CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Ew, Asher, don’t eat the sand—” Too late. Harper sighed, shaking her head. Sitting in his sandbox where he’d been digging out half-buried toys, Asher grimaced as he worked to spit out the gritty sand.
Mouth curved, Keenan declared, “I got it.” Taking a tissue from Harper, he crouched and wiped Asher’s mouth.
It was no more than twenty minutes ago that she’d stopped Asher from licking stagnant pond water from his fingers. The landscapers had added the shallow pond especially for Asher, keeping it close to the playground—complete with a little bridge, a rock formation, and beautiful plants. Asher loved it. He always had a grand time tossing rocks in the water, ripping apart the high grass, watching frogs plop into the water, and playing with the silky petals of the wildflowers. What he most loved was feeding the geese and ducks.
The playground was his favorite place on the estate, though. In terms of equipment, there was everything a child could want, some of which he was too young to use yet. Sandbox, swings, seesaw, slide, jungle gym, rock climbing wall, tube maze, monkey bars—you name it, it was there. All were brightly colored, just like the rubber matting on which they were situated.
It was a little distance from the house, so the playground was pretty quiet. At that moment, all she could hear was the gentle rustling of grass and the slight creak of the swing-chains, thanks to the breeze. A breeze which was a very welcome reprieve from the glare of the sun.
“What’s with the crows?” asked Tanner, who was lazing on a wooden bench in the shade.
Tracking his gaze, Harper squinted at the gathering of crows in the high trees. “I don’t know. Dan keeps chasing them off, but they keep coming back. And they bring friends. At first, I worried the incorporeal might be hitching a ride in one of them.”
“It wouldn’t get on the estate—not even while possessing a bird,” said Keenan. “The psychic shield encompasses every bit of land, every tree, every blade of grass. A demonic presence would rebound right off it.”
Harper nodded, since Knox had already assured her of the same thing many times. “Dan said there’s no maliciousness in the crows’ minds. He said it’s almost like they’re drawn here.”
Tanner’s gaze cut to Asher. “If he’s drawing them, he’s not doing it on purpose.”
“No, he’s not.” She smiled at the way Asher kept trying to grab the sand, frustrated that it kept pouring out of his little fist. “It might not be him. I mean, he doesn’t draw other animals to him. And if he had some kind of affinity for birds, the ducks and geese near the pond would be drawn to him, right?”
“True. Never thought of that. In that case, you’re right, it might not be him. I don’t know what else it could be, though.”
No, neither did she. But no matter what way she looked at it, it made no sense that it was Asher. Taking in a deep breath, Harper felt her nose wrinkle. The spongy material beneath their feet might be a good safety measure, but sun-warmed rubber wasn’t a pleasant smell. At the least there were the scents of tree blossoms, pine sap, and flowering plants to make up for it.
“No!” yelled Asher, glaring at the sand as it once again sifted through his fingers. “Ma!”
She stifled a smile. “I can’t make it stay in your hand, baby.”
He patted the sand hard in a huff, grimaced when a cloud of it hit him in the face. Worse, he went to lick some from his little fingers.
“No, Asher, don’t eat—” Too late. Again. Plucking another tissue out of her pocket, she wiped his mouth. He gripped her hand as he pulled himself to his feet. She smiled. “Big boy, aren’t you?” Holding her hand, he toddled out of the sandbox.
Keenan crouched and held out his arms. “Come on, little man. Try walking over to me.”
Keeping his little fingers curled around hers, Asher walked toward him. Harper moved with him, step for step, impressed by his balance and speed. As Keenan urged him to keep going, she ever so gently let go of Asher’s hand, hoping he’d carry on walking. Instead, he stopped dead and then deliberately plopped right on his ass.
Keenan chuckled. “Let’s go for a wander.” Taking Asher’s hand, he guided him around the play area.
“His balance is getting better,” Tanner commented. “He’ll be walking on his own in no time.”
She nodded. “Then I’ll really be in trouble, because he’ll go searching for it.”
“It’s the Wallis in him,” Tanner said with a grin.
Yeah, it certainly was. Just then, Jolene’s mind touched hers, bold and strong. Sweetheart, is there anyone around who can watch Asher for you for a little while?
Harper frowned. What’s wrong?
Nothing. I just have something to show you. It won’t take long.
Wondering if Jolene was being deliberately and annoyingly vague just for the fun of it, Harper turned to the incubus. “Keenan, would you be able to watch over Asher for me for a little while? Jolene wants to see me. She said it won’t take long.”
“Of course,” Keenan replied.
Tanner fluidly rose from the bench. “I’ll go with you.”