“Fight for him? Wait, isn’t he supposed to fight forme?”
“What do you think all of those phone calls of his you’ve been ignoringmeant?”
“Well, I know,but—”
“But nothing.” She gives me a firm shove into my bathroom. “Get cleaned up and get yourself back down to that bar. I’m afraid you’ve overstayed your welcome.” She gives a sly wink. “Please make a mental note to your future self. You must not let your children linger too long or they will never build up the strength they need to fly.” She flicks her fingers at me while closing the door. “Now get. I want to hear waterrunning.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say as I lean against the door. I’m going to get Brody back. And I have my mother’s blessing to do it. But will Brody want anything to do with me? Life couldn’t be morebittersweet.
The Sloppy Pelicanis popping on this cold as a witch’s nose evening. Growing up, Chip would always say the euphemism the right way, but I despised the wordtit, still do. But, right now, I’d be thrilled if that was the only word in Brody Wolf’s lexicon so long as he spoke to me tenderly, spoke to me in general. I can’t stand the thought of having Brody upset with me—God forbid he’s pissed. In fact, I hate it when anyone is angry with me. It ties my stomach up in knots. And right about now, my stomach is a tangle of steel cables impossible to rectify even with the strongest ofhands.
I head over to the bar and stop cold. There he is. Brody Wolf is yapping it up with Jessie Bo I-Beg-You-to-Peep-at-My-Underwear.
Holy hell. I growl at the sight of them. I cannot do this. I cannot beg Brody to kiss and make up while he’s kissing and making up with someone else. It’s humiliating! It’s debasing. Okay, so they’re not kissing, but her bright pink fingernails just tap-danced over his arm, and he laughed up a storm. As I see it I have two options. Run like hell. Or—take that empty seat to her left and take back what’s mine. In the least I can make them very, veryuncomfortable.
My feet move in their direction, even though I haven’t quite made up my mind yet. This is going to be hell if I don’t nail the sarcasm, the anger, the outright cat claws that demand to comeout.
I land in the seat next to the blonde strumpet with a bounce, and both Brody and she look over with their mouthsopen.
That perennially dirty summer blonde hair, those marbled yellow-green eyes, those full lips I miss with every ounce of my being, there he is—my Brody. It feels as if Brody and I have been together for a lifetime—most likely because I’ve known him that long. But tonight, with the bar lights surrounding him just right, the way the rambunctious music fills the air, the laughter and the general chatter from the clientele, Brody stands out like the only three-dimensional object in a flat sepiaworld.
Mojo speeds over and offers a genuinely happy-to-see-me smile. “Look who the cat dragged in. My favorite Raven. What can I get foryou?”
Brody leans in with that heavy-as-my-heart stare, his golden eyes bearing hard into mine. “I got thisone.”
“Apparently, you’ve got this one, too.” I glance to the busty Bo Peep shedding her blonde ambition all over theplace.
Jess coos and giggles. “I guess that means it’s official!” She taps a finger over Brody’s arm. “You andIare official.” She bubbles with laughter, gyrating those double Ds so hard it’s an honest to God seismic event. “I’ve got a table in the back that needs my attention, but I’m off early. You up for some one-on-one time? I got a brand-new sofa delivered this morning. I’d love for you to break it in withme.”
She bats her lashes so fast my hair blows back from thebreeze.
Brody offers a sorry smile her way, his affect growing weary. “Sorry, honey. I’ve got someone special in my life.” He pulls the rag off his shoulder and taps her hand with it. “And she’s sitting right next toyou.”
She sucks in a quick breath, tilting her head in my direction. Her features go from stymied to happy for me. She bites down over her bottom lip andmoans.
“I knew it. The way you hung out at this bar night after night, I knew you had your heart set on someone. And no, I didn’t think it was Mojo.” Her cheeks flush bright as a neon sign. “I played myself for a fool.” She gives Brody a pained side-eye. “I should probably quit and then hide under that new sofa ofmine.”
“No, don’t do that.” I hear myself say and silently kick myself for it. “I mean, you have bills. And well, who could blame you for crushing on the Wolf Man? He’s tall, dark, and handsome. Not to mention naughty in all the right places. He’s practically every girl’s fantasy come to life. It’s notyourfault he happens to be taken.” I bite down on a smile. “That would bemine.”
Jessie gives a nervous laugh as she hops up from her stool. “Well, I’m glad things worked out for someone.” She glances past Brody’s shoulder to the other end of the bar. “I guess this means Mojo isfree.”
“He’s all yours, honey.” I don’t take my eyes off Brody. “This one belongs tome.”
Jess scuttles off, and it’s just Brody and me alone for the first time since our lives flipped upsidedown.
Every emotion known to man begs to bubble out of me. “How about you tell the boss you’d like the rest of the night off? Rumor has it, there is a lot of ass kissing you need to do to that girlfriend of yours. I hear she’s awfully high-maintenance. Has she driven you to drinking away all your profitsyet?”
He pushes out a dry smile. “I don’t have a girlfriend.” His lips dig into his left cheek and sets off a comma-like dimple. “I have awife.” He sheds that miraculous grin that makes me believe in unicorns and fire-breathing dragons. “I love that smile on your lips,” he hums out the words like a motor. “Are you thinking ofme?”
“Actually, no, I was thinking about fire-breathingdragons.”
“Funny you should say that. I happen to have a fire-breathing dragon who’s anxious to seeyou.”
“Really?” I can’t help but laugh. “Because I have a hairless kitten who is often chilly and would love to snuggle up to your fire-breathing dragon.” I reach over and brush my finger over his arm in a slow figure eight. “How about you give that nasty boss of yours the finger and walk out the door right now with me? I hear the sunset at the lookout is an amazing sight tobehold.”
“I happen to be that nasty boss.” He grimaces. “And before we go, I feel like I should apologize for being a nastyboyfriend.”
“I don’t have a boyfriend. I have ahusband.”
