Page 21 of Time to Stirrup Love
He nodded. “It’s not the water that kills us. We can survive underwater just as fine as a selkie or a merman. I can stay under water like Phineas, but my dad was out on a small boat and a storm like this came up, the lightning struck him. There was nothing he could do. It killed him. Burnt up the boat.The coroner at the time said it was drowning,” Finn snorted. “Glashtyns don’t drown.”
“I’m sure that coroner didn’t last long.”
He chuckled. “Nope. He didn’t like it here in Harmony Glen with all the monsters.”
“Well, he sounds like a douche canoe.”
Finn cocked an eyebrow, humor twisting on his lips. “I’ve heard of a d-bag, but not a canoe.”
She shrugged. “I guess you have now. Sorry to hear about your dad.”
“Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “What about your parents? You said you never met your father?”
“No, he was never part of my life. Raised by a single mom. She died two years ago from cancer.”
“I’m sorry to hear about that.”
An awkward silence fell between them again and she really didn’t like that. Not when she felt like she was getting somewhere with him. He was opening up a bit to her and she was sharing with him. It made her feel close to someone again, but she also didn’t want to dwell on anything sad either.
“So, you followed me home last night,” she said, changing the subject.
He sighed. “I’m sorry. I just…I wanted to make sure that you got home okay.”
“I feel really safe in Harmony Glen,” she remarked.
“And Harmony Glen is safe,” he agreed. “It’s just…”
“I know. I get it. A single female, in the dark in a place she’s not familiar with, but you scared the bejeezus out of me.”
Finn smiled and glanced over at her. “Sorry about that.”
“Can I ask a question?”
“Why was I shifted?”
“Right, that was it.” They shared a smile which made her heart skip a beat.
“I didn’t want you to recognize me. It’s how I used to traverse in the regular world, before the Great Revelation.”
“Do your ears always stay?”
He groaned. “They do.”
She laughed softly, remembering the absurdity of the situation. “I’m sorry, but that was so funny.”
“I’m glad it was amusing,” he groused.
“I prefer your glashtyn form, for what it’s worth.”
Which was true. She did. His eyes widened and he looked at her, there was some tenderness there and they shared another smile. Maybe she was thawing this frosty glashtyn’s heart after all.
“No one ever really preferred my true form. It’s fun for a short while…”
“Well, I do.”
He nodded. “Thanks.”
Soon they were back to the marina and there was no more talk about shape-shifting mishaps or family. She helped him tie off his boat as the storm was starting to sweep into town. He helped carry her gear to the truck and then stood out in the rain after she’d climbed in.
