Page 64 of No Bones About It

He was heading for the barn, the nearest building with a locked door, when he heard Nina’s laugh as she called out to her dog.

Swearing, he eased Kimi to her feet. “Incoming teenager.”

Kimi’s groan echoed his emotions. He kissed her. “To be continued.”

Nina’s voice carried over the fence. “Hey, guys. Dad wanted me to give you a message.” Her eyes were bright as she took in how they stood with Kimi in his arms.

“What’s the message?”

“You’ve got thirty minutes to wrap things up and be at the Saloon.”

Garrett sighed. “Why didn’t he just text me?”

Nina’s gaze darted between the two of them. “He said you didn’t answer, and that you might need me to help you with the animals if you’re going to make it in time.”

Kimi laughed. “Okay. Why don’t you feed the goats and the bunnies?”

She bounced off to help, with Animosh and Olaf following along right behind her.

Garrett sighed. “I may have to kill Heath.”

Kimi laughed again. “We probably won’t have to stay long. Then we’ve got a whole night ahead of us.”

“I like the way you think.”

When their group went into Phail, they often car-pooled. While it was only a couple of miles, every little bit helped the environment. Tonight, they took his truck. He wasn’t staying any longer than he needed to. He wanted to slip his grandmother’s ring onto Kimi’s finger and celebrate the fact that she loved him all night long.

First, they’d have to find out what Heath was up to. They parked and walked over to the Saloon. Inside, their friends had already claimed a table with open seats for them, and Branna and Sean who were working the bar.

Garrett held a chair for Kimi and sat between her and Marcus. “What’s up?”

Marcus shrugged. “No idea.”

Garrett studied Heath’s face across the table, but he looked relaxed and happy. Nothing to worry about, at least.

They chatted for a few minutes before Sean’s whistle split the air. When everyone turned to him, he grinned at the group. “It’s time to introduce another new brew from Phail Brewery. This time, it’s a sweet porter. It has a dark, malty flavor.”

Garrett’s favorite type of beer. Sean confirmed his suspicions when he looked at him and waved him to come up to the bar. He rolled his eyes, but Kimi laughed and kissed his cheek. “Don’t ruin his fun. Go on up.”

Sean handed him the glass. “You get the first taste of our new Scooby’s Sweet Porter.”

That made him grin. Today was definitely all about names. Names that no longer punched him in the gut.

He made a show of holding up the beer to inspect the color. Then he took a sip and didn’t have to pretend the grin. “This is fantastic.”

Sean grinned back. “Of course. First round is on the house.”

Everyone cheered, and he helped Branna and Sean carry glasses to everyone in the room. Before he sat down, Sean lifted his glass. “To the best K-9 officer I’ve worked with. To the man who’s going to continue to change more than a few lives for the better. To Scooby.”

The room repeated the toast. He lifted his own glass, hoping like hell the emotion wasn’t going to spill out. Then he took a sip and sank into his seat. Kimi hugged him with one arm, and when he turned to her, her eyes shone. She kissed him lightly, and he knew she was thinking the same thing about the names. “I’m okay.”

Her eyes danced at that. “I’m glad, and you’re more than okay.”

He was. He really was.

He laced his fingers with hers and leaned back in his chair with a smile.

Contentment filled Kimi as Garrett pulled into the driveway leading to her cottage. They’d enjoyed an evening with friends, and she’d heard more Scooby stories than ever. His friends had known how much Shaggy’s death had gutted him, so they’d avoided some of the stories before. Now, he’d healed enough to enjoy the memories.

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