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“Hey, Aussie,” Jensen shouts through the door.
“Yes?”
“Stop thinking too hard and turn the damn shower on.”
Shit. I must have been standing here too long.
“Hold your horses, Peterson,” I shout back.
“I’m not going anywhere, Aussie.”
What does that mean?
Thirty-five minutes spent in the bathroom, showering, dressing, and blow-drying. Thankfully, my makeup has dimmed my red nose.
I take one last look in the mirror, suck in a deep, steadying breath and blow it out slowly to center myself. I’ve let my guard down with Shamus, and that is all I’m going to allow for today. I don’t want to fall apart in front of my guests and friends. I’ve got this. Today is for my family.
My hair is up in a ponytail, and I’m dressed in khakis like an Australia Zoo worker or a female version of what Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter, would wear when out and about being a Wildlife Warrior. I’ve got the boots, shorts, shirt and a stuffed crocodile under my arm. All I need is my camera slung around my neck, and I’m ready.
God, my heart ached the day I heard he had passed away. I was sitting in my car and heard it over the radio. I was stunned. I cried for him and his family. Australia and the world mourned the loss of the Wildlife Warrior. Before he passed away, I went to Australia Zoo and saw the biggest and brightest personality in action. I had my camera out and took photos of him while he did a crocodile demonstration. I remember he looked right over at me. True Story.
One last thing I need to do before heading outside. Jensen is waiting in my bedroom, and I’m about to spill everything about how I met Tucker and what feelings I have swirling around. Awkward. Much?
Spinning around, I swing the bathroom door open to voices—multiple voices.
Angus, Alice, and Jensen have spread themselves out on my bed with Alice’s photo albums open. She’s engrossed in talking to Jensen.
Okay, so maybe I am not talking with Jensen in private right now.
Angus slowly looks me up and down. I watch the lightbulb go off. He clasps his hands together, yelling, “Crikey, ye look amazing. It took me a second to realize you’ve gone cosplay. Seriously we must be twinsies, separated at birth. The only thing messing with that idea is I’m way older than ye.”
What the hell is he going on about?
“What are you up to, Angus?”
He gives me a not so innocent smile-smirk while Alice waves to me and continues her steady course of engaging Jensen, oblivious to Angus’s part in luring her in here to set Jensen straight with any claims he might have on me because I’m on to him.
“Alice, honey?” She stops her explanation of one of her photos and looks up at me with that gorgeous face of hers.
“Ophelia!” She breaks out into a loving smile directed at me. “I have lots of photos to show you from Alaska and lots of my brother on Christmas Day.” I just got my confirmation that Angus is behind this bedroom invasion.
“Ophelia’sboyfriend,” Angus adds on.
Here we go.
“Tucker is your boyfriend?” Alice’s face crinkles in confusion. “But he told me he was working on you being his girlfriend. When did he make you his girlfriend? He told me I would be the first to know. But it isawesomeyou are his girlfriend.”
Boyfriend? Girlfriend?
Before I can protest, Angus says softly, “That’s my girl.” Beaming a shit-eating grin proudly in Jensen’s face.
Jensen smothers a cough. Or is he choking?
I feel awful for Jensen. What has he heard?
Oh, boy, it’s not how I would have liked the talk I needed to have with Jensen about Tucker to have played out.
“An-gus,” I growl his name in warning.
