"You're supposed to be in the room until I tell you it's safe."
"I couldn't let you fight some guy without any pants on. Who do you think you are? Deadpool?"
She holds the pants up to me and I half laugh, half roll my eyes as I hand her the meerkat and quickly put my jeans on.
She's about to hand my makeshift weapon back to me when a voice calls out from the kitchen.
"Is someone there? Dottie?"
"Duke?" Dottie steps around me and enters the kitchen to find her brother and his new wife, Ava, making tea and starting a fire in the combustion heater. "What are you doing back in the house? I thought you were an intruder."
"And you were going to protect yourself with a meerkat statue?" Duke says with a laugh. "Jesus, Dot."
"To be fair," I start, stepping out of the hallway to stand beside Dottie. "I was the one who selected the weapon."
The moment he sees me, Duke's eyes darken. I knew this moment wasn't going to be pleasant. Any guy seeing his best friend and little sister together is going to be a bit perturbed. But since he just warned me away from her a few days ago, I imagine Duke's feeling a little angrier than most. I brace myself for what's to come.
"Theo. What the hell are you doing here?" he demands.
"I'm still waiting for you to answer the same thing," Dottie says in response. "You're supposed to be in the bungalow enjoying your honeymoon with Ava."
"That's kind of my fault," Ava says, lifting her hand like she's in front of the principal. "I distracted Duke a few too many times, and we ended up forgetting to get more wood for the heating. It's freezing in there, so we figured we'd come, spend the night and warm up here, then go back to the bungalow tomorrow."
"Of course," Dottie says, tying her silken bathrobe around herself tighter. "You're both welcome here indefinitely, you know that."
"Thank you," Ava says, and Dottie nods.
"We've explained why we're here, how about you do the same?" Duke says, his angry eyes on me.
"He's my guest," Dottie says.
"I think I'd rather hear it from him," Duke insists, his eyes not leaving my face. "I'm interested to know why my best man is in my sister's house with only half his clothes on."
"We're dating," I say simply.
"I love him," Dottie says at the same time.
"You love him? Seriously, Dottie, you've known the guy for like a week, and you're already in love with him?" Duke asks, and Ava's mouth falls open.
"Ahhh, Duke. Don't you think that's a bit hypocritical? I mean, you and I--"
"That's different. Other forces were involved." Duke turns to her and frowns.
"Like a Soulwink?" Dottie asks, folding her arms across her middle.
"A what?" I ask, struggling to follow the conversation.
"Yes. A Soulwink," Duke says to Dottie, completely ignoring my question. "Something that can't possibly be happening here, because this guy--as much as I love him dearly as a friend--can't sit still for more than ten minutes. His entire adult life has been jumping from one place to the next and never setting down roots. Do you think that's the kind of guy I want being with my sister?"
"Shockingly, Duke. I don't think this is about you," Dottie says. "It's about me and what I want."
"It's kind of about me too," I say, and she turns and smiles at me, grabbing my hand in hers.
"It's about us being happy."
I smile at her and lift her hand to my lips, pressing a kiss to her knuckles.
"It'll be about me when he leaves and you're heartbroken, Dottie," Duke says, not wavering despite our show of affection. "Who do you think is gonna stick around picking up the pieces? It'll be me. Like always."
