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“Yeah,” I said, heaving a sigh of relief. “I’m so glad you’re not pissed off.”
“Me too,” she said, giving me a playful little slug in the gut. “I’d hate to ruin our first date night in forever.”
“It really has been forever, hasn’t it? When was the last time?”
“I think we haven’t gone out just you and me or sat down to do something private since the honeymoon.”
“And even that got bungled, didn’t it?” I said, annoyed. “Thanks to a visit from Curt.”
“Mmm,” she said, wrapping her arms around my waist. “So, when do we leave?”
“Hmm?” I said, closing my eyes to think about my to-do list for a little while. “Well, I’m nearly done with everything I have to do. Providing you don’t have too much left, we can leave in the next hour or two.”
“I’ve been conscripted by Lana to help her plan for every disastrous contingency known to man, but barring that, I think a rendezvous in a couple hours should work. Where should we meet?”
“Let’s do this the old-fashioned way,” I said, lifting her to stand on the toes of my shoes while I slowly turned us around. “I’ll pick you up at the front door.”
“Literally? Or like in a car?”
I snorted and gave a little flick of her nose. “Neither, dork. Although I could carry you all night if that’s what you’d like.”
“Only if you get Travis and Ashton to carry me on a palanquin,” she teased.
“What is it with women these days? Everyone wants a palanquin when a rickshaw will do,” I teased. “Next, you’ll be telling me you’re tired of peanut butter and tuna sandwiches.”
“Hey, it’s not my fault that abomination is all you know how to make.”
“I take offense to that. I can also make scrambled eggs. And instant ramen.”
She giggled and shook her head. “It’s funny because between the two of us, I’m pretty sure you’re the better cook. The joke is funny because it’s not true.”
“Expert analysis,” I commented.
Just then, as I turned toward the direction Marley had originally arrived from, I saw Lana appear from around the corner.
“Marley! You said you were going to check on Cole, not that you were going to stop in the middle of the hallway and slow dance with him,” Lana whined. “Please, if I don’t get your help, I’m going to keep having to torture Travis, and nobody wants that.”
“Travis might,” I quipped.
“Oh, good point,” Marley said, looking over her shoulder at Lana. “Say, how does Trav look in latex? Maybe we could get him a gimp mask?”
“Marley, if you don’t get your ass over here, I’m going to put you in a gimp mask,” Lana said with a withering glare.
“Alright, alright,” she said. “I’m coming.” Marley briefly stood on her tiptoes to peck my cheek. “Thank god for steel-toed boots, hmm?” she said playfully before turning around and running over to Lana.
“See you at sundown!” I called, more for Lana than for her.
“Can’t wait!” Marley said over her shoulder before vanishing with her best friend.
Once she was gone, I checked on a few more things before finally going to our room to get dressed and get some things together. I wore something simple: a pair of jeans, a warm flannel shirt, and a thick sweater in case Marley got cold. Over all of that, I layered a fur-lined leather jacket fur, though I was certain it wouldn’t be long before I’d need to strip it off.
Indeed, by the time I got down to my truck to drive into town, I was already sliding out of the jacket. In town, I picked up a bouquet from the local grocery store—a hardy blend of juniper, baby’s breath, and peony buds still tightly compacted. I also grabbed a few hand warmers and a bundle of firewood so we could be warm by the pond if Marley got tired.
When I got back to headquarters, I shifted and deposited everything but the flowers at my makeshift skating rink. It was only a quick jaunt back to the front door, where I’d arrived just in time to hear Marley talking in the foyer to someone.
“Look, Lana, you know I love you. I love you so impossibly much. But I swear to god, if you try to sabotage my date night with my husband, I will murder you,” I heard her say.
I chuckled to myself as I lifted my hand to the door and rapped on it with three quick taps.
