Page 47 of Claim Me

“They said the guy looked familiar. Their description did fit Indigo,” Zoot says before leveling his pissed asshole glare at me. “But we figured it wasn’t you since you’ve been onvacationin the hills.”

“Is this why you wanted time away?” Noble asks as he sits at the kitchen table with a bowl of noodles. “Never suspected it was troubles of the heart.”

“What did you think it was?”

“Midlife crisis,” Zoot spits out.

“He’s thirty-two,” Siobhan snarls. “Don’t you dare imply he’ll be dead in his sixties.”

“Who’s implying that?”

“What do you think ‘midlife crisis’ means?”

“I don’t fucking know. But you shouldn’t be hiding this shit from people.”

“We’re not hiding. Mom and Dad know. Carys and Pork Chop, too. A few other people are aware.”

Zoot narrows his eyes until he looks asleep. “Does Caveman know?”

Noble chuckles from the kitchen while Scarecrow looks worried Zoot’s impending tantrum might interfere with their meal time.

Before Zoot can shove me, Siobhan steps between us. “Indigo and I are in love. We just started dating, but it’s the real deal.”

Zoot leans down until he’s nearly nose-to-nose with his niece. “Youare the reason he ran off.”

“No,youare.”

Zoot somehow frowns harder at Siobhan and demands, “How?”

Siobhan shrugs and grins at a smirking Noble. “I don’t know, but the words sounded good in my head.”

“You’re doing fine, kiddo,” Noble announces.

Siobhan wraps her arms tightly around my bare waist and tells Zoot, “You should be happy we’re together and Indigo is back in the city. Why aren’t you celebrating how he didn’t ditch your chapter and stay with Caveman? You won that battle. You’re triumphant.”

Zoot nearly tears chunks out as he runs his fingers through his brown hair. I sense he’s struggling to remain in a bad mood.Pissed off is his baseline mood.

With Siobhan still holding onto me, I’m happier than I’ve been in my entire life. That’s why Zoot’s anger doesn’t faze me. I know he can’t stop what’s happening between Siobhan and me. I’m also feeling optimistic about the baby. Having grabbed hold of this happiness, I refuse to let it go.

“I know you were worried about me,” Siobhan tells Zoot who frowns at how she’s using her “Aunt Fred” voice with him. “You thought I might be in danger. You’ve been so protective all my life but especially after those mercenaries attacked Hunter’s convoy. You were also worried about Indigo because he was in the hills with Caveman who can be a troublemaker.”

“Fuck yeah, he can.”

Siobhan nods sympathetically. “So, you came here ready for a fight, but it’s just Indigo and me hanging out. Nothing’s wrong. You don’t have to be upset. Why not sit down and eat my world-renowned buttered noodles?”

“You’re a bad cook, and I’m not hungry.”

Switching gears immediately, Siobhan demands, “Couldn’t you have just said the last part and skipped the insult?”

“You’ll never get better if you don’t push yourself, and you refuse to push yourself unless you’re repeatedly insulted.”

“I will cook any way I want,” Siobhan hisses, taking the bait. “You’re not the boss of me, Zoot O’Malley!”

“You work for me at the bar and in the office,” Zoot replies, treating this like a real argument. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”

“I meant you’re not the boss of my personal life or cooking skills.”

Zoot grins at how pissed she gets. Siobhan quickly realizes he’s fucking with her and pulls the plug on her temper.

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