Page 41 of Family: Posy 4

"Of course!"

Sid was hopping around in my head and yipping as Mase strolled in my office and looked at the cards spread out on my desk. Jay and I had printed all the choices out on card stock, cut them apart, and glued them on the backs of playing cards. After we discarded the extra cards, they fit right back in the deck box.

"You sure about a 'choose your own adventure' date?" Mase asked. "There's no schedule, and loads of opportunities for you to get distracted."

"I can do it," I assured him. "Besides, a schedule doesn't matter, does it? The whole point is to be spontaneous. The only thing I need to be on time for is the riding lesson tomorrow morning. I already got the guest house key so we can show up whenever and won't trouble Angel Bel Aire."

"All right. Good job." He nodded and smiled. "Set an alarm for 5:30 tonight, though, so you remember to feed her dinner."

"Dude! Good idea! I already have one set for 7:30 a.m. tomorrow so we're not late for our riding lesson at 8."

As I took out my phone and added another alarm, Mase checked out the cards.

"Looks like you and Jay came up with a good variety, but how are you going to keep the restaurant cards separate from the activities cards?" he asked.

"Ooh! Jay had a great idea to keep them sorted!" I explained and showed him. "All the heart cards are restaurants for tonight, the spades are 'restful' activities, the diamonds are high-energy activities, and the clubs are middle of the road."

"Perfect. Very creative. I'm sure you two will have a great time."

"Thanks, Mase."

He nodded and left after making sure I was tracking when to pick up our girl, and I grinned as I pocketed my phone.

I love my brothers, I thought happily as I put the cards back in the box.Even though we get mad at each other, we always have each others' backs.

You should tell them every once in a while, Sid told me.You hardly ever do. None of you do, unless something bad happens. 'I love you' is for good and happy times, too, right?

Right, buddy. We don't, but we should. So I opened the alpha link and chirped,I love you, my dudes! You're the best brothers in the whole world!

I love you, too, brother,Jay linked back immediately like he almost always did.

Wuv oo, too, brudder, Wyatt sing-sang in a baby voice a second later.

Love you, Cole grunted and sent me an image of him flipping Emerson during practice, and I laughed at the beta's disgruntled face.

A thud came from across the hall, and Mase stuck his head around my office door a moment later.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yep!" I grinned at him. "Just happy. I love you, man. I don't say it enough."

With a smile, he came over and laid his hand on the top of my head, but knew better than to noogie me. Last time he did, I was ten and Aunt Denise had to cut a huge mat out of my curls. Going to school the next day wasnotfun, and I'd come home with bloody fists and a sour mood.

"Love you, too, Ash. Okay, I need to head out now. Tristan's on his way over to man the office since you're leaving soon, too."

"Where are you going?" I asked, unaware there was something pending.

"Matthew linked me a minute ago and said old man Oberon's raising a fuss about something killing his goats and he can't smell what it is. Matthew was going to deal with it, but I need some fresh air, so I told him I'd take care of it."

"Oberon West? He lives out near the Bel Aire farm." I frowned. "Let me know what you find out since Posy and I will be there tonight and tomorrow morning."

"Of course. Don't want anything dangerous in our girl's vicinity."

"Yeah, that, too." I shrugged and grinned. "I meant, I'd be around if you needed help killing it. Be careful. Oberon's so old, dude couldn't smell his own outhouse anymore, so it could be anything."

He chuckled, then told me to worry more about keeping our girl safe. We did our bro hug and he left - just in time for Jay to link me.

I'm taking our mate to the park. We're going to grab some subs for lunch, then Lark wants to chase the ducks.

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