Page 26 of Cultivating Caden
She gave him a grin and pulled back her hair. For the first time, Caden saw her pointy ears. “Dryad. It’s kind of our stock in trade.”
“Thanks, Gret, the door looks perfect.”
She stepped aside as Quade entered the room, dressed in a tight black T-shirt. He ran a hand over the wood, then gave Greta a smile. He handed her some shiny stones, which she slipped into her pocket.
“It’s me who should be thanking you. I needed a distraction. The kids are driving me up a wall. You should have seen Tarlor’s face when I told him he’d need to watch them for a while. I thought he would cry.”
“Well, I appreciate it. I’ll let you get back home to them.”
She waved a dismissive hand. “Hell, no. I’m going out and getting something to eat first. Thinking a juicy burger, thick-cut fries, and a root beer float. It’s been forever since I had a few hours to myself, and Tarlor thinks it’s so damn easy working and taking care of the kids. By the time I get home, he’s going to be begging to let him rub my feet and apologizing for his behavior.”
That brought a chuckle from Quade. “You’re an evil woman.”
“I have my moments. Good night, Quade. Good night, Caden.” She waved and went off toward the elevator.
Quade turned and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as she got on. The smell of lime tickled Caden’s nose. It mingled well with Quade’s musky aroma, creating something… hot. Caden had to shake his head to stop that train of thought.
“Okay, so Ten’s results were what he said they would be. In fact, he pissed off the tech by telling the scores before the guy could.”
“That kid is a handful.”
“He is. Bright, gifted, and a pain in the ass.” Quade sighed. “He wants to grow up too fast, though. I want him to be a kid, at least a while longer.”
“That’s important to you, isn’t it?”
A half shrug. “I want him to be happy, that’s all. He’s got a lot of years left to be a child, and he’s stuck using his abilities to help people. He says it’s what he wants, but I’ve seen him watching the other kids at play, and I can tell he’d love nothing more than to be there with them.”
Another thing Caden understood. He was surprised by how much he had in common with Ten. After his second time in the hospital, most of his friends drifted away. He heard from a few people that their parents thought whatever was wrong with Caden might be contagious, so they didn’t want their kids near him.
“Where is he now?”
“He’s spending the night with some friends of mine. He likes them, so doesn’t mind crashing there.”
The thought of Ten being bounced around from family to family actually caused a dull ache in Caden’s chest.
“We could invite him for pizza.”
Quade shook his head. “Doctors want him to rest up, so it’s best if he sleeps. And by staying with the Alp, he’ll get pleasant dreams to go along with his night.”
“The Alp?”
“In mythology they’re responsible for nightmares. In reality he runs the bookstore, gives readings for the children, and volunteers to coordinate a block party every summer.”
Caden squinted at him. “Are you being serious? After the whole minotaur thing, I have to ask.”
That brought a laugh. “Yes, totally serious. So, are you going to invite me in, or do I need to stand by the door all night?”
“Oh, sure. Have a seat. Pizza should be here shortly.”
Quade took a seat in front of the television. “You left the game on.”
“Thought maybe you’d like to play after we eat.”
Caden swore Quade flushed, but he didn’t say anything. A knock at the door had Caden hurrying to answer it. The guy smiled as he handed Caden the boxes. When Caden held out money, the guy’s eyes widened.
“Oh. Um….”
The deliveryman shot a panicked look at Quade, who crossed to the door. “I’ve got this,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out several of the same stones he’d given to Greta. The deliveryman smiled and put them into this pocket.
