Martin snorted with amusement. He wiped his hands and excusedhimself.
"You don't have to go anywhere on my account, Mr. Roma. We just popped in to make sure my daughter was still alive." My mother sniffed. "Considering she can't bother to pick up the phone thesedays."
I sighed. My father was very keen on studying Martin and hadn't yet said a word. "Dad?"
He blinked and moved his gaze to my face. "He has powerful magic, Katie. Why is he acontractor?"
I groaned with embarrassment, but Martin once again saved theday.
"Working with my hands is its own rewarding magic, Mr. Harper. It might not involve the supernatural, but it does involve skill and practice. Not everyone can do what I do, and I consider that its own reward." With a nod at both of my parents, he headed back to the guestroom.
No one spoke for a moment. "I like him very much," my mother said. A conspiratorial look appeared on her face. "Perhaps when he's finished here, I can introduce him to yoursister."
My heart lurched and fell to the bottom of my feet. I slapped a forced smile on my face. "Oh. I'm sure that would benice."
My mother gave me a long look. "That's if someone else doesn't snap him up before that. He's an awfully handsome man to stay single long." With a soft pat on my cheek, she grabbed my father's arm and theyleft.
"Glad to see you're still alive," she said as she opened the door. "When your dinner guests are gone, perhaps you can call and we can set up a time to get together. We aren't as young as we used to be youknow."
I rolled my eyes and blew a kiss at themboth.
The door shut behind them and I bent over to rest my head on the counter. "Oh my god," I groaned. Parents could be theworst.
23
Afew minutesafter the front door shut, Martin ventured out of theroom.
"Is it safe?" hecalled.
I assumed he knew it was otherwise he was in for a very embarrassing moment. "Coast isclear."
He grinned as he walked toward me. "Don't you love it when parents drop by for an unexpectedvisit?"
"It's the best," I grumbled. I picked up the knife he had been using and handed it to him hilt first. "Now get back tochopping."
"Yes ma'am," he saidobediently.
I turned before he could see the grin peeking from mymouth.
I'd rememberedto lock the front door this time so no other people could wander into my house unannounced. My parents were bad enough. Some stranger wanting to date me would be even worse. Though, thank goodness, all of those people appeared to have admitted defeat and gonehome.
The timer for the rice dinged and I turned off the heat and pushed the rice off the burner. The chicken stew was smelling delicious, the scent of thyme and rosemary lingering in the air along with the yeast rolls that would come out of the oven in the next fewminutes.
Martin reached around me to grab the salad from the fridge, while I reached up to grab a bottle of wine from the top of it. After he set the salad on the table, he took it from me and with deft fingers quickly opened it without getting a hint of cork in the liquid. I'd never been able to do that. My wine skills were pretty subpar, though if there were a medal for drinking it, I'd wingold.
He pouredme a glass and handed it over before pouring himself one. "Thanks for having me this evening," hesaid.
"My pleasure. Thanks for saving me. Multipletimes."
He shrugged. "I'm sure you would have done just fine withoutme."
"How did you.." I paused, unsure if I would beprying.
"Stop him?" heasked.
I nodded. "You just made him...stop."
Martin sipped his wine. "It's not a difficult magic. It's just unique to us. We can do a lot of things, Katie, but most of us choose not to use battle magic. We're content with reading the bones or tealeaves."
