When my Donald Duck alarm clock rang, I smacked it into submission and then stared up at the ceiling, wondering why I was so tired. Then Lou meowed, staring at my closed door, and I remembered.
Drunk tigers.
Sea shanties.
Maybe it had been a horrible nightmare?
I got out of bed and wandered down to the living room. Nope. Not a nightmare. There were two Bengal tigers sleeping in my house.
My lips quirked when I realized that, to some people, waking up to two apex predators in their housewouldbe a nightmare.
To me, it was just a Monday.
I glanced at the clock and groaned. Speaking of Mondays…
I started the coffee and then headed back to my room to get ready for work. By the time I was mostly awake and dressed in jeans and a Dead End Pawn sweatshirt, my hair braided away from my face, I could smell breakfast.
Tigers or no, the second I opened the door Lou abandoned me to follow the scent of bacon to the kitchen. I wandered after her, wondering if I could invent a coffee IV.
Jack stood at the stove, turning bacon in a pan. He turned his head when I walked in and gave me a very sheepish smile. Jed, who sat at the table with his head in his hands, grunted in my general direction.
I poured coffee into my travel mug and studied the two of them. After my first sip, I finally spoke. "Sea shanties?"
Jack's groan was so soft I might not have heard it if I hadn't noticed him clutching his head.
"Exactly how much beer does it take to get two tiger shifters drunk?" I felt like I was reciting the opening to a very tired joke.
"Whiskey," Jed muttered. "Lost count after the fourth."
"Fourth? Shot? Glass?"
Jed muttered something inaudible.
"What was that?"
"Fourth bottle," Jack said, studiously looking at the bacon, the pan, and basically everywhere but at me. "We, ah, got a little carried away."
I gave them my sweetest smile, and Jack winced.
"So, what you're saying is … the men got blown down?"
Jack put the bacon-filled plate on the table. "Tess, I'm so sorry. I don't even remember deciding to come here. We should have gone back home after our run."
"So sorry," Jed mumbled, pulling the carton of orange juice over and putting its cool surface against his forehead. "So very sorry."
"Maybe I'll wake you two up in the middle of the night sometime singing sea shanties."
This time, they both winced, and I narrowed my eyes. My singing wasn'tthatbad. Also, speaking of sea shanties…
Don't ask, don't ask, don't ask.
I had to ask.
"Why sea shanties?"
Jed opened one bleary eye. "Did I tell you about the time pirates captured me?"
"Argh. No. Just no. I already listen to one Shepherd's ridiculous stories. Don't you start too. Anyway, I need to get to work. See you two later, if you survive what must be truly monstrous hangovers."
