Decoy’s gaze flickered. “I hope so.”
My frown dug in, but Ivy came looking for her dad before I could press him, and I had to let it go.
Nash and the others dismounted their hogs and headed for the chapel.
Ivy made a run for Saint.
Liliana chose Nash, raiding his pockets for sweets.
Willow hugged Ranger. “You cut your hair.”
Ranger ran a hand over his shorn black locks. “It was getting in my way. Besides, I’m not as pretty as you, kiddo. I just looked homeless.”
Locke tossed a napkin Ranger’s way. “You are homeless, bro.”
“Fuck off.”
Ranger cursed with the same northern twang as Saint, but strong enough to be two-thirds of his entire personality.
I watched him hug Willow again and share a moment with Viktor’s bewitching dog.
Then he claimed a seat beside Locke.
Locke waved the baby at him.
Ranger evaded, calling on Lida to protect him. Everyone laughed, and the room settled down, a full house once Nash and Liliana made it inside.
All but one.
Nash noticed first, his habitual headcount faltering on his way to me.
He swivelled around, catching Locke’s eye before he turned to Decoy. “Where’s your man at?”
Decoy had a beer on the table. He’d barely touched it, but he reached for it now, stalling as he took a drink before answering Nash, and the mystery deepened.
Nash scanned the room again, exchanging a lightning-fast glance with Cam that got Alexei’s attention. Until now, he’d been absorbed in something on his iPad, ignoring the dinner Rubi had cooked and every attempt anyone, including Cam, had made to engage him in conversation. “Where is Veles?”
Decoy set his bottle down. “He had an appointment.”
“Where?”
“Where do you think?”
It was as close to a snap as I’d ever heard from Decoy. Something was up, big time. How were we only just noticing? Decoy didn’t broadcast his emotions, but he wasn’t that hard to read either. And Folk? He’d become as important to our family asanyone.
There were kids in the room.
I shifted in my seat, ready to rise and distract them, not that they were listening, but Willow got there first, starting a new video on her phone that instantly engrossed Ivy and Liliana. For her scattergun approach to life, this kid was observant.
Just like her dad.
Locke rose, still holding Hope, and came closer to Decoy. He wasn’t a nosy fucker like Rubi, but concern cinched his brows. “What’s going on?”
“It’s that time of year,” Decoy said, as if that explained anything. “He wouldn’t tell me what day, but as he’s MIA, I’m guessing that it’s right now.”
Locke winced. “Oncology?”
“Yup. Yearly check-up. He disappeared a few weeks back for the tests. I think today must be the results.”
