Page 78 of Tequila Tuesdays

I felt him shrug. “I usually get up early. I was also having a hard time keeping my hands off you.”

My backside wiggled even closer to him, and I started breathing a little heavier. He moved my braid over and kissed my neck.

“You and I need to find some alone time. Not in between emergencies or family, or on a camping trip with half a dozen other people around.” He rubbed his cheek on mine, and his whiskers felt ticklish against my skin.

“Yes, we do.” I reached back and patted his cheek. “I was just wondering what your whiskers would feel like on… other parts of my body.”

He’d bent over me and was nipping my ear when Olivia poked her head out of her tent and yawned widely.

“What’re we having for breakfast? I’m starving.”

Damien tightened his arms around me and groaned softly. We reluctantly pulled apart and got moving. We made instant coffee, then whipped up breakfast. Damien and I made pancakes and rehydrated scrambled eggs, and Brock and Olivia cleaned up. Then we packed up and got ready to go.

“I don’t know why instant coffee always tastes like shit, except when I’m camping,” Brock said.

Martina nodded. “Then it tastes liketheshit.”

“Did you know the word ‘shit’ is one of the most versatile words in the English language?” Zeke asked.

Brock shook his head. “I didn’t know that, but it sounds like you’re going to tell us.”

“It’s true, smartass. Think of all the meanings that word has. There’s the standard ‘bullshit,’ meaning something’s a lie, there’s ‘horseshit’ which means unfair—”

Martina held up her hand. “My personal favorite is bat shit.”

Sebastian shook his head. “Not a big surprise there.”

Zeke ticked off several more. “There’s Jack shit, deep shit, a shitstorm.”

Olivia cut in. “I’ve always liked ape shit. Oh, and chicken shit.”

“There are a few good sayings too. ‘When the shit hits the fan,’ or ‘I don’t give a shit,’” Martina added.

I grinned. “Holy shit, you guys are like a bunch of twelve-year-olds.”

“Good one,” Laurel yelled from up the line.

When I looked back at Damien, he was shaking his head at all of us. “We definitely need some alone time, Legs.”

Chapter 24

Ifeltrestlessandneedy as I tried to figure out how Damien and I could schedule some alone time. The work week before Christmas was always busy since the courts usually shut down between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day.

My private practice had also taken off in the last year or so, and I seemed to be getting more referrals than ever. Sariah and Yun kept telling me I needed to give up the public defender work and do all private practice, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. I felt a sense of purpose when I could help some of those clients.

On Monday night, Damien took Olivia and me to Laurel’s Martini Monday Christmas party. We walked in and heard the “Hawaiian Christmas Song” playing. Laurel’s gigantic Christmas tree was adorned with plush superhero characters tucked into the branches in various poses, and a bright red cape had been wrapped around the bottom, doubling as a tree skirt. I was pretty sure Willie and Lennie had picked out the tree decorations.

Through her floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the back of the house, I could see some of the palm tree trunks had been wrapped in colored lights. There were a couple of extra-large red and white striped candy cane floaties drifting around in her pool too.

I noticed Martina standing in the backyard talking with a tall, stocky man who had thick muscles and a craggy, sharp face. He appeared to be in his mid to late thirties. For once, Martina wasn’t smiling, and she looked a little angry and pissed off. I wondered if I could pry the story out of Laurel or Zeke.

I knew everyone else there, and when Damien stopped in the kitchen to talk with Sebastian, I walked over to say hello to Grace and Sheila.

“Thanks again for taking care of Gary for me last Saturday.”

“It was no problem. How was your hike?” Sheila asked.

“Really nice.”

---