was… just so rewarding, Ronnie couldn't help asking if there was anything else he could do for her. He knew full well that being that forward with her was probably improper, especially for a lady who had so much attention on her, and had a challenge out there.
But he couldn't help it. She looked so happy.

The hug sealed the deal for him.

He froze, for just a second, before returning her hug, inadvertently tucking her under his chin and pressing her to his chest. This woman deserved to be protected at all costs, her sanity and health put on high priority, and if no one else in this tiny town was going to do that, Ronnie silently promised her just then that he would.

Some part of his heart registered what he was thinking and bucked, unhappy with the fact that he couldn't act on his feelings, or show them, really, unless he caught that blasted cat. And the rest of him decided that even if she wound up bound to some cat-catching wonder, he would still be there, be her friend, and make sure that the two were taken care of and watched over.

All of that he summarized in a short response to her thanks. "Of course, Eve."
He let go and stepped back after a few moments, not wanting to make her feel awkward.
"Let me know if you think of anything else you need done around here." He smiled at her, before stepping out the door.

As soon as she was close to him again, Eve inhaled Ronnie's now-familiar scent. It was comforting to her, how he smelled like both home and far away. It dawned on her after a second that he wasn't really hugging her back. He'd just frozen when her arms had wrapped around him. She panicked for a moment and was about to back away when Ronnie when he returned the hug and held her against him. His words from last night, the words he'd spoken to her cat, drifted through her mind.

"But maybe I'm not the guy. Maybe I shouldn't be the guy. I don't know if I should try to catch you anymore… don't know if I'm right for her."

Eve had almost shifted right in front of him then and there. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she'd held back. He couldn't know her secret. No one could. Not until someone had slipped the key from her cat's neck. Then the secret would be hers and her fiancé's to share. Until then…

Ronnie's words pulled her from her thoughts. Eve let go as he did and stepped back, a small smile still on her face. She knew after this she'd have to make her rounds in her feline form. "Thank you," she replied quietly, stepping forward as he left and shutting the door behind him. She quickly went around her house again, checking the rest of the windows Ronnie had reinforced and finding to her delight that each of them was as he'd said.

After inspecting each one individually, Eve returned to her front door to count to ten, as she always did. Then, she transformed.

Eve's cat leaped out through the little flap at the bottom of her door and began to bound down the center street. Knowing she shouldn't but doing it anyway, the little golden-furred tabby glanced over at the Blondewood to see if Ronnie had made it back yet. But she didn't have much of a chance to look before Ji're and several others descended on her.

A couple of the pieces of scrap wood that morning had gone to making a small box for his tools. So Ronnie picked that up from where he'd set it by the door, and headed back to the Blondewood. He got there, still smiling from the moment with Eve, and headed up to his room.
His stomach rumbled, and he realized he hadn't eaten since dinner yesterday. He decided to head over to Marvin's to get lunch.
He considered asking Eve if she wanted food, but as he stepped back out into the snow, he saw the cat, being chased down by Ji're and other men. He shook his head, and trudged across the street to get lunch. Eve had enough to deal with without him asking if she wanted food. She'd had a hard night, and probably needed a break for a bit.
So he went and got lunch on his own.

The meal went fine, but Lana, Romulus's little sister who was a waitress there, slipped him a small piece of paper as he was paying his bill. She gave him a look, which wasn't flirtatious or charming, like she usually acted. This one was more serious.
He gave her a nod and a smile and stepped back out into the snow. He'd decided to go get that job today, so he turned and headed down the street towards the jailhouse/police station. The piece of paper was folded, and as he unfolded it, he could see Lana's handwriting. It was the same as the bill she'd given him at the restaraunt.
Be careful. Rumor has it you're trouble for being kind.
That was rather ominous. Ronnie found himself squaring his shoulders and standing up a little bit taller as he walked. He could only assume she was telling him that word had got out he was helping Eve, and to some of the more unsavory men in town, that was trouble.
Well. Let them come after him. These soft, small-town punks would be like children attacking a wild beast. He'd tear them to shreds, rip them limb form limb if he had to, rend and break and hurt-

He paused, took a deep breath, and relaxed. They'd threatened him, and the soldier had immediately showed his face again. He swallowed down the urge to growl, and stepped into the police station.
…..

It was late evening, just a couple minutes before the end of Eve's shift, when Ronnie finally trudged back into the Blondewood. He looked very tired, and had a bruise on the side of his face.
The officers had tested several things, and he could feel that he'd been up all night after all of that. Well-rested, he'd have done better. Passed the tests easily, probably.
As it was, they'd still given him the job, but. It hadn't been easy.
Romulus had clapped him on the shoulder as he shook his hand and left a shiny badge in it. "Go get some sleep, Ronnie, you're asleep on your feet. We'll start you tomorrow."
And so here he was. He'd checked on Teben, made sure his Warg was ok, and now… To bed.

The cat led the men on a wild chase around town, just like every day. And just like every day, the men gave up one by one. The cat was too smart. It seemed to always anticipate their next move and react a second before it was too late. But the chases were definitely always interesting.

But the entertainment ended when Ji’re spat on the ground and scuffed his boot over the spot. “Is she really worth this damned cat?” he muttered before turning back to the Blondewood and storming up the stairs to his room.

The cat realized no one else was following her, and she skirted off back to Eve’s house. Once she was in the door, Eve shifted back into her human form. Though it took a second for tears to start forming in her eyes. Ji’re words, as flippant as they had been, found their mark on her heart. With all the attention constantly focused on her, Eve was still lonely. She just wanted a partner to love her and not just for her beauty. The cat façade was the only way she could think of to guarantee herself that, the men unwittingly playing into her hand.

But even now, they were obviously having doubts. If Ji’re quit chasing her, Eve worried others would follow his lead. Then, she’d just be a stupid girl indebted to her stupid game forever. It scared her more than she could say.

Though Eve realized then that she had used up her break hour. Gathering her bag, she hurried back to the Blondewood to see Sylvia sitting behind the desk. The older woman arched her eyebrows and remarked, “You’re late” before rising to her feet and striding off down the hallway. Eve winced and sat down behind the desk again.

The rest of the day dragged by, and soon it would be time for Eve to head home and try to relax herself to sleep. Ronnie had fixed her windows anyway, so there was no way anyone else like Treavor could try and leer at her during her sleep. Just as she was thinking about Ronnie, the door opened and there he stood.

Eve stood to greet him, but she immediately noticed the bruise on his face and the exhausted way he carried himself. “Ronnie, dear goddess, are you alright?” she asked, coming around from behind her desk. She reached toward his face to gently caress his bruise, but she seemed to think better of it, and her fingers halted inches from his skin. “What happened?” she whispered, worry shining in her eyes.

Eve's concern was touching, and Ronnie couldn't help but feel warmed, the fuzzy heat suffusing through his chest. He smiled tiredly at her and held up the badge where she could see it. "I got the job."
He was carrying a bag of stuff, which included a couple changes of a uniform and the cloak the police wore in winter and rain. He let it slide off his shoulder and plop onto the floor. Eve's hand was still raised towards his face, and he turned his head just a bit so she could get a better look at the bruise. He was trying to show her it wasn't serious. "They run you through a lot of tests, most to make sure you're physically fit for the job. I mentioned I'd had combat experience, and some of the officers seemed to think I was some punk kid who needed to be put in his place." He smirked quietly. "3 on 1, and they all look worse than this."
Romulus had tried to warn the others, but they hadn't listened, and Ronnie had found himself in a fight that might have been serious… if it had been someone other than Tol Galen cops. The small-timers were in way over their heads, and Ronnie had knocked all three out by the end of the fight.
"I'm ok though. You needn't worry." He stooped to pick his bag back up, and when he stood back up, his smirk had softened back into that smile. "How was your day? Things pretty slow here?" He was dead tired, and just wanted to sleep, but he wasn't going to pass up a chance to talk to Eve some more.

Eve's expression changed from concern to joyful, though some worry still lingered in her eyes as she studied his injuries. "Congratulations!" she enthused, smiling proudly. "I'm happy for you, Ronnie."

She briefly noticed the bag he dropped on the floor, and a spark of hope lit up in her mind. Even though he was still staying at the Blondewood, he had a job now. That meant Ronnie Vale wasn't going to leave Tol Galen any time soon. It made her more excited than it should have to know he was staying.

As he inclined his face, Eve's eyes scanned over the bruise. She wasn't a skilled healer by any means, but she still wondered if she could help. Maybe she could fetch him some ice? Something cold might help with any swelling the injury might induce.

Eve's jaw dropped abruptly at his recollection. "You took on three of them?" she asked incredulously. And he doesn't even look it. "But I do," she mumbled softly. She probably shouldn't worry for him as much as she did. It would only dig her deeper into a situation that would potentially harm them both.

A brief shrug of her shoulders was Eve's way of answering him. "It wasn't any different than normal," she replied simply. Then, not knowing what possessed her to say such a thing, she added, "Are you going to make a go for my cat this evening?" Immediately, her eyes widened, and she blushed. "It's alright if you don't want to. You're probably beyond tired. I-I shouldn't have suggested that. Sorry."

She just needed Ronnie to know that he was good enough to get the girl. The girl wanted him to get her.