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“Was that sarcasm?” Jennifer piped up, twisting her head and narrowing her eyes on her aunt.
“Yep.” Evie looked at her watch. That ticking countdown was moving along, but they were still a long way from five o’clock and the deadly church bells.
“I should have brought drinks,” Parker said, about to push to his feet when Hope appeared with a tray and a smile.
“Do you want me to take the munchkin?” Hope whispered out the side of her mouth as she bent down and placed a glass of cola in front of Evie.
Evie shot a wide-eyed look of horror up at her friend. “What? Why? Noooo!” she rushed out, snatching up the glass and trying to push her whole face into the glass to cover her embarrassment.
Wolves have big ears, and he was grinning from one ear to the other. Evie wished the floor would open up and swallow her whole, or not, Jennifer was too close, and she didn’t want to put the child in danger.
“Loud and clear,” Hope said, walking around the table to place Jennifer’s drink and then Parker’s. “Shouldn’t be long for your order,” she said, standing behind Parker and mocking Evie with a big old grin. “Enjoy,” she said, pointing to Parker.
Evie groaned inwardly with embarrassment, stuck her nose into the cold cola, snorted and coughed. “Oh, for the love of…” She grabbed a paper napkin and dabbed at her nose as Jennifer giggled.
“I’m sure you’re supposed to drink that, not snort it,” Parker said. He turned to Jennifer. “Am I right?”
“You are so right, Uncle Parker,” Jennifer said.
Evie’s mouth hung open as the realisation sunk in, Jennifer had called him uncle, and in the child’s mind, they were already a family. How the heck had that happened?
“Burger and fries times three,” Amy announced, bouncing up to the table like an excited Tigger and jolting Evie out of her musings with a nudge of her hip against her arm and a smirk that deserved a zap.
“That was fast!” Evie said, and she wasn’t sure if she was talking about the food or Jennifer adopting Parker as her own.
“Hush, don’t tell table four they’ll be waiting a bit longer for their order,” Amy said, grinning like an idiot. “No charge,” she said, putting a plate in front of Evie. “On the house,” she added, putting Jennifer’s plate down, and when she got to Parker, she grinned wide like she was really enjoying herself. “Welcome to the family,” she said, just as Evie stuffed a few fries into her mouth and choked on them.
“Chew, Aunt Evie, chew,” Jennifer said, berating her with a shake of her head.
“Yeah, chew,” Amy said and snorted a chuckle as she got a death glare in return. She chuckled all the way back across the room, with Evie debating whether or not to zap her backside on her journey.
“Snorted and choked,” Parker said, reflecting on the meal so far. “Life just got a whole lot more interesting.” He bit down on a handful of fries and munched happily, amusement dancing in his eyes as Jennifer giggled harder.
“Eat your food,” Evie told her niece, and Jennifer raised her eyebrows.
“I am,andI’mchewing,” Jennifer replied.
Evie groaned inwardly and did a double-take at Parker when his grin caught her eye. “Chewing,” he said.
Evie looked from one conspirator to the other; one was grinning and the other giggling, and she rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t help but smile, which turned into a chuckle of her own.
“There you go,” Parker said. “Now relax. It’s not like I’m an animal or anything.”
Parker delivered the line just when Evie decided to go in for another sip of her drink; it didn’t end well as she spluttered a chuckle into the glass, making the cola bubble up and over the edge.
Parker whipped a paper napkin from the table and held it out to her. “We might need a refill on cola and napkins if this keeps up,” he said, then frowned. “Do they do bibs here?”
“Parker’s funny,” Jennifer said, giggling.
“Oh, he’s a scream,” Evie said, snatching the napkin and trying not to laugh.
~
“Now,” Nana said, eyeing the eclipse as the darkness hit full-on night but with an eerie glow.
“Maybe we should wait until the customers have gone home,” True hissed in a low whisper.
Faith shoved her in the back and sent her forward. “Get moving, it’s a kid ghost, and we’re on a rescue mission.”
