Tanner agreed with Irina.
“It’s too important.” Knox continued tapping on his screen.
“Anyone want to tell me what the hell he’s talking about?” Tanner asked, going for no-big-deal.
“You goof, it’s upside down.” Irina rolled her eyes at Courtney.
“Should I read it?” Bax asked. “So we can move the fuck along?”
“Children.Yourchild. Present,” Courtney said. Which was sorta funny, because Tanner had heard her cussing it up in front of Harley and everyone else was dropping f-bombs like it was a fucking rock concert.
“I’m ready.” Knox held his wrist up and squinted.
“By all means,” Tanner waved him on.
“You may be wonderingwhy we’re all here.” Knox glanced up to Tanner.
“Not so much. Not anymore,” Tanner said, cutting a look to Mach. They’d discuss this later.
“It’s important not to give up,” Knox read from his watch screen. “You’re gonna screw shit up, and that’s okay.”
“That’swhat you’ve been working on?” Linx asked, scowling even though he munched on a fry.
Mach handed him a beer and Tanner took it, leaned against the fridge. This seemed like it might take a while. Harley would probably need a few more green beans to get through it. Maybe even a cookie. Fuck, he’d probably also need a cookie to get through this.
“Hold on.” Knox pulled off the watch and held up to his face. “Okay, so it’s important not to give up. We all have your back. You’re doing great.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Tanner asked, shaking his head.
“We’re your Samantha Support Team,” Knox said. “I named us. Courtney ordered T-shirts.”
“Oops. Forgot to do that,” Courtney said. And the way she said it? She didn’t forget. She simply didn’t do it.
“Why are you all my support team?” Tanner asked.
“Babushka told us to be,” Becca, the voice of reason, said.
“Just dove right in with that, huh?” Linx asked.
The guys all gave Becca a look like she should be more chill about the whole thing.
“Yeah, Babushka asked you?” Tanner asked, even though he didn’t need to. Of course, Babushka asked them to have his back.
“Uh-huh,” Knox said, still poking at the watch face. “Oops. I found more notes.” He cleared his throat. “Try making your clumsiness with women into something she’ll enjoy.”
Irina laid her hand over the watch’s face. “Honey, no. We’re past that now.”
Knox frowned. Scowled. Crossed his arms.
Irina rubbed at the base of his neck. “You’ll do better next time.”
“Could everyone focus for two seconds?” Tanner asked. “Only two. Then you can go back to your ramblings.”
“After you met Sam, which apparently already happened, we’re supposed to help you. So you don’t fuck it up,” Linx said, holding his hands wide. “This is us ensuring you don’t fuck up.”
Well, that was an interesting turn of events. But that’s not what he needed. Not really. “I asked Linx how he knew Becca was the one. I didn’t ask for you to help me not fuck it up.”
“Linx can tell you all about buying Becca a Slim Jim, but prepare yourself because the fucking it up part is probably coming next,” Knox said with a shrug. “Just prepare yourself. That’s all I’m saying.”
