Seventh Seal - Jacquelyn Faye Page 0,72

gets dark." I winked at her reassuringly, not really feeling the bravado I was trying to project. Just one of the damn things had mopped the floors and walls with us under the midday sun. I wasn't kidding when I'd said we'd hide, but one thing was for certain. It would be over my dead body before they took Candace away from us. "Besides, I think they want my ass a little more than yours. Even though yours is cuter."

She shook her head, taking me seriously. "You have a glorious ass, Lady."

Josie was dying on the loveseat, using every ounce of power she had not to bust out laughing.

"It's nice that you think Josie is glorious." I ruffled her hair again. All of us couldn't help but grin when Candace unleashed her musical giggles.

You have the key, find your map… The words whispered in my ears as warmth flared inside me that had nothing to do with the ball of sunshine in my lap. When the goddess spoke through Candace, it was creepy. When her voice echoed in my head it was worse.

Chapter 20

It was kind of comical. The moment my hand touched the brass handle of First Moon Books, my stomach growled and twisted into a knot before it began chewing on my backbone. While I wanted to check on things at the store, the smell wafting from the diner was too irresistible. Jason had been successful on his own thus far, he could live without me for another hour while I fueled up. Plus, if I drank another coffee at the bookstore, Marge might put me up for adoption.

Sighing, I looked both ways before crossing the street and headed to get some breakfast.

The door chimed and Marge smiled at me from the table closest to the door. She set down the older couple's plates of eggs, toast, and bacon. "Coffee?" She asked me, not them.

"You bet."

"Decaf," the elderly gentleman answered, too.

I chuckled and sat in my spot, glancing at my watch and trying to decide if I was closer to lunch or a late breakfast. With as much as my stomach was twisting in hunger, I probably would have to settle with both. A hamburger and an omelet did sound quite delicious…

"Hey, Darlin'. Know what you want?" She set a cup of steaming brew in front of me and put her hand on her hip.

"Hamburger, rare."

"Rare?" She cocked an eyebrow, not that I could blame her. I usually liked my steak rare and my burgers burnt.

"And an omelet. With ham."

Her other eye widened in response. "Somebody joining you?"

"Nope. Just me."

"You're eating a burger and an omelet?"

"You think Herb could make it a steak and omelet instead of plain eggs?"

"I'm sure he could. So, you want a steak and eggs, but omelet instead of eggs and skip the burger?"

"The burger, too."

"Oh, honey!" She grinned, set the pot of coffee on the table, squealed, practically knelt on the floor beside me, and grabbed my hands, shaking them excitedly. "Congratulations!"

"Huh?"

She leaned in closer. "Which one?"

"Which one what?"

"Is the father?"

An icy shard of fear slithered down my veins. "I'm not pregnant!"

"What?"

"What do you mean what? I'm not pregnant?"

"You're not?" She got up off the floor.

"No?"

"You sure?"

Since witches couldn't get pregnant unless they wanted to, I was pretty fucking sure. "Hell no."

"Oh. You're hungry?"

"Very?"

"Steak, omelet, and hamburger hungry?"

"Yes?"

"And you're sure you're not pregnant?"

"Positive!" I held out my hands in exasperation.

"Positive?"

"Yes!"

She eyed me dubiously one more time. "Kay. I'll have your order out shortly."

"Hey, Marge?"

"Yeah?"

"Extra rare on the steak, please. Sear it."

"You sure you're sure?"

I just sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose between my fingers, praying to the goddess the headache that had come out of nowhere would leave just as quickly. Tomorrow I was getting a fluffy coffee and a Danish.

"Herb! Steak sushi and an eggroll and a burger still mooin'"

"Roger."

I sought solace in my mug of coffee, ignoring everyone and everything around me. It was probably the reason I missed the chime of the door and the warm hand on my shoulder. His aftershave broke me out of my reverie. "Mornin', Chiefy."

"Chiefy?"

"Shut up. It's cute."

"Okay, Dotty." He slid into the booth across from me.

"You didn't stay over last night."

"You noticed." He chuckled and waved at Marge.

"Yep. I'm super observant like that. You went home?" I raised an eyebrow, curious to how that went.

"No. I was busy getting the good doctor admitted and getting Judge Reinhold to sign off on it."

"Judge Reinhold?"

"Yes?"

"You're fucking kidding me, right?"

"No?"

"Never mind." The day was getting