Page 177 of The Defiant Curse

“Really? In front of the children?” he asked, pointing at himself.

That amused her.

“Son, if he didn’t bite me, and like my ass, we wouldn’t have kids,” she joked. “Including big ones who the stork delivered via the United States military.”

Well, she had a point.

“What’s for dinner?” Gabby asked. “And why is Elizabeth cooking. Should she be? Does she know how?”

Elizabeth snorted.

“Once upon a time, Gabriella, I had to cook for myself and Doctor Leonard. He knows how to pour bowls of bran cereal or order food in. He isn’t a ‘I cook’ kind of an ME.”

Ethan laughed.

“Mmmmm. Tasty. I’ve had bran with the good doctor. I’ve also had his takeout orders.”

Gabby took a seat at the island, and the mood was vastly different now than before.

She was grateful.

Apparently, what Elizabeth needed was a good roll around with her husband.

Yeah, Gabby understood that.

“Thanks for letting us crash here. Tomorrow is going to be sloppy out there.”

No one minded.

“I’m glad you are,” Elizabeth stated. “We’re going to work after dinner.”

At that one word, Gabby got excited.

“Work?” she asked. “Say it isn’t so. Is the fabulous Elizabeth Blackhawk taking on The Mystery of Ravensmire and The Lost Heart case?” she asked.

Ethan was confused.

He knew the basics of what happened here, just from Tony and Ian, but clearly, he wasn’t completely aware because who lost their heart?

“What did I miss?” he asked, letting his wife taste his sauce like they used to do in his brownstone over a decade ago.

She licked her lips.

“So delicious. Now, pour me some wine,” she stated. “If we’re working on this curse mystery, and this heart thing, I want to be drunk. That way, I can tell everyone later I was out of my goddamn mind. Then, we’ll clue you in because this is going to be weird.”

Michael laughed.

“And that’s why we can’t have guns here.”

Finn snorted.

“We can’t have guns because some countries have no freaking control. The Revolution got you guys spicy toward the crown.”

Well, it wasn’t like he was wrong, but know what wasn’t happening on the streets of America?

Pickpockets.

Among other things.