Page 92 of A Protector For Phoebe (Love will OUT 2)

“Are you fighting with your boyfriend?” I tease.

She switches her glare to me. “He isn’t my boyfriend.”

“He’s a boy who’s your friend. I.e. boyfriend.”

She stands and marches to him. I follow because I’m nosy. Besides, after Suzie bugged me about my past and stuck her nose where it didn’t belong, she deserves my nosy behavior. Hailey is right on my heels.

“What are you doing here, Grayson?”

“His name is Grayson? Sexy,” I whisper to Hailey who giggles and nods in agreement.

Ryker tags me around the neck. “You better not be calling another man sexy.”

I slap him on the stomach. “Shush. I want to hear.”

Pops walks out of the kitchen to greet Grayson. “Good to see you, son.” They shake hands and Pops slaps him on the back. “Merry Christmas.”

Suzie turns on Pops. “What’s he doing here?”

“What’s wrong? I thought you were friends.”

“Friends, yes.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “But Christmas is for family.”

Pops shakes his head and walks off, apparently unwilling to deal with the crazy lady on Christmas day. I don’t blame him.

The door opens behind Grayson and Aiden walks in with Leroy and Lola. Leroy yips when he sees Hailey and breaks free. He doesn’t make it to her before he slides to a halt to sniff a table. His leg lifts up and he commences peeing.

“I literally just took him out,” Aiden claims as he watches Leroy run off to the kitchen.

“Get a dog they said. It’ll be fun they said. It’ll pee everywhere, they didn’t say,” Hailey mumbles as she trails after her dog.

Aiden unleashes Lola and she makes a beeline for me. “Stop,” Ryker orders and she skids to a halt. “No, Phoebe is mine. Find your own girl.”

“Don’t let Aiden hear you say that. He’ll go off and buy a girl dog for Lola to play with, and Hailey will kill you in her sleep.”

He tugs me close. “I’m not worried. You’ll save me.”

“If I have to clean up doggy pee one more time, I may let her have you.” Despite claiming I wouldn’t be cleaning up after Leroy at the office, there’s not a lot I can do about it when he pees on one of your desks. And the big guy pulls a disappearing act every single time it happens. Every dang time.

“Get over here, Doll,” Lenny shouts and the uncles wave at me.

“Uh oh,” I say but reach up to kiss Ryker before walking over to join the uncles at the table.

“What’s up?”

“You need to settle a bet for us,” Lenny says.

I’m afraid to ask. “What bet?”

“Which one of us is going to walk you down the aisle,” Sid explains.

“Yeah,” Wally says. “We know it won’t be your sperm donor.”

My eyes widen as I look around the table. Lenny, Barney, Wally, and Sid are all staring at me with hope in their eyes. Do they want to walk me down the aisle?

“Um.” I bite my lip. “I got engaged this morning. I haven’t thought about the wedding yet.”

Sid snorts. “I know women. They have elaborate weddings planned long before they land a man to marry.”

---