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Authors: s m blooding
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tops of his ears. His thin nose held up wire-frame spectacles, and he wore a T-shirt with Yoda that read, “Do or do not. There is no try.” His cargo khaki shorts needed ironed badly.
“Tru, man!” Dexx twisted beneath her. “I know I told Fanny to give you guys a key, but this room’s booked. Don’t know if you noticed that. You three are staying somewhere else.”
“Les stayed at home.”
“Then, what took you so long? Alma said it was to find arrangements for the kids.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
Paige chuckled. She knew her sister well enough to realize she didn’t like being left behind. It didn’t matter she was as big as a yacht with what had to be a ten pound baby growing in her womb. She wanted to be there, saving her little sister like always.
She’d been behind the memory blockers, Paige recalled. Though it was easier to understand her big sister’s position, it didn’t make it any better. Not really.
The man grinned at Dexx. “We’re not messing with the mojo, are we? Dexx and Paig-ee sitting in a tree—”
Dexx cut him off with a sharp chortle. “You’ve been hanging around little kids way too much, man. Talk to some adults. Seriously.”
Paige snorted. He was a dork, but a cute dork.
“So, then we’re not messin’ with the—” He did a little shimmy, his hands out, palms down. It looked like was mimicking a surfer. “—chemistry.”
“Nah,” Dexx said with a shrug. “You know, we’re just battling demons and catching killers. The norm.”
The truth was, Paige did want there to be chemistry. She had for a long time, but they were always on a case, always working a job. She didn’t know how to be anything other than serious when on a case. She hadn’t always been that way, but after Leah, work had become her coping mechanism.
Tru gave them a sarcastically sage look. “Sounds right.” He sighed at Alma. “So, where’re we shacking up?”
Paige worked the kinks out of her back. “Ask Fanny if we’re full here.”
“So,” Alma said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “What demon’s trying to take over this time?”
W HY DID IT always come down to that? Paige rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth.
Dexx shifted under her. “My legs are asleep.” His soft murmur filtered through her ear like a warm caress. “I think we need to get up.”
She rolled off of him so he could get up unhindered. “Actually, I could use a walk. What about anyone else?”
Dexx rose to his feet, grabbing his worn assault boots.
“I’ve been driving for two days straight.” Tru let his head fall back, his shoulders bunched forward. “If I don’t sit down again for a month, it’ll be too soon.”
“A walk could be good.” Alma flicked her multi-colored gaze to Dexx.
Paige pretended to pay attention to her shoes.
Dexx opened his palms.
Alma raised her eyebrows inquiringly, then chucked her chin in Paige’s direction.
Anger flashed across his features. He jabbed a finger toward Paige while the other hand went to his head. He shrugged, his eyes demanding.
Alma glared at him for a long, silent moment before the bite dropped out of her gaze. She turned to Paige. “How are you doing, Nut?”
Hurt flashed in Paige’s chest as she headed for the door without a word to the woman.
They all trooped out of the inn toward the lake. Trees sheltered them from the wind that tossed the branches. The grass was full and lush beneath their feet. The afternoon sun hid behind a dark storm. The chopped water of the lake lapped against the sandy shore with little slurping sounds. Paige led them toward the tree-line. No insects, no birds. Just them and the wind.
“Looks like it’s about to rain,” Alma said, keeping pace with Paige.
She wasn’t sure what to answer, or even if she wanted to. The sharp edge had been removed with time, but that didn’t mean everything was okay. It wasn’t. If she had to work with her grandmother, she would and she could, but chit-chat? A
“Tru, man!” Dexx twisted beneath her. “I know I told Fanny to give you guys a key, but this room’s booked. Don’t know if you noticed that. You three are staying somewhere else.”
“Les stayed at home.”
“Then, what took you so long? Alma said it was to find arrangements for the kids.”
“Yeah. Exactly.”
Paige chuckled. She knew her sister well enough to realize she didn’t like being left behind. It didn’t matter she was as big as a yacht with what had to be a ten pound baby growing in her womb. She wanted to be there, saving her little sister like always.
She’d been behind the memory blockers, Paige recalled. Though it was easier to understand her big sister’s position, it didn’t make it any better. Not really.
The man grinned at Dexx. “We’re not messing with the mojo, are we? Dexx and Paig-ee sitting in a tree—”
Dexx cut him off with a sharp chortle. “You’ve been hanging around little kids way too much, man. Talk to some adults. Seriously.”
Paige snorted. He was a dork, but a cute dork.
“So, then we’re not messin’ with the—” He did a little shimmy, his hands out, palms down. It looked like was mimicking a surfer. “—chemistry.”
“Nah,” Dexx said with a shrug. “You know, we’re just battling demons and catching killers. The norm.”
The truth was, Paige did want there to be chemistry. She had for a long time, but they were always on a case, always working a job. She didn’t know how to be anything other than serious when on a case. She hadn’t always been that way, but after Leah, work had become her coping mechanism.
Tru gave them a sarcastically sage look. “Sounds right.” He sighed at Alma. “So, where’re we shacking up?”
Paige worked the kinks out of her back. “Ask Fanny if we’re full here.”
“So,” Alma said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “What demon’s trying to take over this time?”
W HY DID IT always come down to that? Paige rolled her eyes, gritting her teeth.
Dexx shifted under her. “My legs are asleep.” His soft murmur filtered through her ear like a warm caress. “I think we need to get up.”
She rolled off of him so he could get up unhindered. “Actually, I could use a walk. What about anyone else?”
Dexx rose to his feet, grabbing his worn assault boots.
“I’ve been driving for two days straight.” Tru let his head fall back, his shoulders bunched forward. “If I don’t sit down again for a month, it’ll be too soon.”
“A walk could be good.” Alma flicked her multi-colored gaze to Dexx.
Paige pretended to pay attention to her shoes.
Dexx opened his palms.
Alma raised her eyebrows inquiringly, then chucked her chin in Paige’s direction.
Anger flashed across his features. He jabbed a finger toward Paige while the other hand went to his head. He shrugged, his eyes demanding.
Alma glared at him for a long, silent moment before the bite dropped out of her gaze. She turned to Paige. “How are you doing, Nut?”
Hurt flashed in Paige’s chest as she headed for the door without a word to the woman.
They all trooped out of the inn toward the lake. Trees sheltered them from the wind that tossed the branches. The grass was full and lush beneath their feet. The afternoon sun hid behind a dark storm. The chopped water of the lake lapped against the sandy shore with little slurping sounds. Paige led them toward the tree-line. No insects, no birds. Just them and the wind.
“Looks like it’s about to rain,” Alma said, keeping pace with Paige.
She wasn’t sure what to answer, or even if she wanted to. The sharp edge had been removed with time, but that didn’t mean everything was okay. It wasn’t. If she had to work with her grandmother, she would and she could, but chit-chat? A
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