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At least his derisive snort is kind of like an answer. “Theo? He’s allergic to fun.”

“That can’t be true. He has to have something. Some kind of diversion.” Meanwhile, here I am sitting, bored out of my mind. “Something to make it feel less like the walls are closing in on him.”

“Is that how you feel now?”

“Gee, what gave you that idea?”

Finally, he puts the book aside and gives me his full attention. Those green eyes are like emerald lasers, pinning me in place. “If you’re so bored, there is plenty you could be doing. Working on your training, for instance.”

My training. It’s been three days, and the only thing I’ve managed to learn is how little faith either of these guys has in me. “Come on,” I groan, slumping in the chair. “There’s only so much I can do. Only so many hours in the day I can shoot at hay bales and crawl on the ground. But I am getting better.”

His lips quirk at the corners. “Are you?”

“Oh, shut up. You know I am,” I insist while he snickers. “I’m way better than I was when I first started! I’m actually hitting the targets now.”

“Barely.”

“You and your brother. Are you afraid you’ll die if you look at the bright side of things for once?”

“When my life is on the line? Sorry if I don’t jump up and down and applaud for you.” Something in my face must make him feel bad, since he softens up a little bit. “No one is born a good marksman. I certainly wasn’t. You have to practice.”

“Can we level with each other for a minute? If you don’t think I’m any good, what are we supposed to do?”

Something dark and stormy passes over his face, and I wish I hadn’t asked the question. “For now, do your best. I’ll work it out.” I’m not sure how he thinks he can salvage the situation, but what other choice do I have but to shrug and go along?

Theo comes in from doing chores, his boots stomping against the kitchen floor. “There I was, hoping someone had thought to get dinner started while I was out there.” He looks around the kitchen before heaving a sigh.

“Sorry I’m not a mind reader,” Adrian grumbles. “Besides, unless we’re supposed to re-create the whole loaves-and-fishes situation, I’m not sure exactly what you expected me to cook with.”

That makes Theo scratch his head as he opens and closes one cabinet after another. “All right,” he concedes. “We could use more supplies around here.”

I can’t believe I’m suggesting this, since I usually hate the idea of going out, but I have to admit this whole life-and-death situation, combined with interacting with only these two brutes for a while, has me jumping on the opportunity. “I know! Let’s go somewhere to dinner. I think we could all use a little time out of the house.”

Adrian has to roll his eyes like the smarty-pants he is. “Please, don’t act like you’re suddenly being altruistic.”

“Is it altruistic to want to eat dinner?” I retort. He doesn’t like it when I stick my tongue out at him, so of course that’s what I do. “And I think it would do us all some good. Change of scene, you know?” Looking to Theo for backup might be a waste of time, since he’s usually too busy grumbling to agree with me, but I have to try.

I can tell he wants to say no, because that’s just who he is. He’s not stupid, though, and he’s probably just as tired of soup and whatever else he’s existed on as we already are. “There’s a nice Italian place maybe half an hour from here. I haven’t been there in a long time.”

“Yay!” I have to clap my hands as I jump out of the chair. “I could go for some Italian food.”

“Hang on a second.” Adrian hasn’t moved except to arch an eyebrow. “Aren’t we forgetting something?”

“You’re invited,” Theo snickers.

Big surprise, Adrian looks unamused. Maybe it’s something in the water around here. “I was a little more concerned with the missing person report with your name on it, June.” I swear, the way he says it, you’d think it was my fault. Like I did something to deserve all this.

“You’re worried about that? Come on.” I scoff and wave a hand while he scowls, because that’s, like, his favorite expression lately. “We’re in the middle of Montana, remember? Nobody’s looking for me out here.”

Theo only shrugs when Adrian looks at him. “She’s probably right.”

“Somebody call hell and make sure it hasn’t frozen over,” I mutter.

He gives me a pointed look before turning back to his brother. “I’m going to take a quick shower.”

“I don’t know why I bother saying anything.” Captain Grumpy folds his arms, glaring at me after Theo has gone upstairs. “What part of this do you not understand? We can’t take any chances. You don’t know for sure there won’t be someone looking for you out here. You’re young, pretty, you have a clean record—no history of problems with the law, no disappearances. That’s the kind of case everybody wants to solve.”

“You think I’m pretty?”