I had, but even as I said it, I realized that maybe Elliot didn’t know. Maybe he thought I’d moved out here for the job first. Maybe he thought the job—not him—was why I’d decided to stay. Maybe he’d wondered if I wanted to move back to Virginia, closer to Noah, closer to where I’d grown up.
I didn’t. I liked it in Shawano—I liked my job, yes, but I loved this house and this community because it was a big part of what had made Elliot into the man I loved. Because it was part of him.
I picked up my phone again.
I love you.
You know that, right?
Yes?
Why?
You know that I like it here, right?
Sure?
What’s going on?
I just need you to know.
You’re literally the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
My phone started buzzing. I sighed, and answered.
“Yeah?”
“Seriously, baby, what’s going on?” Elliot sounded worried.
“Nothing! I just wanted you to know.” I knew my neck was turning red.
“Why?”
Ray reached over and stole my phone.
“Hey!” I objected.
“Don’t you fuss your fuzzy little head,” the ghoul said into the phone. “We’ve been ragging on the poor thing.” He paused. “Nah, he’s good.” Another pause. “No, but if Mason and I don’t show up, he’s dismembered us and hidden the bodies.” He laughed. “Nope. He loves you, and we’ll see you in a few hours.”
And then he hung up and handed me my phone back with another toothy grin.
I stared at him for a beat. “You’re a dick, Ray,” I said, finally, deciding he’d probably find it funny if I was blunt.
His laughter told me I was right. Even Mason snorted.
“You’rebothdicks,” I clarified, aware that my neck, face, and ears were now all red.
“You didn’t see Elliot earlier,” Mason replied, still sounding amused.
“No?” He’d been up and dragged out of the house by Henry—with Hart in tow—at an extremely early hour for Elliot. I’d still been sleeping thanks to a late night the night before at a highway accident scene that, fortunately, hadn’t involved any fatalities, but had required us to put out a burning car.
Mason laughed. “He had a few moments,” the big orc rumbled diplomatically.
“Moments?” I wasn’t sure what that meant, although I could tell from his tone that Mason found thesemomentsamusing.
“I had a few moments myself the morning I married Helen,” Ray replied good-naturedly. “You know—will she actually go through with this?That kind of thing.”
I looked back and forth between them. “Why would he have moments?” I asked. “We’re literally already married.”
