Page 124 of Chasing Shelter

Linc chuckled as he wrapped an arm around Arden. “I’m doing my best, but you know she’s hard to rein in.”

Benny beamed up at Arden as if she’d hung the moon. “You look beautiful, Miss Arden.”

“You are just the sweetest, Benny,” Arden praised.

“What about my hair?” the Eiffel Tower brunette asked, tugging Pippi Longstocking behind her.

“This is Isabella and Gracie,” Keely told me. “They do art with Auntie Arden.”

“I do, too,” Benny interjected.

Isabella huffed out a breath. “We know. Everyone knows because you never stop talking about how you’re Miss Arden’s favorite.”

Arden straightened at that. “I don’t have favorites.”

Linc leaned into her, whispering, “That’s not what you told me last night.”

Lolli let out a hoot as she approached, Nora in tow. “That’s my girl. Gettin’ herself some of the good stuff.”

“What’s the good stuff?” Keely asked, all innocence and curiosity.

“Lolli,” Trace warned, “we are at an elementary school.”

Lolli sent him an exasperated look. “Love, of course, my little pumpkin pie. Love makes the world go round.”

“And weed and diamond dicks, apparently,” Kye grumbled behind me.

“Kyler,” Fallon hissed.

Keely, clearly bored of the adults, joined a huddle with Isabella and Gracie, who hadn’t said a word. There was something about the girl’s soft quietness that tugged at me. And I didn’t miss how her gaze kept flicking to Kye behind me. He probably looked like a towering giant to her.

Benny turned his focus on Linc again, making a two-fingered gesture from Linc’s eyes to his. “Don’t forget, I’m watching you.”

I looked up at Linc, trying not to laugh. “What’d you do?”

“He stole my girlfriend,” Benny announced. “Right out from under my nose.”

Isabella rolled her eyes. “You said you’re in love with Miss Anderson now. Which is it?”

My laughter came harder as Trace pulled me back to his side.

“A real Casanova, huh?” Trace asked.

Benny’s face scrunched. “A whatta?”

“He means you’re a ladies’ man,” Lolli said, moving into the group.

Benny puffed up his chest. “I’m aromantic.” He turned hazy eyes to Arden. “And Miss Arden willalwaysbe my first love.”

“Jesus,” Linc muttered. “I don’t stand a chance.”

Arden patted his chest. “It’s good that someone’s keeping you on your toes.”

Linc dipped his head and brushed his lips across Arden’s. “Pretty sure you do that every single day, Vicious.”

Keely looked up at the two of them. “Are you two bleep buddies?”

Everyone in the circle froze, slowly turning to the woman with a rainbow extension in her hair and a headband with little mushrooms springing off it…

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