Cool!
“I…” Stammering, I couldn’t think of a single thing to suggest, aside from, well, my tried and true, which was to be as blunt as possible.
“Well, I wouldn’t suggest storming down Main Street advertising it the way I did when I found out I was pregnant,” I said. “But I think you need to just tell him so you can approach the other party together.”
“The other party is low-key terrifying,” he admitted. “But seriously smokin’ hot.”
“Now you have to tell me who it is,” I said.
“Who what is?” Upalo asked, a tray laden with snacks in his hand.
“Yay, your patrol is over!” Rory said, setting his tray aside so he could open his arms for a hug.
I set mine aside too, ready to take the treats from Upalo so he could hug his mate.
“You’re timing is impeccable,” Rory said. “That or your ears were burning.”
“Why, have you guys been talking about me?” Upalo said. “If my brother has been sharing stories of my rebellious youth, he’d better remember that I have a wealth of baby Ronan stories that I will happily share with Odem.”
“Bring it on,” I said as I popped a piece of smoked salmon in my mouth. “Yum.”
“Well,” Rory began, “We were talking about you, or more specifically, something that I needed to talk to you about.”
“Okay.”
Rory licked his lips, then plunged ahead, the same as I’d have done. “I’m almost positive that Larkin is our mate. Whenever I’m near him, I can sense how overworked and exhausted he and his dragon are, but more than that, I-I feel like his dragon tried to reach out to mine the last time we were in the same room, but I didn’t realize that was what was happening until it dawned on me that I felt the same pull whenever I was away from you.”
“Larkin?” Upalo murmured. “As in the sheriff? I…during intake I wondered if maybe, but then I learned about you and was overcome with such excitement it drowned out everything else.”
“So, it’s possible?” Rory said. “You felt it too?”
“I did,” Upalo said. “But with all that’s going on right now, I don’t know if it would be a distraction to him if we were to tell him what we sensed.”
“Keeping it to ourselves feels wrong,” Rory said. “It felt wrong not to have told you before now, but when I started to, things got distracting.”
My brother chuckled and winked at his mate. “That’s one way of putting it. You’re right though. Keeping it to ourselves wouldn’t be fair. I’m sure Odem knows how to contact him. We’ll arrange to meet with him when he’s free, whenever that will be, with all the added work he’s been saddled with lately.”
“We can always invite him to supper,” I suggested. “I’m sure he doesn’t have many opportunities for a home cooked meal. Afterward, Odem and I can slip away and leave you three to chat. By then they’ll be no question of if you are mates or not.”
“Bro, that’s brilliant,” Upalo said.
“I have my moments,” I said, preening as I popped another piece of smoked salmon in my mouth. There weren’t many left now, so I decided to leave the rest for them and nibble on the steak tips next. “I’ll speak to Odem and have him reach out to see when Larkin is free.”
“Perfect,” Upalo said.
“You and I can cook,” Rory told him. “I’m sure we can come up with an awesome meal if we put our heads together.”
“As long as you don’t get distracted putting other things together,” I muttered, but dragon hearing meant they heard and started laughing in response, which meant my happy girls were in on it too.
“Says the dragon whose already proved that two and two do indeed make four,” Upalo remarked.
“Following that logic, I’m looking forward to three plus three equaling six by the time all is said and done,” I shot back and watched his face pale.
“Game on,” Rory said, grinning wildly. “I used that one right too, didn’t I?”
Smiling at my new brother, I nodded. “You sure did.”
“Wicked.”
