Page 32 of Guarded by My Gargoyle

Nobody said anything.

“She’s human,” he repeated. “I’m a gargoyle.”

Aidan looked at Ben. “Are those incompatible?”

“No.”

Sam shook his head, and Garrick scowled at all of them. “That wasn’t a question.”

“Sounded like one,” Aidan said.

“She has a son.”

He wasn’t quite sure why he’d said it, but Toby’s earnest little face rose in his mind anyway, delighted to discover him at the nursery.

Mr. Garrick could come too. He should come too. So he’s not by himself.

The words had been bothering him all afternoon. No. Not bothering him. That would have been easier.

Ben’s expression changed slightly. “Sara says he’s a good kid.”

“Yes.”

“And you like him.”

Garrick looked at him, and Aidan, to his credit, held it a full three seconds before he ruined it.

“You know,” he said, taking a long pull of his beer, “the thing I love about all this?” He looked around at the three of them and grinned. “I love that it’s not me. No offense to any present company.”

“Aidan,” he said.

“Some poor bastard’s always got the eyes going gold over a woman in a green dress, and tonight, thank every god there is, that bastard is not me.” He raised his bottle in a toast to himself. “I’m going to enjoy a beer, hear Ben sing, flirt with someone who’ll flirt back and mean nothing by it, and go home to a bed I don’t have to share with anyone else’s disasters.” He clinked his bottle against the rail. “It’s a beautiful life.”

“You’ll get yours,” Sam said darkly.

“Not tonight I won’t.”

Ben picked up his guitar and turned back to Garrick. “You want to keep doing the math, be my guest.” He paused. “Just make sure you’re solving the right problem.”

Garrick’s eyes narrowed, and Ben shrugged as someone inside shouted his name.

“That’s me.” He reached for the door.

“Well, isn’t this a cozy little tableau?”

Ben stopped and sighed, and they all turned to find Flora perched on the railing at the end of the porch. Today’s tracksuit was hot-pink, with a fist throwing the horns across the front of it, the spiked wristband picked out in silver rhinestones, and ROCK HARD underneath in letters two inches high. She was looking at the four of them with the satisfaction of a female who had stumbled across entertainment she had every intention of enjoying. Garrick would have bet his entire company that she’d known they were there all along. She probably even knew exactly what they’d said.

“Don’t let me interrupt,” she said. “I only came out for some air.”

“No, you didn’t,” he said.

“No,” Flora agreed cheerfully. “I didn’t.”

Ben made the sensible choice and escaped inside. Flora watched the door swing shut behind him, then looked up at Garrick.

“You left.”

“I’m aware.”