Marty held up her pink-rhinestone-covered phone. “Already on it. I texted Darnell. He’ll be here with Carl any second now.”
“Who’s Darnell?” George asked hesitantly, her eyes flitting from face to gorgeous face. “Santa Claus? The Easter Bunny? Tooth Fairy?”
Honestly, if they said yes, she wouldn’t bat an eye at this point.
“Our demon,” Nina said on a cackle.
No sooner had she spoken the words than an enormous man shaped like a teddy bear in high-top sneakers and a NY Giants jacket appeared out of thin air, with what appeared to be a young teen boy who had the strangest green cast to his skin.
George fought a gasp while everyone else didn’t even blink, as though people appearing from the ether was completely normal. In fact, in their world, this was clearly a normal occurrence.
“Boss?” the big man said, dropping a kiss on Nina’s lean cheek while enveloping Wanda and Marty in his embrace. “You rang?”
Marty stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his cheek, patting him affectionately on the back. “We’ve got a problem, big guy.”
“Demon problems?” he asked, his deep brown eyes twinkling when he caught sight of Dex.
Dex held his hand out to Darnell and nodded. “It looks like it. Sorry to take you from whatever you guys were doing.”
Darnell took Dex’s hand and pulled him into a hug with a wide, generous smile. “Aw, man. No worries. Just a little man time with my main dude Carl. I was teachin’ him how to fish. But it’s good. I’m always here for ya.” Then he smiled warmly at Dex. “So how you been, buddy?”
Dex grinned at the man as if they were old friends. “I’ve had worse days. Though, all things considered, I’m still pretty good.” Then he turned to George. “Darnell, meet George. She was recently turned into an angel by my very clumsy hand.”
“Well, well,” Darnell said on a grin as he held his hand out to her. “Ain’t you fancy? Can I see your wings and halo?”
Hold the phone. Since when were demons and angels friends? If she recalled correctly, they were sworn enemies. A glossary to the ecosystem and inner workings of the paranormal might be in order because no one, least of all Dex, seemed upset by the appearance of a demon.
George didn’t place her hand in Darnell’s, instead she gave him a skeptical look and took a step back closer to Arch, her eyes still on Dex. “Aren’t we technically supposed to be enemies? Why is everyone patting his back and hugging him? I don’t understand.”
Darnell wasn’t at all fazed by her hesitation. He hiked himself up onto a stool at the island and crossed his arms over his massive chest. “Well, I s’pose, biblically speakin’, we’re s’posed to be enemies. But things ain’t always what they seem, Miss George. I’m not your enemy. No way. I’m your friend. Trust and believe that. I’m here to help. That’s all.”
“He’s right, George,” Wanda reassured with one of her infamous motherly smiles. “Like most of us, Darnell got a bum rap, though it wasn’t an accidental one. He’s a huge part of OOPS and of our lives, and if anyone knows demons, it’s Darnell—him being the squishiest one of all.” She wrapped her arms around his middle and hugged him. “If that was a demon trying to steal your wings, he can find out why. Or at least try and find out who would want them. His finger’s on the pulse of Hell.”
“So you wanna try again?” he asked with another friendly grin. “I’m Darnell. A nice demon. Pleasure’s all mine.”
She gave him a hesitant smile. She couldn’t help it, due to the fact that his grin was so infectious. “Georgina Maverick. Kind of an angel. Nice to meet you.”
“Darnell, my friend. Surely you’re hungry after your camping trip with Sire Carl?” Arch said. “We were just preparing to sup. Come. Sit. It’s your favorite.”
Darnell put his arm around Arch, dwarfing him with his big body. “Roast pork and that creamy mustard sauce you make so nice?”
Arch’s eyes twinkled. “That’s the one. And gobs of mashed potatoes with butter and warm cream.”
Darnell dropped a kiss on top of Arch’s head and rubbed his round belly. “You sho’ know the way to my heart, old pal.”
Arch laughed, then held out his hand to the boy with the green cast to his skin and duct tape at the crook of his elbow. He pulled him close, giving him a half hug the boy named Carl returned with a thump to Arch’s back.
“Master Carl, shall we roast some broccoli for you? While I know my favorite demon is aces at building campfires and catching fish, did he make you anything of substance for your meals?”
Carl, quiet and soft-spoken, said with stilted words, “Burnt…burnt hot…hot dogs. Ick.”
Arch threw his head back and laughed with a shake of his finger. “Aha! I knew it!”
“Did not either burn them, boy,” Darnell joked with a light nudge to Carl’s ribs. “I made ’em well done.”
Carl threw his arms around Darnell’s waist and thumped him on the back. “There, there,” he consoled. “I…love…love you, but not those…hot dogs.”
Darnell planted a kiss on top of his forehead. “I know ya do, bud. I love you, too. We’ll do this again real soon, yeah? Next time? No hot dogs, bro.”
Carl laughed and nodded, smiling up at Darnell.
Arch patted Carl on the shoulder and headed toward the kitchen. “All is well, Master Carl. I’ve been to the farmers’ market and we have plenty of fresh broccoli on hand. I shall make some for you posthaste to make up for the burned weenies.”
Arch scurried off to do just that and for the first time, Carl finally looked at George with curious eyes, giving her a clear glance at his sweet face.
He wore a hoodie like Nina’s, only
