All the Rules of Heaven (All That Heaven Will Allow #1) - Amy Lane Page 0,106

raging around the table. “What do you know about sanding floors?”

“Not a damned thing.” Tucker took another bite of garlic bread. “By all means, enlighten me.”

By the time dinner ended, Tucker had a sense of how hard he’d be working the next day.

TUCKER OFFERED to stay to wash up, but Rae told him to help Josh load the sander into the back of the truck instead. Tucker came back inside to say goodbye, but before he could leave, Rae shoved three charms into his hand.

“The chains are my best silver, and the pentagrams are too. The stones inside are pure—I used garnets since that was the one on your necklace, and whatever happened to it, that’s where it started. Now you put one of those in your truck and hang one on your doorway and one on your window. They should keep anybody out, even from your bathroom, ’cause that’s attached. I’ll make you a few more.”

Tucker felt bad—he’d used up so much of her time. “Now, Rae, I can deal with—”

“Stop it,” she said. “Just stop. What you did for our son was amazing, but this isn’t just paying you back. We like you, Tucker. And you obviously need us. So just take the gift.” She looked over his shoulder and frowned at her husband. “Josh, would you grab the one off my table and put it on—”

“No,” Josh said shortly. “The damned ghosts want no part of me. Let Tucker have the last charm.”

“I made it for you, you stubborn asshole,” Rae returned. “Dammit, Josh, it’s for protection. So much shit can go wrong.”

He kissed her cheek and winked. “I’m just going to check out the room. Now, Rae, I’ll be back in an hour, okay? Tucker’s going to need help unloading the sander, and as soon as I get it up the stairs, I’ll come home.”

He grabbed the keys from the pegboard by the door and headed for his little Ford truck while Rae was still sputtering. “Dammit, Tucker, stay with him and keep him from doing anything stupid!” she called.

“Will do!” Tucker called back, a little worried himself.

He hopped into the truck, Angel materialized through the door, and they both took off.

Broken Glass

ANGEL WASN’T sure how Tucker didn’t just fall over from boredom when Josh was talking about sanding floors, but somehow he seemed to find it fascinating. Maybe because he’d spent so much of his life not having a job, and having a purpose completely out of his control had made Tucker supremely grateful for tangible proof that he was doing something.

Either way, Josh had dominated the conversation over dinner and dessert, and Angel was quite grateful for the relative quiet in the cab of the truck with Tucker.

“We’re not really going to pull wallpaper tonight?” Angel complained. He hadn’t eaten, of course, but he was more than ready to sit with Tucker and let his meal digest while they watched more popular television.

“Yes,” Tucker said, his jaw squaring up. “I just keep thinking that getting the room clear will help, that’s all. It’s not a pull or a hunch—it’s my own twisted logic. I can’t even understand it.”

“Maybe if Josh helps, you’ll have the wallpaper done tonight and you can quit obsessing.”

“Your support is appreciated,” Tucker said dryly. “I think it’s really awesome that we get to sound like we’re married and we don’t even get any of the bennies.”

“We get each other’s company.” Angel was quite sincere about that. “Ruth and I, we rubbed each other the wrong way from the get-go. I was not… human enough, I don’t think. I’m going to be ashamed of that for a long time.”

“Well, when we do her room, I’m sure you’ll get a chance to apologize,” Tucker said.

Angel brightened. “You know, I hadn’t thought about that. That’s true. Can we do her room next?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Tucker shuddered delicately. “Let me get good at this before I potentially fuck up Ruth’s afterlife, okay, Angel? Besides,” he said, lowering his voice, “you came to Daisy Place when she was a young woman. I have the feeling there’s something important about that timing. I don’t…. I’m selfish. She hung out in that mansion for over eighty-five years. It would be great if she could hang out just a little bit longer while you and I figure out how to get you to stay. I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m afraid that when we confront her, you’ll figure out how you got here in the first place, and that