Raven also stuck her hand out... manners and all that. “Honey... Bunny. Raven.” She had never witnessed someone having a heart attack, stroke, or any type of life-altering health event, but the look on this man’s face had to come damn close. Jaw and eyes clenched shut, he seemed to be doing a breathing exercise before shaking their hands in return.
Rowan turned to Jo for her hug as River got the key out to open the store up. And then, it was time for her hug. Oh God, here it was.
Jo squealed Raven’s name and enveloped her in warm spices and golden hair. Tears pricked Raven’s eyes. She had really missed seeing her friend. And then, Jo stiffened. Honey Bunny took a step toward them, immediately trying to assess the change in his charge’s demeanor.
“Rave?”
She backed up out of her arms and unzipped her fleece coat. Looking at her, Raven smiled. “Meet Baby O.” Then she placed a hand on her bump. “Baby O, meet your third auntie, Josephine.”
Once inside the warmth of Triskelion, Jo stood, looking poleaxed. HB— seriously, no one could call that Hulk Honey with a straight face— stood behind Jo, a dinner-plate-sized hand wrapped lightly around the back of her friend’s neck. A balustrade during a storm of emotions.
“Rave,” Jo whispered again. “You’re pregnant.”
“I only found out at the end of our trip, and I thought it would be fun... to surprise you?”
“Surprised, shocked. Does Bran know? No, no, no,” she answered herself. “He would be here if he did.” Briefly touching HB’s arm, so he would release her, Jo walked to Raven and hugged her again. “Wow. Consider me surprised.”
They all laughed then. “We’ll catch you up on everything tonight, I promise. But for now, let my sisters and me introduce you to Triskelion Territory Designs 2.0.”
“Oh, girls,” Jo twirled around, “you’ve done well. It is stunning.”
Jo took in the wide, deep grain of the original wood floors, the cottage feel from the whitewashed walls, floral tapestry-covered chairs, and heavily carved, Gothic revival desks nestled on sumptuous wool rugs. The colors were of a sunlit flower garden, rich golds, greens, yellows, and reds.
Jo sucked in a sharp breath. “You guys... you... oh my.” She looked at HB, probably not even realizing what she was revealing. “Honey, isn’t it wonderful?” she breathed.
He dipped his head the barest increment. But his eyes burned. Jo was satisfied with his nonverbal cues.
“It’s great, isn’t it? We love it.”
“Beyond great. Saoirse wouldn’t give me any hints, that bitch! I see now why you chose this property. My God, I want to spend money just by walking through the doors.”
“She has been the best since we moved here, Jo. The best.” Rowan admitted.
“Of course, she has. I knew she would be. You guys can tell me everything over dinner, including Baby O details. Let’s go upstairs and drink and celebrate finally being together again.”
The sisters all looked slightly ill at that suggestion. “Oh, Jo, we planned on wining and dining you in town tonight. Plus,” poking her thumb in Raven’s direction, “It’s Camp Prohibition with Miss Knocked Up as a roommate.”
“You guys are hiding something from me.”
It’s not like they were embarrassed. They cleaned their flat to within an inch of its tiny life, but Jo was definitely not used to such mean accommodations. Perhaps pride was tweaking their tails a bit.
“Our flat is pretty small, Jo. Let’s just go out.”
Jo moved her hair behind her ears, revealing the earrings they’d given her. Oh God, her eyes looked glassy. HB’s jaw was clenched.
“Sisters... you said. Sisters don’t hide things.”
Raven looked at River and Rowan.
“You’re right. Please, sister mine, come upstairs.”
Fifteen minutes later, all calm, Jo turned to HB. “Honey. Please call Dom and arrange dinner for five.” Then she turned to them. “This isn’t going to work. How dare you three live like this and not tell me.”
Now Raven was starting to get angry. “Jo, stop being dramatic. You are acting as though we’ve been sleeping on the streets. We know it isn’t ideal, but it isn’t forever. Once we are turning a consistent profit, we will reno the space or buy ourselves a house.”
“Dramatic? You three are... are... fucking camping at best. We are leaving. Now.”
River stepped forward then. “Jo, this isn’t permanent, and we are fine. It’s cramped but clean. We are going to be successful, and this tiny space will be a distant memory.”
