Page 36 of Wedlocked

For the first time, I doubted the title. Because for the first time, I wasn’t worried about everyone in the room. The only person I cared about just then was my girl. I had no room to “fix” anyone else. Just her.

“It’s DIY night,” I muttered.

Rory glanced at me. “What?”

“Nothing.”

“Bro, you feeling a little downie? Have some brownie.” Jamie’s half-eaten plate appeared beneath my nose.

I rolled my eyes upward, pinning him with a scowl.

“Not downie, then,” Jamie muttered, pulling the plate back. “Just straight hostile.”

“I’ll try it,” Rory told him.

My eyes damn near fell out of my face.

“That’s what big brothers are for,” Jamie said, scooping up a massive bite that would probably choke her. And then I’d have to give her the Heimlich. Jess would have to do CPR for the second time today.

Whose idea was this vacation again?

Oh, right.Mine.

I caught Jamie’s wrist as it passed my face. Squeezing, I said, “You feed my girl off your fork, and I will stab you with it.”

“Brooo,” Jamie drawled.

“Ryan Stephen Walsh!” Rory gasped. “That was completely uncalled for.”

Phweeeeee!

“Do you think that whistle would burn if I threw it into the fire?” Max asked Win.

“Would probably squeal as it melted. Then Coach would cry,” Win replied.

“Enough. Rory has something to say,” Coach snapped, sitting on the raised hearth.

Bodhi dropped into his lap and offered him a bite of cake. Coach parted his lips, sliding his hand beneath the white crop top up Bodhi’s back.

I thought it might be weird to see my coach with someone, especially someone my age, but it wasn’t. They were just part of the family.

“Please ignore Ryan’s raging bad mood,” Rory told the room, and I grunted. She picked up the trauma latte I’d abandoned and handed it to me with a biting look. Turning back to the room, she went on. “I wanted to make sure everyone was feeling okay. No one got hurt this morning while ice skating?”

“You mean besides you,” I muttered darkly.

She did not acknowledge my words except for the brief narrowing of her eyes.

Around the room, everyone shook their heads.

“We’re all okay,” Arsen told her. “What about you? Are you doing okay? Warmed up?”

“I’m fine, really.” She assured the group. “And I wanted to thank everyone. Everything happened so fast and was so chaotic.”

More like slow and disturbing.

“I didn’t really know what fully happened until later, but Ryan told me that you all formed a chain of sorts… to help him pull me out.”

“Well, almost all of us.” Jess spoke up. “I tried, but Ben threw a fit.”

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