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Parker narrowed his eyes. He could make a stand that might miff off his mate or do as he was told, and that might miff off his wolf and his sense of pride. He tossed the keys back to her and was surprised when she caught them. “You get the door, and I’ll get the child,” he said, standing his ground until it gave way and he found himself buried in a damn hole of his own making.
“Why? Is it the manly thing to do?” Evie asked, wrinkling her nose and mocking him with a look that challenged his pride.
“Yeah,” he said. He didn’t see any point in ducking the male-female thing; he was a shifter, there were rules, and it would come up eventually.
Evie opened her mouth to speak, but the dig from an elbow behind her made her move out of the way. Jennifer pushed to her feet and stood between the two adults looking up. “I can walk myself; I’m not a baby,” she said and did just that.
When Jennifer reached the front door, she pulled the handle down and opened it. There was a grunt of amusement from Parker. “Looks like you left the door open,” he said, looking anywhere but at his mate as he tried not to rub too much salt in her wounds.
Evie took a breath and turned to look at the shifter beaming a grin beside her. When he brought his gaze to her, she cocked an eyebrow at him. “And you woke up the sleeping bear,” she ground out, unimpressed.
Parker considered her words as he rested a palm against the car. He had to snatch his hand away fast when she slammed the door if he wanted to keep his fingers, and the look in her eyes said she didn’t much care for his digits at that moment. “I apologise…”
Evie was already walking to the door. She was a little surprised and impressed that the man had apologised, but that didn’t mean he would earn any brownie points for doing it. Those she saved for Jennifer, who didn’t always know right from wrong, Parker was old enough to know better.
Parker didn’t move an inch. He knew what would happen if he followed her up the path, he’d get the door tossed in his face, and he’d already headbutted one door tonight. He wasn’t sure his pride could take another knock so soon.
Sure enough, when Evie walked into the house, she slammed the door behind her. Parker’s beast replied to that move with a low, warning growl, and he sighed. “Yep, I know, buddy; she’s a witch; we have to expect it.”
~
“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Nana called to the ship in a voice that wouldn’t have gone amiss in a scary movie.
The fine hair covering True’s body stood to attention, and a shiver rushed up her spine. “Not a good idea,” she hissed out in a raspy whisper and drew a glance from Nana her way.
“What were you expecting? Me to admire the woodworking on the ship?” Nana’s tone was condescending and mocking, which irritated True, reminding her of why she and Nana didn’t always get along.
True muttered under her breath. “Maybe open a portal to hell, step through, and give us all a break.”
“I heard that.”
“No, you didn’t,” True said. Nana might be wearing a hearing aid, but it couldn’t be that good.
“I would have if you’d spoken louder,” Nana said.
“Then I might have hurt your feelings, and we wouldn’t want that,” True replied.
“Sticks and stones,” Nana said, stopping in front of the ship and eyeing the wreckage. “Was it such a good idea for Hope to buy something so close to the sea?”
“It’s the high tides…”
“And the comet, yes, yes, but it’s still close,” Nana said, waving her hand and brushing away True’s explanation.
True had to wonder if everyone knew about spring tides and comets because she was oblivious before being told. She would hold her hand up to not listening as well as she could have at school, but she was sure they never taught this kind of thing – things people should know, rather than algebra and trigonometry.
“What about coastal erosion?” Nana said.
“I don’t think they get a lot of that around here. Although with climate change…”
“I thought I brought you up better than to believe what rich people tell you, especially when those people pay for the research and make money from the cures,” Nana said. “And they are buying up all the posh beach property and fancy islands, you know, the ones that were supposed to be underwater by now?”
“I remember,” True said, nodding. “We don’t trust the people in charge, grow our own food and herbs, and stay off the grid.”
“So, things do go in those ears and stick around.”
“Yep, I got it,” True said, nodding. “But it’s hard to grow food on a beach,” she muttered.
“Pah!” Nana bit out. “That’s what windowboxes and tubs are for.”
