Page 54 of Love and Other Trials
His girl? Yeah, that’s how he was thinking about her.
“Hide the wreaths!” Rob hissed.
Dax pulled them out of his reach. “Why?”
When Rob made another grab, Dax held them behind his back. “Because I’m about to lose my man card here.”
“Aren’t you telling Tiffany you did this?” Dax asked as Rob made a strategic lunge.
“Yeah, but I’m going to swear her to secrecy after.”
“Seriously?” Dax evaded Rob again. “Who are you going to say made them?”
Rob gave a wicked grin before making another attempt at them. “You.”
“Funny! But you’re not getting them…”
“Ah…hi there!” Ariel stopped short at seeing them. “I didn’t know?—”
“That we were going to make the garlic wreaths you suggested for the wedding?” Dax shot Rob a look as he held up his pride and joy, modeling it in a way that would have done Vanna White proud back in the day. “This is mine. Rob’s is?—”
“Traitor.” His buddy picked up his mostly empty drink, knocking it back like he had most of the bottle. “Only Tiffany is to know I did this. Got it, Ariel?”
She gave a polite cough of suppressed laughter. “Of course.”
“Thanks, Ariel.” Scowling like a thunderhead, he pointed to their craft project. “Mine is a piece of shit.”
“Which is why I am donating my wreath to you.” Dax handed it over like he was presenting a king a new crown. “You can even say you made it.”
“Go blow yourself.” Rob hid a raised middle finger behind his large palm. “So Ariel… Is everything good with my honey now? I could tell she was really upset earlier, and you gals were gone a long time. Where did you go?”
She was suddenly as pale as the glue paste Dax had seen in one of the many wreath videos they’d watched. “Yes, we got our errand finished. Wedding rules. All I can say is that you might want to go find Tiffany.”
Rob gave a dramatic wince. “That bad? Good thing I’m fortified. But I’ll take the bottle if you don’t mind.”
Maybe what he’d told him about Tiffany hadn’t gone unheard, after all. Dax held it out. He knew Rob drank more when he was stressed, and while he didn’t like it, there wasn’t much for him to do. Rob blasted him whenever he said anything.
“I’ll keep the wreaths here so it will be a surprise.” Dax clutched his wreath playfully to his chest. “I’m always going to treasure them and the time we spent together making them.”
“Maybe take a pic and send it to your mama.” Rob snorted as he strode to the front door with the kind of determination Dax was used to seeing from him when they were on an air carrier heading to their planes. “I’ll bet she still has that stupid little paper plate art that you made in kindergarten with all the glitter.”
Rob loved Dax’s family. God knew how many holidays he’d spent with them, so normally Dax would think his friend was joking. Except there was a hard edge to this barb. He decided to answer anyway. “Mom does, actually. She keeps her favorite things we made as kids in her bottom drawer beside her bed. We tease her about it sometimes, but she says it makes her happy to open it up from time to time and remember how far we’ve come.”
Ariel gave a strangled sigh. “How sweet.”
“And that’s what makes Dax the luckiest son of a bitch when it comes to family.” Rob’s dark eyes went flat. “Man, I’ll catch you later maybe. Tiffany has some sorority sisters coming tonight and she’s told me she’ll probably be partying with her girls. That’s still on, isn’t it Ariel?”
She shrugged. “Probably, but you should check with Tiffany.”
Dax studied Ariel. She was biting her lip, mostly frozen in place with Sherlock beside her. He doubted she’d be included in that party. Not that she probably wanted to attend, especially after today. “I might have plans, Rob, but text me.” Because it looked like Ariel needed him more right now.
“Aye, aye, Captain.” Rob gave him a cocky mini salute. “See you later. Ariel.”
He was out of the cottage in a blur, the door shutting hard behind him.
The silence in the cottage was potent. Ominous almost. Sherlock hadn’t left Ariel’s side yet.
“How bad was today?” He came forward until they were a yard apart, wanting to take her in his arms and hold her until she leaned on him. “Or don’t you want to talk about it?”
