Page 84 of The Aura Answer
“Thaint Nick, I love you!” Aster cried, throwing herself into a laughing Nick’s arms.
The man was always laughing as if hadn’t a care in the world. It would be much too easy to love a man like that. She simply had a hard time believing a handsome charmer would have any use for a dour housewife. But if she could dream...
Evie flung Jax’s rolled-up gift socks like softballs at their guest. “Thaint Nick is putting us all to shame. We either have to kill or keep him.”
Apparently bored and looking for amusement, R&R did the same with their socks. Gracie wanted to slide under the couch in embarrassment. The Brit gathered all the sock bombs and blitzed his opponents with their own weapons.
Before war ensued, Gracie wielded her feeble telekinesis and stopped the flying footwear mid-air. Woolly ammunition dropped all over the parlor.
Evie swatted a fallen sock ball under the couch with her foot. “Score!”
A melee ensued, scattering gift wrap where it wouldn’t be found until Easter. With a sigh of exasperation, Gracie got up to answer the doorbell, grateful the pets had been confined to the backyard.
Arms piled high, a gift-bearing Larraine in her red velvet Mrs. Claus outfit waited on the porch. Beside her, Toby Block carried the overflow.
“Merry Christmas! We come bearing tidings of great joy and cheer!”
Nick materialized to help haul the load and welcome the newcomers. “Thaint Nick didn’t anticipate this,” he protested, speaking Gracie’s thoughts. “Can I give IOUs?”
“No, no, dear boy, your presence is all the present we need. These are for the kiddies. The good tidings are for the adults.” Larraine sailed into the parlor as if she owned it.
“Your bubble is big and silver,” Loretta cried, jumping up to hunt through the expensively wrapped presents for name tags. “Are you floating?”
Larraine laughed. “I may be, like a shiny helium balloon.” She distributed packages to Aster and the twins after Loretta claimed hers.
“Awesome aura,” Evie added in admiration. “Gift-giving suits you.”
Gracie wondered if the mayor got rich by blackmailing bad guys. Was she rich enough to buy all their mortgages? That might explain Toby’s presence but was Robin Hood behavior a moral answer to their problems?
Perceptive as ever, Pris and Mavis steered the wide-eyed children and their gifts toward the kitchen and cookies. Loretta looked as if she’d resist, but Evie waved her on. For once, Gracie was grateful to her family for their abilities or empathy or whatever in heck they did. Children shouldn’t have to worry about whatever Larraine had to say.
A moment later, Iddy returned from checking on dogs, cats, and birds, carrying a tray of mugs and a coffeepot. “Pris will deliver calorie overloads shortly.” She took a seat on the hearth, leaving everyone to help themselves. Iddy was good with animals, not so much with people.
Nick leaned over to whisper in Gracie’s ear. “Should I stay with you or make myself scarce?”
That he had the courtesy to ask warmed her all over.Stupid, Gracie, stupid.And even knowing she was being stupid for wanting him near, she still answered, “Stay. You’re one of us. Besides, Mom and the aunts love having the kids to themselves. Pris will be right back.” She nodded at Dante, who was engrossed in a book Pris had given him.
With the room reduced by half its energy, the so-called adults found seats on the floor and hearth and anywhere they could find, while the mayor and Toby took the sofa. Gracie leaned against a stack of boxes probably containing Great-Aunt Val’s album collection. She almost melted like hot butter when Nick took the floor beside her.
Pris returned with appetizers. Gracie snatched up a cheesy broccoli. Nick grabbed potato crisps.
Loving the attention, whereas Toby did not, Larraine took a manila envelope from his hands. “Judge Satterwhite, Bill Wright, president of our local bank, and my awesome self were chosen by Tobias Block to execute the reward money for finding his father’s killer.”
Gracie tensed, almost choking on her broccoli. That could not be a check... It was much too soon. They hadn’t doneanything...
R&R instantly hit their phones, hunting news they’d ignored because it was a holiday. In the library, Ariel cheered. Jax’s sister couldn’t handle overstimulation, but she hadn’t wanted to stay home alone either. She, apparently, had the presence of mind to stay on top of events.
Reuben stared at his phone and whistled.
Larraine beamed. “That’s the reason I couldn’t be here earlier.”
“You have our full attention,” Jax said solemnly. “Reuben, keep your trap shut.”
Reuben saluted with his coffee mug and shoved bite-sized omelets into his mouth, letting the mayor have her moment of glory.
“To prevent Rhodes from bailing out, the sheriff expedited the ballistics report based on your evidence of possible blackmail and drug dealing. Ballistics conclude the gun used on Layman was also used on Samuel Walker and Arthur Block. The sheriff admits there was pressure from above to hold Rhodes, but those people don’t talk to me, so I can’t say who rushed the charges to the DA.”
“Governor went to school with Layman and was invested in some of his companies,” Roark reported, reading his phone and holding it up. “Ariel is digging.”
