Page 154 of Bride of Choice

Humming to myself, I lingered, whiling my time away up to my neck in sweet smelling water with tiny soap bubbles frothing the top.

A soft rap on the house as I dragged my pruned hide out of the water gave me pause. It continued, longer, louder, more urgent than before.

Wrapping one of the oversized towels Kooky had on hand around me, I grabbed another one, drying my hair with it as I tiptoed towards the door.

“Who is it?” I called out.

A series of loud grunts issued from the other side of the door. “Boog,” he said finally.

My eyebrows shot up at that. Since when does he go by Boog?

Opening the door, I was pretty sure Boog was just as surprised to see me in a towel and nothing else as I was to see that hangdog look on his face.

“Hey, bud, what’s going on? I thought you’d be balls deep in pumpkin pie right now, cough, total pun intended.”

It started with a hard shake of his head as he shuffled inside, morphing into a sharp hitch in his chest. His hands wrung, head hanging low.

“She no- Mally say- Mally no want Boog,” he blurted finally.

“Bullshit,” I burst out, ushering him inside.

“She no want.” Amber eyes filled with moisture. He was trying to be tough and will them away but it wasn’t necessary, not with me.

Grabbing one of the clean tea towels from the kitchen, I rushed back over to him. Guiding him towards the couch, he sniffled as he nodded his thanks, took the cloth, and swiped at his eyes.

Hesitant to join him in nothing but a towel, I smiled sympathetically but found myself frowning. She likes him. I know she does. Their connection is undeniable, even I could see it. “What happened?”

Haltingly, he launched into the tale of Mally telling him one morning that he wasn’t her mate. After her insisting he wasn’t, Khri asked him in their tongue if he trusted him. Boog said yes, and then Khri advised him to take his mating pelt and leave. To come back when he called for him.

“No come for Boog. Mally no want Boog,” he blurted miserably.

“Khri… I never took him for the tricky kind. He’s smart. I shoulda given him more credit,” I mumbled absently, tapping a claw along my chin.

Boog looked at me, askance.

“Do you trust Khri, Boogiwoogaloo?”

“Yes,” he said simply.

“He’s a good guy? You trust him with your pumpkin pie?”

Another nod.

“Well,” my hands lifted, hair towel over my arm, and I clapped my hands, “then I say trust him. Dorothy doesn’t raise total morons, Doogie not withstanding. Give it time.”

Boog gulped loudly, his throat bobbing as it worked. “But what if Khri never comes for Boog?” Worry filled eyes met me.

“He will,” I promised. “Don’t worry.” I tried for a smile but it felt tight.

I liked Mal. One hundred percent. Wouldn’t stop me from kicking her ass for breaking my Booger’s heart, though.

Glancing around, Boog frowned. “Joansie ‘lone?”

“I’m living in my Home Alone era, what can I say?” I joked, shrugging like I wasn’t feeling totally fucking alone and depressed.

“Where Celuk?” he rumbled out softly, curiously.

I had to laugh at that. “It’s just been me and Kooky, mostly me of late. Kooky took off on some kinda thing the other day and, you know, here I am. Celuk must be some kinda nature loving recluse,” I murmured faintly.

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