“I got Lissa to do it in the bedroom,” Charlotte countered. “Rose and everything.”
Lissa rubbed her nose. “I might’ve had a bit too much champagne, but I think I rocked it.”
“Had to be on the dance floor, and you know it.” Mitch reached in his pocket and handed cash to Wolfe. “Four hundred bucks. Don’t spend it all in one place.”
Wolfe took the bills, his ears heating. A thought occurred to him as he counted heads at the table. “This should cover breakfast.” As well as a very nice tip for the harried waitress, a forty-something woman with an excellent memory.
Mitch clapped him again, this time harder. “It certainly should. That’s mighty kind of you.”
Evie leaned around her husband. “That is very nice, Clarence. Thank you so much.”
His ears heated more, and he just nodded, fighting the temptation to slide right into the warmth offered by these kind people. He got the feeling that whoever won bingo usually bought breakfast. Thank goodness his brain was working this morning. Dana leaned over and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek, obviously not caring that her family was watching.
She accepted him so completely and openly. He didn’t deserve that, but he wasn’t sure he could let her go any longer. He needed some time and distance to figure all of this out.
Lissa’s eyebrows rose. “Oh. I forgot to ask how your dog is doing this morning.”
“He’s hungover,” Wolfe said, relieved to be talking about anything but himself. “I sent him down to the river to dunk his head, and he’s probably asleep in the sun now.”
Katie worried her lower lip across from him. “Doesn’t alcohol kill dogs?”
Wolfe shook his head. “Most dogs but not that one. The vet can’t explain it, but Roscoe always survives. We try to keep him away from the booze, but accidents happen.”
“Especially when there is cake involved.” Mitch started laughing, and his wife slapped his hand.
Conversations started up again around them, and Wolfe turned toward Dana. She’d come to breakfast in a pale yellow summer dress with her long hair back in a ponytail. Her pretty pink lipstick made her mouth shimmer and all but beg for a kiss. Her eyes were a clear, happy green, and although she’d moved a little carefully this morning, she seemed relaxed.
He gave in to temptation and reached out to knead her nape. “How are you doing?” He kept his voice low.
“Great.” She sipped her orange juice, a muted pink tinging her cheekbones. “A little sore but in a good way.”
Yeah, he got that. The scratches on his arms and chest were light and would fade, but he liked that she’d left her mark on him, at least temporarily. “Your family is pretty great.”
“Thanks.” She leaned into him naturally, and he tried not to think beyond this moment. “I know we have to get on the road soon, so when it’s time, just let me know.”
The desire to stay another day with everyone caught him by surprise, since he’d usually rather be alone. Oddly enough, he didn’t feel out of place here. But he and Dana had cases to solve, and he needed to keep an eye on Force and make sure he wasn’t killing his liver. “We have a few minutes.” He tugged on her ponytail, and she smacked his arm, laughing and then rolling her eyes at Lissa, who was openly grinning at them.
Was it possible for him to have a real relationship with Dana? There were a lot of people to protect in this family, but he was one of the best. He settled his hand against her nape, stopping the kneading. “I was thinking—”
“No,” Dana said, her smile remaining firmly in place. “I am not staying with my family while you solve all of the world’s problems on your own.”
Well, then. That wasn’t exactly how he’d planned to word the suggestion, but she’d caught his gist. He could appeal to her father, but something told him that would get him punched in the gut. It’d probably tick off her sisters, too. “Hey. I forgot to ask about that scene with the bride last night. It had looked like she was actually going to hit you. You weren’t really going to fight, were you?”
She shrugged. “No. Lissa would’ve tried to jump in, and Katie would’ve stopped her, and it would’ve been a mess if the moms hadn’t arrived in time. But nobody would’ve gotten hit. Well, probably.”
Okay. The Mulberry sisters were nuts. He should probably be careful not to piss them all off at the same time. “I’m glad the moms stepped in,” he muttered.
“Me too.” Dana speared a piece of melon and plopped it in her mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
“Have you ever been in a physical fight?” Wolfe asked.
She shook her head. “Not unless you count fighting over the television remote control with one of my sisters.”
“I don’t,” Wolfe said.
“Then, nope. Never been in a fight.”
He needed to teach her how to fight. Not that he wanted her to fight, but those skills were necessary in their work. Even in her work as a journalist. “You should know how to protect yourself,” he said.
