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I gave her a bland look. “I know for a fact you did it for Jules when he brought home that girl from that boy-band concert he took you to.”
“First off, he took me to a 5 Seconds of Summer concert. And for the record, they arenota boy band; they play their own instruments. Secondly, Jules isn’t you.”
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“You’re like a father to me. I really don’t want to think about you spending the night with a woman who’s barely older than me.” She held her palms up. “I’m not saying I’m not happy for you because I am, but I do not want to think about you having a sex life. Bringing her clothes makes me think about that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine, I’ll try to refrain from asking you for Piper-related favors in the future. I’ll also remember this next time you want to go to a concert or gala or whatever it is that you’re always complaining I don’t let you do.”
Daphne let out a dramatic sigh. “That’s as good as I’m getting, isn’t it?”
“You bet. Now get out if you don’t want to risk seeing me kiss—”
“Okay, okay,” she shouted, bolting for the door. “I’m going already.”
I was grinning as I picked up the pile of clothes and headed for the bathroom.
Nineteen
Samuel
After an hour-long drive,I pulled into the driveway of the two-story contemporary that my brother had spent most of the spring and early summer building with his wife.
The house had golden-brown siding with lots of floor-to-ceiling windows on the first floor and smaller windows on the second. The roof was gently sloped, enough to let rain and snow fall off but not so much that you couldn’t run around up there without having to worry about falling.
Nathaniel was already talking about adding a garage when I’d come here for dinner the night they moved in, just shy of six weeks ago. He certainly had plenty of land for it.
The country suited Nathaniel, or at least the acres of private land surrounding his house did. The redneck thing was harder to picture.
I got out of the car and headed up the stone path that led from the driveway to the front door set in the side of the house. I hadn’t told them I was coming, but judging by the fact that Sierra’s car was in the driveway, they were probably home from going to church with her mother like they did every Sunday morning. Unless Nathaniel finally got himself a car of his own. I sincerely doubted it.
I knocked on the front door, which was set beside a long, skinny window that offered a view of the stairs going up to the second floor.
A second later the door opened and I was face-to-face with Sierra Blue. Or more like chest-to-face since I had nearly a foot on her. She was barefoot and wearing a pair of black leggings and a gray tank top, her long wine-red hair falling in waves around her shoulders.
She blinked emerald eyes at me. “Sam?”
“Are you going to invite me in, darling?”
“No, she’s not,” Nathaniel growled from somewhere inside the house. It didn’t take him long to make it to her side though. “What are you doing here?” he demanded, glaring at me as he nudged his wife behind him.
We were making progress. Last time I showed up on his doorstep unannounced, he threw a dagger at my head.
I folded my arms and leaned against the doorframe. “I can’t stop by simply to see my brother and his family?”
“You could if I believed that’s really what you’re doing here,” Nathaniel said without budging. “However, I don’t believe for one second that this is purely a social call.”
“Would you believe that I’m here for personal reasons that have nothing to do with the secret order and everything to do with needing a distraction?” It was more or less the truth. There was something beyond diversion that I wanted from my brother, but it wasn’t anything to do with our work or demons.
Nathaniel frowned, mistrust still heavy in his expression. “Don’t make me regret this.” He stepped out of the doorway, taking Sierra with him.
“Are you staying for lunch?” Sierra asked me, peeking around Nathaniel’s frame to talk to me since she wasn’t tall enough to see over his shoulder.
“Yeah.”
Nathaniel glared at me, but his attention was quickly diverted when Sierra started heading toward the kitchen. He snagged her around her waist and pulled her back against his chest. “Don’t even think about it, baby girl.” He turned them so she was facing the other half of the house. “Go sit down. I’ll get lunch ready.”
Sierra rolled her eyes. “For goodness’ sake, Nate. You’re being redic—” Her words ended in a shriek as he swept her up in his arms and started carrying her to the black love seat in the living room. He then bent down and carefully lifted seven-week-old Nova from a bouncy chair beside the love seat and deposited her in Sierra’s lap.
