Page 23 of One Night with Her Grumpy Orc

“I’m sorry,” Debby’s eyes fill with tears.

“Dad? What about you? You were awful to Grev and me.” Betty looks at him with the fury of a thousand suns. I make a mental note to stay on her good side. Our children are going to have to learn not to make her mad.

Betty stares at him, thatI’m waitinglook of a librarian on her face, arms crossed for a minute, then she has to push her glasses back into position on the bridge of her adorable nose. Sigh. I love this woman.

Ted is sweating, his eyes darting back and forth between his daughter and his wife. Watching him panic is satisfying, and I let him panic a decent amount of time before stepping in to save him from Betty’s wrath.

“Betty, sweetheart, Ted and I had a good conversation yesterday. Everything is water under the bridge. Or, ice in the bay? Or?” I shrug, unable to make any more horrible metaphors. Especially with the squinty-eyed, confused look she’s giving me.

“You—talked to Ted? Ted my dad? And everything is—good?” She speaks slowly, with lots of pauses and question marks. “And, you didn’t tell me?” I’m pretty sure her eyebrows are about to erupt off her beautiful face. I nod, hoping that she’ll find the humor in this situation soon. Like, now.

Betty throws her hands up in the air with a grunt of frustration and stomps away into the fray of the non-library-standard-quiet party. Nope. Not finding the funny yet.

Looking back at Ted and Debby, he thrusts his hand out toward me for a handshake. I stare at his hand, then at him.

“I see that you are taking care of my Betty, and I want to thank you for that. Despite the insulting behavior of her family, you have stood beside her, protected her, and helped her. Thank you. You’re a good man.” I grasp his hand and we shake. If I believed in Bjorn’s theories of Ravena being a witch, I would swear I could feel a vine binding us together. Not in love, but in partnership—in caring for Betty.

“My only focus is Betty. Loving her and taking care of her. If you and Debby fit into that, then you’re welcome to be a part of what we are building. But if not, I have no hesitation in helping her block you out of her life.”

“I would expect nothing less from someone like you.” Ted smiles, then winces as his words register in his mind. “I mean, someone with your strength and core. Not...you know,” he waves a hand in my general direction, then over at Gordon, Skerr, and Koru, who are chatting off to the side.

“Understood. Let’s start by not waving your hand at all of us. Let me introduce you to my brothers.” And with that, I usher them to meet Koru, then track down Bjorn, who is sure to embarrass them.

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LATER, WHEN THE CELEBRATIONhas calmed down and most folks have left, I stand in line with a book at the front desk where August is checking in a few books that someone dropped off today. It only takes one glance at me for her to get Betty from the back office with some lame excuse, then walks away, leaving Betty and me together at the desk.

“Are you checking out books? You know we aren’t really open,” she says quietly, a slight exasperation in her voice. There’s also the hint of a smile behind her stern librarian face.

“Your parents had a good time,” I say, setting the book on the desk. She eyes it but doesn’t pick it up.

“So they said as they left. Then again when they called from the ferry. They seem quite smitten with you.” She adjusts her glasses again, tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ears. “I know I shouldn’t be mad. You were helping, and it is sweet. It just caught me off guard, and I hate feeling like I’m left in the dark.”

Stepping around the desk so there’s nothing in our way, I say, “I wasn’t leaving you in the dark. It was a surprise.” Her lips twitch into a smile, her cheeks redden. She’s so irresistible, even when she’s fighting a losing battle. Reaching forward, I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb against her sweet, soft skin. “I didn’t know surprises were on the ‘fuck off’ list.”

“Fuck off list?” There, a chuckle. I’ll take it.

“Yeah, the list of things that make you say ‘fuck off.’ Right now your list includes bigotry, Pixie made food, and surprises.”

“Yes, that’s accurate. What’s on your ‘fuck off’ list?” Betty asks, her hand resting over mine now. My other hand is itching to pull her hips into me and hold her tight, but I resist.

“Well, anything Bjorn says. Also, bigotry. Litter. Busybodies. And anything that keeps me from you.” The stare she gives me is molten desire.

“I like your list.” Her voice has that low, quiet sound of a summer night that drives me crazy. I pull her into me, both arms wrapped around her, and kiss along her jawline. Her pear and vanilla scent mixes with her arousal and her breath hitches, her breasts pressed against me. When I reach her ear, I run my tusk along the outside edge. Up and down, then repeat my kisses along her jawline to the other ear.

“Grev? Take me home.” Her voice is barely there.

“I thought you’d never ask,” I say as I scoop her into my arms. Her squeal of laughter is pure joy to my heart.

“Keep it down out there!” August yells from the back office, which causes Betty to giggle and blush again as she wraps her arms around my neck.

“Auggie? Are you ready to go home? I’m ready to lock up.”

“Give me ten!” August yells.

“Now, August,” I say, trying to keep my voice light. Judging by Betty’s high-rise eyebrows and August popping her head out of the office to squint at me, I didn’t succeed. “I mean, please.” I pull my lips into a smile, again a failure as August makes a scrunched-up face at me like she smells something rotten.

Eventually, after I’m forced to set down Betty, they get the library properly shut down and locked up for the night. Outside, the construction dumpster will get picked up tomorrow, and at the edge of the parking lot is one pile of snow—all that’s left from the blizzard. The first of the Spring Peepers sound their appearance, and I breathe deeper.

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