Page 35 of Five Alarm Love
Loud laughter boomed across the field.Hunter.
Not everyone was sincere and genuine.Tuli wiped his hand over his lower face.Before he could gather more information, Bruce Garrett waved him down and launched into a riveting story about his medical misadventures.
Tuli sighed to himself.The guy might not be from the village, but Tuli would be patient and respect him as his elder.
Tracing the broad laughter to the source, he spied Hunter shaking Steve Wright’s hand before Lou’s father strolled away.Then Hunter motioned and Lou appeared, as if from the shadows.Tuli fought the urge to wave at her.Half listening to Bruce, he groaned as the man transitioned his narrative to the story of his heart attack.It was the fifth or sixth time Tuli had heard the tale.Got bigger and better each time.
“Then I gave that overstuffed Fairbanks doctor the what-for and said, ‘No, I’m not taking that darn pill.I already have too many pills.Those pills make me worse, not better.’It’s a conspiracy, you know.”With an animated motion, Bruce ran a hand through his bushy hair, more salt than pepper these days.
Aggie walked up, handing him a steaming drink.“Then you took the pill.Didn’t you?”
Bruce mumbled something.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear you, dear.”She stared at him until he stuffed a hand in his pocket.
“For now,” he muttered.“But only because it was my decision.Probably isn’t helping.”
“You appear to be alive, as compared to when you were not alive,” she said blandly.“No thanks to your love of caribou sausage and all thanks to those overstuffed doctors.”
Above the beard, his skin turned pale, obvious even in the light of the bonfire.“Hmph.”
Tuli held back a laugh.
Bruce was like a bear—lots of grumpy bluster and throwing his weight around.But Aggie?She was a cunning wolverine, picking the best moments to strike with surgical precision.
Tuli glanced over Bruce’s shoulder to check on Lou.At the edge of the open field, she crossed her arms while Hunter towered over her, leaning forward.Tuli inclined his upper body in their direction.
Then Hunter grasped her upper arm and led her back into the shadows of the Sitka pines that lined the field.
Tuli shifted from one foot to the other, chafing at society rules that required him to stay put and listen to his elders while they talked.Besides, Lou’s life wasn’t his business.
On the one hand, Lou was a fully formed adult who could make her own decisions.She didn’t need Tuli’s input or protection.She didn’t need him butting into her family stuff.
On the other hand, Lou was Tuli’s friend.And he wanted to hang out with his… friend.
Also, Tuli got weird vibes about Hunter, cousin or not.He’d love to solve the mystery of that guy’s agenda.
Decision made.
Making his apologies to Bruce and Aggie, he took a few steps and then pulled out his phone, doing what he did best, narrating tidbits about the festival and responding on camera to his followers’ comments and questions.All the while, he eased toward the place where Lou disappeared.
Hey, nothing like gaining a little internet clout while checking in on his friend.Two birds, one stone.
Friend.For some reason, that label sounded wrong.
He shook his head, unwilling to create another label.He turned off the feed but kept the phone up.
Low voices drifted over to him.Lou murmured something he couldn’t quite catch, but he did hear her quiet but firm, “No.I can’t do that for you.”
Hunter’s voice pierced the cool evening air.“No?”
Tuli glanced into the trees.Lou backed away, with Hunter stepping forward to maintain his proximity.
Still holding up the phone and pretending to film, Tuli tried to pull the innocent act of his life as he made a big show of talking into the phone, signing off, and hitting a button before stowing the phone once more.
He faced them.“What mayhem are you two plotting out here?”
“Could you be any more annoying?”Hunter said, turning halfway away from Lou.
