And what a lovely feeling it is to miss someone I care about and have them show up unexpectedly.
“Hey!” Maeve says, waving.
When Ryland sees me, he immediately puts up his hands in surrender. “Not trying to barge in on you,” he says, his smile warm.
“I am,” Rowan says, and his brother elbows him in the side. “Ow.”
Somehow, I’m not upset that they didn’t tell me they were coming.
I’m not the biggest fan of surprises—I like to have a set schedule and know when things are happening.
But my scent matches visiting me at work? It’s hard to be frustrated with that.
The brothers are wearing sweatshirts from their video game company, and Maddox, who was busy massaging Piper’s shoulders, notices.
“You work forWicked Bytes?” he asks them.
“It’s our company,” Ryland replies.
“Oh. Shit.” Maddox walks around the counter and sticks out his hand to Ryland. Piper whines when he stops rubbing her shoulders, and I stifle a laugh. “Maddox. I code for a living. I imagine you guys don’t get sleep.”
“Fuck no, we don’t.” Rowan grins.
Piper shoots me a look of approval, and I give her a half-smile.
Avery also makes his introductions to the brothers, and Piper and I observe our scent matches interacting with each other.
It’s easier than I thought it would be.
Maeve returns from Avery’s car with the to-go bag and motions to us that she’ll be in the back room eating.
In the meantime, Rowan has wrangled Alvin into his arms, who nuzzles him contentedly.
“I fucking love cats,” Rowan declares. “Seriously. After we got Ash and then I found those kittens…there isnothinglike cats.”
“They’re the best,” Avery agrees. “I know way too much about them because of Piper.”
Rowan looks back at Piper, then to me. “If it wasn’t for Blair, I wouldn’t know anything,” he mutters. “I’d just be some guy that makes horror games all day. Now I’m a cat dad.”
I shake my head and huff.
“You’re ridiculous,” I say.
“Ridiculous for you, baby.”
Piper snickers.
Maddox, Ryland, and Avery have started an in-depth discussion of their favorite video games from their childhoods while Rowan plops Alvin back on the counter and leans toward me, his blue eyes intense.
“Can I see the cat playroom?” he asks. “I didn’t get to go in last time.”
He asks it so seriously that I chuckle. “Yeah,” I say, standing. “You know you don’t have to ask, right? You can just walk in.”
He grins. “Yeah, but I want you to go with me.”
His scent washes over me, sea salt and rain filling my nostrils.
Rowan smells like a violent storm, but one that I welcome.
