Page 87 of Love’s Silver Bullet

Big surprise. Leveling a mock scowl at her, he made her giggle when he aimed a stern finger as well. “One game of charades will wipe that smirk right off your face, young lady, guaranteed.”

“Cross your heart and hope to die?” She wiggled her brows, and he just shook his head with a hollow laugh, thinking she was closer than she knew. Because he definitely was crossing his heart in going against what it truly wanted, and there was no doubt he was dying too.

Now. And even more so in two weeks’ time.

Dash slapped Jake on the back with a wide grin as he rose to his feet. “Let’s just see who dies in a game of charades to the death, shall we, Sul?” He slid Grace a wink that promptly dusted her cheeks with a pretty pink. “After all, I believe the men have a winning streak of five games running, if I’m not mistaken.”

“Why, I believe you’re right, Dash,” Jake said in an innocent tone as he pushed out his chair to stand up as well. He stretched arms high overhead while he shot Sheridan a crooked grin. “Because it’s obvious we men are masters of acting things out.”

Especially me. He fought the pull of a scowl. At least lately.

“Okay, family—who’s up for charades?” Dash called out, and Shaylee bounded into the air with a shriek of assent while the others laughed and rose from their game table.

“Sounds like a plan.” Finn looped an arm to Libby’s waist to press a kiss to her head. “As long as coffee and sweets are involved.”

“Have to admit, Libby,” Finn said later after he and everyone else had polished off most of the oatmeal cookies Libby had served, “those were the finest oatmeal cookies you’ve ever made, darlin’.”

“Hear, hear!” Jake said while the other men heartily agreed.

“Why, thank you, gentlemen.” Libby laid a pad and pencil on the table along with a jar of prepared slips of paper for the game. She then set an ornate brass hourglass front and center, although Jake had his trusty stopwatch to measure exact time.

She sat down with Maggie, Grace, Sheridan, and Shay on the extra-long, cowhide leather sofa Finn had special ordered for her from San Francisco. “I have to admit, Finn, when I first arrived and discovered the ladies did the cooking on Sunday’s because that was Angus’s day off, I was more than a little bit worried since I’m not much of a cook.” She scrunched her shoulders with a giggle as she snuggled with Shaylee. “Of course, I wasn’t much of a wife either, and look how that’s changed.” She blew a kiss to her husband before she wrinkled her nose. “Mostly.”

Finn’s laughter boomed in the parlour as he settled back into his easy chair next to the loveseat occupied by Dash and Blaze. “I think we all have a little ‘mostly’ in our lives, Libs, so I’m sure not complaining.”

Jake couldn’t help but agree as he lounged back in a chair nabbed from the dining room, hands cupped to the back of his neck while his legs stretched out with boots crossed at the ankles. He buried a grunt.

And some of us more than others.

His gaze flicked to where Sheridan and Grace were chatting up a storm, thinking he’d “mostly” been a good friend to Sheridan this summer, but not all. And it was the other side of that coin that inflicted more than a little guilt that he’d dodged her several attempts to get him alone in order to dig into his past. But Sheridan was the last person he wanted to expose his past to. Blast it all, he was ashamed enough to keep it hidden from the rest of the family, much less the woman he loved.

“Okay, ladies first,” Shaylee shouted as she jumped up to hold out the jar to Sheridan.

“Why, thank you, Doodle.” Sheridan hopped up to dig into the jar like she was digging for gold, eyes squeezed shut and tongue peeking out at the corner of her mouth as if it were life and death. Jake grinned. Which was pretty much how the woman did everything, with her whole heart and soul. The grin faded a hair.

Including loving me.

Unleashing her usual squeal of excitement that seemed to accompany every joy in her life, she promptly stood at the front of the group and gave a dramatic bow. With great flair, she carefully turned the pages of a book like a scholar, chin high and a smile twitching on those beautiful lips.

“Book!” Maggie shouted, and Sheridan instantly tapped her nose to indicate she was correct.

Holding up three fingers to signal three words, Sheridan thrust a single finger in the air to identify it as the first one. Suddenly she put her head in her hands and began to sob, and the sound actually constricted Jake’s stomach, because it was something he never wanted to hear or see.

“Cry!” Maggie guessed, all but leaping into the air.

Elation burst across Sheridan’s beautiful face like the blinding light of the sun after a dark storm, and finger to her nose, she hoisted two fingers.

“Second word …” Shaylee hovered on the edge of her seat.

Shoulders scrunched, Sheridan looked flat-out adorable as she touched her index finger and thumb together right in front of her nose to signal a small word.

“A … the … in …” Libby was shooting rapid-fire.

Sheridan shook her head, dislodging several golden strands from the topknot of curls perched on top of her head. “And!” Maggie said in a near squeal, and Sheridan slapped a finger to her nose, not wasting any time as she popped three fingers up.

“Cry and …” Maggie appeared to be a nervous wreck, fists clenched white while she leaned forward so much, Jake was surprised she didn’t fall off the couch. He grinned, remembering Blaze’s stories about how competitive his wife was.

“Crime and Punishment!” Grace could have given Maggie a run for her money as she vaulted into the air with arms flailing high, unleashing wild squeals from all the ladies when Sheridan shrieked and jumped as well.