Page 13 of Thunder with a Chance of Lovestruck

“I’m not sure that will ever happen,” answered Amice, confirming what he already knew. She then took his hands in hers for a moment. “Promise that you won’t let your thoughts on my husband and his uncle come into play when you seeher.”

“Her? Astria?” he asked. “I like to pretend Henry didn’t have anything to do with her being here. No use holding the fact he’s her father against her. I like her. I barely tolerate him.”

Amice’s smile faltered. She cleared her throat. “Right, um, no, I wasn’t talking about Astria.”

“Then who?” Drest asked before it hit him. “Henry’s kid sister?”

Amice’s lips twitched. “Rachael may be younger than Henry, but she’s most certainly an adult, Drest.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod, trying to figure out why Amice was acting so strange. He thought harder about her inspection of his clothing choices as well as the level of excitement she seemed to have for tonight’s dinner. “Are you trying to fix me up with Henry’s little sister?”

Her eyes widened in a rather fake display of shock. “I wouldnever. That would be against the rules. Right?”

“Yes,” he said swiftly, wanting to quash any further ideas she might have on the matter. “It would. I have not gotten, nor will I ever get, involved in a relationship with a charge.”

Amice lowered her gaze somewhat, her grin widening. “Never say never.”

“Oh, on this, I can unequivocally say never,” he returned. It was totally against the rules to get involved sexually with a charge.

No woman was worth the risk.

Amice patted his arm and winked. “I’m going to remind you of your stance later tonight. You know, when you’re head over heels for her and can’t see straight without being near her.”

He huffed. “That will never happen, Amice. She’s off-limits. And,” he stressed, lowering his head to be closer to her level, “she’s a Frankenstein.”

“So am I,” she countered playfully.

“By marriage,” he returned with a shudder as he thought about ever finding anyone related to Henry or Nile attractive. Sure, Astria was adorable, but she was just a baby and didn’t count. There was no way in hell Henry’s sister could be anything but as annoying as him.

Amice licked her lips as if his protests were the funniest thing she’d heard lately.

Seeing there was no point trying to talk her out of her crazy scheme, Drest decided to ignore anything and everything to do with it. He’d check in with everyone, eat dinner, and get back on the road. There would be no romantic interludes.

Period.

Drest entered the home and took a deep breath. “Something smells delicious.”

“I hope you brought your appetite and really stick to your guns on that whole no-dating-a-charge thing,” she said.

He was about to question why on earth she’d think it was a good idea to push him about dating a charge when her husband came into the foyer from the hall that led to the kitchen. The minute Henry saw Drest, a look of disgust crossed the man’s face.

It’s going to be a very long evening,Drest thought with a shake of his head. And there is no way in hell I’d ever find any sister of Henry’s attractive.

ChapterSix

Rachael

I enteredthe nursery to find a tall, shadowy figure standing over the crib, its arm outstretched, its claw-like fingers lifted high in the air. It was wiggling them back and forth in the path of the small purple nightlight that was near the crib. Various shadows danced on the wall from the creature’s efforts. Each was as ghastly as the next. I didn’t panic.

The shadowy figure was a friend not foe.

The goblin could do things that defied logic, but that was part of his charm. When I’d first met him, shortly after Astria had been born—and Henry and Amice had brought her to come and see me in London—I’d been somewhat skeptical about having a goblin around a small child—or around at all. Oddly enough, I’d found myself being talked into accepting the goblin by a Jersey Devil, of all things.

My life was anything but boring. That much was for sure.

Devil Dave, as everyone had taken to calling him, was an honest-to-God Jersey Devil who happened to be close friends with Amice. He wasn’t what I thought a Jersey Devil would be by any stretch of the imagination. He looked like a normal, handsome guy. Sure, he was a tad eccentric and had a killer Jersey accent, but beyond that, he didn’t raise any red flags. He also was a really nice guy.

When he’d sat me down to explain goblins to me and the fact this one may have had a criminal record a mile long, but his heart was pure and he’d watch over my niece fiercely, I’d taken Dave’s words to heart. I’d also opened my heart to the creature—warts and all.

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