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“You two look like you had a jolly good time.”
“We did, sister.” Nick shut the door with a snap and Merry’s foot itched to hop from the brake to the gas and leave him.
“Sorry he called you, Mer,” Clark murmured, leaning across the console to kiss her cheek, but Daisy intercepted his lips with her tongue. “Ack, no, Daisy, that kiss was for Merry, not you.”
“There will be no kisses until you explain a few things, sir,” Merry said, with only a hint of sternness. “First, why did my brother call for a safe ride and not you?”
“I thought I would sleep it off for a few hours in the Jeep and drive home. I didn’t want to wake you up for that.”
Nick opened the door as she added, “I would have rather heard your deep voice than Nick’s annoying one.”
“Hey, now, that’s not very nice.” Daisy jumped Nick as he slid across the seat, fighting off doggy kisses. “Damn it, why did you bring the demon?”
“Because she goes nuts when I leave her alone.”
“Doesn’t she have a crate? She’s lying across my lap and she’s not exactly a Yorkie.”
“She hates her crate and I like her a whole lot more than you right now and didn’t want to upset her. She chews things when she’s upset. So you can deal.”
Clark reached across the console for her hand, bringing it to his mouth. “We appreciate you coming to get us.”
“I mean, I love getting out of bed in the middle of the night…on a Monday.”
“Technically, it’s Tuesday,” Nick said.
“There is no arguing with me during this ride. This is going to be a drive of quiet reflection to think about the poor choices you both made tonight.”
Nick huffed. “Damn, you sound like Mom.”
“Not my mom.” Clark laughed. No, wait. It was higher than a laugh.
Did he just…giggle?
“What the heck did you drink?” Merry asked.
“It’s called a Hold the Jingle Bells. It was tasty.” When she didn’t respond, he kept talking. “Anthony bought it for me. He was trying to make me feel welcome ’cause he likes me. Nick just wants to kill me.”
That caught her attention. “Come again?”
“He’s exaggerating,” Nick said.
“You said if I hurt Merry, you were going to do me in.”
“But he gave Pike advice on how to get back into Sally’s good graces, so I decided he could live…for now.”
“Whoa, wait, what did Pike do to my Sally?”
“Mind ya bidness, sister,” Nick said.
“You are very annoying.” She pulled up to Nick and Noel’s apartment and spotted Noel’s car. Merry spun around in the seat to glare at her brother. “You!”
“What, you were going to come out to get Clark anyway and Noel has to work early. No sense in waking you both up.” Nick dodged Merry’s attempt to whack him with a grin. “Remember, fratricide is frowned upon. See ya, Clark.” Nick opened the back door, holding Daisy at bay, and dived out like he was afraid the puppy or Merry was going to follow.
“Next time your Uncle Nick comes over, Daisy, eat his shoes,” Merry grumbled. She took the turn out of the parking lot and onto the main highway, glancing at Clark. “Did you fall asleep?”
“No, I was thinking,” he said.
“About what?”
