Page 269 of Bride of Choice

I was surprised to hear that from him. “Not even a little bit?” Holding my fingers up to him, index and thumb pinched a little part, I glanced from him to my fingers pointedly. “You sure?”

When he loosened his hold, I gave the thick tuft of fur in the middle of his chest a not so gentle tug, signaling there was about to be a passenger on the Rek train. My hands slid up to wrap around his neck as he bent, half smiling at my cheek, and he lifted me up.

“Being good all the time is overrated,” I told him, then pressed my lips to his.

The noise Rek made had me smiling against his lips.

“But first,” I mumbled against his mouth, “The Joanie needs to pee!”

Rek chuckled and set me down.

Rushing off to the bathroom, I stole a peek over my shoulder as I rounded the corner. My guts tightened at the troubled look on his face.

Chapter 34

This would help, I told myself as I marched down the path, headed for Mina’s.

I was shit out of luck on finding a Rek expert, a Rekxpert, bah dum tss, but there was someone who’d dealt with him until he was capable of taking care of himself, and even now took up for him, despite their ups and downs.

Mina called out as she spied me. Veck and Bia moved around her, herding kids and helping her weed the massive garden they’d started on the side of their home.

I smiled and waved back, wondering if it would be my turn next to hold a little one.

“What brings you all the way out here?” Mina called out.

Veck and Bia waved in greeting before quickly getting back to work.

“I was actually wondering if I could have a word with Kirch,” I told her.

“He’s around back, by the man pit thingy,” Mina called back, grinning when Veck made a face and bent his tall from to softly correct her.

“Right. Sorry, snookywookums,” she teased her enormous male, “I mean the training arena area pit thingy.”

Bia laughed, patting the little back of the babe in the front carry baby carrier thing he was wearing. Kirch had not gotten his second girl but a little dude that looked so much like him they jokingly called Kirvenk Kirch Jr. He was over the moon about his mini him. Tarnk insisted the next baby would be his, and a girl.

Veck just rolled his eyes at Mina’s antics, then scooped up his female to make silly growling noises that had her bursting out laughing.

The kids playing around them giggled at their parents.

I had to wonder what my future baby might be like. A mini me, I thought with a snort, with Rek’s headache inducing tendencies. Lord, I’d better pray for just one at a time if that was the case. We’d be so screwed.

“Thanks!” Waving them off, though I doubted they heard me, I made my way around back.

Kirch stood with his back to me, leaning against one of several thick trees surrounding the pit thingy circle, I was sure Mina would happily call it.

He was far enough out I was glad I’d thought to tuck my pants into my boots today. Digging out prickly sticky things, like massive goathead thorns on crack, was not my idea of a good time.

Kirch mumbled something and picked up the bow beside him, then lifted it to practice his technique, I assumed.

Not wanting to startle him but not seeing an arrow notched on that bow, I called out, “Hey, Mina’s bitch, you got a minute?”

Kirch’s bow lowered and his head immediately whipped in my direction. “Eh, what Rek’s harpy want?” he shot back, smirking when I made a face and flicked my fingers at him.

“Don’t be jealous, Fuzz-zilla, I’m sure if you heckle her hard enough Mina will be your harpy,” I quipped, making him chuckle.

“What does Rek’s harpy want with Kirch?” he called out, setting his bow down to approach me.

“What is the one being we both have in common?” My shoulders lifted in a shrug as I stood my ground and waited for him.

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