Page 143 of Bride of Choice

Turning to me as I opened my door and stood in the doorway, as I twisted to bid them good night, Booger awkwardly mumbled, “Jojo help Booger with Mally? Like Jojoknee help Doogie?”

I blinked at that. Huh. “Booger buns, are you asking me to help you get your woo on?” My lips quirked up in a small half smile. My smile slowly grew as Booger shyly nodded.

Odix glanced between us in confusion. “What help Doogie with, with female?” he grunted out to Boog. It wasn’t lost on me he pointedly avoided eye contact with me.

My smile fell but I forced it back into place. “Tomorrow, best buddy,” I cheerfully agreed, before slamming my door on them and locking it.

Slumping against the door to slide down it, I sighed. Honestly, I should probably just sleep here, just like this. Anyone wanted to tear down my door, they’d have to get through me first.

But then I’d have a door on top of me…

With a groan, I gave up any sense of decency and crawled to my bed. Dumping my purse atop my bedding, I kicked out of my boots and slipped my jacket off.

My gaze snagged on the pot of stew hanging on the hook over the fire.

Who was this from?

Standing, I moved closer. A small, folded slip of paper with a loaf of wrapped bread atop it was placed at my seat on the table. Picking the paper up and unfolding it, I laughed at Doogie’s depiction of me smirking, my face notably makeup free.

“Dick,” I muttered, even as I smiled.

Propping my drawing up on my nightstand, I poured myself a big bowl of stew and ate half of the small loaf of bread. My gaze kept going back to that picture and it gave me a reason, albeit however small, to smile.

Thinking about Doogie’s situation and Booger asking for help, I shrugged. Maybe I wasn’t good at this relationship stuff when it came to my own, but I wasn’t too bad at nudging things along when it came to others.

How hard could it be?

Chapter 20

The urge to shake Booger filled me as I gave the male opening after opening. I mean this shit was gold— I couldn’t be any more plain about it. Work with me here, Boogster!

Not only was Rek suddenly up my butt this morning, like I didn’t have early morning chores and shit to do on top of my mission to help Booger get his Pumpkin bride, but he kept insisting I needed to hurry the fuck up. For what?!!

I’d mumbled something in the vein of agreeing with him, just to get him to fuck off. I was so not in the mood for anymore of his bullshit right now. He was a lucky beast Booger was right there or I’d have spilled the beans on all the ways I was pissed at him, every which way I’d imagined strangling him myself.

At least Mal understood my not even remotely subtle hints that Boog was totally into her.

It was Booger’s standoffishness that was gumming up the works.

Like a bad smell, Rek must’ve followed me or bugged enough beings into telling him Boog and I had made a stop at Khri’s.

One moment I was taking charge and taking names, the next he was storming in, sounding like a jealous idiot, making a scene.

Like he had any right to, Rek came barging in, accusing me of taking too long when I don’t recall agreeing to hurry and do anything for him. Bringing up my drunken get-right-with-me demands in front of God and everyone, he manhandled me from their hut.

Toting me off towards his place with a fresh bite mark on his palm, a boner popping like a kickstand, straining to shuck its foreskin, to look at the smirk on his face and hear him purring like that, you wouldn’t think it was because he had the village dragon lady in his arms, cursing him from this Sunday to next.

“Quiet,” he warned, as we drew near his hut.

Pursing my lips, my mouth still pressing to his palm, I settled for glaring at him.

He’s lost those two half baked beans rattling around in his skull!

Instead of going in through his front door, he headed around back.

“Are you going to beat me out back by the woodshed until I promise to be daddy’s good girl?” My eyebrows winged upward and my lips twitched.

Rek grunted. “Think funny. Not funny.”

---