Samantha stroked the buttery leather and grinned at me. “I know you don't think much of the things you make with territory magic, but this is awesome. Thank you, V. And I love you too.”
“Girl, I'll hook you up,” I promised. “Just tell me what style and color you want. Or better yet, show me a picture.”
“I'm going to need a bigger closet.” She grinned.
“You can have that too. Whatever you want, just don't ever leave us.”
“I feel like a kept woman.” Sam smirked at her husband.
Fallon lifted a brow at me.
“I'm paying her for babysitting, that's all.” I held up a placating hand.
“That's a nice trick,” Austin noted. “You think you can make me a new truck?”
“Sure, but you'd never get it through the Aether.”
“Can't blame a guy for trying.”
“I could make you a new hat,” I offered.
Austin's eyes went wide in horror and a hand went up to hold his cowboy hat protectively. “Stay away from my hat, woman.”
“You could keep that one too,” I said slowly, as if speaking to a child.
“I'm good wit' the one.” He tipped the hat to me. “Thank ya kindly.”
“Okay.” I cleared my throat and changed the subject. “So, how are you liking your first trip to the God Realm?”
“I reckon I could get used to this,” Austin drawled. “It ain't too shabby and the coffee's strong enough to walk into your cup.”
“Good, cause you may be staying awhile.” I poured me some of that walking coffee.
“Dad gum it!” Austin cursed. “You didn't get 'em?”
The kids giggled.
“Dad gum it!” Zariel declared.
“We're lions, baby girl,” Fallon chided. “We don't gum anything.”
Zariel laughed harder.
“We got a lot of them,” I answered Austin. “Then those owls showed up and chased the rest down. I don't know if they got them all or not.”
“You didn't go with them?”
“I was a little busy defrosting the snake-stick over here.” I nodded toward Viper.
“I see where you were going with that.” Trevor squished his face up at me. “At least, I hope you were trying to make a joke about fish sticks, but it sounded naughty, Minn Elska.”
“Only because your naughty brain heard it that way,” I chided him.
“Daddy's naughty,” Vero said solemnly.
“When I'm bad, I'm even better,” Trevor growled at our son, then tickled him.
Vero burst into laughter and smacked his sticky palms on Trevor's face.
