drop—only it never did. Connie and Irwin chattered away like any young couple, snuggled up to one another on adjacent chairs. The girl was charming, funny, and a playful flirt, but Irwin didn’t seem discomfited by it. I kept my responses restrained anyway. I didn’t want to find out a couple of seconds too late that the seemingly innocent banter was how Connie got her psychic hooks into me.
But a couple of hours went by, and nothing.
“Irwin’s never told me anything about his father,” Connie said.
“I don’t know much,” Irwin said. “He’s … kept his distance over the years. I’ve looked for him a couple of times, but I never wanted to push him.”
“How mysterious,” Connie said.
I nodded. “For someone like him, I think the word ‘eccentric’ might apply better.”
“He’s rich?” Connie asked.
“I feel comfortable saying that money isn’t one of his concerns,” I said.
“I knew it!” Connie said, and looked slyly at Irwin. “There had to be a reason. I’m only into you for your money.”
Instead of answering, Irwin calmly picked Connie up out of her chair, using just the muscles of his shoulders and arms, and deposited her on his lap. “Sure you are.”
Connie made a little groaning sound and bit her lower lip. “God. I know it’s not PC, but I’ve got to say—I am into it when you get all caveman on me, Pounder.”
“I know.” Irwin kissed the tip of her nose and turned to me. “So, Harry. What brings you to Norman?”
“I was passing through,” I said easily. “Your dad asked me to look in on you.”
“Just casually,” Irwin said, his dark eyes probing. “Because he’s such a casual guy.”
“Something like that,” I said.
“Not that I mind seeing you,” Irwin said, “but in case you missed it, I’m all grown-up now. I don’t need a babysitter. Even a cool, expensive one.”
“If you did, my rates are very reasonable,” Connie said.
“We’ll talk,” Irwin replied, sliding his arms around her waist. The girl wasn’t exactly a junior petite, but she looked tiny on Irwin’s scale. She hopped up, and said, “I’m going to go make sure there isn’t barbecue sauce on my nose, and then we can take the picture. Okay?”
“Sure,” Irwin said, smiling. “Go.”
Once she was gone from sight, Irwin looked at me and dropped his smile. “Okay,” he said resignedly. “What does he want this time?”
There wasn’t loads of time, so I didn’t get all coy with the subject matter. “He’s worried about you. He thinks you may be in danger.”
Irwin arched his eyebrows. “From what?”
I just looked at him.
His expression suddenly turned into a scowl, and the air around grew absolutely thick with energy that seethed for a point of discharge. “Wait. This is about Connie?”
I couldn’t answer him for a second, the air felt so close. The last time I’d felt this much latent, waiting power, I’d been standing next to my old mentor, Ebenezar McCoy, when he was gathering his strength for a spell.
That pretty much answered my questions about River Shoulders’s people having access to magical power. The kid was a freaking dynamo of it. I had to be careful. I didn’t want to be the guy who was unlucky enough to ground out that storm cloud of waiting power. So I answered Irwin cautiously and calmly.
“I’m not sure yet. But I know for a fact that she’s not exactly what she seems to be.”
His nostrils flared, and I saw him make an effort to remain collected. His voice was fairly even. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning I’m not sure yet,” I said.
“So what? You’re going to hang around here butting into my life?”
I held up both hands. “It isn’t like that.”
“It’s just like that,” Irwin said. “My dad spends my whole life anywhere else but here, and now he thinks he can just decide when to intrude on it?”
“Irwin,” I said, “I’m not here to try to make you do anything. He asked me to look in on you. I promised
But a couple of hours went by, and nothing.
“Irwin’s never told me anything about his father,” Connie said.
“I don’t know much,” Irwin said. “He’s … kept his distance over the years. I’ve looked for him a couple of times, but I never wanted to push him.”
“How mysterious,” Connie said.
I nodded. “For someone like him, I think the word ‘eccentric’ might apply better.”
“He’s rich?” Connie asked.
“I feel comfortable saying that money isn’t one of his concerns,” I said.
“I knew it!” Connie said, and looked slyly at Irwin. “There had to be a reason. I’m only into you for your money.”
Instead of answering, Irwin calmly picked Connie up out of her chair, using just the muscles of his shoulders and arms, and deposited her on his lap. “Sure you are.”
Connie made a little groaning sound and bit her lower lip. “God. I know it’s not PC, but I’ve got to say—I am into it when you get all caveman on me, Pounder.”
“I know.” Irwin kissed the tip of her nose and turned to me. “So, Harry. What brings you to Norman?”
“I was passing through,” I said easily. “Your dad asked me to look in on you.”
“Just casually,” Irwin said, his dark eyes probing. “Because he’s such a casual guy.”
“Something like that,” I said.
“Not that I mind seeing you,” Irwin said, “but in case you missed it, I’m all grown-up now. I don’t need a babysitter. Even a cool, expensive one.”
“If you did, my rates are very reasonable,” Connie said.
“We’ll talk,” Irwin replied, sliding his arms around her waist. The girl wasn’t exactly a junior petite, but she looked tiny on Irwin’s scale. She hopped up, and said, “I’m going to go make sure there isn’t barbecue sauce on my nose, and then we can take the picture. Okay?”
“Sure,” Irwin said, smiling. “Go.”
Once she was gone from sight, Irwin looked at me and dropped his smile. “Okay,” he said resignedly. “What does he want this time?”
There wasn’t loads of time, so I didn’t get all coy with the subject matter. “He’s worried about you. He thinks you may be in danger.”
Irwin arched his eyebrows. “From what?”
I just looked at him.
His expression suddenly turned into a scowl, and the air around grew absolutely thick with energy that seethed for a point of discharge. “Wait. This is about Connie?”
I couldn’t answer him for a second, the air felt so close. The last time I’d felt this much latent, waiting power, I’d been standing next to my old mentor, Ebenezar McCoy, when he was gathering his strength for a spell.
That pretty much answered my questions about River Shoulders’s people having access to magical power. The kid was a freaking dynamo of it. I had to be careful. I didn’t want to be the guy who was unlucky enough to ground out that storm cloud of waiting power. So I answered Irwin cautiously and calmly.
“I’m not sure yet. But I know for a fact that she’s not exactly what she seems to be.”
His nostrils flared, and I saw him make an effort to remain collected. His voice was fairly even. “Meaning what?”
“Meaning I’m not sure yet,” I said.
“So what? You’re going to hang around here butting into my life?”
I held up both hands. “It isn’t like that.”
“It’s just like that,” Irwin said. “My dad spends my whole life anywhere else but here, and now he thinks he can just decide when to intrude on it?”
“Irwin,” I said, “I’m not here to try to make you do anything. He asked me to look in on you. I promised
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