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Sticking out my hand, I say, “I’m Cam, and if you’re Zoe, you’reamazing.”
She shakes my hand. “IamZoe. And if you’re the guy who’s going to solve the puzzle in the cave and jump-start the tourism industry here so I can do this”—she sweeps her arm toward the snow village—“every year, then I think you’re amazing too.”
I look back at the mock village. The joy on the kids’ faces as they play. The smiles of their parents as they stand nearby, sipping from thermoses and takeout cups and chatting sociably. This is definitely something that should happen every year.
“They can just call us the amazing twins, then.”
CHAPTERFOURTEEN
Cam
“Tellme again who’s going to be there?” I demand, stepping away from the hand Micah was about to put on my arm. He sighs. This is the third time I’ve delayed us from teleporting to his grandmother’s house. It’s not that I’m nervous, but more that I’m… concerned. Sure, Damaris seemed cranky and kinda hardcore in the meeting the other day, but she was also fair. I can handle that. But then her grandsons and Garrett got all freaked out about her, and now I’m concerned.
A smart man knows when to be concerned.
Micah gives me that look, the one that says he knows what I’m doing but thinks I’m adorable anyway. I’ve quickly come to like that a lot. Most people give me the “how can you get on my nerves this much” look instead.
“You and me,” he says, not for the first time, “Asher, Garrett, and Zac. My grandmother. My parents and brother, Asher’s parents and sister, and Zac’s mother.”
I nod as though it’s the first time I’ve heard it. “And you’re sure the kids like puzzles?”
“They do. If you show them how they work, they’ll adore you,” he promises patiently.
“And your grandmother—”
“My grandmother is very appreciative of anything crafted by hand. If she knows you made the puzzle, she’ll be extremely grateful.”
I guess I don’t have any more reasons to delay. Oh, wait. “You’re sure what I’m wearing is okay?”
He smiles. It’s a tiny one, but I’m getting better at spotting them. “It’s time to go, Cam.” He puts an arm firmly around my shoulders and teleports us out of there.
The room we arrive in is the same as every other teleport room I’ve seen so far: bare except for a poster on the wall. This one at least is painted a nice teal color, with white trim. If Damaris went to the trouble of choosing a pretty paint color for a room nobody spends time in, she can’t be that bad.
Micah opens the door and calls, “Anybody home?” The resulting cries of excitement and running feet make me curious, and I follow him into the hall.
Two kids come racing toward us. The girl, who looks a little older, skids to a stop, but the boy barrels into Micah’s legs. “Hi! You said you were going to bring the puzzle man to visit me!”
Aww. That’s so cute.
Micah bends down and lifts the kid into his big, strong arms. I wonder if it would be inappropriate for me to fan myself. “I did. Here he is. This is Cam. Cam, meet Chloe and Isaac.”
Both kids look at me. The little boy gets suddenly shy and buries his face in his brother’s shoulder. “Hi.” I give an awkward little wave. “I brought you something.”
When in doubt, bribe.
Isaac’s little head comes up immediately. “A present?” He wriggles to be put down. Micah obliges with a snort.
“I thought you might like some puzzles. I made them just for you.” I reach into my coat and pull out the two simpler puzzles I made. I don’t do a lot of kid stuff anymore, since most parents aren’t willing to pay custom rates for them, but I always enjoy them when I do. It’s almost more difficult to come up with something that’s creative and going to challenge them without being too hard. Handing them the plain cotton pouches, I say, “I can show you how they work, but if you want to try by yourself first, that would be fun.”
“Thank you,” Chloe says by rote. She opens the pouch, and her mouth forms an O. “It looks like a robot,” she breathes.
“Yep. And when it’s all solved, it will look like a smiley face.”
Isaac’s eyes get all big, and he opens his pouch. The two puzzles are the same, since I didn’t want to risk any arguments over them. I might not spend much time with kids anymore, but I remember what it can be like. “Mine’s a robot too,” he says, then looks up at me with a grin. He must be thrilled, because I can see it clearly, not tiny at all. “Thank you!” He throws his arms around my legs for a quick hug, then races back down the hall, yelling, “Look what the puzzle man brought me!” Chloe chases after him.
I meet Micah’s gaze. “I’m going to be ‘the puzzle man’ forever, aren’t I?”
He cocks a brow. “We both know you love that idea.”
