Truth or Demon

CHAPTER 17

“What are you doing?”

Daisy peered over Poppy’s shoulder, surprised. She wasn’t surprised that Poppy was already up. Or reading the newspaper while sipping her morning coffee. Her older sister did that every morning.

It was the section of the paper that had Daisy taken aback.

Poppy was reading the “Things To Do” section of the Boston Globe. Even that wouldn’t be terribly stunning, except instead of reading the family-related events—her usual points of interest—she was reading the “Nightlife” and “Singles” sections.

That implied that she might be planning to do something a normal single woman might do—like go out. Weird.

Maybe they wouldn’t need to direct Killian, after all. Maybe Poppy was finally seeing she did need to get a life outside her little sister, her work and this apartment.

Daisy grabbed a box of Mini-Wheats, along with a bowl and a spoon, and seated herself beside Poppy so she could sneak peeks at what she was reading.

“I’m just seeing what’s going on in the singles world,” Poppy said with a smile.

This was amazing. Poppy was actually admitting she needed to go someplace where real, live, single men were? Maybe this spell was working differently from how Daisy had expected.

Maybe Killian was just supposed to nudge her in some way so that she decided she herself wanted to date. Which, when Daisy thought about it, was probably a far better idea than letting a demon choose a boyfriend for her.

Daisy finished pouring her cereal and added milk.

“I’ve decided to help Killian find a romantic interest.”

A little milk sloshed over the edge of her bowl as Daisy looked at her sister. Poppy’s attention remained on the newspaper.

So that was it. She’d decided to help Killian with his earlier claim that he wanted to settle down. A wave of disappointment splashed over Daisy like the milk on the tabletop.

Oh, well. What was that old saying about spilled milk? If Poppy’s matchmaking plan got her out—and meeting people too—then it worked for Daisy.

Poppy picked up one of the red pencils she used for editing and circled an event. Leave it to Poppy to be all systematic about her matchmaking. No wild schemes like conjuring a demon for her big sis.

“So what do you see?” Daisy asked, her mouth full of cereal.

“Well, there are a few interesting singles events this weekend. One is a speed-dating thing on Friday. And there’s a singles dance on Saturday.”

Daisy leaned in to look closer. “What about for tonight?”

Poppy searched. “There’s a ladies’ night at O’Malley’s. That’s just down the street. Oh, and there is a mixer at the Roger Klein Gallery Thursday night. From six p.m. to nine p.m. That might be good.”

She circled both.

“You should go to those,” Daisy said.

Poppy nodded. “The art gallery would probably be a good place for him to meet the type of women he’s interested in.”

“And you love art too,” Daisy pointed out.

“Oh, I wouldn’t go.” She laughed as if the idea was the most preposterous thing she’d ever heard.

“Why not?”

“Well, for one thing, it’s a school night.”

“Not for you.”

Poppy laughed. “True. But for you. And I don’t go out while you’re here at home, alone.”

Daisy’s hopes sank. Poppy was searching for events for Killian to attend. Without her.

Really, Poppy? Did you have to make everything so darned difficult?

“He won’t go alone,” Daisy said with total authority.

Poppy frowned at her sister. How could she be so certain of that? What did Daisy know about Killian anyway?

But she still found herself asking, “Why not?”

Daisy shrugged. “He just doesn’t seem like the type.”

What type was that? But instead of asking, Poppy said, “Well, then Ginger can go with him.”

“You know Madison’s mom. If she has a night off, she doesn’t like to go out.”

That was true. Ginger worked so much she didn’t like to miss any free time she did have with Madison.

“Well, then you can understand how I feel about leaving you alone.”

“You’re with me all the time.”

Poppy reached over and tugged Daisy’s ponytail. “I like being with you.”

Daisy smiled. “I like it too. But—”

Here came another of her sister’s speeches on Poppy’s ending up an old maid. And frankly, Poppy did not want to hear it. Not this morning, while she was imagining Killian with a stunning, interesting girlfriend. The image of Poppy old and alone was too easy to visualize at the moment.

“You know, I’ll just give him this section of the paper,” she said, cutting Daisy off with a smile, “and if he sees something he wants to check out, I’m sure he will.”

Daisy looked like she wanted to argue, but she turned her attention back to her cereal.

“In fact,” Poppy said, circling another event, “I’ll walk down with you and give this to him.”

“Walk down with me?”

“Sure, you are going to meet Madison, right?” Daisy always did.

“Yes. But—but I doubt Killian will be up yet. He’s a night owl. You know, because of being a paranormal investigator.”

“Was he investigating last night?”

Daisy nodded.

Poppy was surprised by that idea, which made no sense. He was here to do research, and he hardly had to report his goings-on to her.

“Well, I can always give it to Ginger.”

“She might be sleeping too.”

Poppy regarded her sister for a moment, realizing Daisy must be throwing out all these reasons why Poppy couldn’t possibly give Killian this paper because she still harbored hopes of matchmaking the two of them.

Poppy offered her sister an indulgent smile, but said, “I’ll walk down with you anyway. Just to see.”

Daisy looked like she still wanted to argue, but then nodded. “Okay, but I’ve got to get some stuff together before we go down there.”

She was immediately on her feet and practically dashing through the apartment to her bedroom.

Poppy frowned, puzzled by her sister’s abrupt departure. She shrugged it off. Teens were nothing if not confusing.

A noise stirred Killian. A faint, repeated tapping. He ignored the sound, telling himself it was probably the pipes rattling … or the radiators knocking somewhere in the building.

Then he heard another noise. A faint voice. At least he thought it was a voice. He levered himself up on his elbows to look at the bedroom door. It was still closed.

Then he heard the sounds again. A hesitant knock followed by a weak, “Mr. Killian.”

He got up and reached for his jeans, tugging them on. Then he strode across the room, yanking the door open.

Emma squeaked in surprise, backing away several steps. Killian glowered at her. Did these girls just have a thing for waking him up?

Clearly, his disgruntled expression didn’t help Emma’s nerves. She gasped for breath like a beached fish. Great, all he needed was a hyperventilating teen on his hands.

“What is it, Emma?” He kept his voice low and calm. He also stopped glaring—well, as best as he could.

His demeanor seemed to help. After several more deep breaths, she managed to say, “Sorry to wake you up. But Daisy just texted me. Poppy’s going with her to Madison’s.”

Killian shook his head, not following.

Then words started tumbling from the girl like a verbal flash flood.

“She’s going to Madison’s. Your pretend cousin’s apartment. So you should be there. But you can’t be there because Madison’s mother is home this morning. And you’re not really her cousin. But Poppy can’t know that. So you have to cut her off. Somehow. But I’m not sure—”

Killian raised a hand to stop her. The poor girl was a mess—and in serious threat of brain damage due to lack of oxygen.

“I’ll get dressed.”

Emma nodded, her expression thankful that he’d somehow followed her panicked explanation.

He rushed back to the bedroom, pulling out one of the shirts from yesterday’s shopping trip. Without fully unbuttoning it, he tugged it on over his head, then strode back to Emma.

They needed to hurry. If Poppy discovered he wasn’t really Madison’s cousin, then he might very well be stuck in this place for good. If Poppy found out everything she’d been told thus far was an elaborate lie, she’d likely never talk to him again.

As he followed Emma, he didn’t allow himself to ponder why the second of those concerns seemed to bother him more than the first.

“Wait. I’ve got something in my shoe.”

Poppy turned to see Daisy drop to the hallway floor and pull off her black oxford.

“Come on, Daisy. You are going to be late if you don’t get moving.”

“I know,” her sister said, but continued to fiddle with the insole of her shoe. She tried it on, then shook her head and off it came again.

Since they’d left the apartment, this was Daisy’s third stop. First she’d decided she’d forgotten her apartment key. That holdup hadn’t seemed out of the ordinary, though. Daisy did forget her key a lot. But after taking everything out of her book bag, she’d realized the key was around her neck, on a cord Poppy had bought her for just that reason.

Next, she’d had to stop because her shoe was untied, which for some unknown reason required her to almost totally unlace her shoe, so it could be relaced and finally tied.

And now this problem.

Poppy tapped the folded newspaper against her leg, watching as Daisy continued to fiddle with the shoe.

But before she could hurry her along, a chime sounded from Daisy’s backpack, announcing an incoming text message. Daisy dropped the shoe and fumbled in the side pocket of her bag for her phone. Funny, she could always find that.

“Daisy! You don’t have time—”

Her sister lifted a finger, silently telling her to wait just a second as she read the text.

“It’s just Madison checking to see where I am.”

Poppy smacked the paper impatiently against her leg again. “I wouldn’t wonder.”

Daisy, the girl who’d done nothing but dawdle this morning, shoved her foot back into her shoe, grabbed her backpack, rose and then practically speed-walked toward Madison’s apartment.

Poppy followed, shaking her head, totally not understanding what her little sister was doing this morning.

When they reached Madison’s apartment, both she and Emma waited outside.

“There you are,” Madison called much louder than necessary.

“Yes, I’m finally here,” Daisy said, her voice just as loud.

But before Poppy could ask them why on earth they were talking that way, the door behind Madison opened, and Killian appeared. He was barefoot, clad in a pair of the jeans he’d purchased yesterday and a pale blue shirt with the same cut as the white one. Half the buttons had been left undone, revealing a glimpse of muscular chest. His hair was unruly from sleep, and a night’s worth of facial hair darkened his chin. He’d clearly just tumbled out of bed.

Poppy swallowed, willing her gaze elsewhere, then forcing herself not to recall her erotic dream.

“I thought I heard someone out here,” he said, glancing over his shoulder, then shutting the door firmly behind him.

“I think most of this floor heard someone out here,” Poppy said, giving the girls a searching look.

“Sorry,” Daisy said, keeping her voice to a near whisper now. “See you tonight.”

Without waiting for an answer, the girls hurried toward the elevators.

Poppy frowned, watching them scamper away, still feeling like something had gone on here that she didn’t understand.

“Come on,” Killian said, gesturing down the hallway toward her apartment. “Gin … ger is still asleep, and I don’t want to wake her.”

“I think you might be too late,” she said, but followed him down the hall. He smiled over his shoulder at her, and she tried not to give any credence to the strange flutter in her chest.

It’s nothing. Nothing.

Once around the corner from Ginger’s place, he stopped and pointed to her hand. “What’s that?”

Poppy glanced down, confused. Then she saw the reason she’d come here in the first place.

“Oh, this is for you.” She handed the paper to him. “It’s a list of singles events going on in the area. I thought, since you are interested in meeting someone, this might be a good idea for you.”

He scanned the ads, then nodded. “This is a good idea.”

She smiled, although the gesture felt forced, and she couldn’t understand why. Wasn’t this her plan? Didn’t she want him to be involved with someone so she could get her silly attraction to him under control?

“There’s one tonight.” He glanced up from the paper. Her eyes met his and held. As if to make a point—a point she could have done without—her body reacted. His golden gaze was like a physical touch, reaching out, stroking her skin. Making her body hum with awareness. With longing.

She managed a nod. “Yes, I saw that.”

Duh, she was the one who circled it, after all.

“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven.”