Chapter 18

Harper took a mouthful and then stuck her tongue out. Bits of lasagna dropped back down onto her plate, and Justin wanted to wince at her bad manners.

“Too hot?” Del asked her.

“It’s stinky,” she said firmly, eyeing him as though she was trying to goad him into a fight.

“Oh, that’s because there’s garlic in it,” Del said easily. “My nonna was from Italy, so there’s kind of a lot of garlic in it. You know what garlic does, right?”

Harper eyed him warily.

“Keeps away the vampires,” Del said.

“There’s no such thing as vampires,” Harper said.

“See?” Del said. “It’s working.”

Harper’s face screwed up as she fought what might have been a smile and won. She scowled and glowered down at her plate. Then, after checking Del wasn’t watching, she ate another mouthful.

Justin caught Del’s gaze over the rickety table, and Del winked at him.