Page 103 of A Very Un-Shakespeare Romance
Robbie swung his head around to face Danny and made a slicing motion in the air. His brother lifted his hands in peace, and Robbie nodded, turning back around. Somehow, he’d become his baby brother’s champion, and if he were honest, he didn’t mind one bit.
Tim smiled as his eyes closed. “The final verse is this, and I hope all who hear it find it as fitting as I do.I do love nothing in the world so well as you—is not that strange?”
Robbie shifted until he was looking directly at Lily, whose heart was in her eyes. “Yes, I do find that strange,” he said in a low voice. “What about you?”
“The strangest,” she whispered, touching his arm in that connected way she had, which always wound its way around his heart.
“Well, kids,” Sheila said, suddenly wrapping her arms around them, “how does it feel to be so perfect for each other and to catch the bad guys together?”
He inclined his chin to Lily. “Pretty freaking spectacular. What about you, Lily?”
Her green eyes danced. “I couldn’t be happier.”
“I thought so,” she said, bumping them both with her hips. “Tim, your next drink is on me for making the happy couple turn all sweet and gooey like whoopie pies before our eyes.”
“Thanks, Sheila.” Tim crossed until he was standing in front of them. “Robbie. Lily. I wish you every happiness.”
Robbie felt that strange knot in his throat again. “Oh, go off to the bar with you. You’ll be lucky if Danny doesn’t put something in your beer after your theatrics.”
Tim’s smile lit up his whole face. “It was worth it. Besides, if he does, you can bust him, right, Sheila?”
She gave a snarky laugh, taking his arm. “Poisoning is listed in section twenty-eight in the Massachusetts law—”
“Now who’s showing off.” Billie jerked a shoulder, clearly filled with the green-eyed monster.
There was a standoff. Sheila lifted a brow in his direction. “Is someone having a bad time at the party?”
Tara gave Billie a playful swat before he could open his mouth. “Yes, someone is. Obviously. Billie, didn’t you have something you want to ask Sheila here?”
Robbie started shaking his head. Tara was so asking for a showdown, demanding a reaction like that.
Billie punched up a shit-eating grin. “Yeah, who’s your mechanic?”
Robbie thought about knocking his brother out to save him from the fallout he was inviting.“Billie.”
“It’s a serious question.” He stared Sheila down.
“I haven’t had any car trouble so far.” Sheila made a show of raising her hand and tapping something. “Knock on wood.”
Billie took a step toward Sheila. “Well…if you do, Agent Morales, you bring it by to me. It will be on the house.”
His very stupid brother, who had a death wish, it seemed, caressed Sheila’s arm before walking past her on the way to the bar.
“Fix her car?”Lily fumed, clearly pissed since she and Sheila had been hoping for a more traditional dating request from Billie. “Robbie, I don’t care if it was on the house. That’s my partner he was talking to.”
Sheila fisted her hands at her sides. “Like I need or want him to fix my car.”
Tim touched Sheila’s arm. “Let me decode that conversation for you, starting with myself. When I wanted to see if my girlfriend liked me, do you know what I did? I told her I’d come over and mow her lawn. Robbie, do you want to tell them why that’s so significant?”
Robbie tucked his tongue in his cheek before saying, “Tim doesn’t have a yard.”
Lily and Sheila exchanged puzzled expressions.
“I had to borrow a lawnmower as well as Billie’s SUV to haul it over to her house.” Tim extended his hands. “Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you? Billie likes you, Sheila. Otherwise, he’d never offer to fix your car.”
Tara laughed. “I have to agree. They’d rather slice off a finger than admit they have real feelings in the beginning. The first boy who liked me at school threw rocks at me to get my attention. God, I loved that kid. How’s Tyler, by the way? Robbie, you should have invited him tonight.”
He took Cassidy into his arms and steered Tara toward the bar. “You need another drink.”
