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Garrett’s wild-eyed gaze meets mine, and I know what he’s thinking. If I grab Cam and teleport, can we escape Grandmother’s wrath?
She stares at him, and then her gaze swings slowly to me. Is she… is she going to hold me responsible for what he says? No. She might have a short temper, but she’s always been a reasonable woman.
Mostly.
Sometimes.
She looks back at Cam and says, “Thank you. I like you too. Micah will bring you to our family dinner this weekend.”
I will? I mean, I was going to ask if he wanted to come anyway, since he’s here alone and the only people he knows will all be there, but this sounds suspiciously like an order.
“He doesn’t have to do that,” Cam announces. “Though a plate of leftovers would be nice.”
I stand. “We should get to the cave and start work. Lots to do!”
“Bring him on Sunday,” my grandmother orders. There’s no mistaking it for an invitation this time.
“Of course,” I promise. Cam opens his mouth, possibly to argue, and I squeeze his shoulder. She seems less angry now, and I don’t want to change that.
He gets the hint and aims a sunny smile around the table. “So nice to meet you all!”
I hustle him toward the door, Garrett on our heels.
“Garrett, stay,” Grandmother says, and I don’t look back. She likes him, so he’ll be fine.
Once we’re safely in the hallway, I slow a little.
“That was your grandmother, right?” Cam asks. “She’s epic. But I wouldn’t want to be trapped in a dark alley with her.”
I slow a little more. “Why would you be trapped in a dark alley at all?”
He shrugs. “There could be reasons.”
I leave it alone. I don’t want to know what those reasons are, anyway. “Yes, that was my grandmother. And you’re coming to dinner on Sunday, or I’ll be in trouble.”
“Are you sure I won’t be intruding? Because I can stay home. Food is good, though.”
“You won’t be intruding.” I stop walking. I don’t know where I was even going anyway, since we’ll be teleporting out of here. We need to go back to my place and grab the winter gear Garrett’s lending him. The cave is sheltered and comparatively warmer than outside, but still too cold for him to be in there all day in just that peacoat. Tonight, Asher will bring the stuff that got ordered online. “Grandmother invited you. That’s the opposite of intruding. And the food will be good. She likes to cook, and so does my uncle.” Asher’s dad makes the best roast potatoes I’ve ever had, and I’m a potato afficionado. “Are you ready?”
He looks up at me with those big eyes I just want to fall into, and says, “Sure. Ready for what?”
I have a strong suspicion that’s how he approaches most things in life: first the yes, then the questions. “To teleport.”
“Oh! Sure, let’s go.”
Garrett’s left the stuff piled on the couch, and I leave Cam to put it on while I go and get my own gear. Plus my tablet. There’s no internet connection in the cave, but I can do some design work if the opportunity arises.
When I get back to the living room, Cam’s wearing the down parka and boots—which are definitely big for him, so I make a mental note to keep an eye out for extra clumsiness—but not the rest.
“You need those too,” I say, nodding to the gloves, hat, and scarf on the couch.
He shakes his head stubbornly. “They’ll annoy me.”
I can see how the gloves might, since he’ll be working with his hands, but that’s all the more reason he needs the hat and scarf. I fold my arms over my chest and stare him down.
He stares right back.
The stare-off goes on for several minutes. Neither of us is willing to budge.
