The House of Bells: The Essences Saga - Book #1

House: Chapter 17

Seventeen

"I've never seen Larry so put out," Jason said to Silas in the parking lot. "What did you do to him...steal his girl or something?" When Silas didn't answer, Jason rounded on him, "You did, didn't you?"

"No, Min is no one's girl."

"So, who had first claim?"

Silas closed his mouth. He wasn't proud of himself. Jason shook his head. "Well, when are you coming down to see us?"

"I'll be traveling some this summer," Silas said. "I'll stop in if I'm in the neighborhood."

"Alright. Give us a call." Jason shook his hand and left. Silas turned back to the reception hall. He knew that the girls would be helping to clean up. Maybe, he should take a little walk instead.

The sidewalk gave him little comfort, but the shop windows offered some diversion. Like most men, he hated shopping, but he had to admit that some of the displays were interesting. Stopping outside of Mary's Jewelers, his eye darted to a pair of earrings in the window. They were simple round-cut emeralds...the same shade of Min's eyes.

Would it be too forward to buy them for her? Her birthday was coming up in a month. He might have time to convince her to a date or two by then.

Spontaneity was not one of his strongest traits. But he opened the door and went in.

Once he retrieved the van and returned to the hall, most of the work was finished. If he knew Mrs. Baker - and he did - the clean-up was quick and organized. All the flower arrangements had been tagged with the name of the places they were to be donated. Mrs. Baker, Tia, and Mae had already gathered and cleaned most of the dishes during the dancing. He grinned in approval of the cleaned room.

"Where have you been? Some of these tables were really heavy," Amber scolded him.

"I had a quick errand to run," he responded, still grinning. "A last minute thing."

The girls each gave Mrs. Baker a quick hug and a word of praise for the wonderful reception. Silas drove them all home in the van. He ignored Min's notice of his shopping bag sticking out from under his seat. She raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing. Silas hummed a tune.

Mae picked up on it and sang out, "I'll stop the world and melt with you..."

Melissa groaned and popped her in the head. "Stop singing. You're giving me a headache."

"Tell that to Silas. He's the one with a radio frequency in his head," Mae retorted.

Silas heard her and swerved the van from alarm. "Hey!" Mae cried out as she was flung into Ashley's lap. "Keep your eyes on the road."

"Sorry," he muttered. Mae doesn't know anything. She's just observant.

Min smiled from the passenger seat. "Did you join a band or something?" she asked.

"No," he glanced at her. "Why do you ask?"

"The singing," she shrugged. "You've been doing it a lot. First the poetry and now the singing. I'm just curious."

"You're curious about me?" he teased her. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Not at all," she lied, and he knew it.

"What's your favorite song?" he asked after a moment.

"I have many," she answered and looked out her side window.

"Give me one," he urged.

Min's mouth set stubbornly, but Ashley piped up, "I like 'A Man Named Sue.' Sing that one."