Page 73 of Fangs and Fudge

Miles nodded and Mrs. Hunter caught my eye.

“Would you and Vena mind giving me a hand in the kitchen?”

“Sure,” I said, standing. Vena made a face and sighed loudly but followed.

As soon as we were in the kitchen, which Mrs. Hunter seemed to think was out of Shepard’s hearing range, she turned on me with a grin.

“He is gorgeous, Everly. You definitely have an eye for men. Any chance you can help Vena?”

“Mom,” Vena said, drawing it out as she sat at the island.

“What? Your taste in men is horrible. You always go for the flirts. Find one that will stick with you.”

“What happened to a dead man being better?” Vena asked.

“They’re better than the wrong man, but the right one is the goal,” her mom said. “Having a partner alongside you out in the field is worth more than a thousand dwarf mines. And you’ve always loved a good hunt. This time, try for a man.”

Her mom moved to the fridge, and Vena made a help-me-out-here face at me. I pulled my phone from my pocket and slid it toward her as I accepted a fresh bunch of snap peas from Mrs. Hunter.

“Vena’s not mature enough for serious yet,” I said. “But she’s getting there. She can make my coffee just the way I like it now, do her own laundry, and even makes her bed.”

“I’m done with both of you,” Vena grumbled as she typed on my phone.

I laughed with Mrs. Hunter before reassuring her.

“Vena’s not purposely going after Mr. Wrong. Mr. Right has just been a little slow in showing up. I have a feeling that’ll change soon though.”

“Oh?” her mom asked, giving me her full attention.

Vena gave me a warning look as she set my phone on the counter.

“Yep. She finally said yes to working at Blur. It’s filled with men just like Shepard. Give her some time. I’m sure someone she likes will show up.”

Her mom was grinning from ear to ear at the promise of a partner in Vena’s life. Vena shook her head at me behind her mom’s back but got to work peeling and chopping carrots as ordered.

After Mrs. Hunter had dinner in the oven and the table set, we returned to the living room. Vena and I were sipping wine with her mom while Mr. Hunter and Shepard enjoyed a beer from Zimbabwe. Miles had excused himself a while ago, and I could hear the occasional creak in the ceiling above to indicate he was moving around on the second floor.

“So what do you do for a living?” Mrs. Hunter asked Shepard.

“I run a nightclub in D.C.”

“Oh? A business owner?” She elbowed Vena like she should pay attention.

“Mom, if you’re that interested in marrying me off, why don’t you just arrange a marriage,” Vena said moodily.

Mrs. Hunter gave her a ‘don’t tempt me’ look before focusing on Shepard again.

“The club you run wouldn’t be Blur, would it?” she asked.

“The very same,” he said with a smile.

“Good. We’ve been meaning to stop there since Everly started. We’ll make time soon.”

“I’d be delighted to have you,” Shepard said. “Let Vena know when you’ll be there so I can have the staff watch for you.”

Mrs. Hunter’s smile grew. “If Vena knows ahead of time, she’ll plan not to be there.”

“Everly and Vena agreed to work every night we’re open during summer, so I don’t think that’ll be an issue.” He turned his gaze to Vena. “You won’t leave me in a bind by calling in at the last minute, will you?”

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