Veiled Secrets by Shawn McGuire

Author:Shawn McGuire [McGuire, Shawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Bag Books
Published: 2019-01-31T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

I’d barely gotten my rain jacket off and hung on a doorknob to drip-dry when Tripp and Meeka met me at the back-patio doors. Tripp wrapped me in a hug while Meeka leaned against my legs.

“Thank God. I was getting really worried about you.” Meeka let out a little ruff. “She was too.”

“It’s all good,” I promised. “I drove Morgan home. Can you believe she was going to walk home from Shoppe Mystique in this?”

“And, of course, you had to stay and visit for a while.” There was a smile on his mouth but not in his eyes.

I didn’t like the implication that I should report in or come straight home after work. “You know my job is round the clock.”

“And Morgan and Briar were helping you look for Jacob?” He didn’t wait for me to respond. “I assume there’s been no sign of him.”

No one was more worried about that boy than Tripp.

“Nothing. I called off the hunt for tonight. We’ll regroup in the morning.” I gestured at the group of four sitting on the sofa beneath the covered patio. “What are the Goths doing out there? They ignored me when I asked.”

“The Goths?”

“I’m not sure what else to call them.” I thought of their names for themselves—Shade, Winter, Ebony, and Dusk. “The Darks?”

That made me think of Mallory and her beware of the dark fairy warning.

Tripp scowled, unamused with my nickname for the foursome. “They said they wanted to experience the fury of Mother Nature.”

“Well, let’s not let them freeze to death in the process.”

I pulled off my wet hiking shoes and left them to dry on the mat next to my jacket. “I need something to warm me up.” I gave him a sultry smile, trying to ease his anger. “Are you available?”

“I’m making stew.”

He wouldn’t play along this time, which meant he really was irritated with me. I hadn’t planned to be at Morgan’s that long. I guess I should’ve called.

“That’s what that wonderful smell is.” My stomach growled.

“I need to put together the salad. Everything will be ready in a half hour.” Halfway to the kitchen, he turned back to me. “Rosalyn’s upstairs in The Nook.”

Hint received. At least Meeka wasn’t mad at me. She was practically Velcroed to my side.

Just before climbing the stairs, I heard a small voice coming from somewhere at the front of the house. I altered course, went in search of the voice, and found Olivia in the sitting room, a basket filled with a variety of dolls, toys, and books next to her. She was in the process of putting a new dress onto one of her dolls.

“What are you doing in here, Olivia?”

She looked at me with an expression somewhere between a frown and a scowl. “Mommy’s catching up on work. She told me to stay down here.” She glanced at Meeka and a mischievous glint lit her eyes. As sweet as could be, she asked, “Can I play with the doggie?”

I looked down at the Westie who leaned even harder against my legs.

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