Page 81 of Bride of Choice

Rosa glowed at the compliment.

That glow felt short lived when she reeled me back in for a rib aching hug of her own, frowning as she released me.

“What?” I asked softly. I knew that troubled look.

“I just… We don’t really get to hang anymore, not like we used to- I feel like- It’s like-”

“I know. Life. You’ve got a lot on your plate,” I cut in quickly, much as I’d been lamenting the same. “Babies and husbands. You’re busy.”

She stopped me when we were right before the steps to climb outta her underground home. Leaning into my side, she bumped into my shoulder. “Missed your face.”

“Pfft. I’ve missed yours too,” I shot back.

She shoulder bumped me right back, then knocked me with her hip. “Snoochie boochies, bitch.”

Knocking right back into her, laughing when she flew a bit farther than I’d intended, I murmured as I helped her back to her feet, smiling all the while, “Snoochie boochies, assbutt.”

We stood there for a moment, chuckling to ourselves.

“Be kinda nice to have that thirdie we’re always joking about,” I commented as we made our way up the steps and stared out into the pretty snowy landscape. Her crazy colored tree with fallen leaves littering the ground were the perfect backdrop.

Rosa clucked her tongue. “And have another beast like you tearing through the village? Hah. No one would know what to do with us!”

“There’s only room enough for one Glamazon in this furball infested one tato-corn-horse town, but, you know, that balance, just crazy enough to hang with me, normal enough to blend with you, I dunno, I think about how fun it could be.” My shoulders lifted in a shrug.

“It’s more of a village than a town,” Rosa murmured quietly, “and there are plenty of ladies we chum with.”

“Name one creature around here that you know you can trust the way you do me, missy.” A soft, chuff of a huff left me. “And you know what, village, town, toe-may-toe, poe-tah-toe.”

“That’s not…” she started to say.

My hand lifted and my claws clacked sharply. It was as close as I was willing to attempt at snapping my fingers, it was so freeze your nipples right off cold as shit out here. “Doesn’t matter. Back to the first part, woman. Name ONE.”

She couldn’t.

“That’s what I’m saying,” I said simply.

Rosa’s face remained screwed up in thought, even as her cheeks pinkened. “You’re right,” she said finally.

“Mina is probably as close as we’ve gotten. Aside from her preferring to keep to her grouping and herself, that woman has her hands FULL. I don’t know that she’s ever taken time just for herself, total solo mission. Like, ever. Chore talk with her mother-in-law doesn’t count. It’s a shame,” I finished.

When Rosa said nothing, I tore my gaze away from this weird, acid trip of a scene sprawling out before us, those odd, shimmering streams of milkyway flowing light effects I called a Lo denaura-borealis filling the sky, I blinked as I spied Rosa examining me instead of the living painting up ahead.

“What?” I muttered, putting a little grit behind it. Don’t be looking at me like that, lady, like you know shit I don’t wanna talk about.

Shrugging, she smiled. “Nothing.”

“Don’t nothing me. Spill them beans.” It was more a demand than a question, but Rosa just smiled that annoying little knowing smile of hers when she knew something I didn’t want to actually hear.

“Right. Whatever. Keep your secrets. All those slurped furballs you’ve been coughing up are starting to fill your brain,” I shot back.

“Ugh. Crude!” Rosa backhanded me in the stomach lightly, absently, her face flushing in a telling blush all the while.

A sharp, bark of laughter left me. “Oooh-ho-hoh! So now I get to look at you all soft secret smiles now too! I mean, I’d always suspected, but you just all but confirmed! You Dirty Dan, you!” I teased her, gleefully cackling all the while.

“Shut up,” she mumbled, her face redder than a tomato at this point.

My grin was unrepentant.

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