I headed out of the kitchen, through the dining room, and kept going to the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, lunch is ready. Come get it.”
I faintly heard Fallon tell Aspen that I was calling for them, and I rolled my eyes and went back into the kitchen to dish out food on three different plates. By the time Fallon and Vail made their way down to me, they were chuckling and nudging each other. Vail hummed in delight when I passed him one of the plates, and he thanked me before nearly skipping his way through the door to the formal dining room.
Fallon, on the other hand, frowned. “What is that? I’m not a fucking rabbit, Rowen. I don’t need to eat that much green stuff. Cillian isn’t here right now! Who knows when I’ll get to eat what I want again? Once he gets home, I’m done for.” He pouted in my direction.
“That wee green stuff, as ye call it, is gonna keep ye healthy.” I grabbed another plate and shoved it at him, and he took it with a sour twist of his lips. “Eat up.”
“Or what?” He flashed a naughty smile. “Aspen and Cillian would spank me. What areyougoing to do?”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “There are other punishments that aren’t physical. Ye don’t want to find out what mine are.” I grabbed a fork off the island and passed it to him. “So, ye’re gonna eat that salad, and while ye do, ye’re gonna remind me of when yer doc’s appointment is.”
“That sounds like a terrible deal.” He shrugged and walked through the door into the formal dining room.
I grabbed my plate and followed him. When I got into the room, Vail was sitting at the oval table, wrinkling the soft pink tablecloth with his elbows, and Fallon was on his right. The room was one of my favorites, mostly because I’d designed it, with a light blue, pink, and white theme. The chairs had sky blue material on the seats while the walls were half textured pink paint on the top and white panels on the bottom. Hanging from the ceiling above Vail and Fallon was a pendant-bar light with frosted globes.
I took the seat on Vail’s left, plopping into the chair and setting my food on the table. I was aware of Fallon’s gaze on me, and I tilted my chin to smile at him.
“All right. Fess up. When is yer doctor’s appointment?”
Vail’s attention jumped to me and he cocked his head. “What appointment?”
“It seems our little tater tot, here, didn’t show up for his last doctor visit.”
“Did you just call me atater tot?” Fallon’s fork clattered onto his plate.
Vail slapped a hand over his mouth, hiding laughter behind it. When Fallon gave him an incredulous stare, he shrugged. “It fits. You’re like a tater tot. Hard on the outside, and squishy and delicious on the inside.”
“I’d rather you call me Hercules. He was blond and I’m like a god. I’ve got the body for it.” As if to prove a point, Fallon stood and raised his shirt up to his chest, slapping his flat belly. “Fucking godlike.”
I stared at him without an ounce of emotion, though my gaze wanted to stray to the abs that he so proudly showed us. “Stop changing the topic. When is it, tater tot?”
Vail’s face morphed into amusement and he laughed so hard he shook the table. He pressed his fingers to his eyes, as though trying to stop tears from rolling down his cheeks, and all I could do was smile at him.
Fallon looked unimpressed by the new nickname and plopped back on the chair with a huff. “Fine, it’s on Monday at eleven.”
I nodded, happy he’d finally told me. “Be ready a few hours before. I’m taking ye.”
“I don’t need you to—”
“Don’t argue with me.” I pointed at him. “Remember what I said about punishments.”
“You don’t punish,” Vail said, after shoving a healthy amount of salad into his mouth. He chewed carefully, then swallowed. “Why is he being punished? You aren’t going to flog him like they did in medieval times, are you? I can tell you about the things they used to do to each other. It was so cruel.”
“He’s picking on me, Vail.” Fallon flopped his head to the side and laid it on Vail’s shoulder, pouting up at him. “He’s so much meaner than Aspen and Cillian.”
Vail chuckled and petted Fallon’s chin. “I don’t believe that. Rowen’s so sweet.” He winked at me, and I grinned.
“Sosweet,” I agreed, grabbing a forkful of salad and shoving it into my mouth. The mixture of ingredients was perfect, and the flavors burst on my taste buds. I wasn’t sure what Fallon was in an uproar about because the meal was delicious. “I go to church.” The mention of my religion made guilt churn in my stomach again.
“A church man who murders,” Fallon grumbled but winked at me anyway.
“Eat up, little rabbit.” I waved my fork at him.
“First it’s tater tot, now it’s rabbit.” He straightened and crossed his arms.
“Ye were the one who said a wee rabbit earlier.”
“I said Iwasn’ta rabbit and didn’t need to eat this green stuff.” He gestured toward the salad on his plate. “Where’s the pizza and fries? I need fat to survive.”
