Page 21 of Guarded by My Gargoyle

Eric hadn’t joined in with Aidan’s teasing. He rarely did. Eric had known Garrick most of his life, and that meant he knew when not to make a joke.

“It’s nothing,” Garrick said again.

Eric let his gaze shift briefly to Garrick’s eyes.

“I remember your father’s eyes.”

Garrick’s hand closed over the back of the nearest chair, and he heard the old wood complain before he made himself let go.

Eric didn’t explain. He didn’t need to. There were things Garrick remembered about his parents that he had spent twenty years refusing to examine too closely, and the way his father had looked at his mother was one of them. What had happened after she died was another.

Aidan glanced between them, the humor gone from his face. Whatever question occurred to him, he had enough sense not to ask it.

Garrick turned back towards the copper pan. The gold was still there.

“This proves nothing.”

“No,” Eric said.

That was all he said. No argument, no reassurance, no attempt to tell Garrick what he ought to do about something none of them understood, and for some reason that made it worse than advice would have.

Eric drained the last of the coffee and straightened. “We should go.”

Aidan looked at him. “We should?”

“Yes.”

“But I was enjoying myself.”

“I noticed.”

Aidan sighed, but he moved away from the door. “Fine. Apparently the sheriff has decided to protect you from me.”

“The sheriff has decided he has somewhere else to be.”

“Same thing.”

Garrick folded his arms. “Out. Both of you.”

Aidan stopped in front of him on his way past, and the teasing had come back, although only around the edges.

“For what it’s worth, I’ve never seen your eyes do that before.”

“You’ve known me less than two years.”

“Still counts.”

“It really doesn’t.”

“It does to me.” Aidan clapped a hand against Garrick’s shoulder and left it there for a moment, then the grin came back. “Also, I’m going to shake her hand again next time I see her. For scientific purposes.”

Garrick stared at him. Aidan laughed and moved quickly out of reach. Eric followed at a more civilized pace, and at the kitchen doorway he stopped and glanced back.

“The house looks good, Garrick.”

He frowned. “What?”

“It’s starting to look like somebody lives here now.”