“Well, I need to go,” Fitz chirped. “Jack asked me to help him fix the Ice Castle.”
“He did?” Joker gaped at him. “Seriously? He…asked for help?”
What?Jack? Their Jack? Well, damn. Usually, the only person Jack asked for help was Leo. Then again, Leo’s skills where computers were concerned were so above everyone else’s that it probably didn’t even seem like asking for help as far as Jack was concerned, which made more sense. Yeah, his brothers were stubborn.
“Yep.” Fitz kissed Joker’s cheek. “See you later.”
Ace stared after Fitz. “Holy shit.” He turned back to them. “Did you hear that? You all heard what I did?”
“Wow.” Red smiled warmly. “Fitz has been a good influence on him.”
Joker snorted. “Tell me about it. He’s been such a grump lately.”
King moved his gaze to Ace and shook his head.Don’t do it, man.Of course, this was Ace, so knowing what came next, King just sighed and turned to Leo when Ace opened his mouth.
“If he’s the grump, what does that make you?”
Ace might be fast, but Joker was faster, which was why Ace was on the floor hog-tied in Christmas lights before Leo finished hanging the next wreath.
Joker stood over Ace, his hands planted on his hips and a big grin on his face. “I think he would fit right in at the ornament shop. Maybe someone will take him home and put him on their lawn.”
“Ha ha,” Ace said. “You can let me up now.”
It’s like he didn’t know Joker.
King’s phone buzzed, and he removed it from his pocket. It was a text from Mason. “Great news. Looks like Lucky and Mason finished fixing the roof.”
Everyone cheered. They picked up the plastic bins and headed for the next lamppost. Just a few more to go, and they were done.
“Hey! You can’t leave me here,” Ace called out. “It’s cold!”
King put the wreath bin on the ground just as Ace yelped.
“He’s back! King, he’s returned to finish me off!”
What the—? King turned, and sure enough, there was a red squirrel perched on the wreath hung from the lamppost above Ace. It wasn’t the same squirrel from the tree incident, but a red squirrel nonetheless. Only Ace.
Leo blinked at King. “What is it with Ace and squirrels?”
“Oh, it’s not just squirrels,” King replied with a sigh. If only.
Red nodded somberly. “We were doing a gig at a county fair one year, and he got chased by an alpaca and a rabbit.”
“The alpaca I get, but a rabbit?” Leo frowned. “How do you get chased by a rabbit? Can’t you just pick it up?”
Joker snickered. “Every time he tried, the rabbit bit and kicked at him. Wherever he went, there was the rabbit. Funniest shit I’ve ever seen.”
“He’s coming closer,” Ace shrieked. “Tell Colton I died valiantly! I fought until my last breath! Leo, you tell Chip to avenge me!”
King turned to Joker, who met his gaze.Oh boy.Here we go. Despite his deadpan expression, the wicked twinkle in Joker’s eyes told King a squirrel showing up was not a coincidence. “What did you do?”
“Who says I did anything?”
King arched an eyebrow at him, and the corner of Joker’s lips twitched. Oh, good god.
“I might have put a few peanuts in his coat pockets.”
Leo eyed him. “I don’t think that would be enough to get a squirrel to show up and follow him.”
