“Yeah, I kind of figured.”
“Lots of things fell through the cracks leading up to that fire,” she said. “That no one died is a miracle, but there will be far more scrutiny on the company now, which isn’t a bad thing.”
“No, I guess not.”
“So, tomorrow, we will go pick out a new couch, one comfortable enough that you and your mates can stand to sit on it for long enough to have the tough conversations you need to have, because they will crop up more often than you expect at first, but that’s common in the beginning for all mates. Trust me when I say that taking it to the bedroom won’t get you the resolution you need. There is nothing worse than prolonging things when you already have different schedules. The next thing you know, too much time has slipped past, and those small concerns have widened into cracks that aren’t so easy to fix.”
“I can see where the bedroom could prove distracting.”
“Or lead to someone sleeping through half the conversation,” she replied. “I once had a whole discussion with Nyx’s father only to learn later that the only one I’d been making plans with was myself.”
“I can see how that happens, especially in a comfortable bed.”
“So, were you thinking of getting a sectional or a traditional sofa?”
“With three of us, a sectional seems like the best way to go, though it would be nice to find one with a built-in recliner and ottomans,” I replied. “Ideally, I’d like to avoid having to order it from off-island, but I also love their aquatic theme, so I want whatever sofa we pick to fit that too. I stashed a bunch of garland in the hall closet behind a suitcase, just in case we couldsomehow sneak the new couch in there without them knowing, but I haven’t worked out how to manage that part yet.”
“You leave it to me,” she said. “I’ve got a spare key, so if we find one you like, I can arrange to be there when they make the delivery, and now that I know where the spare garland is, I can take care of that part too. Your job will be to make sure they are out of the house.”
“I’m sure I can think of something.”
“Good.”
“Except how to slip away from Nyx tomorrow,” I replied. “Shit, we were going to head to Tumon Bay at sunrise, then over to his cousin Cory’s to pick up some appliances he’d collected. I’m sorry, I forgot that part when I said I’d be free at ten.”
“Hmm.” She hummed as she refilled our glasses and pondered the issue, a slow smile spreading across her face as she lifted her glass to her lips.
“I think I might have a solution,” she said. “Cory’s grandmother lives out that way, and she has an old Kirby that’s been giving her trouble. You go ahead and go with him to the back; I’ll be waiting at Cory’s house with his grandmother when you get there. I’ll make sure she has more than just that old Kirby for him to look at too. That’ll keep him busy for a while. While he deals with things over there, you and I will slip off and pick out a couch.”
“Perfect,” I said. “I can see why Nyx complains about never getting away with anything as a kid.”
“Or as an adult,” she replied, chuckling. “I don’t know why he still tries, unless it’s to keep me on my toes and add to my colony of gray hairs. I get enough of that from the people I deal with at the station. Some days I wonder if there’s something in the breakfast cereal to make people get up and think, Hey, today is the day I’m going to be reckless, irresponsible, and a menace to people just trying to live their lives. For as busy asweekends are, Monday mornings have the unique pleasure of bringing out the most hairbrained, hangover-infused nonsense I have ever seen in my life. Forget wondering what the hell they were thinking; I just want to know why they thought it would be a good idea to leave their homes and take the rolling shitshow on the road with them. If the morning is that bad, just call out sick for fuck’s sake; don’t rush into the nearest coffee shop and start a brawl because there’s a long-ass line and you can’t get your double-shot espresso caramel latte.”
“That’s very specific,” I pointed out.
“Because that was Monday,” she replied, groaning as she sighed and took another drag off her vape.
I couldn’t help laughing, not only about the situation, but also because she sounded so much like Nyx that I could see where he’d gotten his sense of humor from. Never in my wildest dreams would I have ever pictured myself sitting beneath an awning lit with golden fairy lights, drinking lemonade while baring my soul to a police officer while conjuring up a plan for how to sneak a couch into her son’s living room, but here I was. As far as mothers-in-law went, it seemed like I’d been blessed with an amazing one.
Chapter 14
Lani
“Come on, guys, it’s my one night off this week; I don’t want to go out.”
“But we are going anyway,” Nyx said as he prodded me towards the shower.
Kekoa was already standing under the spray, naked, which made me want to renew my protests about staying home, preferably in bed between my mates, with my cock buried in one of them.
“Why?” I whined as Nyx dragged me into the shower, and warm water cascaded over my head.
Okay, so it felt amazing, especially when Nyx started washing my hair while Kekoa ran a soapy loofah over my chest, but it still didn’t change my opinion about going out tonight. Kekoa soaped my shoulder, and I leaned in to snag a kiss, deepening it the moment I got a taste of them. See, this was much better than going out. Only they broke it a short time later so they could finish washing me, and I soon found myself rinsed,dried, and dressed in clothes that definitely weren’t intended for the beach.
“Oh, come on, we’re going out,andyou’re going to make me people too?” I asked. “How is this even fair?”
“Because it is,” Nyx replied. “It’s also the eve before Christmas Eve, and our last chance to do anything before everything shuts down for the holidays, so we are taking you out to enjoy dinner beneath the bay.”
“And we don’t want to hear anything else about it,” Kekoa said.
