Page 27 of Midnight Rules
Iven raised his eyebrows. “Why do you think being the sheriff would insult me?”
“Timeston’s sheriff is an old man.”
“Oh, so you’re really calling me old.” That part wasn’t insulting either. Most days Iven felt a little more than his years, but Marric made him feel young.
“You’re older than me.” Marric’s blush deepened, and he drew his eyebrows together.
“Is that a problem for you?” It wasn’t for Iven. Riley and Cass made Iven realize age was just a number.
Marric’s soul seemed older than his years suggested even though he looked younger than he was. That might have been because he’s had it kind of rough, what with his mother and sister dying and then having to find a solution to his and his sister’s curse. It could have been the fact he was a farm kid, too. He’d had responsibilities his whole life, taking care of the animals and the fields. It didn’t sound like Marric had a lot of time to get into trouble the way normal kids do. And then hismother died, and he had to help co-parent his sister after his older sister died.
“I don’t know, honestly. You make it easy to like you and you seriously are hot. I wasn’t joking about that part. You have this silver fox thing going on that’s very…yummy.”
Iven didn’t remember the last time he blushed. Embarrassment went out the window a long time ago, but it especially hadn’t been a thing since Griffin named his business Palmer’s Handyjobs. Griffin even answered the phone by saying the business name and then “This is Sheriff Palmer’s kid”. But he’d felt the heat creep up his neck when Marric called him yummy.
Marric met his gaze with a smile. “I can tell you don’t see yourself that way.”
“I don’t think about how I look that much.” Iven didn’t have time to worry about things like attractiveness. That aspect of himself had never been important.
“That makes you even hotter.”
“Iven didn’t see how it would, but he wasn’t complaining. Having an attraction to each other was necessary if they were going to mate bond. “So tell me the downside to the age difference.”
“Having things in common. And you possibly getting bored.” That was about as direct as it came. It stung a little because they were legitimate concerns. Marric, being the one to voice them, solidified how wise beyond his years he really was.
“We won’t know what we have in common until we get to know each other better. Some things transcend age.”
“Like what?” There went that smirk again.
“Like watching or playing sports, for example. Movies. Books. Walks on the beach. Sunsets.”
“I don’t watch or play sports. But I like all those other things.”
“I watch hockey. Griffin played in high school.”
“I’ve never seen a game.”
“Would you like to go? There’s a minor league team about an hour from here. We could catch a home game sometime.”
“Should I put it on my bucket list, since I’m dying?” Marric’s joke fell flat mostly because Iven didn’t want to entertain the idea of it actually happening. He’d do everything in his power to prevent the curse from taking its toll.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
Marric leaned into Iven, needing comfort. “Well, I still have a bucket list. But only one thing is on it.”
“What’s that, honey?” Iven pulled him closer, tucking him under his arm.
“I want a kiss from the sheriff. On the lips. Under the stars.”
Iven smiled. “What are you doing Friday evening?”
“If I’m not sick?”
“Yeah.”
“Nothing much. Why?”
“Would you go on a date with me?” It had been a long time since he’d asked anyone on a date. He fell out of practice.
