Page 65 of Sear
“Soon,” he promised. “We’re still going on that camping trip, remember? What if we all came here? I’ve seen a lot of campgrounds in this area.”
“Are there going to be bugs?” Taylor asked, sounding worried. “There were bugs on the TV show last night, and they were attacking campers.”
“You don’t have to worry about bugs,” Malia assured the little girl. “I’ve got super-duper bug repellent. You put some of that on, and no bug is going to want to come anywhere near you.”
Taylor brightened immediately. “Okay!”
Malia’s oven timer began beeping. “Chicken’s just about done,” Lucas said. “That’s the five-minute warning.”
“And it’s nearly dinnertime for us as well,” Claire said. “Girls, say goodbye to Daddy and then go wash your hands. With soap this time, please.”
“Bye, Daddy!” Taylor said.
“Bye, kitten.” Lucas blew her a kiss, and she responded in kind before wriggling off the couch and disappearing from view.
“Are you going to read us our bedtime story tonight?” demanded Savannah, as if she feared that this was Lucas’s one and only video call.
“Of course, kitty-cat. Same time as always,” he reassured her. “We’re just taking a break for dinner, that’s all.”
“Okay. Love you, Daddy. Bye!” She vanished from camera range.
A second later, Malia heard her voice faintly from somewhere off-screen. “Nana said to usesoap, Taylor!”
Claire smiled gently and shook her head. “Well, they certainly liven up the house,” she commented with laughter in her voice. “Hope our little zoo hasn’t scared you off, Malia. We’re thrilled for you and Lucas, and we can’t wait to meet you in person.”
Dave nodded. “I hope you’ll come out to Boise soon, so that you can get to know the rest of the clan.”
“It was great to talk to you,” Malia responded. “And the girls are absolutely adorable. I can’t wait to visit.”
“We’ll compare schedules and let you know,” Lucas promised. “Bye Mom, bye Dad.”
“Bye son. Stay safe.”
Lucas tapped “End Call” and relaxed against the back of the couch with a sigh. “Whew. That went pretty well, don’t you think?”
Malia nodded.
“I guess our next big hurdle is surviving the pack meeting tomorrow,” joked Lucas.
Malia groaned. “Don’t remind me.” Then, with more confidence than she felt, she assured him, “I won’t hesitate to smack down anyone who’s mean to you…even Great Uncle Bill.”
Lucas chuckled, and leaned over to kiss her cheek before he got to his feet.
As he moved towards the oven, he said over his shoulder, “I think we’re going to make a kick-ass team, Malia. We just have to stick together and watch each other’s backs.”
Chapter 18
Friday, August 13
“How was your day?” asked Malia as she entered the cabin after work.
“Pretty good,” Lucas replied. “Didn’t manage to bag anything, but I got real close.”
He had returned from his day out with Bickham and Silvers feeling a rush of excitement and triumph.
It had been an excellent day all-around, and not just because he’d woken up to clear skies this morning after spending last night making love to his mate.
His prey had finally maneuvered themselves into position, and it was time to launch the final stage of his ambush hunt.
