Page 20 of Titan’s Mate

Without waiting for argument, she wheeled the cart around and headed for the frozen food department. Passing by the yucky frozen mashed potatoes, she went for something she knew she couldn’t screw up.

Tater Tots. Lots and lots of Tater Tots. Mountains of Tots, because those guys were big. She was about to leave the frozen foods when she saw the bamboo shoots.

She slid to a stop. Bamboo shoots? Her bear’s absolute favorite food? The gods were smiling on Thanksgiving after all.

She threw bags of them into the cart, then detoured through the ethnic foods aisle for the Chinese spices and sauces she’d need.

Humming happily, she did a final swing by the bakery section. Pumpkin pie was all well and good, but there was no chocolate in that. She bought a giant Swiss roll and a crap-ton of microwaveable fudge sauce.

By the time she got to the checkout, the guys had already gone through and were waiting, each of them holding a large brown grocery bag. Brock raised an eyebrow when he saw the Tater Tots, and Titan got that little smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Don’t even start,” she said. “Tots are appropriate with any meal. Did you get the meat?”

“Yep.” Brock glanced down at his bag. Titan shifted his, which clanked in a very non-meat-like manner. “What’s in there?” she asked suspiciously.

A secretive look flashed across his face, and he and Brock studiously didn’t look at each other. “Nothing. Just some… um. Staples. Boring shit.”

Huh. It was probably extra beer. Which was fine—she was pretty sure they were all going to need it.

When they got back to the house, Titan mixed barbecue sauce while Brock made a pitcher of drinks. They were bright blue, with about six different kinds of alcohol, and orange slices floating on top.

“Should I ask what this is?” she said.

“Mermaid Punch,” Titan said. “The girls love it, because it’s pretty.”

And it had a kick, she learned, taking a sip. But damn, it was good. “This is delicious,” she said. “I’m not sure it will help my limited cooking skills, but it’ll definitely give me misplaced confidence.”

The guys smirked at each other. They definitely had something up their sleeves.

Mari started making side dishes—prepping the green bean casserole, starting a huge batch of braised bamboo shoots, and cooking bacon for Tater Tot casserole.

As soon as the barbecue sauce was done, the boys hustled outside to start the ribs slow-cooking. They also started moving folding tables, tools, and implements of destruction from the mudroom to the screen porch in the back.

“What the hell are you doing?” she asked politely, as Brock came in for a roll of aluminum foil.

“Nothing much,” he said. “Only, you can’t come out on the screen porch. Or into the backyard.”

“Because?” She arched an eyebrow.

He frowned at her, obviously trying to look stern. “Top secret project. Need to know only.” When she still looked dubious, he said in a more normal voice, “Don’t wreck it for Squatch. He’s having fun.”

Titan needed fun, so she shut up and stayed inside, although curiosity was burning holes in her brain faster than the demon was. Also, the parade was over so she was forced to watch Christmas movies on the Lifetime channel.

The guys stayed outside for a couple of hours, watching the game on the porch TV and occasionally coming inside for things they mostly wouldn’t let her see.

Every time she asked them what they were doing, they poured her another drink and went back out.

After Mari finished the casseroles and the first batch of Tater Tots, she realized Sebastian was missing.

He’d been sitting on top of the breadbox, watching her cook, and now he was gone.

Shock and suspicion raced through her. They. Would. Not.

She stomped through the mudroom and flung open the back door. “Who took my fucking duck?” she demanded.

There was a flurry of movement, and a frantic “You can’t look!” from Titan.

“I. Am. Looking! My duck has been kidnapped, and I suspect you!”