“Not a deal breaker?” she asked cheekily. She did love her blankets.
“Not even close. But Tabbi, you haven’t said yet that you want to marryme.” He posed the question with nonchalance, but she could hear the underlying nervousness in his tone.
It was a no-brainer to put him out of his misery.
“Of course I want to marry you,” she told him, snuggling her cheek into the cold, dampness of chest. It wasn’t the most comfortable landing spot for her face, but she’d take it.
“Thank God.”
Kyle’s resounding voice chimed in from just around the side of the SUV. “If you guys had danced around that any longer, I was going to have to give you both some wake-the-fuck-up-noogies.”
“No he wouldn’t,” Rowan contested as she sidled up behind her husband. “Because if he did, I would have beaten the snot out of him.” She turned narrowed eyes at Kyle. “And why are you spying on Tabbi and your brother, anyway?” she snarked. “Leave them alone.”
The punch Rowan gave Kyle was nothing like the gentle one she’d previously given Spencer. Then again, Rowanwasa stunt woman. Maybe it was a fake clout.
“Ouch!” Kyle complained loudly, rubbing his chest.
Or maybe not.
“I give.” He retreated rapidly, waving over his shoulder with Rowan on his heels.
Tabitha looked at Spencer and they both started laughing.
“Have I mentioned that I love your family?” she admitted.
Spencer groaned. “Hold that thought. You still haven’t met all of them, and you might not be so delighted with the ones remaining.”
“Let’s see,” Tabitha enumerated. “I already knew Vincent, and he’s not so bad,” she quipped. “Now I’ve also met Buck, Mason, Kyle, and Julian. That only leaves Trask and Seifer, right? How bad could they be?”
Julian, who was just walking over, heard the question, and answered with a straight face. “Big brother Trask is a ball-buster, and the baby in the clan, Seifer, is an unpredictable, wild child. What you see here?” He sent his hand around in a circle that encompassed the brothers who were present. “We’re normal by comparison.”
Tabitha couldn’t quite believe that. There was no way this awesome family had spawned devils from hell.
She thought she could hear the tease in Julian’s voice, but Everlee was nodding emphatically behind him.
Maybe Julian was right? Time would tell.
Blue flashing lights approached, putting that discussion on hold.
She and Spencer got to their feet and joined the rest of the crowd as three cruisers pulled up.
Kyle approached as the doors opened. “Slow day, today, guys?” he asked his colleagues with a chuckle. “Three black and whites for one little ol’ bad guy?”
“Nope.” Their good friend Welker, who’d unfolded from the driver seat of one squad car, refuted the taunt. “I’mactually here to deliver some precious cargo.” He went to the back door of his car and pulled it open.
Sheila slowly got out and blinked at the throng.
Tabitha squealed, running full tilt in her direction.
“Sheels,” she got out before throwing her arms around her sister to squeeze.
Tabitha noted that Sheila looked rather pleased with herself as she allowed the hug while awkwardly patting Tabitha’s back.
“You are never, ever, ever, to do that again,” Tabitha managed, taking her sister’s face between both her hands to stare her directly in the eyes.
Sheila squirmed uncomfortably, and Tabitha let go.
“I did it, Tabbi,” she snorted, clearly dismissing Tabitha’s edict. “I did it. I found Maine. I found the police station when you didn’t meet the bus. I knew you wouldn’t meet the bus. You didn’t know when I got here. But I saw in myheadthat you’d meet the bus, so I thought you would. But I had a back-up plan. That’s what Mr. Welker said. He called it a back-up plan. I had a back-up plan to go to the police station. Do you know they have a duck? It’s not alive, but I think it might have been.”
