Page 81 of The Hitman and the Psychic

Stone nodded, but didn’t give my dad the company name he was fishing for. “I keep threats at bay, but if they come in, I’m the guy who handles them.”

My dad’s brows rose. “Oh… that’s interesting. What kind of degree do you need for that?”

Stone shrugged. “I got my training in the military. Now I work in the civilian sector. It’s less messy, and there’s no politics involved,so it’s a win-win.”

That shut everyone up, but it also begged for more information.

“So tell us how you two met.” My mom motioned between us. “Serenity’s kept you a secret. I didn’t even know she was dating.”

Stone met my gaze, a twinkle in his eyes. I opened my mouth to answer, but he beat me to it. “We met on the job. I guess you all know about Serenity’s business?” He waited for their nods. “My boss hired her and introduced us.” He met my gaze again. “What she does is quite remarkable.”

He placed his hand over mine, and a sudden lump got stuck in my throat.

“That was all my idea,” Dad crowed.

“No it wasn’t,” Mom said.

“Sure it was. After we found out what she could do, it only made sense to start her own business, especially when she said she wanted to help people. I told her it wouldn’t hurt to make a little money at the same time. And I was right.”

“You always think you’re right,” Mom said. “But as I remember it, I think Serenity came up with that herself. She has a lot of initiative.” She glanced at Stone, pride shining in her eyes.

“Are all of you seriously forgetting Serenity’s childhood dream of being Sherlock Holmes?” Felicity asked, her eyes wide. “If it wasn’t for Bran— uh… her ex… she would have been a PI a long time ago.”

“Sure, but don’t forget her new psychic ability,” my brother Will said. “That sealed the deal. Of course it’s not all fun and games.” He met Stone’s gaze. “Just make sure you’re not hiding any secrets when you hug her.”

“You mean like the time you were eating my homemade chocolates out of the pantry?” Mom glared at Will, thenturned to Stone. “I was saving those for Christmas, and I had to get Sen to tell me what had happened to them.”

Will’s eyes widened. “You’re the one who told her?”

“Yeah. She paid me in chocolates.” I shrugged. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“So, Nate.” Felicity jumped in. “Where did you find the stone you gave Gracie?”

“You mean the dragon egg?” Stone glanced at Gracie, who sat at the smaller table with her brother and cousins. She looked up at him and smiled. He winked before continuing. “I’ve always liked rocks.” He shrugged. “It might have something to do with my name.”

Everyone laughed and gave him their undivided attention. “I didn’t know my grand-dad well, but he was always showing me his rock collection. Naturally, I started one of my own. When I was in the Middle East, I came across a few that I brought home. Gracie’s was one of them. It’s a black onyx, and I had it polished; that’s why it’s so smooth.”

“Wow. That’s so cool.” Felicity set down her fork. “So what’s your favorite type of stone?”

“That’s a tricky question. There are three types of stones: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. I tend to like gemstones the most because they’re pretty and have the most value. Gemstones are usually igneous rocks that are mostly found in areas where magma cools and crystallizes, deep in the Earth’s crust.”

My brows rose. Wow. He really did know his rocks.

Felicity nodded. “Gemstones. Like diamonds. Yeah. I like those the best too. What’s the most unusual stone you have in your collection?”

Stone shrugged. “The most unusual? I don’t know. I like black stones the most because they’re so rare. With that in mind, I have one that’s called a Shungite. But I’d reallylike to get my hands on a black opal. They’re rare… and extremely expensive.”

“I have an opal my brother gave me,” Mom said. “He brought it home from Australia.”

A squeal came from the kid’s table, and Will’s wife, Emma, told her kids they had to finish their food if they wanted any cake. A few minutes later, the kids scattered to play in the yard, and my mom left to get the cake, while we cleaned up the table.

As we threw our paper plates in the garbage, I caught Stone’s arm. “Sorry about all the questions.”

He grinned. “I enjoyed it. Not too many people like to hear about rocks.”

“That’s true, but I don’t think you’re off the hook yet. If I know my brother, he’ll corner you for sure. If you want, we can leave right after Gracie opens her presents.”

“And miss the cake?”

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