Page 122 of Fighting a Riot

“For what?”

“Wedding talk,” Abby said.

Yak’s eyes went up toward his brows. “Great.”

Abby chuckled. “What? Talking about wedding ceremonies is so much fun.”

I waved a hand at Abby. “Oh, no. I don’t want a ceremony.”

“Why?” Trixie demanded.

I wobbled my head. “If I have a ceremony, I’m more likely to go completely over the top.”

“What do you mean?” Mallory asked.

Vamp wandered over and leaned against the wall near Mallory and Trixie’s couch.

“You know, big gown, multiple flower girls, and a live band. Brock and Gabe got me back the money from that DJ, but I'm thinking live music would be better,” I said.

“How’s that over the top?” Abby asked.

I glanced at Yak. “Yak and I have a favorite bird.”

He did a long blink, gave a short shake of his head, and a small smile grew on his face. “Almost makes me want to shut down the zoo.”

“What the fuck does the zoo have to do with it?” Trixie asked.

Abby’s eyes widened. “Oh, hell. You don’t want an actual yak at your wedding, do you?”

I grinned sweetly at Trixie. “Isn’t it romantic to release birds at weddings?”

“Not anymore,” Vamp muttered. “Believe me, Gabe would know.”

Trixie shot me a stern look. “This better not be something you had planned with Pencil Dick, but I’ll play along.” She paused and pitched her voice slightly higher. “Yes, Nora, it’s very romantic to release birds at weddings. What did you have in mind?”

I struggled to keep a straight face. “Well, you know, Yak and I wouldn’t have just any birds. We’d release ostriches.”

Mallory put her forehead in her hand and chuckled. “Oh my God, that’s awful. And yet, it would be hysterical, too.”

“Why are you hanging over here, man?” Yak asked Vamp.

Vamp’s eyebrow ring gleamed. “Wanted to know where you ordered that teak wood for your hammock. And did you ever get it upstairs into your bedroom?”

Yak shook his head. “I’ll text you the contact info. And no, we put it on the patio. Didn’t want to ruin the walls inside the house getting it up the stairs.”

What Yak didn’t tell Vamp was that we wound up dragging it inside through the double doors to the patio. It weighed a ton, and was now in the living room. I wished we could disassemble it and get it upstairs in pieces because it was great for naps… and sex with my man.

Yak

Yak unlocked the front door and led Nora straight upstairs to their room. His every instinct said she’d get the news of remission today, but he still felt a thousand pounds lighter after hearing it from her.

In their bedroom, he went to his dresser. “Get ready for bed, babe.”

“Okay. I’ll be quick in the bathroom.”

He heard the door latch, and he grabbed the small velvet box from the back of his top drawer. The sole upside to the trip to Hock last year was that Yak had told Liar to set her old ring aside. It had allowed him to get an idea of what she liked in an engagement ring, and it gave him her ring size.

He had money set aside for a down payment on a house, which he used for the emerald-cut engagement ring. Nora had mentioned how much she loved living in the historic home, so Yak figured he had time before they needed money to buy their own house.

---