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“You guys have any plans for the day?” I asked. Greta had said she needed to grocery shop, but I had to assume they were going to be doing more than just that.
“Oh,” Cyn laughed. “Not all of us can stay the whole day. Gwen has to be at the salon in an hour, Reva needs to get to washing dogs soon, and Bristol can only stay until twelve. Oh, and Indiana has to get to Pole Stars this afternoon for a delivery of mirrors.”
I didn’t need to know all of that, but I had learned that the ol’ ladies liked to talk.
“Bear!” Luna called. “Ransom just called me and said he’s on the way over.”
“And you have a psycho to catch,” Cyn laughed.
“That’s the plan.” I excused myself and grabbed my bagel off the table.
“You want a burrito to take with you?” Meg asked. “I can whip one up for you before Ransom gets here.”
I shook my head. “I’m good.” I know Meg liked to feed people, but she was hell-bent on feeding me a lot.
“It will only take me five minutes,” she goaded.
“This will more than hold me over until lunch.” And if it didn’t, I would find something to eat then.
“Just let her feed you,” Luna muttered. “Be glad she isn’t packing you a lunch to eat while you’re hunting down the bad guy.”
Meg clapped her hands together. “That is a great idea, Luna. We’re going grocery shopping today, so I’ll make a list of things we should buy for lunches for Bear and Ransom.”
“You did it now,” Reva laughed. The dog in her arms barked and struggled to get down. “Shh, Kevin. If I put you down, you’re going to attack everyone’s ankles.”
I reached out and petted Kevin’s head. “You always have your work with you?” I asked. Kevin pushed up into my hand and closed his eyes.
“Dogs are my thing, and Kevin belongs to one of my neighbors. When he needs grooming, I just pick him up on my way to work and then just drop him off at the end of the day,” Reva explained.
“You should be charging a hell of a lot more than you are for that little shit,” Greta called. “That would easily be over a hundred bucks if he got his grooming at the vet.”
Reva scoffed. “And that is why I am constantly booked. I take good care of my doggies, and I don’t charge an arm and a leg.”
“You give a way better haircut than our groomer. I will one hundred percent agree with that.” Greta winked and pointed at Reva. “But you need to charge more.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Reva muttered.
A horn honked outside.
“That would be Ransom. I told him all of us are here. You aren’t going to get that man to step foot in this house right now,” Luna laughed.
“I’m not leaving until Snapper and Mouse get here,” I told Luna.
She rolled her eyes. “We will be fine until they get here, Wolf.”
Luna damn well knew my name and was calling me Wolf because she was pissed I wasn’t giving her what she wanted.
“I still gotta get dressed and all my stuff. Tell Ransom I’ll be out in ten minutes.” That should give Snapper and Mouse enough time to get back.
Luna growled but stomped out the front door.
“Who pissed in her Cheerios?” Marley called.
“Bear!” Meg called.
Now she knew my name. “I just told her I wasn’t ready to leave yet.” I headed to the stairs and was surprised that Greta followed me up.
“You good, mama?” I asked when we reached the top.
She blew her hair out of her face and sighed. “They’re just a lot, and I wasn’t quite ready for it.”
“You fit right in with them.”
Greta waved her hand at me. “I know, but sometimes, I like to be alone.” She stepped around me, but I grabbed her hand.
“I don’t think you’ll have the luxury of being alone until we catch this guy.”
She tipped her head back and smiled sadly. “I know. I’ll just need to grab some quiet time when I can. I’m more than ready to be the life of the party ninety-nine percent of the time, but I do need that one percent to recharge.”
I reached up and brushed my fingers down her cheek. “I can tell all of them to leave, mama, and you can spend the day with me.” Greta may feel like she’s better, but it had really only been three days since Dr. Lu attacked her. Her family was here to help, but they were also draining her.
“You’re funny to think that you could tell my aunts and cousins to just leave.”
I took a step back, ready to go down the stairs and tell everyone to get the hell out.
“No!” Greta grabbed my hand and tugged me to her. “Okay, lumberjack. You’re not bluffing.”
“You need to rest, Greta. Especially if you are thinking of going back to work soon.”
“Tomorrow.”
“You’re going back to work tomorrow?” Was she insane?
“No,” Greta laughed. “I mean tomorrow they won’t come over. If you need to go out tomorrow, one of the guys can come sit with me. Hell, I’ll even take Easy.”
“You must be serious if you’re willing to let Easy come sit with you.”
