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“Nope.”
Dakota sets the pile of figurines on the table.
“And are you tongue-tied while Rhys is over there being his usual charming self?” I ask.
“Yep.”
Dakota leans into me. “He’s gone monosyllabic,” I say, nodding toward the woman listening to Rhys explain the difference between character-driven campaigns and the hack-n-slash variety.
Dakota shakes her head. “I got this,” she says and heads off in the direction of Lore and Rhys.
Forrest scrubs his face. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I freeze every time I see her. I get all panicky like there’s no way she’d be into me. But now I’m crazy jealous when Rhys talks to her.”
“Rhys would never make a move on someone you liked,” I say.
“I know that. My head knows that. But other parts of me don’t know that, and I don’t know where that’s coming from.”
Forrest babbles on, but my eyes are on Dakota, who quickly steps in, introduces herself to Lore, then turns to Rhys and asks him to get our guest something to drink. He scurries off like an obedient soldier.
“She’s good,” I say.
“She makes it look so easy,” Forrest says.
“Dakota’s not scared of anyone.” No one but her family, that is.
Moments later, we are all assembled forTime Machine Treasure.
We’re just waiting on one more person to show up, soDakota and I use that time to create a character for her.
We eventually settle on a half-elf Druid named Athena. When Rhys opens his mouth to point out there weren’t any druids in Greek mythology, I shut him up with a hard look.
By the time we’re finished writing her character into the campaign, I catch her yawning.
“It’s late. Are you sure you’re up for this? You’ve had a big day,” I say, pressing a kiss to the side of her head and inhaling her sweet scent.
“I’m excited to try it. If I get sleepy, I’ll rest my eyes right here,” she says, leaning her head against my chest.
The doorbell rings, most likely the other person who signed up to play tonight. I’m not quite ready to let my one-person welcoming committee go to work, though. Just one more tight hug.
“Dakota? What the hell?”
A woman’s voice, eerily similar to Dakota’s, is coming from the door.
Dakota stiffens and sits straight up in her chair, eyes wide and trained on the entrance.
Both she and Rhys exclaim at the same time.
“Rebel!?”
11
Dakota
My first thought isHow the heck does Rhys know my sister?
And then my brain ping pongs between which question to answer first: what is she doing here, and how do they know each other?
Finally, my brain can only grasp one overall question:
