"Too bad. It suits you."

"It's insulting. Okay, I'll play. Surprise me. Show me Echo has changed."

"Just remember my rule-no coming to my home."

"I heard you the first time." He slithered out of the radio.

For the rest of the drive, I tried to think of a way to bring up Dev with Echo. I'd have to be subtle, starting with the importance of forgiveness, and take it from there.

"I'm home," I called out, but my parents weren't in the kitchen. The scent of pot roast hung in the air. Mom was probably in the barn collecting eggs from the chicken coup. Dad could be anywhere since he wasn't in his writing cave.

I left the house and headed toward the barn. I heard their voices before I entered. "I don't know, honey," Mom said. "Rushing into something that big can be disastrous, but at the same time, she's eighteen now, an adult."

"She's a child," Dad said, not sounding absentminded like he often did. "She will listen to us."

Okay, I was obviously the subject of discussion. "Hey, Mom. Dad."

They turned toward the barn entrance, both looking guilty.

"Hey, hun," Mom said.

"Pumpkin," Dad said at the same time. "Did you just get home?"

I nodded, my cheeks warming. "Mrs. J was in one of her moods today."

Mom sighed. "Her daughter is still not visiting her?"

"No. I tried to make her become more involved with the other residents, but..." I shrugged. "You need help with that, Dad?"

He was too happy to give me the basket of eggs, but he didn't leave. I wondered which one of them would bring up whatever they'd been discussing. What big thing was I rushing into?

"How's Echo?" Dad asked.

I hid a smile. Dad for the win. "Good. He's picking me up for dinner in," I glanced at my watch, "less than an hour."

"Why didn't you say so this morning? I've already made dinner," Mom piped in.

Mom hated serving leftovers, but this morning my head had been elsewhere. "Sorry, I forgot."

"He can join us for dinner. Right, dear?" She glanced at Dad for support.

Dad's eyes volleyed between me and Mom. He shrugged. "Why not? The more the merrier."

"I'll ask him, but he wants to show me something tonight, a surprise."

My parents exchanged a glance, and Mom said, "Okay, but we'd like to have him over for dinner. Maybe next weekend?"

"Sure, Mom." I turned to leave.

"Not so fast," she added, and my stomach dropped. She exchanged another glance with Dad, and I braced myself. I wasn't going to like this. Silent communication between them usually meant bad news.

"I'll be at the house," Dad said and escaped.

Definitely bad news. The big mistake I was about to make. Of course, she had to be the one to talk to me. She'd given me the pep talk about boys and sex just before I started middle school. Then there was the botched up talk about pills and other forms of contraception. I had stared at her with wide eyes, my face hot. That was two years ago when I'd turned sixteen.

We left the barn together. Mom looped her arm around my right one, forcing me to cradle the basket of eggs in my left.

She picked up my hand and studied the ring. "This is such a beautiful ring."

Echo had given me a promise ring a couple of months ago. It had Druidic writings and had been in his family, like, forever. It had belonged to his great grandmother and been passed down to the eldest daughter. With his sisters dead, Echo had inherited it.

"Thanks. Echo said he'd replace it, but I really love it."

"Me too." She patted my hand. "Do you think you're ready for contraceptives now?"

Heat rushed to my face. When I'd turned sixteen, she had told me to tell her when I was about to be sexually active, so she could put me on the pill. My mother was practical. Sometimes too practical.

"Mom," I protested weakly.

Mom stopped walking, and I did too. "You're eighteen now, Cora. A woman. If you and Echo are ready to hook up, I want you to be prepared."

My jaw dropped. That was just wrong. "Hook up?"

Mom chuckled. "I can be hip. I was a teacher, and I read comments on your vlog."

I closed my eyes, totally beyond mortified. If I said I didn't want the darn pills and ended up pregnant, I'd look like a moron. If I said I did, she'd know that Echo and I were hooking up.

"Mom..." Then I thought about Echo and his wish to be a better man for me even though he didn't need to be. "Yes, I'll go see your doctor. Just promise me one thing."

"Anything."

"Don't ever use the expression 'hook up,'" I said. She laughed and I joined her.

An hour later, Dad was talking to Echo when I came downstairs. They stopped talking when I appeared, both of them got to their feet and turned toward me. The two most important men in my life. Together. I had a girly moment and got a little emotional.

Echo had changed into jeans, a gray shirt, and a navy blazer. I loved him in jeans. He looked hot. His eyes flashed with heat even though I wore jeggings, boots, and a flirty red top.

"Sorry, I took so long." I walked to his side.

"It's okay." Echo intertwined our hands and turned to face Dad. "Thank you, sir. I'll definitely take what you said into consideration."

"That's all I ask, son." Dad shook his hand.

Son? I almost giggled. I kissed Dad on the cheek and waved to Mom. I was dying to find out what they'd talked about. Echo was driving the rental SUV he often used whenever we went out. He waited until I was in the passenger seat, closed the door, rounded the hood, and slid behind the steering wheel.

"So, what were you and Dad discussing?" I asked.

"Where's my kiss?"

I rolled my eyes. "You're hedging."

"Not when it comes to kisses." He turned and cocked an eyebrow, runes flaring on and off. I leaned in and kissed him, making it brief. Then I sat back in my seat.

"Tease," he murmured.

"About you and Dad?"

"He wanted to know when I'll finish college. I told him next year, which makes me about twenty-one." He gunned the engine, grinning. "What exactly am I studying at Walkersville?"

"Um, I don't know. Business? What did you say when he asked?"

"I managed to redirect the conversation to his work."

Close call. Then I saw Echo's smug smile. I bumped him with my shoulder. "We agreed. No runing my family."

He chuckled. "Totally forgot. Old habit. We still haven't come up with plausible background information for me."

I sighed and stared ahead, my mind racing. The first night I'd brought Echo home for dinner, Dad had only asked Echo what he did. A transfer student from back east to Walkersville University had seemed like a perfect answer. Major? Echo had directed the conversation to history, Dad's favorite subject, and the night had gone smoothly. Echo needed a Google-proof fake background.

I peered out the window. We were on the wide road splitting two of the largest vineyards in the county. A few souls wandered out of the rows of vines and stared after us. Echo didn't even acknowledge them. It seemed so long ago I had to worry about Grimnirs attacking me on this very road. Echo had leveled some of the vines and trees while fighting a couple of Grimnirs who'd come after me. Now there was Rhys and Nara.

Her pretty face flashed in my head, and I pushed down the green monster.

"What backgrounds did you use before we started dating? I mean, you did date Mortals before."

"Ones who cared more about what we did behind closed doors, or in public places, and the expensive trinkets I bought them."

Public places? How like him. And how come he'd never tried it with me? Now I was jealous of faceless women who were probably long dead. Or maybe not. "Any of them alive?"

"A few here and there. Why?"

So I could check them out. On the other hand, I'd met Nara and she was hot. "They must be really old, right?"

Echo brought the car to a halt at the stop sign and glanced at me. "You never have to worry about my exes. I runed those who asked too many questions, so they don't remember me. The rest are long dead."

The bitch Nara was very much alive. I really needed to let my obsession with her go, but darn it. She'd said terrible things about Echo and I couldn't bring her up without Echo knowing about our meeting.

"How about the Immortal, Valkyrie, and Grimnir girlfriends?"

Echo completely ignored the car that pulled up behind us, and he took my hand. "Listen, Cora-mio. You want me to tell you I never hooked up with my kind? I can't. I did. Will my exes cross our paths? Possibly. Would they want a repeat of history?" The owner of the car behind us backed up, honked, and gave us the finger as he shot by.

Echo's eyes narrowed on the car.

"Don't," I warned.

"A blown out tire should teach him to respect other motorists."

"You stopped at a stop sign, Echo, and didn't move. You started it."

"Then I'll end it." He started the car and stepped on the gas. In seconds, he'd caught up with the poor guy.

"Echo, leave him alone. You're just trying to avoid the question."

He slowed down. "What question?"

"Would you hook up with your exes?"

He chuckled. "Nope. They hate my guts."

"Why? Did you cheat on them?"

"No." He shook his head. "I never cheat. I always make a clean break. It's not my fault they bored me after a few months." He indicated and made a right turn onto Main Street. "I've been told no woman was sane enough to put up with my bullshit. I could be the last man on earth and they wouldn't touch me with a beanpole. I would die alone and miserable." He rolled his eyes. "Some were just plain cruel. One hoped I'd catch some rune-resistant disease and die, just so they could reap my soul and tether it to a brothel. Another hoped my jewels would shrivel and fall off," he added, wincing.

I was laughing hard by the time he finished, whatever jealousy I'd felt gone.

He grinned as he pulled up outside La Nonne, an Italian restaurant I'd driven past yet never visited. He switched off the engine, took my hand again, brought it to his lips, and kissed my knuckles. "You are stuck with me. No woman wants me except you, doll-face."

"Good. And if you ever thought of walking out on me, I wouldn't insult you or threaten to hurt your jewels."

"Thank you." He came around to my door, and opened it. He gripped my waist, lifted me down, and brought my body flush with his. "I know you love me too much to try to hurt me."

So full of himself. I gave him a toothy grin, before delivering my salvo. "Oh, I wouldn't try. I'd personally chop them off then keep you around for the rest of our lives. We'll see how fast you become un-bored."

Echo was still laughing when we started toward the restaurant. Most restaurants were on Main Street, which had enough parking up front and around the back. The more secluded La Nonne was on a side street and the main parking was across the street. Souls appeared from the shadows.

"Get lost," Echo snarled.

"Be nice." I waved to one woman. "I'll help you later," I mouthed to another.

"No, she won't. Tonight is her night off, so leave her alone."

He tried for the rest of the walk, but I could feel his mounting frustration. I was getting used to souls popping up whenever I was out and about. Usually, they ran from him.

Inside, the hostess led us to a table, handed us the menus, and promised to send a server. Her eyes lingered on Echo as she poured water into two glasses, but he was completely oblivious, his focus on me.

"This is nice." I glanced around. Linen tablecloths. Fresh flowers. Romantic lighting. I liked it. I didn't care what I ate. I was on a date with Echo. Then something occurred to me. He was a stranger around my town and wouldn't know local, fancy restaurants like this. "How did you find it?"

"I know friends who know places and swear by their food and services."

Torin. He was the food expert around here. The server was annoyingly bubbly, but the breadsticks were warm and garlicky, and we got extra olive oil dip. She must have forgotten she'd brought us some, or she needed a second look at Echo.

We were munching when he excused himself. I watched him disappear outside. I had been aware of the souls peering at us through the glass window. By the time Echo came back, they were all gone.

"Were you nice to them?"

"Very." He touched my cheek. "I didn't reap them."