Page 69

I ticked them off with my fingers. “Mal, Luke, Carter, Ville….”

He snorted. “Okay, I see your point.”

Sky smiled. “How many siblings do you have?” she asked him and Nick snorted, going back to the pot of that smelled like chili.

Bodhi sighed. “Nine. I’m the oldest.”

Her eyes went wide. “Holy shit.”

We all laughed. I finished my coffee quickly, eager to get horizontal. My knee was starting to throb more.

“I’m gonna go to your place. I’ll see you there,” I told Bodhi, kissing his cheek. “Sky, Nick.” I tipped my imaginary hat and limped off.

The last thing I heard from the kitchen was Bodhi telling Sky that the filly had nailed me in the knee. Well, close enough, I suppose.

I was dozing on Bodhi’s couch with two of his cats when he came in with Nyx.

The third cat, Ghost, who had been sleeping on the armchair across the room, shot off the chair and scrambled into hiding. The two that were with me eyed the dog with annoyance more than anything else.

“Oh crap, I need to feed her,” I realized.

“No need. Judson popped by and dropped off some food for her. Good thing he gave me forewarning so I could tell him to bring her some.”

“Oh, that’s good. I really need to talk to Keegan soon about some stuff.” I peered at Nyx who flopped down—“Is that a dog bed?”

Bodhi nodded as if it was completely normal to have acquired such a thing. “Of course. She needs her own bed if you’re going to be here a lot more.”

“Fuck you, Bodhi Harrington,” I murmured as I watched him leave his boots and jacket by the door.

He snorted. “I mean, I’m going to be doing the fucking, but I suppose I should ask you why?”

“For being sweet to my dog.”

He grinned as he stalked closer to the couch. “To be fair, she’s barely your dog.”

“She will be by spring once I’ve paid for her. Or a new dog. Oomph.” He landed halfway on top of me and kissed me soundly.

“So. Airstream?” he asked after settling in next to me.

“Uh-huh.” I knew what he was really asking, of course. I knew him.

“We could build a house somewhere,” he offered, because that was who he was.

“It’s not about that. I like your place. I just… I just need to have something that’s just mine, you know?”

He mused on that for a while, petting me just as he might have one of his cats. “As much as I want you to pack your bags and move here and be with me 24/7, I know this is a big change.”

“I think….” I went quiet for a while, snuggling in with him while minding my knee a little, which he of course noticed, and grabbed my thigh to move my leg so that my knee was hanging over his thigh instead of touching him even the slightest bit. I smiled. “I’ll get essentials for both the trailer and here. So I don’t have to think about that too much.”

He looked contemplative for a moment, then asked, “And can I have some stuff at the trailer?”

I kissed him. “Yes. You can.”

He looked happier with that. “Okay.”

A yawn overtook my whole body, and I did the stretching trembly thing which made him laugh.

“Shut up. Bedtime,” I murmured, because while it wasn’t late, I was done with the day.