“No. I mean, I’d heard of her. Who wouldn’t have heard of a witch? I have to admit, I never believed it. Is she? A witch, I mean?” He said she was the strongest witch there ever was. “Figures. She’d be the one that would be able to turn me into a frog. Will she?”
“No, not now that you’re a part of my family.” They both turned when Parker spoke behind them. “I’d like us to start again, you and I. To be honest with you, Rogue, I didn’t know anything about you and your secondary job until I started looking into what you said to me. Hell, I didn’t know you at all before that until I heard you were coming here. Imagine my surprise when I saw that not only were you a famous artist, but you worked for the Feds as well. Then I found the articles about how I had told a tabloid about your stealing work and forging your name on it. Why didn’t you tell them you only signed your first name, and there wasn’t any way that you did the art they were talking about?”
“I didn’t want to put it out there that someone hurt me.” Parker said she was stupid for that. “Thanks. You the welcoming committee here, or do they have more people that can insult and knock me around?”
“Just me for now.” Parker laughed when she smiled at her. “I am sorry, Rogue. I had no idea that someone did this to you. It didn’t hurt me one way or the other, as I was already in prison, but I promise you that I’m looking into it right now. I’m also helping Cass with your sister’s money. That was terrible what they did to her.”
“Missy Tyler.” Parker asked her what her maiden name was. “Let me think. I don’t know for sure, but I think it was Storm. Or Stormy. Lily would know. Why do you ask?”
“It helps. All the little bits and pieces I can weave together help me take a clearer picture of the person I’m trying to figure out. Like, is she Missy or Melissa? How does she spell it? It’s not a precise thing, digging into her past, but it helps me focus on her when I have everything in a neat row.” Parker and the rest of them went into the house when they were called to dinner. “I’m a witch, you’ve heard that. What you might not know is that I can find and work with people that I don’t have to touch or meet. But it doesn’t do me much good to find them if it’s the wrong person. Or if I don’t have the kind of information that helps me look for what I’m searching for.”
“I have her address.” Parker laughed and said that would certainly narrow it down. “Yeah. My sister and Mark Tyler lived there with their kids up until his death. I liked him. He was ambitious, friendly, and he treated his kids with respect but with a firm hand. Much like Lily did with Gabe.”
“Where is Gabe’s father? Is he in the picture?” Rogue told her that Lily and Ben were just kids when she found out she was going to have his baby, and they separated as friends. Then he got married himself. “So he’s not wanting to take Gabe.”
“No. Don’t jump to conclusions that make people look bad. That’s my job. Ben takes him once a year for the summer. Not this year, however. Not because he didn’t want to, but he couldn’t. His mother got very ill and had to move in with them, which I guess is just as well. I don’t think Lily would have been able to afford to send him anyway. It was her turn to buy the tickets.” Rogue thought about it. “I’m not sure how well she might be getting along in this without the kids. Having them all around her is what gives her the strength she needs to get going every day.”
They enjoyed a nice dinner. There were thick steaks to eat, something she didn’t indulge in too often, and a wonderfully tossed salad. Rogue loved salad and would eat it exclusively if she was given the chance. But she also knew she needed the protein and mixed meat with her salad intake when she could.
Rogue realized that no one brought up anything heavy at dinner. There was no talk of jobs, money, or the impending things coming up with Lily and her family. As soon as they were seated in the living room, however, they spoke of everything. Not just the good, but the bad things as well.
It occurred to her that this was their way of letting off steam. While she held Pete, the cutest little guy she’d seen in a while, she thought of the things that had happened today. And suddenly, it didn’t seem so bad. It was, she thought, but it wasn’t weighing on her as it usually would.
Looking over at Parker, she saw the other woman wink at her. She wondered if Parker had anything to do with the stress being easier to handle. Whatever it was, her or the family around them, she was going to take it. It was the first time in a very long time she felt like a person and not consumed by a lot of things she really had no control over.
Of course, she still had to deal with Quin and what he might want from her. But she had a feeling he wasn’t like most males she knew. Not all men, but even humans wanted more than just wives—they wanted someone to do things for them. But neither Quin nor his brothers seemed the demanding type. Rogue supposed that time would tell. She was looking forward to seeing what came from this deal as his mate.
Chapter 3
Missy wanted to find Lily and beat the ever-loving shit out of her. What did she
