Gargoyle (Woodland Creek)(35)

“That’s good to know.” My eyes lifted to his, my gaze twinkling in amusement. “But I’m still not telling you what else the wizard said.”

He snickered. “Not yet, anyway.”

Mrs. Stone cleared her throat. Loudly. “Do you two want bread with this?”

Our attention jerked in her direction. We blinked a few times, staring at her.

Finn whistled again, glancing between us. “Maybe Hanna had the right of it.”

“That’s bullshit!” Mandy griped. She pointed a finger at her chest. “I find a wizard I want to be with and the family says no. But a human walks into our home making googly eyes with Isaac and we all agree she might be a good fit for him? Hell no!”

Finn took a calm tone at her outburst. “It was Hanna, Mandy.”

“I don’t care!” Her chin trembled as she stood to her feet. “Vince isn’t a bad guy.”

I watched as everyone went mute inside the kitchen, not even glancing at her.

“He is not!” Her attention snapped to her oldest brother. “Isaac, tell them he’s not.”

Isaac’s head teetered back and forth. “He does have issues.”

“They aren’t that bad.”

His black brows rose. “He feeds on energy directly from the ley-lines.”

She shrugged a shoulder. “That’s not illegal.”

Slow words. “But it will make him go insane.”

Her shoulders sagged. She opened her mouth, but eventually closed it. She whispered, “I’m going to bed.” Her footsteps were silent as she exited the kitchen.

Mrs. Stone’s narrowed gaze followed her daughter as she left, but eventually, peered back to us. She broke the tense silence that had draped over the room. “Bread with your lasagna?”

I cleared my throat. “That would be lovely.” My stomach growled as she set our plates in front of us. My eyes gleamed at the delicious food before me. I peered up at her and stated gratefully, “I’m starving. Thank you so much.”

She stared…before her lips twitched. “Yes, I’m sure you worked up an appetite.”

“Mom,” Isaac muttered in exasperation.

I ignored their by-play and lifted my fork. But I paused with it in the air. I glanced at Isaac and covertly wiggled my nose at him.

He chuckled quietly. “It’s fine. Go ahead.”

“Thank God,” I hummed and dug in.

Mrs. Stone took her daughter’s vacated seat. She placed her hands on the table, clasping them gently together. “So Isaac has informed us all about you and how you came to see us as you do.” She tilted her head to me. “But what I would like to know is your family. What can you tell me about them?”

“That they’re shit and the only one worth a damn was my deceased grandmother.” She wanted honesty. I was going to give it to her. “I left home at eighteen and I haven’t looked back. My father’s in jail and my mother shoots heroin. I stay as far away from them as possible.” I blinked. “I also used to drink, but I no longer do. Before I knew about shifters and wizards, I got drunk one night and visited the clock tower.” I glanced at each one of them. “You may remember me. I fell off the side of the building.”

All three went as still as their posing Gargoyle.

Isaac asked delicately, “I do remember that night. How did you survive?”

“Well, since no Gargoyle swooped down to save me,” a flicked glare at him, “a wizard took it upon himself to catch my falling ass. It was the night I received my special gifts.”

Isaac blinked. “Sorry about that.”

I waved my fork in the air. “I actually understand. No need to save a stranger who had just accosted you.” I peeked up. “Please tell me that was you and not one of your brothers.”

His lips twitched. “It was me.”

I sighed in relief. “That would have been awkward.”

“Back to my questions.” Mrs. Stone rapped her knuckles on the table. “What made you pick Woodland Creek to move to?”

“Aren’t you going to ask first where I moved from?”

She smiled. It wasn’t nice.

I blinked. “Oh, you already did a background check.”

Isaac chuckled softly. “She is my mother.”

“I noticed.” I turned my eyes back to her. “Truthfully?”

She nodded. “Yes. I find it curious an eighteen-year-old would move to Woodland Creek from Miami. Our town isn’t exactly a hot spot for youngsters.”

I pointed at her. “That’s why I moved here. I wanted to get away from all the craziness. I had plenty of that at home.” I shrugged. “And the town is absolutely gorgeous. It’s where I always pictured a ‘perfect’ family living. Not that there is such as a thing as a ‘perfect’ family, but I wanted to start somewhere fresh that gave me good vibes.”

“And Woodland Creek gave you,” she sniffed, peering down her nose at me, “good vibes?”

“It did.” I ate a bite of her superb cooking. “Up until I plunged to my death.”

She blinked, her words dry. “Yes, that would do it.”

I grinned at her. “Thank God for that wizard, right?”

Mrs. Stone actually chuckled, running her eyes over my features. “Nicely done, Ms. Kirk.” She glanced at her son. Shrugged a shoulder. “She’s not entirely ideal, but she’s not horrible either.” She lifted from her chair and walked from the kitchen.