Page 103 of Three Reckless Words

“Oh, uh, forever! Definitely a few days to get all the little lines just right. It was only my second time using this new craft carbon knife for precision.” His face lights up.

“Keep it up, no matter what you do for school or work,” I tell him. “You never know when it’ll come in handy—or when it’ll be a ticket to a date with some pretty girl.”

I can’t resist laughing at how he flushes.

“Aw, Winnie, you’re as bad as Dad. That’s what he says all the time.”

“You’re destined to be a ladies’ man, boy. Just not too soon. You’ve got my genes, after all,” Archer says smugly.

My laughter amplifies.

Colt rolls his eyes like marbles, but he grins and laughs.

Yeah, this is new and rapidly addicting.

The warmth, the teasing affection between father and son just reinforces everything I thought about Archer being a good dad in a normal family.

And it’s sweeter than any magic honey when it makes me feel like I’m part of it, rather than the weirdo alien bee-girl dropped into the middle.

Archer holds out a hand for Colt before he goes barreling past us with his plate.

“Hold on, bud. There’s something we need to discuss.”

“Oh, crap. Evans staying over? Dad, I promise you we’re gonna study a bit. You can even call his mom. She asked me to help bring up his math grades this summer before—”

“Not that. You’ve been behaving yourself, so you’re no longer thrown in solitary,” Archer says.

“Oh, cool.” With a huge sigh, Colt stops and leans against the table. “Okay, so, what is it?”

“There’s been a problem with the Solitude house and my other places are booked up. Winnie can’t stay there right now, and since we know her, she’s going to be staying with us for a few days. Not too long, just a temporary fix until we find her something else,” he says. I can’t thank him enough for keeping my secrets close to his chest.

Colt purses his lips and glances at me. His eyes widen.

The kid isn’t stupid.

He’s thirteen. He probably senses something going on, but I look away before I can blush and give everything away.

“Uh, okay. No problem,” he says quietly.

“Also, don’t tell anyone for now. Keep it between us. Not even Uncle Pat or Uncle Dex or even Grandma. You hear me?”

“Yeah, sure. Because you’re worried they’d get the wrong idea?” Colt asks, a knowing grin spreading across his face.

“Exactly,” Archer clips. “Promise me, Son. I know no good deed goes unpunished, but this time I’m trying to avoid the hit.”

“Gotcha. I’ll zip it, Dad.”

“Keep it down, too, and make sure Bree gets picked up at a sensible hour,” he commands.

Colt nods and sets off to rejoin his friends, pausing in the doorway to look back at us. “Oh, and I meant to tell you, Mom called. She wants to take us out to that new park this weekend to fly my drone. Will that work?”

My stomach tightens.

Archer’s expression darkens, a hint of the grim, angry face I saw with Holden resurfacing again.

Wow.

It’s such a dramatic shift I almost flinch.

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