Page 70 of Summoning my Grumpy Demon Boss

“Sounds like a plan.” Lin reaches across the table and pats Luke’s arm. “And try not to worry too much. There is still a lot they can do, and a lot of chances he can beat this.”

Luke swallows hard and nods.

“Thank you, Mrs Wang,” I give her my warmest smile. “We really appreciate it.”

She waves me off. “Don’t be silly. There is nothing this community won’t do to help Rob and Joanne. Believe me. I’m glad we have this opportunity to show them that they deserve it.”

We pay the bill and wave to Lin as she crosses the road to get to her car.

“I can’t believe they’re going to help us,” Luke says.

“Why not?”

He shrugs. “Stuff was tense when we first came out. Some people said we’d betrayed them. Because we’d been lying to everyone about who we really were.”

I squeeze his hand. “Not lying, just not telling them everything. There’s a difference. Not like it’s their business anyway.”

He looks down at his feet. “Yeah. It didn’t feel like that at the time. I hated it. For a long time I wished I was human.”

I turn to him. “I’m glad you’re not.”

“Really?”

“Really. You’re amazing just the way you are.”

I get another phone call from my Dad as we are getting into Luke’s truck. I dismiss the call and drop it onto my lap, concentrating on what Luke is saying. “Thank you. For painting for the auction and for everything.”

“Of course. Don’t even thank me. You’d do the same for me.”

I stare down at my phone in my lap on the drive back to Luke’s place. I’m still so mad at Dad. I’ve put the card into Margaret’s letterbox. It’s all I can do short of stalking the woman. That’s hardly likely to help. I just wish I could get through to her and clear this weight from Luke’s shoulders. He still looks like he’s carrying a heavy burden, despite how much success we’ve had already.

When the doorbell rings, I’m lost in my own world with a canvas laid out on the kitchen floor over an old sheet and painton my hands and knees and arms and probably in my hair. It’s the middle of the day on a Friday. Luke is tied up all day on a job at the Harper place up the road, so I guess I’ll have to answer it.

Setting down my palette knife, I wipe a hand across my cheek to brush the stray hair from my face. I look around until I find the cloth to clean my hands and then go to the front door. I’m so surprised when I open it. Margaret Nguyen is standing there with a younger woman with the same sloped nose and brown eyes.

“Margaret! Thanks for coming by. Will you come in? Can I get you a cup of tea or coffee?” I have to take a breath and tell myself to slow down. She doesn’t need my flustered rambling. This is part of the reason I’m no good at this stuff, but Luke is relying on me and I won’t let him down.

Margaret stays on the doorstep. “I got your card.” Her voice is flat. I notice she’s using a walking stick to support her weight on her right side.

“You did? That’s great.”

Her daughter nudges her. “Mum, you said you wanted to talk to Mia.”

Margaret sighs. “My daughter told me the Rotary Club is organising a charity auction for the Wilsons.”

I blink. This is not the conversation I expected to be having, but perhaps it’s an in on the other stuff I want to discuss with her. “Yeah. I’m actually in the middle of painting something for the auction myself.” I gesture behind me. “Are you sure you don’t want to come in?”

She shakes her head. “It’s always the Wilsons this, and the Wilsons that. What about the rest of us who could have usedsome help?” As if to emphasise her words, she grunts and shifts her weight onto her good side.

“Mum!”

Margaret rolls her eyes. “Listen, I know what it’s like to have medical bills you can’t afford. And believe it or not, I’m not a total bitch.”

Margaret’s daughter makes an apologetic face. “What my mum is trying to say is that she felt bad for Rob Wilson when she found out he has cancer. She wouldn’t have gone ahead with the case if she had known.”

This is excellent news. I force myself to keep my expression calm. “Of course not. You know, it’s not too late.”

Margaret frowns. “That’s not what my lawyer said. He said we’ve already filed some statement, and there are legal fees. I only agreed to this because he assured me he could win it for me, or he’d waive the fees.”

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