“The Bears and the Bird…” I smile, stepping away and turning back to dinner. “It has a nice ring to it.”
He chuckles, keeping his arms around my waist as I finish assembling the lasagna. “That it does.”
My heart soars with happiness as he hums approvingly over my shoulder, and presses a kiss to my neck before I top the entire thing with cheese.
We pop it in the oven, and I shut the door, turning and taking off my oven mitts. But when I turn around, it’s like a switch has been flipped. Ethan surprises me by backing me against the island, his voice menacing. “Now, let’s revisit that nickname. I’m not against the suffix ‘bear’, but let’s think of something besides ‘bossy’, hmm?”
“That sounds exactly like something a Bossy Bear would say.” I arch a brow at him.
Luckily, Teddy chooses that moment to walk into the kitchen, his arms full of bags. I frown, looking at him. “Teddy, I thought you already went to the store.”
“I did,” he says, plopping the bags on the island. “I made one trip to the grocery store, then came back so Ethan—”
“Bossy Bear,” I correct.
Teddy doesn’t even blink. “So Bossy Bear could have his precious rico'ta cheese. Then I went back out to a shop that actually has nice body washes an’ shite, and got you as many as I could, since I didn’t want to pick somefin’ you ‘ated.”
My heart turns. “Teddy Bear, you didn’t have to do that.”
Ethan snorts. “Alright, so I’m Bossy Bear, he’s Teddy Bear. Maverick is…?”
“Daddy Bear, obviously.” I nod seriously.
“Do I want to know what I am?” Brennan’s voice sounds as he enters the kitchen, a small smile on his face.
I grin. “Hey there, Boo Bear.”
“This just makes me want to role-play Goldilocks and the four bears.” Teddy grins, dumping his bag out on the island.
“Goldilocks only has three bears,” Brennan frowns, picking up one of the bottles of body wash.
“Not in my version.” Teddy winks at me, and I bite my lip, holding back a giggle. “Now, come take a look, Dove. I didn’t know what to grab, so you have your pick. Wha’ever you don’t like, we’ll just toss.”
I frown, ducking under Ethan’s arm and approaching the island. “We shouldn’t throw them out, that’s a waste.”
“We can’t return ‘em.” Teddy tilts his head at me. “Though I s’pose we could donate ‘em.”
“Let’s do that,” I nod, picking up one of the bottles and sniffing. Ooh. It smells good. But…won’t it cover upmyscent?”
I don’t know how he does it, but Brennan seems to pick up on my thoughts pretty quick. “Ted, did you buy a scentless one?”
Teddy nods. “A few different brands…” He grabs three different bottles out of the pile before pushing them my way.
I give Brennan a grateful smile. “Thank you, I…I don’t know why. I’ve never been particularly attached to my scent, but…the thought of you guys scenting something else besides me makes me feel irrationally angry.”
“Nothing irrational about it, Song Bird,” Brennan gives me a gentle look. “That’s the true scentmatch at work.”
I open my mouth to answer, but then…the door bell rings. I freeze, my eyes going wide as I look at Teddy, Ethan, and Brennan. Who could that be? Did the police come back? Was I wrong about them not working for my parents?
Brennan’s gaze turns hard as he reaches under the island, promptly pulling out a handgun. “Stay here,” he orders, his tone so much different than his usually sweet one. If I wasn’t terrified that we’d be found, I’d be turned on.
It’s less than thirty seconds later that Brennan calls out, “Wren! You have a visitor!”
My brows shoot up. What? Who would be visiting me? And who could it be that Brennan would be so calm about it?
I take a step in the direction of the front door, but I don’t get to take another one before Maggie is rushing into the room. Her eyes scan the kitchen frantically, her shoulders falling slightly when they land on me. “Wren, oh thank gods.”
Without a word, she walks over and wraps her arms around me in a hug. Her scent, which must have been under scent blockers the other day, strongly reminds me of Maverick, but without the panty-melting factor. Maybe it’s a twin thing.
