Page 79 of Home to the Hollow

“Oooh, scary man. I’ll have you know I’ve got plenty of arse of me own at the moment, and though I’m disinclined to acquiesce to your command, I ate this morning. It’d be a pity to have brekkie all over the lovely hardwoods.”

Presley gives in first, snorting as he hides his face from our early morning grouch. I wink at Wolfie, who ducks under the cover to muffle his laughs against my tummy. I just bat my lashes at Edgar, watching the fury flash across his face with a look of fake innocence. The two of them spar like this all the time, and I find it cute, though he’d tan my hide vermillion for saying it out loud. Seer knows exactly how to get his goat, and he knows how to send off into a half-intelligible Irish rant.

I’ve considered popcorn before. It’s a meme worthy event.

“That’s it!” Teddy flings the covers off the lot of us, rolling to his feet with the grace of a panther as he heads to the bathroom.

Shrieking as cold air hits me, I scrabble the blanket back enough to keep my bits from shriveling. I know he can hear me, so I shout, “Way to shoot the messenger, you asshole!”

“Children,” Presley says with a fond smile. “Can we stop bickering long enough to get showered? None of us have work or lessons this weekend. We have a break and I, for one, would like to enjoy it without the squabbling.”

“He’s right. We don’t have a bunch of commitments, and since no one is hungover after the party, we should have a lazy Saturday,” Wolfie murmurs, looking up at me with a shy smile.

My heart jumps in my chest, and I wriggle out of the pile as reality hits me like a stinky trout to the schnoz. Gripping the blanket around my chest, I walk to the closet to get out of the open space. The small, dark space helps me catch my breath and I stare blankly at the wall as my mind races.

I was so surprised by the morning trampling and Seer being back that I almost forgot what I did. Chewing my lower lip, I dig my fingers into the soft faux fur of the comforter. I should have spoken up last night when I came running in from the dirty trust in the alley, but I didn’t know what to say. Everyone was talking and laughing and celebrating—how could I ruin that by confessing my sins? I’m not even sure if they are sins, to be honest, because the boys kept saying things about the crew getting bigger.

But I’m supposed to discuss it with them first, right?

Argh! I know how to navigate so many situations with the aplomb of a true debutante or diplomat, but this relationship shit is for the birds. I haven’t been tied to any one person since Trevor, and now I’m in this lovely little square with three men who have been nothing but amazing. What do I do? I decide to find the town troublemaker and hump his face against a wall in a dirty alley. I’m my worst enemy, I swear to Hera.

The tap on my shoulder makes me jump, and I whirl around, putting my fists up out of habit. When I see it’s Wolfie, I drop my stance and wrap my arms around myself. “Hi, baby.”

“Sugarplum…” he hesitates for a second, reaching up to brush his thumb over my cheekbone. “You never have to hide anything from us. You know that, right?”

I blink, gob smacked. Yet again, one of them has done some sort of hot guy bullshit and figured out that I’m standing in here kicking my ass. “I mean… I do. But what if I messed up? What happens then?”

He leans in and brushes a kiss over my lips. “Then we all have a chat and work it out. We’d do that if anyone made a mistake. That’s how relationships work.”

My head drops and I look at my feet, feeling rotten because I don’t know how to explain what happened last night. “I…”

Teddy bursts in before I can finish, looking at his side of the closet for clothes. He’s naked, wet, and looking delicious, which confuses my idiotic mind and body even further. As if he can read my thoughts, he turns to give me a cocky grin. “When you finish telling the pup that you let the Irish knob dive through your pot of gold, I’ve a mind to grab pizza.”

My head turns towards him like I’m stuck in slow motion, mouth gaping at his words. A few indignant sounds break free, but I’m so completely shocked I can’t do more than squeak. The jackass just winks and tilts his head at Wolfie, who looks sheepish. I drop the blanket with a huff. Striding over to grab a pair of paint splattered jeans and a jean jacket, I give them both a reproachful look.

“If you knew, you should have said something when we got home last night. I worried myself to sleep, and I was just contemplating what I’d look like in the stupid stocks.”

His shrug is nonchalant as he yanks sweatpants and a white tee off the rack. “Tilly, you wouldn’t have worried if you’d just told us. We promised you we were in it for the long run, even if it means that an irksome idiot is going to tag along. You did nothing wrong. People like us…”

“Edgar, your phone is buzzing!” Presley shouts from the bathroom.

“Come on, sugarplum. Let’s get dressed and go find something to eat. You can be pissy with us while we inhale a slice or two,” Wolfie says. He grabs a pair of sweats as well, winking at me as he trots back into the bedroom.

You know, I feel as though they might butter me up for something. There’s an awful lot of ‘hot dudes in tight pants and tees’ going around this morning.

* * *

“Jesus Christ.Who would have thought Sherilynn would run a pizza joint with slices so good that it reminds me of New York?” I mumble around a huge bite. “I mean, the pie names are weird because… horses... but damn, this shit is good.”

Teddy grins. “Ah, well, that’s easy, drugar. Benjy flew to the city and stole a Michelin rated git who wanted out of the fast lane for a slower, more provincial life. Sherilynn hated the idea of hiring ‘an outsider’, but Guillermo is the best Italian chef in the region. I don’t know if he’ll stay, what with…”

“Ugh, don’t remind me. I don’t know what the hell is going with that separation, but I’ve already stepped in it with Sherilynn. My ‘stay off of their radar’ plan is decimated between her, OJ, and their minions at school.” I reach over and swipe Teddy’s bourbon, tossing it back with a sigh of pleasure.

“Benjy’s been one of my best friends since high school and he won’t say a word, even if I poke at him. The dude’s usually so upbeat when he’s in the store or the Speakeasy, but since that night, he’s locked up like a bank vault,” Edgar muses. He swipes some of Wolfie’s garlic bread and gives me a smirk.

Presley sighs. “You know, I often wonder how I became the mature one in this quadrilateral. Give me the pepper flakes, Boone.”

The shaker flies across the table, and McSteamy catches it easily, shrugging as Teddy gapes. “Uni soccer, mate. Goalies are quick on their feet.”

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