Page 155 of Bride of Choice

“Jojo… ‘kay ‘lone?” he grunted out.

“It’s definitely easier knowing that Krampus stalking me is gone. Someone left me its head like a souvenir but Bum-bum swears it wasn’t him…” My voice trailed off, gaze darting to the male curiously.

Boog’s hands shot up. “Boog no do it.”

“I didn’t think so.” My shrewd stare lightened.

Boog blinked as he got a good gander of my getup. “Too cold for no clothes.”

A soft laugh escaped me. “To be fair, I’d just gotten outta the bath.”

Boog blinked some more, his befuddled frown turning into a scowl. “And Jojoknee answers door naked? No know who there?”

“Alright, dad,” I taunted, but he wasn’t wrong. “Message received. I’ll go put some clothes on.”

“Goot.” Booger gave a firm nod. Folding his arms over his chest, he looked anything but casual as his scowling face scanned everything.

“There are brownie bite cookie things in the box on the table,” I told him, smiling to myself as I disappeared into my bedroom to get dressed and the sounds of Boog shooting up to raid my cookies reached my ears.

“Joansie?” Booger called out hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

“Jo want… comes back with Boog?”

Would I come back to the village with him?

To clarify, he added, “Boog needs- Boog wants Jojo be Boog winged man ‘gain.”

Grabbing out my suitcases as I quickly dressed, I called back as I hurriedly began to pack, “Alrighty, but just understand, I’m doing you a huge favor here!”

“Boog ‘member,” he promised.

This was my out. Call me a coward if you will but I took it.

“Can Kooky read?” I mumbled to myself absently as I wheeled two overly stuffed rolling suitcases out to the living room, my duffel bag and purse over my shoulder.

“Fast,” Boog marveled, standing to help me with my crap.

“I’ve gotta take Baby, set her up at Dorothy’s. Don’t want to leave her all alone out here for heaven knows how long while Kooky plays wild huntsman.” Tapping at my lip, I murmured, “I hope Dorothy is okay with that.”

As if talking about him had summoned him, the back door creaked open, then slammed loudly shut. Moments later Kooky was storming in, looking fit to be tied.

Wondering what had crawled up his butt but not of a mind to ask him, I stopped halfway to the door with Boog.

Kooky blinked, grunted, and his scowl fell instantly. “Where go?” he grunted out, punctuating each word with a heavy, grumbling chuff.

Not about to admit I was taking the out I’d found, wriggling through that loophole to escape the awkwardness I’d made as much as I was leaving for Boogster, I went with the latter.

“Booger needs my help. Thought I’d go back to the village for a few.” With a shrug and a nonchalance I wasn’t really feeling, I smiled. “With the Krampus heads-a-rollin’ and their carcasses littering the landscape, I figured things are safe now. I mean, that was the whole point of me hanging around here, right? The Krampus?”

Kooky glanced from me to Boog repeatedly, frowning whenever his gaze drifted over my amber eyed best bud. Barking something at him, the stiffness in Kooky’s shoulders eased at whatever Booger had replied.

“With Khri Pumpkin,” Kooky grunted out.

Boog nodded vigorously.

Reaching out, I gave my buddy a there-there pat as his expression bunched. “His lady is having one of those will she, won’t she moments.” Another heavy pat. “Don’t worry, Booger buns. This too shall pass.”

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