Page 11 of Treasure and Tarot

“Is it cool if I just go to the kitchen and say hi to Xander?”

She shrugged. “Sure, honey. Does Xavi have Abby tonight?”

He nodded. “Yes. She’s visiting with Uncle Xavi.”

“I bet her Uncle Xander is gonna be jealous that he has to work tonight and can’t just hang out with the two of you.” Tori’s laugh rang out.

“He’ll be there after he gets the kitchen cleaned up. We’ll still be awake.”

Instead of going through the front of the dining room and making a walk of shame to whichever of the two private dining rooms that Xander had decided on, he took the back way and moved right into the kitchen.

“Xander? Which private room did you stick me in, and why a room?”

“Dining room is booked for the night. Entire town wants to see the ghost hunters. Curiosity runs wild. Besides that, he kind of wouldn’t take no for an answer, so it looked weird if I said no. How are you, honey?”

“Totally wigged out. I—he’s been hurt pretty bad. He says he was in some kind of a cave-in. I don’t know what to think. I just, I just?—”

“Hey, you’re cool.” Xander took him into a hard hug before pulling back to grin at him, the man literally looking as Irish as it was possible to look. Red hair, green eyes, freckles, pale as milk—it was like his own personal leprechaun.

And the man could cook. Nothing fancy. Burgers. Meatloaf. Steaks. Omelets. Just solid, healthy, amazing food. That was what everybody wanted here.

“All right, cool. That’s me. I’m just the coolest, and I’ve gotta go suck it up.” He found Xander a smile. “Which room, and what should I order?”

“The one here next to the kitchen. I’ll hear if you raise your voice and get the Guinness stew. Either that or the shepherd’s pie.”

“Gotcha.” He loved Xander’s shepherd’s pie. “You should totally make those cottage-pie baked potatoes again.”

“Yeah? Maybe this weekend. I’ll be baking off a ton of potatoes this week. These guys like their steaks and airline chicken.”

“Cool.” He wiped his hands on his thighs, a nervous habit for him, and tried a smile. “Okay. Here goes.”

“Yodel if you need me.”

“Like, yodel-ay-hee-hoo?”

Xander nodded. “Yep. That’s like, intentional, right? I mean if you and the dude yell, then I won’t interfere. But if you yodel…”

“Got it.” He had to chuckle then, some of his tension leaving him. “Okay. Going in.” He headed toward the private room, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out.

He stopped just inside as if he’d hit a wall, because Colton stood looking out the window, his back to Sebastian as he drank a glass of wine. The cane was propped against a chair that was pulled up to the one table in the room that was set up.

He didn’t want to be here. He wanted to be at home where he belonged, with his daughter. He swallowed hard, blinking at Colton, trying to will himself to leave.

Colton turned then, eyes widening a little at the sight of him. “Sebastian.”

“Hey.” He didn’t know what to say. How to feel. Whether he was simply going to pass right out.

“Come on and sit down, huh?” Colton waved him to the table, and he was very cautiously distant, physically. Which was good. If he’d moved in for a hug or something, Sebastian would have lost it. But Colton watched him kind of like a mongoose watching a snake.

He just needed to be calm. Sure. He hadn’t done this—any of it. He wanted this to be over.

Now.

He sat down, hands folded in his lap.

“So, uh, did you order supper for you?” Colton asked. “The cook said you would.”

He tried hard not to smile. “You definitely talked to him if you call him cook not chef.”

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