Spooky Business (The Spectral Files #3) - S.E. Harmon Page 0,29

I know.”

“Then why do you keep making me repeat myself?” he asked exasperatedly. “You know what’s also part of the Earth? The natural stones that will go in your protection amulet. I need some time to figure out which ones will work for your particular problem.”

“You’ve had worse ideas,” I begrudgingly admitted.

“You should know.” His tone was pert. “Bad ideas are kind of your specialty, aren’t they?”

“Screw you, Daydream.”

“I already suggested that, and you said no.” He patted my cheek. “And don’t worry, I’ll bill you for this. I take Paypal now.”

“This doesn’t count as a full session.”

“Doesn’t it? I’m here solving your problems and giving you good ideas, aren’t I?”

“I think we’re playing it fast and loose with the word good.”

“And I’d love to debate that, but I have to get back.” He glanced in the direction of his classroom a bit anxiously. “If I miss Professor Grant’s lecture on applied mechanics, I’ll never forgive myself.”

God forbid he should miss ten minutes of notes. “Nerd,” I said fondly.

Dakota looked thrilled at the moniker. I had no idea what a plant whisperer needed with a doctorate in plant biology. I could only assume he was going to grow a giant Venus flytrap to take over the world. I didn’t want or need the details.

I watched as he bustled back to class. At the door, he blew me a kiss over his shoulder, and I pretended to throw it away. His responding laugh was bright and engaging, much like the man himself. I couldn’t help but smile in return.

*

It was dark before I pulled up in Paula’s driveway.

I was all out of small talk, so I waited in the car with the motor running while Danny made his goodbyes. His be out in a sec text was a bit optimistic; it was another ten minutes before he ambled down the driveway, hands full of Tupperware. He stacked them neatly in the back seat before sliding in beside me.

He leaned over and gave me a quick kiss. His square jaw was rough with stubble, which was hardly a surprise—I was fairly certain he could grow a mountain man beard in three hours. “Sorry.”

“I’m in no rush.”

I gave the Tupperware a look in the rearview mirror as I backed out of the driveway. The labels only had heating instructions on them, instead of Danny’s name in block letters. Apparently my stellar hurricane shutter removal had entitled me to some homemade lasagna.

“The last thing we need is more food,” I said. “As far as I know, our power is still out.”

We both knew it was a token protest. The only thing left to decide was how much to pile on my plate, and my stomach and brain were already hashing out a deal.

“I argued with her about that for ten minutes straight.” He sent me a weary look. “We’re taking the food.”

I chuckled. “I think it’s a mom thing. There must be a secret Facebook group called The Kids Aren’t Eating where they gather and worry.”

“Probably,” he agreed with a grin. “At least when I come back over tomorrow, she has to believe me when I say I’m full.”

I didn’t bother to tell him that he was coming back alone. I was entirely too salty to bite my tongue for another day—not back to fucking back. “So how bad is the leak?”

“It seems confined to three small areas. I think we got off pretty easy.” He sighed. “Uncle Charlie’s going to help me patch it up. It’ll be a pretty simple job.”

“Your one-eyed, permit-shirking Uncle Charlie? The one who says he can’t work without his two partners, Jack and Daniels? The one who got his foot stuck in your deck when he was repairing it?”

“Our deck, we eventually got that boot out, and the Jack Daniels thing was a joke,” Danny informed me starchily. “He knows what he’s doing.”

I murmured noncommittally. It was the first time I truly regretted not being invited to Sunday dinner. I’d hate to miss a chunk of the roof falling in the middle of Paula’s elegant dining table.

“She can stay with us if she needs to,” I offered. Considering her constant chilliness toward me, it was a pretty generous fucking offer. “My parents are already back at their place, so we have the room.”

“That's all right. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

I mulled over that for a bit, even as I focused on my driving. I was more cautious than usual since there was still debris all over the ground.