“Why really?”
“Because I was right about the zombies,” I supplied.
Mom furrowed her brow. “The zombies?”
“Did you miss that part when you were here the other night? I can’t remember.”
“I know that you were rolled by a man who supposedly died a month before,” Mom said. “Braden filled me in. Since when did we land on the zombie theory?”
“Since we visited Dad’s old girlfriend at the voodoo shop and zombies attacked,” I replied, averting my eyes to avoid the death glare Dad leveled in my direction.
“Wait … you were attacked by zombies?”
“You were attacked by zombies?” Griffin flew into the room, his eyes wide as he looked me over. “Did you get bitten?”
“They’re not that type of zombie,” Braden said. “They’re different zombies.”
“I’m fine.” I grinned as I reached for the garment bag that held his new coat. “I got you a leather jacket.”
“I got him a leather jacket,” Dad corrected. “In case you forgot, I bought everything you came home with.”
Griffin scanned the pile of items on the floor. “Yeah, you definitely spoil her more than I do.” He picked up the stuffed sloth so he could make room for himself on the couch. “What’s this?”
“That’s Steve. I thought he had a cute face.”
“Steve the sloth?” Braden snorted. “You’ve always been terrible at naming things.”
“I don’t know,” Aidan countered. “I always through ‘Braden the butthead’ had a nice ring to it.”
“We all did,” Redmond said. “Go back to what you said before, Aisling.”
“What part? The part where I was right?”
“No, the part about Dad’s old girlfriend,” Redmond replied. “What old girlfriend?”
“I’d like to hear about that myself,” Mom said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Is this the girlfriend you had when I came back to town?”
“No, older than that,” I answered. “It seems Madame Dauphine is really an old family friend with ties to the area. What are the odds of that?”
“Wait … you know who Dauphine really is?” Cillian asked. “Why didn’t you lead with that?”
“Why didn’t you lead with the important part of your story?” I challenged, ignoring the way Dad glared at my slip.
“What story were you telling?” Griffin asked, legitimately curious.
“That’s not important,” Redmond said smoothly. He always was gifted when it came to changing the direction of a conversation. “Who is Dauphine?”
“Her name is Evelyn. Apparently Dad dated her before he and Mom hooked up,” I supplied.
“Evelyn Stapleton?” Mom twisted her face into a hilarious expression. “What a slut.”
“You get that from your mother,” Dad said dryly, causing me to chuckle.
“Why is that … whore … back in town?” Mom asked, her temper flaring. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was jealous. It was an interesting development, because she’d shown very little romantic interest in my father since returning. Not that I wanted my parents back together, mind you. The fact Mom was probably eating people to sustain herself made that an iffy proposition at best.
“She’s running a shop at Woodward Crossing,” Dad replied. “She appears to be minding her own business.”
Mom turned to me expectantly. “Is she?”
“I just told you she was,” Dad snapped.
“I’m asking Aisling,” Mom said. “She understands better how women operate. I want to hear what she thinks.”
“She was all over Dad.”
“I knew it!”
“She was not,” Dad protested.
“You’re so naïve.” I rolled my eyes. “She kept touching you, running her hands up and down your arms.” I demonstrated on Griffin for emphasis. “She also purposely rested her boobs on the counter and kept leaning over so you’d have a nice shot down her shirt.”
“That was her signature move,” Mom complained. “That’s how she passed freshman math.”
“Touching someone on the arm is not flirting,” Dad argued.
“Um, it kind of is,” Redmond said. “Every woman I’ve ever picked up at the bar gave me the go ahead by touching my arm. She never actually said yes.”
“I think that’s the refrain of date rapists the world over,” I offered.
“That’s how I knew you were interested in me,” Griffin said. “You touched me every chance you got.”
“Oh, puh-leez,” I scoffed. “We got naked before I ever touched you. Wait … that came out wrong.”
“We know exactly what you meant,” Cillian said. “The arm thing is a dead giveaway. What can you tell me about Evelyn, Mom?”
“She was a skank.”
“I’ll need more than that.”
“She was a dirty skank.”
Griffin’s shoulders shook with silent laughter as I slid him a sidelong glance. “What?”
“Your Dad is right. You get that from your mother.”
“Don’t make me take that jacket away from you,” I warned.
“I didn’t ask for a jacket.”
“Everyone got presents.”
Griffin glanced at the items my brothers held. “I guess so. What brought on this shopping spree?”
“I was right, and Dad owed me for calling me a liar about the zombies.”
“I never called you a liar,” Dad interjected. “I simply said that zombies weren’t real.”
“And what happened today?”
“We were attacked by zombies.”
“So … who was right?”
“Aisling, you’ve pushed things just about as far as I’ll allow,” Dad said. “Do you really want to test my patience?”
That was an interesting question. “That depends. Do we get a cake bar after dinner tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’m done pushing you.”
“That’s what I thought.” Dad turned his attention back to Mom. “As for Evie, she’s simply running a business. She spent the last few decades in New Orleans, but missed home.”
“Right. She’s just that innocent.” Mom made an exaggerated face and held up her hand to cut off the rest of what Dad was going to say. “How was Evelyn with you, Aisling?”
“Oh, she pretty much hates me.”
“Good girl. What did you say to her?”
“I don’t trust her,” I replied. “Angelina told me that Madame Dauphine said she could help her prolong her mother’s life. When I brought that up today, she kind of danced around the subject. She was much more interested in hanging out with Dad than talking to me.”
“Angelina?” Mom’s forehead wrinkled. “What does she have to do with this?”
“I was just about to ask the same question,” Cillian said.
“Oh, well … .” I looked to Dad for help. I’d purposely kept the information about Angelina’s mother from Cillian because I knew he had a soft heart.
“Angelina and Aisling had a long talk last night,” Dad supplied. “It seems she wasn’t going to Evelyn’s shop to gather ingredients to curse Aisling.”
“That insult snafu was just a coincidence,” I added.
“Angelina’s mother has cancer,” Dad continued. “She has only a few months to live. Angelina was desperate, and went to the shop because she hoped Evelyn would be able to help her.”
“Oh.” Cillian’s expression was hard to read. “That must be hard on Angelina. She doesn’t have any brothers or sisters or anything.”
“No, she’s going to be alone,” I said. “It’s very sad. She’s still a skank, though. You can’t let her draw you in.”
Cillian scowled. “I happen to have a girlfriend.”
“I know.”
“I happen to love my girlfriend.”
“I know that, too,” I said, “but Angelina is the type to prey on your sympathy to get what she wants.”
“Like thousands of d
ollars’ worth of gifts?” Dad challenged.
I ignored the question. “Evelyn claims she knows nothing about the zombies, and I’m inclined to believe her,” I said. “She seemed as surprised as anyone else when the female zombie stole the book.”
“So what does that mean?” Mom asked.
I shrugged. “It means we’re going to do more research and see where we land tomorrow.”
“Until then, it’s time for dinner.” Dad drained the rest of his glass. “The boys and I are thinking of going to a movie after dinner. Does anyone want to tag along?”
“What movie?” Griffin asked, oblivious to the look Dad and I shared.
“We’re staying here,” I answered. “I thought we’d watch a movie up in my bedroom.”
“You don’t want to go to the theater?” Griffin was surprised. “You love movie nights with real Red Vines.”
“I do, but … I think we need quiet time alone.”
“Why?”
“Because she wants to get naked with you,” Mom answered, blowing out a sigh. “Geez. Are you always this dense?”
I was trying to evade saying anything of the sort, but I could hardly deny it given the circumstances. “Yeah. I want to get naked.”
“That was an overshare, Aisling,” Dad growled.
“Then you should’ve led us into dinner sooner.”
“Next time.”
“Sounds good.”
DINNER WAS A FESTIVE affair, and my brothers were good at manipulating the conversation so I didn’t have to lie to Griffin. It was the last thing I wanted, and the thing I didn’t tell my Dad and brothers was that if it came down to it I would probably tell the truth if directly questioned.
Mom followed me to the cake bar after I’d stuffed my face with roasted chicken and vegetables, watching as I loaded three slices on a plate. I wasn’t paying attention so I almost crashed into her before I realized she was practically on top of me.
“What are you hiding?” Mom’s voice was low, and when I risked a glance at Griffin I found him engaged in an animated conversation about basketball with Aidan and Cillian.
“What makes you think I’m hiding anything?”
“I can tell by the look on your face.”
I seriously doubted that. “I’m not hiding anything. I’m looking forward to a quiet night alone with Griffin and a mountain of cake.” While I didn’t want to lie to Griffin, I had no problem spinning a good yarn for Mom.
“Don’t.” Mom shook her head in warning. “While I’m sure you and Griffin could make a fun game out of cake and … whatever it is you’re going to do in your bedroom that you don’t want to mention in front of your father, I know you. You’re hiding something.”
I stared at her for a long moment. Lying seemed the correct way to go, yet I couldn’t shake the fact that she might be helpful when it came time for Dad and my brothers to leave. “Do you really want to know?”
“Does it have something to do with that trollop Evelyn?”
I shook my head. “Whose uses the word ‘trollop’ these days?”
“Does it have to do with Angelina?” Mom asked. “I can’t believe you’re actually friends with her.”
“Hey! I am not friends with her,” I countered, narrowing my eyes. “I simply don’t see a reason to attack her when she’s dealing with so much.”
“You don’t even like her mother.”
“No, but I know what it’s like to lose a mother.”
Mom stilled, her expression shifting. “Fair enough.”
“I am not friends with Angelina,” I said. “Never think that, because … I’d rather shave my head bald and watch a marathon of Keeping Up With the Kardashians than spend time with that woman.”
“I have no idea what that is, but I’ll take your word for it.” Mom darted her eyes to the others and back again. “So what are you hiding?”
“In a nutshell? Dad and the boys need to get out of the house without Griffin noticing.”
“Why?”
“They’re going to break into a vault at the cemetery.”
“Why?”
“There was this old dude named Oscar Santiago, and he told people he was going to live forever – and if that didn’t work he intended to come back as a zombie. Cillian read a bunch of stuff during his research, and now he wants to see if Oscar’s body is in the mausoleum we saw at the cemetery.”
Mom furrowed her brow. “That sounds just like him. He’s always been a research fanatic.”
“He has,” I agreed, scooping a slice of red velvet cake onto my plate. Four slices of cake isn’t too much, right? “Griffin has come a long way, but he won’t like the idea of us breaking into a mausoleum.”
“No. Probably not.” Mom wet her lips as she slid Griffin a sidelong look. He was apparently oblivious to our conversation. “So … you’re getting married?”
The question caught me off guard. “If you’re going to start railing on him … .”
Mom held up her hand. “I’m not. I understand that you love him.”
“I do.”
“He’s not who I would’ve picked for you.”
“Yeah?” I cocked an eyebrow. “Last time I checked, parents don’t get to choose who their children marry. They like to think they do – and they might’ve actually had a say in it during olden times – but that’s not how things go now.”
Mom’s lips curved. “Olden times?”
“You know, like on Little House on the Prairie.”
Mom snorted. “I forgot how much you used to love that show. You and Jerry would hurry home from school to watch reruns.”
“That was Jerry more than me.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Fine. I liked it, too.”
“I know.” Mom held my gaze. “If you love him – and it’s clear you do – I only want you to be happy.”
I didn’t know if it was hearing about Angelina’s plight – or how much I really disliked Evelyn – but I wanted to believe her. “I am happy. He makes me happy.”
“Then I’m happy for you.” Mom mustered a grin that almost looked legitimate. “As for the rest … don’t worry about it. I’ll make sure your father and brothers escape without you having to lie to Griffin. I know that’s what you’re worried about.”
“And how will you do that?”
“Trust me.”
I stared at her. “I’m not sure I do, but I have cake, so nothing is going to ruin this moment. If you can help, great. If you ruin this, I will be forever annoyed.”
“That seems like a fair trade.”
“I thought so.”
“Just sit back and watch my magic.”
“Just keep your magic from the cake,” I said. “I plan to run on pure sugar for the rest of the night.”
“So … you’re eight again?”
“Um … ten.”
“Fair enough.”
26
TWENTY-SIX
“Let’s look at wedding stuff.”
Mom took me completely by surprise after dinner when she directed me toward a couch in the parlor, dropped the huge pile of magazines Jerry collected on my lap, and pinned Griffin with a pointed look.
“You want to look at wedding stuff?” I was understandably confused. I thought she was going to create some sort of diversion so Dad and my brothers could slip out of the house. I hadn’t expected this.
“Of course I do.” Mom’s lips curved as she adopted a wistful expression. “I used to dream about looking through bridal magazines with you before … well, before.”
I understood what she was saying, but it still felt odd. “Griffin and I were going to do that together.”
“That’s okay,” Griffin said hurriedly. “I can go with the guys to the movies if you want to spend some time with your mother.”
I knew it was difficult for him to offer. He didn’t trust her. He worried she’d do something to me once she earned back everyone’s trust. Instead of readily agreeing, though, Mom shook her head.
>
“This is your wedding, too, Griffin,” she said. “You should be involved in the planning. In fact, it’s really nice that you want to be involved in this stage of things. Most men would bow out. I want to look with both of you.”
Griffin exchanged a quick look with me. “Okay. That sounds fun. Aisling has been a little reticent when it comes to looking at wedding stuff.”
“That’s because she was raised with boys.” Mom’s tone was pragmatic. “She’s afraid they’ll laugh at her.”
I snorted. “They always laugh at me.”
“Yes, but that’s in a ‘ripping on your siblings’ sort of way. This is different. This is something she cares about – even if she doesn’t want to care about it because it makes her look girlie – and she’s terrified they’ll somehow ruin it for her.”
“Is that true?” Dad asked, hovering in the doorway. “Is that why you’ve been so weird?”
“Not completely,” I hedged, shifting in my seat. “I’ve also been worried that I’ll ruin Griffin’s life. I don’t know how I could possibly think that – what with all of the zombies hanging around and all – but I’ve decided to let it go.”
“You have?” Griffin was dubious. “I’m not complaining if that’s really your intention, but you’ve been a little … standoffish about it.”
“I just don’t want you to ever regret choosing all of this.”
Griffin’s eyes softened. “There will be times I regret your father and brothers. There may even be times I regret Jerry. I will never regret you, though.”
“Hey!” Jerry made a face.
“I will also regret the regrets after I have a meltdown,” Griffin conceded. “As for the big picture, I will never regret that.”
Mom looked directly at him, the angular planes of her face twisting. “I think I finally see what Aisling finds so appealing about you.”
“He also looks really good naked,” Jerry said.
Mom cracked a smile. “I’m sure he does. So, shall we look through some magazines and jot down some basic ideas?”
Griffin took me by surprise when he answered first. “Absolutely.”
“I’m included, right?” Jerry asked.
Mom nodded. “We would never plan a wedding without you.”
Jerry beamed. “Great. I’ll go grab a notebook.”
Grim Rising (Aisling Grimlock Book 7) Page 25
