Page 222 of Bride of Choice

“It’s still not right,” I huffed. “How long’s it been like this?!”

Rek shrugged his shoulders, and Doogie grew thoughtful as he scratched at his head. “While,” Doogie said finally.

Walking over to his door, I opened it. “Looks like he hasn’t been here for a while.”

“Always with Goober now,” Rek commented.

“Maybe stay with Gofur. Him tell Doogie, he do,” Doogie said on a grunt, elbowing Rek on his way past to get inside.

“Why Oddits tell Dummy? Dummy Oddits’ mommy?” Rek snickered, rubbing at his side.

“You dummy,” Doogie muttered, frowning as his gaze darted around. “Odix Doogie friend.”

“Best friend,” I corrected, offering Doogie a comforting pat as I passed. With a glance his way, I murmured, “Not even Gogo boots could take your place, bub.”

Doogie looked at me sharply for that but the tension in his shoulders, riding him, seemed to ease up.

“This place needs a sprucing up,” I muttered, eyeing Odix’s vacated digs. Turning to Doogie, I gave him a pathetic look. “He’s your best friend.”

“No look at Doogie like that. Look at you dummy like that, not Doogie,” Doogie huffed and chuffed, jerking a thumb at Rek.

Rek snorted at the look on my face and walked over to a window to open it. He made a face at all the dust threatening to choke him out.

My lower lip jutted a little and I gave him the big sad eyes.

“No work on me,” Doogie insisted.

I just kept it up.

With a growl, he snapped, “Bah! You stay. Dummy comes to go gets things.”

“Yay!” Fist pumping the air, I danced in place.

“Rek help,” Rek announced.

“Like Rek have choice,” Doogie chuckled out, smirking at the dirty look Rek threw him.

“Dummy,” Rek muttered at him, and walked over to nuzzle my temple, gently placing his hand lightly at the small of my back, before hurrying off after him.

Mentally dancing in place, I stared after him in wonder.

This past week with him has been crazy. Like, crazy nice. There was no rush, no pushy, shoving ridiculousness. He was still himself, but his potential assholery wasn’t flashing its fanny every five damn seconds, making it hard to be around him.

He’d looked at me like I was crazy when I started checking him for signs of a concussion. I mean, hell, he’s been acting like a relatively normal, for him, perfectly pleasant being.

Standing in the middle of Odix’s place, my stomach ached at the impending hunting party homecoming just on the horizon for so many damn reasons.

Odix and Gopher, we parted on awful terms. Would they even be willing to listen to me long enough to explain? They’d looked so hurt. It ate at me, day by day, bit by bit.

Would Rek still be trying as hard to be this good male he was dead set on proving to me that he could be?

I was just silly nervous, like a giggling girl, about Kooky. I was so head over tits for him it wasn’t even funny. I’d go slow as molasses if it meant he was mine.

In that sense, I could relate to what Rek was doing, if that was indeed his intention, to start over and try again, both parties invested in doing better, being better for themselves as much as each other.

Smiling at the thought, wondering if Odix wouldn’t like a few comfy pillows for his lumpy looking bed. I could make them out of a couple of my favorite sweaters. I’ve gotten heavily into upcycling my worn out clothes.

I had a few tops and pants properly thick enough for this weather, hand-me-downs from Dorothy, it didn’t hurt me to part with an outfit or two here and there.

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