Page 29 of Bailey-Rose: The Complete Duet

“Really?” I gasped, practically bouncing in my seat.

He chuckled and tucked a finger under my chin to tilt my head up to meet his lips in a sweet kiss. “Really, and it will be sweet like you.”

Just when I didn’t think these men could make me melt more than I already had, they went and made a liar out of me.

“Come on, man, give the woman a chance to eat before you get all mushy,” Gareth teased. “Look at her. It’s a miracle she hasn’t slid right out of her seat with that dreamy expression on her face.”

Warrick flipped Gareth off as he nuzzled another kiss to my lips before taking his seat. The others dug into their meal, but I had to sit there and contemplate the meaning of life for a moment as I convinced my body we could still function while swooning. Taking a big gulp of the drink Warrick made me, I was surprised at how bubbly it was. It tasted amazing, and the carbonation danced on my tongue, but I made the fatal mistake of breathing in, causing the bubbles to go right up my nose.

Momentary panic ensued as I wasn’t sure if I could swallow in time or spew the drink everywhere. I managed to swallow, feeling the burn all the way down before I sneezed so hard I rocked the patio chair, making it spin and face the other direction. As luck would have it, my legs were too short to stop the movement without slouching down to extend my leg, which I did. With the chair’s movement stopped, I now had to scooch myself to the edge of the chair and shuffle my way back around to face the others.

The waft of chocolate and orange told me Lysse had come to help me out, making me even more embarrassed. “Ah… you good there, Rosie?”

Flopping back, I looked up to find him peering down at me. “Does it look like I’m good?”

“Hard to say… you always look good to me,” he answered with a cheeky grin. “Care for some assistance, or would you like to deal with this on your own? Wouldn’t want you thinking I’m doubting your abilities.”

This was the Lysse I grew up knowing and fell madly in love with as an awkward teen. Well, clearly I was still awkward, but now I didn’t have to hide how I felt about him.

“Lysse, you and I both know you’re going to help me whether I want you to or not. That’s how things between us have always worked,” I reminded him. “Now chop-chop, I’d like to eat tonight.”

“Wow, it’s a really good thing we are getting you out of that house. You sounded way too much like Crew just then. The world can only handle one of his kind at a time,” Ulysses warned as he turned me to face the right direction and shoved the chair closer to the table. “You know if I get a pillow⁠—”

“Okay, thank you for your help. You can feel free to sit back down now,” I ordered, cutting off what he was about to say.

Gareth tried to cover the fact he was laughing at Ulysses but failed. The shaking shoulders gave him away. “Looks like you haven’t earned the right to make short jokes either,” he managed to say.

“Let me guess… you tried and got your ass handed to you?” Ulysses asked, taking his seat, to which Gareth nodded. “Yeah, I should have guessed she’d shut me down, but I wanted to test the waters and see if I was in the clear.”

“Guys, I’m well aware of how short I am and the limitations that are bestowed upon such special people,” I informed them, pressing a hand to my heart for added effect. “Do you want to know why people are always scared of us tiny folk? We’ve learned to be scrappy and find ways to accomplish what you giants do so easily. So make all the jokes you like, but don’t blame me when retaliation sneaks up on ya.”

The table erupted into laughter, and I couldn’t help but join them. I knew I sounded silly, but the more they underestimated me, the easier it would be to plot my revenge. Even a Care Bear knows how to cause a little mischief.

The following morning I awoke covered in various limbs that belonged to my Alphas, each of them needing to have some sort of contact with my skin. It took some juggling, but we managed to figure it out, only for it to fall apart at some point in the night, leaving me with this puzzle to wriggle out of. It should have been uncomfortable to use Vili’s calf as a pillow, but the man was as soft as the marshmallows he smelled like.

A knock on my bedroom door was the only reason I decided it was worth getting up. Otherwise, I would have laid there enjoying the peace having all my pack resting beside me. As carefully as I could, I managed to get out of the snuggle pile and leap onto the floor without stepping on anyone—go me!

Grabbing my robe off the bench at the foot of the bed, I wrapped myself in it before opening the door. It wasn’t like my brothers hadn’t seen me in my pajamas before, but I’d put on a nightgown that clung to certain things. My guys had loved and hated it all at the same time, but damn, they couldn’t keep their hands off me, so I counted it as a win.

I opened the door mid-yawn, and instead of Eli, I found my mother standing there. Shocked, I blinked at her a few moments before flinging myself into her arms. She caught me and twirled around, hugging me tightly.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” I asked once we came to a halt.

“Shh, let’s go to my sitting room and talk,” Mom whispered. “I need some one-on-one time with my daughter before her Alphas wake up and steal her away.”

Nodding excitedly, I clasped her hand as we headed to the other end of the house where my parents’ rooms were located. Mother’s sitting room was a perfect representation of who Jolene Thatcher was. Everything was made with light, warm-colored wood with cream cushions and mountains of pillows on the two small sofas. A cart with coffee and everything else we would need waited for us when we entered. Mother pulled me down to sit beside her on one of the sofas, knocking various pillows onto the floor. None of this bothered my mother—she was far too excited to hear all about what was happening with me.

“Did you really think we wouldn’t come home after hearing you found your scent matches? Darling, I thought you knew us better than that,” Mother scolded. “Now tell me everything. I want to know every detail. Eli and Crew were no help when I peppered them with questions.”

I could only imagine how that went. Those two were useless when it came to telling Mother the information she felt was important. Crew would suffer through answering the best he could, while Eli wouldn’t bother to retain such silly things when the root of the matter was simple. So as mother poured herself some coffee and prepared a cup of tea for me, I started with Randall dumping me.

“Darling, I don’t want to know about Randall,” Mother cut in. “He was never going to be good enough for my baby girl, but I guess he proved that to you himself.”

“Are you going to let me tell this story or not?” I challenged. “This is an important part of why Ulysses even came over that day.”

Mother pouted but sat back against the pillows and let me continue. Not really having had the chance to share this news with anyone who wasn’t there for it all to happen, it was fun to gush over this with my mother. No one was better at having the best reactions at the right places as I told my tale—a gasp here, snicker there, and clapping at the description of the room where I was going to build my nest.

“Oh, darling, this is all so exciting.” Mother sighed, letting her hands flutter for added drama. “It’s like something out of a storybook. Who would have ever guessed your childhood friend you’ve pined after for so long would end up being one of your true loves? These are the moments I wish my beloved Adrian was here with us. He would have been so proud of you and the woman you’ve become.”